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Thursday, August 15, 2013

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The Parent Trigger warriors of Watts: How a Special Forces Hero and a Group of Moms Took Back Weigand Elementary






Education Headlines

Thursday, August 15, 2013

The Parent Trigger warriors of Watts: How a Special Forces Hero and a Group of Moms Took Back Weigand Elementary

To understand how far Weigand fell, on average 54 percent of the students across all grades were proficient or advanced in math under Pasilla; under Cobian, 33 percent are. Under Pasilla, Weigand was a 5 in the Similar Schools Rankings, in which 100 socioeconomically identical schools are compared on a 1 to 10 scale statewide. But as impoverished schools continually improved statewide in recent years, Weigand fell back, plummeting to a 2 in the Similar Schools Ranking — which LAUSD Superintendent of Schools John Deasy calls "disastrous."
The mostly young and Latino mothers wanted to remove Cobian by gathering signatures under Parent Trigger.

With cash infusion, Ventura schools consider spending uses

The Ventura Unified School District will get $6.5 million more than it was expecting this year from the state, and district officials are deciding how to spend the cash.

Moorpark school board gives raises to top administrators

The Moorpark Unified School District board held its first meeting of the school year on Tuesday, and one of its first actions was to approve employment contracts and raises for five top administrators.

Veteran educators to vie for schools superintendent

Two longtime San Joaquin County educators have announced their intent to run for the county's superintendent of schools position.

Charter school enrollment climbs in Sacramento as private schools lose students

Statewide, private school officials point to a birthrate decline and migration out of California. But they also cite fierce competition from public charter schools as the economy sputtered and families sought cheaper education options.

Lodi school distirct modifies its policy on students using social networks

The Lodi Unified School District has announced it is suspending a portion of its social networking guidelines that drew protests from high school students, who said it is a breach of their freedom of speech.

Judge OKs $30 million Los Angeles school molest settlements

A judge has approved settlements of lawsuits that claimed dozens of students were molested at Miramonte Elementary School in Los Angeles and the district has made the first of what may become $30 million in payouts.

Redlands middle schoolers now eligible for drug tests

Redlands Unified School District implemented the voluntary urine screens last year in the high schools and expanded the program to lower grade levels after overwhelming success, according to district officials.

California law protecting K-12 transgender students gets mixed response

California's law to give transgender K-12 students rights such as access to the restrooms and locker rooms that they choose has received mixed response from school officials.

Palm Springs school calendar proposal stirs child care concerns

The hybrid calendar, proposed to take effect at all Palm Springs Unified School District schools in 2014-2105, would create weeklong vacations in October, November and possibly February.

Chino Valley Unified board expected to bring back employees

hino Valley Unified board members will be asked to restore more than a dozen positions and almost 50 work days to the current school year at a Thursday’s meeting. The restorations - recommended by the superintendent - add up to about $1.4 million.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Angry parents storm Panama-Buena Vista meeting over transgender law, vendor contract

More than 100 people crowded into the normally quiet bimonthly meeting of the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District's board meeting Tuesday -- the first since Gov. Jerry Brown signed a new law mandating that public schools allow transgendered students to use restrooms and play on sex-segregated sports teams with the gender they identify with -- and they made their voices heard.

Kern High School District settles whistleblower lawsuit

The Kern High School District has settled with two former employees who had alleged they were wrongfully terminated after calling attention to contracts they said were shady.

San Bernardino City USD opens five new campuses this school year

In addition to easing crowding at existing campuses, the new schools also allow students to attend class closer to home – often close enough that the district no longer has to bus them.