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Monday, September 30, 2013

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17th Annual BBQ - Tom Torlakson for State Superintendent of Public Instruction 2014
17th Annual BBQ - Tom Torlakson for State Superintendent of Public Instruction 2014: 17th Annual BBQ & Healthy Chili Cook-OffPosted by Craig Cheslog 242pc on September 15, 2013 · FlagIt's almost time for one of my favorite events of the year: my Annual BBQ and Healthy Chili Cook-Off! It's amazing to think we've been doing this great event for 17 years now.I hope you will join me and Team Torla




Education Headlines

Monday, September 30, 2013

In nation's richest farmland, some workers' kids get no education at all

Kern County is an American agricultural giant whose soil produced more than $6 billion worth of grapes, almonds and other farm products last year. Yet some of its workers' children, after being disciplined for relatively minor offenses, are getting zero education.

Stockton USD, police force sued over arrest

A 32-year-old Stockton man filed a $10 million battery lawsuit this week against Stockton Unified and its police force, which has been buffeted in recent days by controversial leadership issues.

Eco education with an eye toward jobs

The event was a celebration not only of the new, green facility, but of career-focused training increasing numbers of Manteca Unified students are opting for at the site that includes the district's main offices.

Rural schools legislation advances

The U.S. Senate passed a bill Thursday that will bring more than $1 million to the Mother Lode for public schools and county roads.

Homeschooling families growing in San Gabriel Valley, create classes and support groups

Amber Heydel of Upland leads a class of second- and third-graders as they learn about the water cycle in a small room in a Glendora church Friday morning.

School districts look to new curriculum to boost dismal proficiency rates

Most Coachella Valley students struggle with math more than any other subject, beginning a downward slide in middle school that extends through graduation and leaves them woefully unprepared for college-level classes.

Pete Mehas, longtime Valley education leader, dies

Pete Mehas, long-time civic and education leader and a former Fresno County schools superintendent known for his commitment to scholarship and bettering the Central Valley, has died.

Residents call for reforms at heated Bassett board meeting

Parents and students at Bassett Unified called for a revolution at a heated board meeting that at one point turned into a screaming match between the board’s vice president and a speaker.

CA report says truancy may cost state billions

California must act to reduce rampant truancy that saw an estimated 1 million elementary students absent in the last school year and may cost the state billions of dollars through increased crime and poverty, according to a study released Monday by the state attorney general's office.

Juvenile Court schools welcome new leaders in North County

The start of a new school year often means new faces among leadership, and that’s true for the San Diego County Office of Education’s North Network of Juvenile Court and Community Schools.

Governor signs bill reducing interest rate for King City school district

Sen. Anthony Cannella, R-Ceres, today announced Gov. Jerry Brown has signed Senate Bill 97, a budget trailer bill to reduce the interest rate on King City’s high school district emergency loan.

Stronger messages needed for student athletes, experts say

Sex-crime charges against two former members of Vista Murrieta High School’s football team are the most recent in a string of cases nationwide this year in which authorities say male athletes assaulted younger classmates. Experts said stronger messages are needed to make student athletes aware they could cause great and lasting harm to others and face life-changing criminal charges and possible incarceration when their actions cross the line.

Long teacher absences can cost more than money, research shows

Modesto City Schools shelled out millions of dollars in paid leaves to teachers over the last three years, but that wasn’t the only cost. While some were for medical reasons and not at full salary, long teacher absences still mean classrooms are often led by a succession of substitutes. Research shows teacher absences can prove costly to student performance.

Tuolumne schools balk at merger idea

There’s a move afoot in the foothills to consolidate Tuolumne County’s 17 regular schools under a single administration instead of a dozen, a move proposed by a group of local taxpayers and staunchly opposed by many trustees and community stalwarts.

Modesto board weighs diving into pool construction

The Enochs High School swimming pool will go out to bid soon if the plan gets a thumbs-up from the Modesto City Schools board tonight. Special taxes, most paid by Village I homeowners, will cover the cost of building the $3 million pool. No estimate of ongoing cost for heating and maintenance, which will be paid from district operating funds, was included. The agenda report simply says it does not affect the general fund “at this time.”

Home school no longer just for the deeply religious

Once primarily the domain of the Christian right or the far left, home schooling is increasingly appealing to families that don’t consider themselves deeply religious or ideological.

Modern-day home schooling is more social than it sounds

Mention the words “home schooling” and people might envision the stereotype of siblings poring over textbooks at the dining room table or completing worksheets with the help of their mom.In reality, though, home-schoolers are out in the world — attending specialized classes, taking field trips, going to proms and just hanging out with other kids.

Monterey County school district to ask voters to OK technology bonds

A small Monterey County school district has come up with what it considers a novel approach to paying for classroom technology: voter-approved, short-term bonds.

Adams: Free lunch sign ups crucial for accurate count of low-income students

With millions of dollars available under the new finance formula for schools with large numbers of low-income students, districts are pulling out all the stops to make sure they get an accurate count of their high-needs students.

Berkeley schools chief has eye on achievement gap

Taped to the wall in a long line across Donald Evans' office are the latest academic test scores of schools here, so the new superintendent knows just how each one is doing. Evans, who started the job three months ago, knows from those scores that if the city and school district are to meet their goal of closing the academic achievement gap between white students and students of color by 2020, they're going to have to work a lot harder.
Friday, September 27, 2013

San Diego County teachers caught cheating on state tests

Three San Diego County schools are among more than two dozen in California to get stripped of their state test rankings over allegations that teachers blatantly cheated or violated protocols for administering assessments.

Downey Unified takes action against bullying

Hoping to set the stage for the rest of the school year, Downey educators are raising awareness about bullying right from the start.

Drug testing at H.B. High set to begin in October

A new random drug-testing program begins in October at Huntington Beach High School for students who sign up voluntarily – or are signed up by their parents.

San Jose teacher helped second-graders cheat on STAR test

A teacher at the Berryessa Union School District's highest-scoring school in the spring helped second-graders cheat on the STAR test by erasing errors, causing the school's test results to be invalidated and incurring state and federal sanctions.

East Bay high school targeted by racist, hate-filled letters

Students at De Anza High School have been going to class amid extra security and a renewed emphasis on wearing their student IDs after someone sent two racially charged letters to the school earlier this month, police and school officials said.