FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, September 19, 2013

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Education Headlines

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Alisal school board adopts credit-card use policy

It's official: Alisal schools Superintendent John Ramirez Jr. is now authorized to use the district credit card.The school board voted 5-0 Wednesday night to approve a policy governing the use of the credit card, a policy that was nonexistent a year ago.

Baron: Future of high school exit exam unclear as California revamps testing requirements

The current overhaul of California’s student testing program is skipping, for now, the California High School Exit Exam, the one test that’s truly high stakes. If students don’t pass, they don’t receive a high school diploma

Chico school test scores good, but gains, losses hard to explain

A report finds the majority of Chico schools are doing better than the state averages on various standardized test measures, but what it means is not entirely clear.

Arts funding declines as schools make push for new technology

The Fountain Valley School District has privatized its after-school arts program in elementary schools, increasing the cost to parents by nearly a third, and cut an after-school vocal music class for K-5 students.

Institute, schools team to tout canyons

Under a proposal that San Diego school trustees unanimously approved Tuesday, more than 30 acres of Manzanita Canyon in City Heights will be transformed into an $8 million living science lab for thousands of students.

California school aid change already enmeshed in controversy

A brand-new overhaul of how state aid is distributed to California schools - focusing more money on districts with large numbers of poor and/or English learner students - is already generating controversy.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Last-minute proposal may keep Tokay Colony open

Lodi Unified will research the possibility of transforming the rural Tokay Colony Elementary School into a technology-themed magnet school, an eleventh-hour effort to try to keep the small school open as enrollment declines.

Local Tea Party activists oppose Common Core standards

They’re promoted as making American students more competitive with their international peers, but some local conservatives say new educational standards set to be fully implemented next school year amount to a federal takeover of local education.

Freedburg: LAUSD board-administrator conflicts underscore challenges of “local control”

Tensions are on the rise between top administrators and the new majority on the Los Angeles Unified School District school board – underscoring the perils inherent in Gov. Jerry Brown’s move to push more control and authority for what happens in schools down to the local level.