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Wednesday, April 9, 2014

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L.A. Unified board to study adding student representative



Education Headlines

Wednesday, April 9, 2014
FCMAT provides links to California K-12 news stories as a service to the industry. However, some stories may not be accessible because of newspapers' subscription policies.

Stockton USD hit with age bias claims

Several former Stockton Unified School District principals told the Board of Trustees on Tuesday that they are in the early stages of filing age discrimination lawsuits claiming Superintendent Steve Lowder has unfairly pushed them out of their jobs.

Fensterwald: Deal in L.A. Unified designed to protect 37 high-needs schools from layoffs

The parties in a 4-year-old lawsuit challenging mass layoffs of teachers at low-income middle schools in Los Angeles Unified announced a settlement Tuesday that an attorney called a potential model for creating a stable work force in schools beset by teacher churn.

Coachella Valley Unified votes to layoff 96

The Coachella Valley Unified School Board approved termination of dozens of employees Tuesday night over the impassioned objections of school workers, who said layoffs could jeopardize state funding, the iPad program for students, and other district programs.

Fallbrook Union High School District superintendent to retire in September

After serving six years as superintendent of the Fallbrook Union High School District, Dale Mitchell announced Monday night that he will retire Sept. 1.

Contract eludes Sweetwater, teachers

Bargaining teams for the Sweetwater Union High School District and its teachers union resumed contract negotiations Tuesday but failed to reach an agreement on a pact involving health benefits, salary and class size.

Teachers get creative to keep field trips alive

Once a regular part of a child’s education, the field trip has become a luxury some Inland school districts can’t afford. With money tight, teachers are becoming creative as they look for ways to keep the fun but educational journeys to museums, parks and other places alive.

'Nonpublic' school looks to bridge gap for Antioch special needs kids

Antioch Unified district officials and community leaders this week welcomed the expansion of a "nonpublic" school aimed at helping students with severe special needs transition into the public school system.

Mt. Diablo trustees to approve administrator raises, classified employee layoffs

The Mt. Diablo school board on Wednesday expects to approve nearly $1.2 million in administrator raises and bonuses, mirroring increases to teachers and other union members.

Bay Area school districts earn poor grades for educating poor, black and Latino students

When it comes to educating Latino, African-American and poor students, Bay Area school districts do at best a mediocre job, according to a report published Tuesday by an Oakland-based education advocacy group.

L.A. Unified settles lawsuit over layoffs

Los Angeles school district officials announced a lawsuit settlement Tuesday that will provide $60 million in pay increases, services and staff at about three dozen schools, many hit hard by teacher layoffs. But the pact fails to deal with whether instructors should continue to be dismissed based on seniority.

L.A. Unified board to study adding student representative

Without agreeing to have a student representative on the Los Angeles school board, members agreed Tuesday to direct district staff to examine the possibility of creating such a position.

EdSource: Effort to revive arts programs in schools gains momentum

In an attempt to reverse the impact of years of budget cuts and a state and national emphasis on math and English test results, some 70 education officials, arts advocates, teachers and principals will unveil in June a blueprint designed to renew California’s battered K-12 arts education system.

EdSource: Assembly subcommittee pledges to fight for career technical education

Raising alarm about the future of programs that help prepare students for jobs after high school, a key Assembly budget subcommittee signaled Tuesday it intends to fight to restore dedicated funding for career technical education programs that give students work experience.

Charter schools may take over vacant L.A. Unified campuses

The Los Angeles Board of Education directed district staff Tuesday to enter negotiations with two charter school operators who are seeking to redevelop four campuses in the San Fernando Valley that have been closed for decades.

LAUSD board approves Deasy’s leg up for disadvantaged kids

Superintendent John Deasy on Tuesday formally submitted his plan to give more funding to Los Angeles Unified’s neediest children, even as protesters outside district headquarters demanded more be done to whittle the dropout rate and help schools in the city’s poorest areas.

375 desks block traffic outside LAUSD office in dropout-rate protest

It was a surreal scene for some, a traffic headache for others, as demonstrators set up 375 desks in neat rows Tuesday on the street in front of the headquarters of the Los Angeles Unified School District.It was a surreal scene for some, a traffic headache for others, as demonstrators set up 375 desks in neat rows Tuesday on the street in front of the headquarters of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014

KHSD approves 5 percent raise for teachers, 2 new principals

The Kern High School District Board of Trustees approved a package of salary raises for five groups of union workers Monday at the KHSD district office. District representatives ratified collective bargaining agreements that include a 1-percent raise this year and a 4-percent hike next year for workers in two classified unions as well as teachers, supervisors and trade union workers. 

Central San Joaquin Valley schools begin new computerized state tests

After months of prepping for California's new computerized state assessments, called the Smarter Balanced Consortium Field Tests, schools across the Valley are now rolling out the high-tech exam. State officials report schools have run into few problems -- good news for the state, which has invested $1.25 billion to help prepare for the tests.

Grant High parents press for campus improvements

Frustrated with aging facilities at 82-year-old Grant Union High School, Del Paso Heights community members on Monday asked school and political leaders to install campus HVAC units and consider other improvements such as filling the swimming pool.

South Bay underwriter gets lesser charges

A former bond underwriter who was a key figure in the corruption investigation at South County school districts was sentenced to probation and almost $8,000 in fines Monday.

Sweetwater break ends, bargaining resumes

Students in the Sweetwater Union High School District returned from spring break Monday with no agreement between the district and teachers’ union

Dozier-Libbey High teachers seek injunction of Antioch Unified's charter petition

In the latest twist in the dueling petition efforts for the medical high school, supporters of an independent charter high school last week filed a temporary restraining order against the Antioch school district's efforts to turn it into a dependent charter.

Apple Valley teachers infringed on rights of Christian students, district says

Apple Valley Unified has agreed that two of its teachers infringed on the rights of Christian elementary school students by stopping them from distributing plastic coins with Bible verses imprinted on them.

Frey: Districts develop goals for foster youth

As districts set their goals for the next school year and allocate funding under the new California school finance system, they have to consider for the first time a small, highly at-risk subset of students: youth in foster care.

Students arrested in videotaped fight with Santa Monica teacher

District Superintendent Sandra Lyon called the incident “utterly alarming” and acted swiftly, placing the teacher on leave pending the outcome of an investigation.