Kern County Superintendent of Schools
Friday, December 6, 2013
Sonora Elementary rising from ashes
One fifth-grade class on Wednesday read the story of the phoenix, a mythological bird rising from the ashes to be more beautiful than before - a story akin to the Sonora Elementary School community after a Nov. 23 fire that destroyed most of the contents of 15 classrooms.Parents want say in school funds
California parents know little about a new law that gives more money to schools that educate poor students. But they're willing to help plan how to spend the money if given a chance.Recycling success threatens funding for San Jose school
Growth in the conservation fund has tapered off, partly because Californians are recycling so well. California's beverage container recycling rates have increased from 52 percent in 1988 to 82 percent in 2011.Oakland public schools to go solar wth SunPower
Sixteen public schools in Oakland are about to get solar panels from San Jose-based SunPower. School districts across California are increasingly turning to solar as a way to cut operational costs, maintain funding for academic program and introduce students to solar science and technology.Thursday, December 5, 2013
Simi Valley neighbors can see school solar panels all too clearly now
In its continuing effort to cut expenses, the Simi Valley Unified School District is installing solar energy panels at all but one campus.Rancho Mirage High finds teens taking responsibility for getting to class on time
Rancho Mirage High School, a new school in the Palm Springs Unified School District, is one of a small number of U.S. schools that have abandoned the traditional strategy of using bells to move students from one class to another.Santa Ana students critique lunch menu options
Josias Lopez stood next to one of 14 food sample tables set up on the Godinez Fundamental High School campus Wednesday afternoon, eying a small plastic plate of pork and salsa verde that his classmate was eating. “How is it? Is it good? Spicy good?” he asked skeptically, before accepting a forkful of the saucy cafeteria food from his friend. The 15-year-old chewed for a minute and then smiled. “Hmmm. My mom makes that!”San Jose charter school helps salvage lives
After they veer off course, many of California's hundreds of thousands of dropouts end up unemployed, on the streets, in jail and worse. For those young people who are lucky and determined enough, the San Jose Conservation Corps Charter School has helped them get back on track.Frey: Parents know little about funding law but want to get involved, EdSource survey find
A new statewide survey by EdSource suggests that parents are eager to get involved in school district spending decisions, but underscores the need for districts to actively engage parents if they are to fulfill their new role under the state’s Local Control Funding Formula.Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Family of boy left on bus files legal claim
The family of an 8-year-old autistic boy who was inadvertently left behind on a school bus three months ago has filed a legal claim naming the Kern County Superintendent of Schools office and the county of Kern as defendants.School merger petition on
Volunteers throughout the Tuolumne County are gathering signatures from voters to put a measure on the November 2014 ballot that would consolidate the county's 11 school districts into one.Sonora Elementary classes resume; arrest made
As Sonora Elementary School students returned to class this morning, law enforcement officials continued investigating the apparent arson fire that damaged 15 classrooms on Nov. 23. A 17-year-old former student has already been arrested on suspicion of starting the fire, and authorities have interviewed a second youth.U.S. educators hope to learn from world test results
Educators and pundits all over the country are abuzz over the latest results of an international test that shows students in the United States have made little progress in the past three years.National group asks Bellflower Unified school board to stop prayers at meetings
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is asking the Bellflower school board to stop its longtime practice of praying before meetings.Westminster bond deal would evade new debt limits
Westminster School District plans to borrow money Thursday by issuing construction bonds that are so expensive they would be illegal under a state law that goes into effect on Jan. 1.Zuckerberg, Gates foundations give $9 million to improve schools' Net connections
The effort to expand schools' digital infrastructure will get a boost from a $9 million grant, announced Wednesday, mainly from Mark Zuckerberg's Startup-Education foundation and the Gates Foundation.LAUSD could lose up to $200 million if families don’t submit financial paperwork
Facing the potential loss of up to $200 million in state money to help educate impoverished students, Los Angeles Unified is scrambling to comply with new state rules requiring financial verification for every low-income pupil.Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Santa Paula school superintendent a fast learner with humble beginnings
Alfonso Gamino was selected as the newly unified district's first leader, which meant he had to leave the Central Valley, where he grew up. His eldest daughter was leaving home for the first time to start a pre-med track at Long Beach State University. And two months into the job, his wife, Guadalupe, gave birth to a baby boy, their fourth child.Eyesore no more: Edison loses '1920s mental hospital' vibe with new addition
Yes, Edison's aging main building at Center and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard remains unchanged from six years ago. But just past that edifice is Edison's soon-to-open, $6.5 million engineering and construction building, 16,212 square feet of new learning space that is changing the look of Stockton Unified's oldest high school.Monterey Peninsula USD trustee wants to break contract with software provider
A trustee with the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District wants to renegotiate a five-year contract the district will not need after next school year. The contract stems from the administration's efforts to conduct its financial operations independently from the Monterey County Office of Education.Coachella Valley Unified School District recall effort falls short
Despite months of collecting signatures, a group of disgruntled parents has failed to rally enough support to recall a majority of the Coachella Valley Unified School Board.Pipes, personnel on LBUSD board's agenda
The Long Beach Unified School District board is set decide whether to take over the water pipes beneath the new McBride High School and discuss a few highlights of contract negotiations with employees at Tuesday’s board meeting.Survey: Most LAUSD teachers would discontinue costly iPad program
Only a minority of Los Angeles Unified School District teachers strongly favors proceeding with the $1 billion iPad program.West Contra Costa school board agrees to revisit bullying regulations, hires administrator
Although the West Contra Costa school district has several programs in schools to help combat bullying, trustees learned during a special board meeting Monday that they are not doing enough.Freedburg: School reforms revive decades-old debate on impact of money on education outcomes
The dramatic transformation of how California’s schools are funded is raising one of the most complex and challenging questions on the education policy landscape: Will additional money improve student academic outcomes?
News Archives
Click on a date in the calendar below to view that day's news.December 2013 | ||||||
Sun |
Mon |
Tue |
Wed |
Thu |
Fri |
Sat |
1 |
6 |
7 |
||||
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
31 |
||||