The Educated Guess: Should districts be handed full control over spending?

To mitigate the impact of substantially cutting spending for K-12 schools, the Legislature agreed to temporarily let school districts decide how to spend money that had been earmarked for dozens of special programs, from adult education to teacher training. Now, as part of his plan to reform how education is funded, Gov. Brown is proposing to go a big step further and give local districts total and permanent flexibility over nearly all of the remaining categorical programs. He also wants to drop two dozen mandated programs, leaving districts the option of continuing to fund them without state reimbursement. Is spending flexibility over billions of dollars, ending state control over what the Legislature deemed important priorities, wise policy? Can districts be trusted to do right by children? And suppose they don’t – what then?

To explore this issue, we asked four leaders with different perspectives: Jill Wynns, president of the California School Boards Association; John Affeldt, managing partner of the nonprofit law firm Public Advocates; Bob Wells, executive director of the Association of California  School Administrators; and Erin Gabel, Director of Government Affairs for State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. What do you think? Please share your views.

via Should districts be handed full control over spending? – by forum.

The Educated Guess: Click and post – California Standards Test security breach

By John Fensterwald – Educated Guess

The Age of Instagramis creating headaches for the state Department of Education and ETS, the contractor for the state’s standardized tests. At least 100 students from 34 school districts had posted images on social media of materials from various state tests they took, according to Paul Hefner, spokesman for Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torakson.

via Click and post: CST security breach – by John Fensterwald – Educated Guess.

Vallejo Times-Herald: Kaiser and Solano College team up for Vallejo violence prevention program

Kaiser Permanente has given a new Solano Community College violence prevention program geared for Vallejo youth a $15,000 grant to get off the ground.

The Solano College educational foundation and Kaiser Permanente will collaborate on the “Positive Alternatives for Vallejo’s Young People Initiative,” a program aimed at decreasing violence and providing positive options for youth living in and near the city.

via Kaiser and Solano College team up for Vallejo violence prevention program.

Vallejo Times-Herald Letters: Time to get serious about the issues facing our Vallejo schools

Donna Lawson, Vallejo

 

The March 11 Times-Herald editorial (“Good time to ‘get on board’: Invite criticism”) was quite insightful. Vallejo City Unified School District Superintendent Ramona Bishop seems to unfairly target and blame teachers who speak out about student disruptions in the classroom and violence on school campuses.

via Time to get serious about the issues facing our Vallejo schools.

KTXL-TV: Fairfield-Suisun School Board Rules to Close Sullivan Middle School

She echoed the feelings of everyone there, as the Fairfield-Suisun School Board had the tough decision to close two district schools, helping with the big picture of a $6.5 million deficit.

via Fairfield-Suisun School Board Rules to Close Sullivan Middle School.

Vallejo Times-Herald: Vallejo Inventor’s Lab celebrates first year

By Lanz Christian Bañes Times-Herald staff writer/

Raymond McDonald’s description of his experience Saturday at the Inventor’s Lab in South Vallejo was short and to the point.

“One word: Awesome!” Raymond said.

The 11-year-old sixth-grader from Mare Island Health and Fitness Academy was one of nearly 200 people who celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Inventor’s Lab, a project of the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley.

via Vallejo Inventor’s Lab celebrates first year.

The Reporter: Thirteen vie to be top Solano County educator

Five Vacaville-area school employees and eight others from throughout the county have been nominated for the 2012-13 Solano County Educators of the Year award. The Solano County Office of Education made the announcement in a press release issued Thursday.

via Thirteen vie to be top Solano County educator.

Dixon Patch: Decision to Exclude 35 Dixon High Junior Class Leaders From Prom Sparks Outrage

Months of planning and raising funds for the perfect prom were cast aside for 35 students who comprise the junior class’ leadership at Dixon High School when someone allegedly left a bottle of vitamin water containing alcohol on the bus that took them to their junior prom.

via Decision to Exclude 35 Dixon High Junior Class Leaders From Prom Sparks Outrage.

Daily Republic Letters: FSUSD school closure timing prompts questions

Sue Kinder, Teacher at Green Valley Middle School

American Canyon

I wonder if the Fairfield-Suisun school board’s and the district office’s timing of school closures is to place pressure on the negotiations for teachers to take another cut in pay. Or, is the timing to alert parents of the need for the November Tax vote? Or, is the timing to stress out students (and teachers) days prior to their California Standards Test?

via School closure timing prompts questions.

Daily Republic: FSUSD elementary students get hands-on during the ‘Multiple Intelligences Trek’

FAIRFIELD — Students part of the Gifted and Talented Education Program at KI Jones Elementary school pushed their textbooks aside last week in favor of something a little more fun and hands on: the annual “Multiple Intelligences Trek.”

The “trek” these students take isn’t so much a walking journey as it is a mental trek of what KI Jones teachers refer to as “multiple intelligences.”

via Elementary students get hands-on during the ‘Multiple Intelligences Trek’.

Daily Republic: Life goes on at Sullivan, at least for now, after vote to close school

FAIRFIELD — Life continued Friday at Sullivan Middle School, a day after the school board voted to close the Union Avenue campus this fall.

The school’s 900 or so students spent their PE period at a college and career fair in the school’s gymnasium. Representatives from the military, Solano Community College, Mission Solano and local businesses took questions from the students and told them a little about their work.

via Life goes on at Sullivan, at least for now, after vote to close school.

Daily Republic: Fairfield-Suisun school bus program likely ending next school year

FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield-Suisun School District this fall could be the latest local district to do away with home-to-school transportation.

As part of closing a $6.5 million deficit, the school board voted to eliminate its bus program, effectively issuing pink slips to all 41 district bus drivers. The state budget proposal does not include funding for transportation, so schools who want to keep the program will have to go it alone.

via Fairfield-Suisun school bus program likely ending next school year.

Benicia Herald: Every 15 Minutes – A good investment for Benicia schools

By Karen LaRiviere

IT IS SPRINGTIME, or, for most high school students, “prom season” — and Benicia High School’s juniors and seniors looked stunning a week ago as they headed off to San Francisco for their prom.

The weather is getting warmer, the school year is winding down and soon there will be parties to celebrate graduation. Parents take great pride in their children’s successes at this time of year, yet silently harbor great fear that those same children will make one bad decision that could forever change their lives and the lives of those around them.

via Every 15 Minutes: A good investment for Benicia schools.

The Educated Guess: No more dodging Algebra dilemma

By John Fensterwald – Educated Guess

For nearly two years, California’s unwieldy eighth grade math standards have lain untouched like an unexploded IED, a roadside bomb of the math wars. But with middle and high school math teachers clamoring for guidance and new assessments two-plus years away, the Legislature and State Board must soon answer the question, What about Algebra I in eighth grade?

via No more dodging Algebra dilemma – by John Fensterwald – Educated Guess.

Suisun City Patch: FSUSD School Board Votes To Close Sullivan Middle School

Suisun City schools lucked out last night.

After passionate pleas from hundreds of school supporters of every school that showed up on the list considered for closure and criticism from the public, the Fairfield-Unified School District Governing Board of Trustees voted 5-2 to close a Middle School and accept employee and management concessions.

via School Board Votes To Close Sullivan Middle School.

Suisun City Patch: An FSUSD Parent’s Plea – Save Oakbrook Elementary School

Letter from Susan Young to FSUSD Board of Trustees:

Dear Members of the FSUSD Board: I am writing to you as a concerned parent, PTA officer, and property owner in Cordelia. I understand that during these difficult financial times, unpopular decisions must sometimes be made, but it is my sincere wish that if you *must* close an elementary school that you will find a way to spare Oakbrook.

via A Parent’s Plea: Save Oakbrook Elementary School.

The Reporter: Vacaville, Travis school districts negotiating contracts

By Richard Bammer/ RBammer@TheReporter.com

Two Vacaville-area school districts are in the middle of new employee contract negotiations, a process that in the last several years has been more transparent not only for union members but also for interested stakeholders and the public.

Travis Unified School District leaders and the Vacaville Unified Teachers Association routinely post updates on their contract negotiations on their websites, travisusd.k12.ca.us and vacateachers.org, respectively.

via Vacaville, Travis school districts negotiating contracts.

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