Fairfield-Suisun school board sets budget priorities – Daily Republic

By Mike Corpos

FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield-Suisun school board agreed on four main budget priorities Thursday for the 2013-14 school year, with a boost in employee compensation topping the list.

The decisions came after an extensive discussion during a budget workshop.

As each board member listed his or her priorities. Four topics rose to the top of the list. The board handed them off to the district administration to research and come back with dollar figures attached.

via Fairfield-Suisun school board sets budget priorities Daily Republic.

Crowdsourcing Ideas for Better School Policies | MindShift

By Robyn Gee, NPR

In my previous life as a high school English teacher, I often felt disconnected from everyone making the decisions that affected how I did my job. A new curriculum handed down from the district. Tutorials to learn how to process student data. Elective classes swapped out for study halls. I just learned to roll with the punches.

But crowdsourcing tools are slowly working their way into the education policy world, designed to give teachers and district employees more say on big decisions that affect their school environment.

via Crowdsourcing Ideas for Better School Policies | MindShift.

Vacaville school board to discuss filling vacancy – Daily Republic

By Mike Corpos

VACAVILLE — Down to six members, the Vacaville School Board will discuss how to fill a vacancy during Thursday’s regular meeting, set for 7 p.m. at the Educational Services Center, 401 Nut Tree Road.

Board president David McCallum said Trustee Larry Mazzuca handed in his resignation several weeks ago, effective Monday.

Mazzuca moved to Nevada City, meaning the remaining board members must decide how to replace him.

via Vacaville school board to discuss filling vacancy Daily Republic.

EdSource Today: Districts drop at-large elections to comply with voting rights law

By 

Next week, Pasadena Unified voters will elect school board members by trustee areas for the first time, switching from at-large elections in which all candidates compete districtwide. Education Week reports that dozens of California school districts have switched to trustee areas to encourage racial and ethnic diversity on their boards and avoid being sued under the California Voting Rights Act of 2001. The law outlaws at-large elections that thwart minority voters from electing candidates of their choice.

The EdWeek piece quotes Peter Fagan, a partner in the Los Angeles-based law firm Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost, who says, “While not all school districts are rushing to shift, in today’s budget climate very few have the desire to fight these lawsuits. The only safe harbor for districts is to shift to trustee-area elections, whether or not it helps elect minority representation, which is not always the case.” In the case of Pasadena Unified, 10 candidates – three white, three black, and four Latino – are competing for four open seats on a school board that has been predominantly white.

via Districts drop at-large elections to comply with voting rights law – by John Fensterwald.

Education Week: School Board Members to Arne Duncan: Back Off

After four years in office, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan still hasn’t won over local school board members.

But he keeps coming back, year after year, to tangle with members of the National School Boards Association during their federal meeting in Washington.

In remarks yesterday, he laid out the four tenets of his second-term agenda: more money to expand access to high-quality early education for disadvantaged children, reauthorizing No Child Left Behind (and following through on waivers), making good on President Obama’s goal to lead the world in college completion by 2020, and passing gun control legislation in the wake of the Newtown shootings.

via School Board Members to Arne Duncan: Back Off.

Daily Republic Letters: Another FSUSD junior high school tumbles

Raymond Streib, Fairfield

A number of years ago, we were raising a granddaughter in our home. When she arrived, we attempted to enroll her in Grange Middle School because it is less than a quarter-mile from our home. We were informed that Grange had no more room for another student and that we would need to enroll her in Sullivan.

via Another junior high school tumbles.

Daily Republic Letters: FSUSD school board makes bad decision

Ben Padilla
Fairfield

The Fairfield-Suisun School District has decided that any child, as young as 12, can walk off campus during school hours. The child merely has to indicate that she has a doctor’s appointment. Consent of a parent or guardian is not necessary. The school board has instructed the schools to keep the off-campus venture confidential from all parents.

via School board makes bad decision.

Daily Republic: Vacaville School District releases revised budget

VACAVILLE — If the worst happens, the Vacaville School District can lean on one of its unions and use money in the bank to save programs and positions.

The district’s chapter of Service Employees International Union tentatively agreed Tuesday to 11 furlough days, saving the district more than $1 million.

The district at best is facing a $4 million deficit and at worst an $8.2 million deficit for next school year, depending on what happens with the state budget and tax initiatives this fall. It is planning for different scenarios because by law the district must pass its budget by June 30.

via Vacaville School District releases revised budget.

Daily Republic: Fairfield-Suisun district releases new school boundary options

FAIRFIELD — School officials released two options Wednesday of what the district’s enrollment, boundaries and feeder schools will look like once Sullivan Middle School closes.

The options, which are before the Fairfield-Suisun school board Thursday, affect middle school and elementary school students, adding grade levels to some schools, shifting boundary lines that change which elementary schools feed into middle schools and increasing population at the middle school level.

All of the changes are a ripple effect of the board’s decision in April to close Sullivan Middle School as part of $6.5 million in cuts needed to balance the budget.

via Fairfield-Suisun district releases new school boundary options.

Daily Republic: Fairfield group rallies to save Sullivan Middle School from closure

FAIRFIELD — Parents, students and teachers are organizing a fight against a school board vote to close Sullivan Middle School, calling it another attack on the city’s poorest students and a cut that can be avoided.

“We’re just really frustrated,” said LeRoy Purvis, the parent of a Sullivan graduate, current student and an incoming student.

This week, “Save Sullivan” began a petition drive that as of Tuesday afternoon had 380 signatures. People signing the petition left notes as well.

via Group rallies to save Sullivan from closure.

Dixon Patch: The 35 DHS students Sound Off to Dixon School Board

The 35 represented during last night’s school board meeting. They took to the podium and described the failure of Dixon High School administration in upholding the prom contract that required them to breathalyze students and notify their parents if they were suspected of being under the influence of alcohol.

via The 35 Sound Off to Dixon School Board.

Daily Republic: Plan keeps sixth grade at middle school in Fairfield-Suisun

FAIRFIELD — Sixth grade will stay at the middle-school level.

The Fairfield-Suisun School District board, when it voted April 26 to close Sullivan Middle School, made it clear it did not want sixth grade to return to the elementary-school level, which was proposed by district officials.

via Plan keeps sixth grade at middle school in Fairfield-Suisun.

Daily Republic Editorial: FSUSD school board let us all down

The Fairfield-Suisun school board has failed the community its members were elected to serve.

There’s little doubt that the situation in the district is dire. The board in February approved $6.5 million in budget cuts to balance the books. In the process, the board agreed to close an elementary school and a middle school to save a combined $1.2 million.

We’ve been here before.

via School board let us all down.

Benicia Herald: BUSD: Special ed work program praised, CTE presentation

By Keri Luiz
Assistant Editor

The Benicia Unified School District Board of Trustees on Thursday heard a presentation about a district program that connects special education students with local businesses — to the benefit, its coordinator said, of both.

Marivic Magallanes explained how the state-funded WorkAbility program offers not only individual education plans to Benicia and Liberty High School students, but also a Community Based Instruction program that helps special-needs teens and young men and women make the transition to adult life.

via Special ed work program praised.

Vallejo Times-Herald: Vallejo parents protest transfer of Steffan Manor Elementary principal

Parents of Steffan Manor Elementary School students packed the Vallejo school board meeting Wednesday to express their dissatisfaction with the transfer of their principal.”(Dave) Samson has been like a family, and Mr. Samson is one of the only principals in Vallejo that speaks Spanish,” said Connie Barba-Finocchi, who has three children at the school.

via Vallejo parents protest transfer of Steffan Manor Elementary principal.

Dixon Patch: Principal John Barsotti: ‘I Am Very Sorry For How I Handled the Situation’

It was a tense, oftentimes emotional meeting last night at Dixon High School’s Theater. The students who were not allowed into Saturday’s Junior Prom, and many of their parents, had an opportunity to vent their frustrations to the Dixon High administration and ask them questions.

via Principal John Barsotti: ‘I Am Very Sorry For How I Handled the Situation’.

Benicia Herald: BUSD trustees to get reports on safety, funding, CTE

By Keri Luiz
Assistant Editor

“WorkAbility” will be the buzzword at Thursday’s meeting of the Benicia Unified School District Board of Trustees.

In a highlighted item on the agenda, the board will hear about the Benicia program from coordinator Marivic Magallanes.

“WorkAbility is a federally funded program for middle and high school special education students to provide vocational and work experience for students,” Janice Adams, superintendent of Benicia schools, explained.

via Trustees to get reports on safety, funding.

Dixon Patch: Principal Barsotti: ‘We Feel Terribly That Some of Our Students Were Not Allowed to Attend the Prom’

Dixon High School started the week off with a protest and television news cameras on campus, reporting about the exclusion of 35 of DHS’ student leaders from their prom.

via Principal Barsotti: ‘We Feel Terribly That Some of Our Students Were Not Allowed to Attend the Prom’.

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