Friday, July 31, 2009

Clip Report for July 31

San Diego Union-Tribune

July 31, 2009

Group sues S.D. Unified on schools' labor pact | Prop. S deal biased, local contractors say

SAN DIEGO COURTS — A local contractors association filed a lawsuit yesterday against the San Diego Unified School District, claiming its agreement ensuring labor guarantees for projects funded through a recent bond measure is discriminatory.

 

KPBS-FM

July 30, 2009

Non-Union Contractors Sue S.D. Unified Over Prop. S

SAN DIEGO — A non-union construction contractors group is suing the San Diego Unified School District over how money is spent on Proposition S school bond projects.

 

 

Voice of San Diego

July 31, 2009

Diversity Concerns Threaten Expansion of Charter School

San Diego Unified staffers are advising the school board to turn down a plan to expand a City Heights charter school into a high school, arguing that it will encourage racial isolation because its student body consists largely of African-American students of Somali descent.

 

July 30, 2009

'Give Me a Break'

Superintendent Terry Grier has dismissed rumors that he is seeking the superintendency in Houston schools. It is the second time that Grier has been rumored to be seeking another job: Last winter talk was swirling that Grier was up for the same job in Austin after a new school board was elected. And Grier seems to be getting a little sick of the rumor mill.

 

State

 

San Francisco Chronicle

July 31, 2009

Court says English-only tests OK in schools

SAN FRANCISCO -- California is entitled to administer school achievement tests and high school exit exams in English to all students, including the nearly 1.6 million who speak limited English, a state appeals court ruled Thursday.

 

Clip Report for July 30

San Diego Union-Tribune

July 30, 2009

Potential double whammy of flu coming up | Local health officials put schools on notice

As public health officials from Boston to San Diego brace for a potential double hit from seasonal influenza and a new wave of swine flu, schools and vaccine distribution have become major focal points. (Also featured on front of California School Board Association website).

  • Also covered by KBNT-TV.

 

Contractor group to sue schools over work rules

SAN DIEGO: They threatened to sue, and now it looks as if they will. An official with the local chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America says the group will file suit against the San Diego Unified School District this morning over its agreement ensuring labor guarantees for the bulk of Proposition S work.

 

Ex-principals to open online school | Ecademy California is educational hybrid

Three former Chula Vista elementary school principals plan to open an online school next month that's a hybrid of home and traditional instruction. Like home-schoolers, students at Ecademy California can learn at their kitchen tables or in their bedrooms. But like their peers at neighborhood public schools, they will attend classes at scheduled hours and meet as a group with a teacher who leads them through lessons in math, English, science and social studies. Classes, however, will be held via Webcam.

 

Tax for schools roundly opposed | Angry residents tell Cardiff board

Trustees of the Cardiff School District, which has been hit hard by state budget cuts, recently began talking about a parcel tax as a way to raise money to offset the shortfall. It didn't go well.

 

Voice of San Diego

July 29, 2009

Building Now, Paying for It Later

Drama boosters at Patrick Henry High School want a real auditorium to replace the "cafetorium" that doubles as an eating space. Two neighboring middle schools want a new field for baseball, softball and soccer.

 

Contractors' Group Filing Suit Over Labor Pact

The local chapter of the Associated General Contractors announced today that it is filing a lawsuit against San Diego Unified "challenging the exclusivity" of its project labor agreement, which sets goals for local hiring and gives apprentices from union programs the first shot at jobs to build their skills. The group is holding a press conference tomorrow morning at their headquarters. Check back soon for more details.

 

Placing Displaced Teachers

It looks like San Diego Unified will find jobs for all of those displaced teachers after all: Cutting class sizes down to 15 students per teacher in 25 schools is expected to create 116 teaching jobs, according to a preliminary estimate from the human resources department.

 

La Jolla Light

July 28, 2009

Local salon supports La Jolla High School

With schools across the state facing budget cuts and subsequent equipment shortfalls, La Jolla High School finds itself benefiting from cuts of another kind.

 

San Diego Unified Parent Blog (Paul M. Bowers)

July 30, 2009

Parent Union?

Parents are frustrated. We see all the power and influence in the district and on the board- the teachers, the administrators, and unions. But what about parents? Are we entirely powerless?

 

Foundations as employers?

ThereÕs been a lot of talk around the district and parents regarding the role specific parent groups, mostly Foundations, may play in directly funding positions at district (public!) schools.

 

State

 

San Francisco Chronicle

July 27, 2009

Budget lifts diploma hurdle for special-ed kids

Changes to the California High School Exit Exam policy tucked into the state's new budget may offer a different future for thousands of disabled children denied diplomas over the past two years.

 

Orange County Register

July 29, 2009

Will O.C. school districts soon face bankruptcy?

The recent state takeover of a Monterey County district raises the question. But local educators say it's not likely anytime soon.

 

Nation

 

eSchool News

July 28, 2009

Ten tips for boosting eCommunication

One of the great things about working in education is the opportunity to start anew every fall. No matter how tough the previous school year was, we get to go back to school with new school supplies, new students, and new hopes.

 

New York Times

July 27, 2009

For Veterans, a Weekend Pass From Homelessness

The number of homeless veterans who made their way to a high schoolÕs athletic fields for the gathering reached a record high, some 950 compared with last yearÕs record of 830. The job-devouring recession is pushing up the numbers, but organizers said they were also starting to see younger veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, some with traumatic brain injuries or psychological stresses, who had fallen through the safety nets with unusual speed.

Clip Report for July 28

KPBS-FM

July 29, 2009

Unified School Board May Approve District-Wide Biliteracy Programs

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Unified school board is leaning toward approving a proposed policy that would allow all students in the district access to full-spectrum biliteracy programs.

 

T.H.E. Journal

July 29, 2009

San Diego USD Looks To Improve Web Communications

San Diego Unified School District in California is arranging to improve its online collaboration and communication tools. The district has signed an agreement adopting Schoolwires' Centricity in an effort to augment communications between parents, teachers, students, and other constituents who speak more than 60 languages and dialects.

 

City News Service via KGTV-10

July 28, 2009

School Bond Revenues Lower Than Projected

SAN DIEGO -- Revenues from the sale of Proposition S bonds are lower than expected, and San Diego Unified School District officials may have to reshuffle plans for renovating schools, trustees were told Tuesday.

 

City News Service via KGTV-10

July 28, 2009

School Board Passes Bond Labor Deal

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Unified School District Board of Education Tuesday night approved an agreement with unions regarding the use of labor on Proposition S projects, but less revenue is coming in from bond sales than expected. Also posed on KFMB-TV and XETV websites.

 

Voice of San Diego

July 28, 2009

The Gompers Saga Concludes

After weeks of rancor over how San Diego Unified would balance the different needs of two adjacent schools -- one a charter school, one a magnet run by the school district -- a plan has been struck.

 

Clip Report for July 27

Company News Release

July 27, 2009

San Diego Unified School District Selects Schoolwires Centricity Platform With Turnkey Suite of Solutions

State College, Pennsylvania, July 27, 2009 — San Diego Unified School District has selected the Schoolwires Centricity platform to further engage its large district community in support of student achievement, it was announced today by Schoolwires, one of the nation's leading providers of strategic website and community management solutions for building stronger school communities, more effective schools and greater student

 

La Jolla Light

July 27, 2009

BE WiSE encourages young women to dream

Twelve high school girls from all over San Diego on Saturday got a lesson in how cancer research is done during the Be WiSE Young Women in Cancer Research Oncofertility Academy.

 

Voice of San Diego

July 27, 2009

What Your Sacto Reps Are Doing

Salas is also working on the school front. She wants to make marching band an equivalent alternative to physical education. She has a bill that would exempt high school students from PE if they are in other school programs deemed to require equal amounts of physical activity: marching band, cheerleading, JROTC, and others.

 

Voice of San Diego

July 26, 2009

Proposed Schools Policy Says Two Languages Better Than One

Minerva Espejo remembered her own rocky start in English after moving from Mexico to San Diego as a teenager. English classes were bewildering; a bilingual class taught by a teacher who barely understood Spanish was even worse. She improved her English at home by pulling out a dictionary night after night to pick up the vocabulary that helped get her to college.

 

Project Labor Agreement -- For Real This Time

It's almost official: San Diego Unified is poised to adopt a project labor agreement for its facilities bond on Tuesday. The agreement includes guidelines for local hiring and requires contractors to provide health insurance, largely through union plans.

 

San Diego Union-Tribune

July 25, 2009

2 campuses are locked in space duel | District's construction plans are put on hold

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego school district will postpone construction at a Chollas View site shared by two schools while administrators from the campuses work out a blueprint for cohabitation.

 

Voice of San Diego

July 24, 2009

Rescheduling School Renovation

As the sagging economy has takes its toll on Proposition S, the $2.1 billion facilities bond to rebuild and revamp San Diego Unified schools, the school district is rethinking its timetables for the projects.

 

Opinion

 

San Diego Union-Tribune

July 25, 2009

Union-Tribune Editorial | Your stimulus dollars at work

SAN DIEGO — The announcement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was downright breathless: ÒSan Diego Unified (is) nation's first to use federal stimulus funding to clean up school buses.Ó

Monday, July 27, 2009

Clip Report for July 24

KPBS-FM

July 24, 2009

San Diego School District Waiting on State Legislature

The California Assembly and state Senate are expected to debate and possibly vote on a complex budget plan Thursday in Sacramento

 

San Diego Reader website

July 24, 2009

Talmadge: A Place to Tailgate

Residents of Talmadge are crying foul to San Diego Unified School District Superintendent Terry Grier after awaking July 23 to their neighborhood streets laden with litter, including empty beer cans, red plastic cups, and balled up used diapers.

 

San Diego Union-Tribune

July 23, 2009

Underperforming schools will get stimulus funds

SAN DIEGO — Twenty-five underperforming elementary schools that serve mostly poor children in the San Diego Unified School District will share $9million in federal stimulus money under a plan approved by a divided school board on Tuesday.

 

Voice of San Diego

July 23, 2009

What About High School?

An interesting point came up during the school board meeting on Tuesday night: While test scores from last year show that San Diego Unified has lagged in high school, most of the federal stimulus money is being focused squarely on elementary school, providing tiny classes to the youngest kids.

 

Voice of San Diego

July 23, 2009

A Baby Step Toward Decentralization

A small sign of the push to decentralize how decisions are made in San Diego Unified: Board member John Lee Evans is sparking a discussion at a meeting next Tuesday about how the school district might reorganize its "school improvement officers," who oversee principals, to be aligned with the geographic clusters of schools that each feed into a single high school.

 

State

 

SDNN.com

July 22, 2009

A breakdown of CaliforniaÕs Big 5 budget agreement: Part 2

EditorÕs Note: This is the second story in a two-part series. The first story gives the budget breakdown from what information SDNN was able to obtain Tuesday. The full budget proposal is now public.

Political punches are being thrown from left to right in California and itÕs not between political parties - but Californians expressing their angst towards the Big 5 for their budget agreement that was reached Monday night.

 

Los Angeles Times

July 24, 2009

California threatened with loss of funds if it doesn't use test scores in evaluating teachers

U.S. education secretary is expected to withhold millions of dollars in education stimulus money if the state doesn't comply with his demand.

 

San Jose Mercury-News

July 23, 2009

California's high school exit exam will remain a requirement for graduation

The on-again, off-again high school exit exam is back on — but not for everyone. Passing California's high school exit exam will remain a requirement for students to graduate from high school, according to the state budget agreement reached this week. But lawmakers also crafted a compromise: special education students in the class of 2010 and possibly beyond will be exempt from having to pass the multiple-choice test to earn a diploma.

 

Long Beach Press-Telegram

July 22, 2009

LBUSD to put parcel tax on the ballot

LONG BEACH - Voters in the Long Beach Unified School District will be asked to approve a five-year parcel tax in November to fund education.

 

Orange County Register

July 22, 2009

Expert: Schools ready to swallow $6 billion cut | The proposed reductions will hurt, but won't come as a surprise, says consultant Ron Bennett.

California's public schools should be able to weather an anticipated $6 billion budget cut in the coming year as long as they don't rescind any layoffs or restore any slashed programs and services, a leading educational consulting firm said.

 

Orange County Register

July 22, 2009

Q and A: Education spending under the new budget plan

Ron Bennett, president and CEO of Sacramento-based School Services of California, offered insights on MondayÕs state budget deal and its impacts on education in an extensive Register interview.

 

Nation

 

Washington Post

July 24, 2009

A $4 Billion Push for Better Schools

Obama Hopes Funding Will Be Powerful Incentive in 'Race to the Top'

President Obama is leaning hard on the nation's schools, using the promise of more than $4 billion in federal aid -- and the threat of withholding it -- to strong-arm the education establishment to accept more charter schools and performance pay for teachers.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Clip Report for July 21

San Diego Union-Tribune

July 21, 2009

Smaller classes better, district says | Board set to vote today on size-reduction plan

SAN DIEGO — On a recent morning at the year-round Central Elementary School, Michael Stanley passed out poetry journals to his kindergartners and started making the rounds to assist the young writers.

 

Voice of San Diego

July 21, 2009

Fear and Loathing in San Diego Schools

Last week after an especially turbulent board meeting, I made a plea for your thoughts on why San Diego Unified is frequently so contentious. Here are some early replies. Parent Debbie O'Toole wrote that the problem is systemic:

 

The Eval That Doesn't End

Superintendent Terry Grier is, once again, being evaluated during a closed session of the San Diego Unified board on Tuesday. His evaluation began nearly a month ago, also behind closed doors, and it looks like it still hasn't been wrapped up.

 

Mission Times Courier

June 26, 2009

Area Girl Scouts Go For The Gold!

Three area residents are among the 55 young women who recently earned the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award. Girl Scouts, San Diego-Imperial Council presented the honors during a ceremony at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in University City.

 

La Jolla Light

July 1, 2009

Robbie Beathard makes name for himself

The young football player's surname is Beathard, and that name rings a bell in any football town. San Diego, certainly, is no exception.

 

XETV-6

Jun 26, 2009

Booze Tax Supported to Reduce State's Deficit

SAN DIEGO - Raising the state alcohol tax will ease California's budget deficit and reduce drinking problems among young people, community leaders said at a news conference Friday.

 

Opinion

 

Voice of San Diego

July 9, 2009

Scott Lewis on Politics

Have you ever been to the new Lincoln High School? It's unbelievable. I don't think you can have nicer facilities and more amenities.Yet it cost less per student and per square foot than the new school inside of a library. Yes, the school nobody wanted until it could help finance the new main library.

Clip Report for July 20

San Diego Union-Tribune

July 20, 2009

Interns see budget ax up close | District offices give unique perspective

SAN DIEGO — Given the recession, 16-year-old Anthony Martinez knows how lucky he is to have a job this summer – especially because his is a paid internship that he hopes will impress colleges. San Diego High School student Anthony Martinez is an intern in the school district's finance office.

 

San Diego Union-Tribune

July 20, 2009

On a mission for low-income youths | School's support doesn't end after students move on

It was a startling wake-up call for a high school sophomore whose attention had drifted from history class. He looked out a window and saw the face of the principal – his middle school principal.

 

Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)

July 19, 2009

TUSD hopes turning off campus lights will turn away school vandals at night

Officials at the city's largest school district have a new plan to combat the tens of thousands of dollars in damage that vandals inflict on their campuses every year: They're going to turn off the lights.

 

SDNN.com

July 18, 2009

Juveniles arrested in suspicion of school burlgary

Three juveniles were in custody Saturday on suspicion of burglarizing a Logan Heights middle school, police said.

Three male juveniles wearing masks broke into Memorial Middle Academy at 2850 Logan Ave. with crowbars and walked through the complex, setting off alarms, about 10:15 p.m. Friday, San Diego police Officer Brad Ruff said.

 

Macciabh Games blog

July 18, 2009

LJ High Student Wins Gold Medal

Results of the Team squash events are in!! The Junior USA girls squash team bested Israel and Great Britain to win the gold - 6 matches were played and Rachel played #4 on the team and won her match. Matches were tied at 3 each, but the USA won more games to secure the gold. Rachel then spent Friday night with us and proudly walked around with her gold medal around her neck!!

 

State

San Jose Mercury News

July 20, 2009

Got swine flu? Tweet it

When students return to school this fall, school nurses will once again chase after them with hand sanitizer. Familiar posters about sneezing into elbows will plaster the hallways. But when it comes to managing a potential swine flu outbreak in high schools, county health officials are going beyond cartoon admonitions.

 

San Jose Mercury News

July 20, 2009

San Jose's Luther Burbank School District misses budget deadlines; employees to miss paychecks

Teachers' July paychecks and vendors' bills will be paid late because the Luther Burbank School District hasn't filed a comprehensive budget for the fiscal year that began July 1.

 

Opinion

 

San Diego Union-Tribune

July 18, 2009

Union-Tribune Editorial | 'For the kids'? Bunk | Don't buy the CTA's utterly bogus assertion

There they go again. Whenever budget negotiations reach crunch time, leaders of the California Teachers Association rush to air TV commercials depicting their noble efforts to defend the children of the Golden State from know-nothing knaves. That is the exact tone of its latest ad, which is part of the CTA's push to secure an $11 billion payoff for schools in future years when revenue rebounds.

 

 

Friday, July 17, 2009

Clip Report for July 17

Voice of San Diego

July 17, 2009

The Dad Who Holds Schools to the Rules

David Page says the problem is that parents are on their own. Teachers have a union. So do principals. School board members get to vote plans up or down and top administrators make decisions in the salmon-pink offices of San Diego Unified.

 

KGTV-10

July 17, 2009

Weekend 'Stand Down' Event To Help Homeless Vets

SAN DIEGO -- Homeless veterans in San Diego will get free access to a range of social services Friday at the start of a three-day "Stand Down for Homeless Veterans" event.

 

KNSD-TV

July 16, 2009

More Middle-Class Kids Getting Free Lunches

Since the program is open to anyone - some have voiced concern that federal tax dollars are being spent on feeding families that don't necessarily need a hand out.

 

Voice of San Diego

July 16, 2009

School Board Prez Wants to be a 'Supe'

I just got word from the County Registrar's Office that Shelia Jackson, president of the San Diego Unified school board, has filed papers to run for the county Board of Supervisors.

 

Labor Pact Still Not in Effect

The project labor agreement for the $2.1 billion facilities bond to refurbish San Diego Unified schools is still not in effect, staffers told the bond oversight committee today.

 

Why Can't San Diego Unified Just Get Along?

I alluded in a blog post earlier this week to an explosive school board meeting on Tuesday at San Diego Unified. I wasn't kidding.

 

Jackson: I'd Stay on the School Board

An update on school board President Shelia Jackson taking steps to run for County Supervisor: Jackson said she plans to remain on the school board during her run. Because she was elected to the school board last year, if she ran for the county job and lost, she would still have two more years in her school board term.

 

Feds Will Eye San Diego Unified

School board President Shelia Jackson dropped an interesting tidbit last night: San Diego Unified is one of six school districts nationwide that will be audited by the federal government on their use of school stimulus funds.

 

San Diego Union-Tribune

July 15, 2009

S.D. school board delays vote on parcel-tax adviser

The San Diego Unified School District last night postponed a vote on whether to hire a political consultant to study a parcel tax as a means of generating revenue.

 

Voice of San Diego

July 15, 2009

Exit Bonus In Hand, School Employees Quickly Re-Enter

Dozens of veteran workers who were paid to exit San Diego Unified two weeks ago, clearing out jobs and making way for less expensive employees, have already been rehired as hourly workers.

 

'Hell No'

As the school board meeting stretched late last night, San Diego Unified trustees delayed their decision whether to spend $130,000 on a consultant to help gauge the interest in a parcel tax, and then design it if voters seem game.

 

School Stimulus Funds to Continue Smaller Classes

The San Diego Unified school board voted to spend more than $10 million in federal stimulus money meant for children in poverty on two projects, including continuing a controversial program that reduced class sizes for the youngest students at a dozen select schools.

 

Education Week

July 16, 2009

Black-White Achievement Gap Narrows on NAEP

American schools have made modest progress in closing the achievement gap between black and white students in math and reading, though that narrowing varies by grade and subject and from state to state, a study released today shows.

 

USA Today

July 14, 2009

No right brain left behind: Must kids prep for 'risk-taking'?

SAN FRANCISCO — On a recent foggy night, the newest wave in educational thinking crashed into this city's oldest high school.

 

La Jolla Village News

July 11, 2009

Taste of Bird Rock rolls lucky seven

La Jolla Boulevard will shut down Thursday, July 16 from 5 to 9 p.m. as Bird Rock Community Council (BRCC) features the seventh annual Taste of Bird Rock. The event includes live bands as area restaurants and shops remain open in an effort to raise funds to support Bird Rock Elementary School and Cesar Chavez Elementary School.

 

North Park Neighborhood Assn. Website

July 2009

ALBA Community Day School at North Park and the North Park Community Park

As many of you know, North Park Elementary School is closing and the School District is opening a new combination high school and middle school in its place -- ALBA Community Day School at North Park. Please read this introductory letter from the school's new principal.

 

Opinion

 

San Diego Union-Tribune
July 16, 2009

Union-Tribune Editorial | No to parcel tax | Teachers union would be beneficiary of levy

Want to know who is really running the San Diego Unified School District?

Consider that the school board recently imposed sharp budget cuts in the classroom but, unlike nearly every other district in the state, declined to lay off a single teacher – even though there were scores of surplus teachers for whom there were no classroom assignments. This astonishing victory by the teachers union, won at the expense of student academic achievement, is a telling indication of who is really in charge.

 

Education Week

July 10, 2009

The Problem with Language Police

Ruben Navarrette, an editorial writer for The San Diego Union-Tribune, writes about how it's a recurring pattern in this country that some Americans periodically appoint themselves as language police and push for shortsighted policies.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Clip Report for July 14

San Diego Union-Tribune

July 14, 2009

District may ask voters to approve parcel tax | San Diego Unified wants to offset budget cuts

SAN DIEGO — A new tax on property owners could help protect the San Diego school district from the state's worsening fiscal mess and should be considered for an upcoming ballot, according to a proposal that goes before the school board today.

 

Voice of San Diego
July 14, 2009

Exit Bonus In Hand, School Employees Quickly Re-Enter

Dozens of veteran workers who were paid to exit San Diego Unified two weeks ago, clearing out jobs and making way for less expensive employees, have already been rehired as hourly workers.

 

SDNN.COM

July 13, 2009

John de Beck: Answers to your questions

San Diego Unified board member John de Beck asked our SDNN readers if they had questions about the education system - and they did. Here are answers to some of the questions sent in.

 

Voice of San Diego
July 10, 2009

Telling Kids They're Brilliant

Longtime educator Wendell Bass has probably seen it all -- but his belly laugh is still intact as he retires from three decades overseeing some of the most challenged schools in San Diego Unified.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Clip Report for July 10

Voice of San Diego
July 10, 2009
Labor Negotiations in San Diego Unified Drag On, and On
Bargaining between San Diego Unified and its teachers is dragging on behind closed doors more than a year after their old contract expired. It has now stretched longer than the negotiations that spurred a teachers' strike over a decade ago.
 
Voice of San Diego
July 10, 2009
More on Teacher Negotiations
So I might have gone a little overboard reporting my story on teachers union negotiations. Here's a few details that got left on the cutting room floor.
 
San Diego Union-Tribune
July 10, 2009
District begins process of taking back Helix High
LA MESA: The Grossmont school board last night reluctantly took the first step in taking back control of Helix High School, a charter campus that has been rocked by four teacher sex crimes in an 18-month period.
 
Voice of San Diego
July 9, 2009
A Charter Built By a School District
One of the quirks in the schoobrary idea is San Diego Unified would be spending bond money to build a charter school. That is pretty rare -- and some might find it counterintuitive.

San Diego Union-Tribune
July 9, 2009
It's lights, camera, community action | Group uses movie nights to prevent gang activity
SAN DIEGO Two years ago, Javier Quiroz was shot to death at Colina Park Golf Course, less than two blocks from his City Heights home. Quiroz, 14, was preparing to start his freshman year at Patrick Henry High School and had no history of gang activity.

Opinion
 
Signonsandiego.com
July 10, 2009
Manufacturing dissent: Camille Zombro's scary scheme to complete takeover of San Diego Unified
Locally, we're seeing a crude, lowbrow sequel -- "Manufacturing Dissent: The Dishonest Narrative of the SDEA." This propaganda, crafted by local teachers union boss Camille Zombro, asserts that San Diego Unified has been so badly run that the school board should adopt a "maintenance of standards" rule that gives the San Diego Education Association a de facto veto over any consequential change in district policy.
 
KPBS-FM
July 10, 2009
Editor's Roundtable: Plan to Build Library-School Approved
The plan to build a new downtown library has been revived. Earlier this week, the San Diego City Council approved a plan to build a new library-school combination facility.
 
San Diego Union-Tribune
July 10, 2009
Why close schools for flu outbreak?
Schools in San Diego County and elsewhere may close this fall if, as expected, the numbers of swine flu cases markedly increase once kids return to their classes. A vaccine proven safe and effective against H1N1, the swine flu virus, may be available by fall or early winter, but in limited quantity. Given the social and economic costs generated by school closures, it is reasonable to ask what public health goals those closures achieve.
 
Jack Brandais
Communications Department
San Diego Unified School District
(619) 607-0477 (cell)
(619) 725-5570 (desk)
 

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Clip Report for July 9

SAN DIEGO The proposal to build a new main library in downtown San Diego picked up more momentum yesterday when the City Council agreed to incorporate a high school to help fund it.
 
Voice of San Diego
July 8, 2009
Schoobrary Moves Forward
San Diego City Council approved a non-binding letter of intent with the San Diego Unified School District to build a charter high school on two floors of the proposed downtown main library.
 
Voice of San Diego
July 8, 2009
Gym Class in the Library?
One of the questions that readers have asked on the schoobrary is how kids will get their gym classes in two floors of the library. I don't have the answer to that question yet, but I can tell you that some of the other charter high schools I looked at for this story on comparing the building costs of the schoobrary credit some of their savings to avoiding the stadiums, football fields and other facilities that we associate with big high schools.
 
 
Voice of San Diego
July 9, 2009
Schools May Study Parcel Tax Idea
The San Diego Unified school board will vote Tuesday on whether or not to spend $130,000 to hire a political consultant to research the idea of a parcel tax to bring extra funding to schools -- and to develop the proposal if it seems feasible.
 
KGTV-10
July 7, 2009
Local Teachers Being Paid While Not Teaching?
SAN DIEGO -- Dozens of teachers in the San Diego Unified School District are getting paid but are not teaching, 10News reported.
 
San Diego Union-Tribune
July 10, 2009
New teacher's poor reputation may be deceiving
You just found out who your child's 5th-grade teacher is going to be in the fall and you're not happy. You've heard complaints about her teaching style.
 
San Diego Union-Tribune
July 9, 2009
Short Takes | Stimulus funds to fix polluting school buses
The Obama administration has awarded $1.56 million to help clean up 125 dirty diesel school buses in San Diego County.
 
San Diego Union-Tribune
July 9, 2009
School's charter could be revoked | Superintendent cites sex-crime scandals
LA MESA Frustrated over how Helix High School has handled a recent series of teacher sex crimes, Grossmont school district administrators are recommending that trustees move to revoke the charter they issued more than 11 years ago.
 
La Jolla Light
July 8, 2009
Students are stoked for summer program at LJHS
Summer and school are two words that don't normally mix. But it is something to look forward to for about 100 junior high students spending their days at La Jolla High School for the San Diego Summerbridge program. Instead of the normal routine, college students and recent graduates are now the teachers. With a rigorous but friendly environment, the program prides itself on motivating students to succeed in all classrooms.
 
Beach & Bay Press
July 9, 2009
Veterans served at weekend fest Downtown
The National Stand-Down for Homeless Veterans, an annual event during which military veterans receive medical care and social services help, has set its San Diego fete for Friday, July 17 through Sunday, July 19 on the upper athletic field of San Diego High School Downtown.

Beach & Bay Press
July 3, 2009
SDUSD trims deficit but will pay price later
The San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) Board of Education has finalized the 2009-’10 budget on paper that shows cuts the board could make to close the $63 million budget gap. However, its school-by-school impact is unclear and plenty could change as the school year unfolds.
 
Opinion
SDNN.com
July 9, 2009
The Schoolbrary Wrangle
Arthur Sam thinks the idea is as a dumb as its name. Steve Francis thinks the City needs to reconsider all major projects including the Schoolbrary. But, Scott Peters thinks the city needs to quickly build the project.
 
 
Jack Brandais
Communications Department
San Diego Unified School District
(619) 607-0477 (cell)
(619) 725-5570 (desk)
 

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Clip Report for July 7

San Diego Union-Tribune
July 7, 2009
Retired school librarian fears unhappy ending for profession
When Dennis Donley began his career nearly 35 years ago, he joined a crew of 40 teachers who staffed every middle and high school library in the San Diego school district.
 

Voice of San Diego
July 7, 2009
School Chief Report Card -- Continued
Superintendent Terry Grier is being evaluated by the San Diego Unified school board in closed session this morning, according to a meeting agenda. This looks like a continuation of his evaluation several weeks ago, which was listed on a closed session meeting agenda for June 23.

Voice of San Diego
July 7, 2009
San Diego Unified Offices Quiet in Post-Golden Handshake Era
It was really quiet when I stopped by the big pink offices of San Diego Unified this morning. That's probably because a whole lot of people aren't working there anymore. Thanks to a golden handshake that was offered to encourage veteran employees to leave the school district, hundreds of employees said goodbye to their schools or offices last week.

Sacramento Bee
July 7, 2009
Teachers union defends Prop. 98
The powerful California Teachers Association launched an offensive Monday against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to suspend the Proposition 98 school-funding measure to help bridge this year's budget gap.

Voice of San Diego
July 6, 2009
Carpet Baggers with Cookie Cutter Solutions'
Ideas for spending federal stimulus money in San Diego Unified are already generating debate.

Opinion

SDNN.com
July 7, 2009
Marsha Sutton: Basic Aid districts offer to give up "fair share" of money
A whirlwind of legislative activity a few weeks ago resulted in a proposal to the state from Basic Aid school districts to voluntarily reduce their share of state funding in proportion to the cuts Revenue Limit school districts have had to endure.
 
Jack Brandais
Communications Department
San Diego Unified School District
(619) 607-0477 (cell)
(619) 725-5570 (desk)
 

Monday, July 6, 2009

Clip Report for July 6

San Diego Union-Tribune
July 6, 2009
Housing skid spoils enrollment forecasts | School districts forced to amend plans for campuses
Early this decade, when the real estate boom was at its peak, families with children were swarming eastern Chula Vista faster than educators could build classrooms.

KPBS-FM
July 6, 2009
S.D. City Council to Consider New Library

SAN DIEGO The full San Diego city council will consider whether to move forward with a new downtown library Tuesday.

San Diego Business Journal
July 6, 2009
SDBJ Insider
Giant puppets take to the streets in City Heights for the fourth annual Welcome to Middle School celebration set for July 14, which features San Diego Guild of Puppetry lead artist Felix Diaz. Drummers from Monroe Clark Middle School and Hoover High join 450 newly minted sixth-graders who’ll carry puppets and banners, designed to welcome the kids to their new school.
 
San Diego Union-Tribune
July 5, 2009
She's got the hooks | From 'Big Brother' to 'Look,' Allison Grodner makes captivating reality TV
Reality-television producer Allison Grodner has a few words of advice for people who think they want to live the glamorous reality-TV life.
 
San Diego Union-Tribune
July 4, 2009
Outdoors | Team takes aim at last target: winning the gold
They trained and practiced and fought to be the best in California, and next week the San Diego High School ROTC marksmanship team will compete against the sharpest high school shooters in the country at the National Junior Olympics.
 
Opinion
 
San Diego Union-Tribune
July 4, 2009
Union-Tribune Editorial |
The real story | Why budget wasn't fixed by deadline
With all the variables known and all the key players having been negotiating for weeks, why wasn't the 2009-10 state budget fixed by the Tuesday deadline?
 
San Diego Union-Tribune
July 5, 2009
Union-Tribune Editorial | An example to follow | San Diego Unified should follow Palo Alto and scrap union payoff
Last December, the Palo Alto City Council heeded labor leaders and unanimously approved a proposal to pay union-scale wages for two costly pending projects. As a charter city not subject to state and federal "prevailing wage" rules, Palo Alto otherwise would have been able to pay much less to contractors.
 
SDNN.com
June 29, 2009
Arthur Salm: Let’s shaft the teachers! | Education must not be very important with the way we treat our teachers.
Can you help us out with school supplies? The first week of instruction, please have your child bring …
Here’s a hot stock tip (assuming such a thing still exists): Proctor & Gamble, or any company that manufactures or distributes such things as paper towels, liquid cleanser, glue sticks, notebook paper, and facial tissue.
 
 
Jack Brandais
Communications Department
San Diego Unified School District
(619) 607-0477 (cell)
(619) 725-5570 (desk)
 

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Clip Report for July 2

San Diego Union-Tribune
July 2, 2009
Teachers lounge gets a stylish touch of class | NEA program helps spruce up school
SHELLTOWN Celebrity designer Evette Rı́os scurried about the teachers lounge at Balboa Elementary School a place crisp with the scent of fresh paint plumping pillows, sweeping floors, dimming lights and making coffee with filters improvised from paper towels.
 
KGTV-10
July 1, 2009
Gompers, School District Spar Over Field Plans
SAN DIEGO -- Gompers Middle School became a charter school in order to gain independence and has flourished since.

San Diego Union-Tribune
July 2, 2009
Education secretary urges teachers to tie wages to student achievement
SAN DIEGO — U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan urged thousands of teachers to consider linking their salaries to student achievement during his Thursday speech at the National Education Association's annual meeting in downtown San Diego.

San Diego Union-Tribune
July 2, 2009
Providing nourishment | Children around the county get healthful meals at free summer lunch programs
Eight-year-old Diana Pinera of Lemon Grove smiled when she peeked inside her lunch bag and found fresh carrot sticks, a red apple, graham crackers, milk and a peanut butter and jelly pie

Opinion

San Diego Union-Tribune
July 2, 2009
Union-Tribune Editorial | Power play |
Will school board put adults ahead of children?
In a bid to tighten its grip on the San Diego Unified School District, the teachers union is quietly seeking a contentious contract provision that would give it a virtual veto over any changes in the classroom. If the school board yields to the union's demand, operational control of the school district would effectively shift to organized labor, and Superintendent Terry Grier's ambitious reform plans would be blunted.

San Diego Union-Tribune
July 2, 2009
No recession for teachers unions
By Larry Sand
It is obvious that tough economic times have come to the United States, with California being the hardest hit of all states. We hear almost daily how California's budget crisis threatens to devastate a public education system that once led the nation. However, the California Teachers Association, the state's 340,000-member teachers union and state affiliate of the National Education Association, seems unfazed by this grim reality.

 
Jack Brandais
Communications Department
San Diego Unified School District
(619) 607-0477 (cell)
(619) 725-5570 (desk)
 

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Clip Report for July 1

KPBS-FM
July 1, 2009
SD helps kick off Read Across America
SAN DIEGO — More than 300 San Diego County students were in Petco Park yesterday -- but not for baseball. The youngsters were there to help kick-off one of the country's largest childhood literacy campaigns called Read Across America. KPBS Education Reporter Ana Tintocalis says the focus is on what's called the summer reading loss.

KHTS.com
July 1, 2009
School Food Agency Gets Stimulus Grant
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell announced today that 242 School Food Authorities in 48 California counties will share more than $12.8 million in 2009 Equipment Assistance Grants.

Voice of San Diego
June 30, 2009
When Schools Pay Teachers Not to Teach
Lynne Holyoke knew her principal wanted to fire her. The retired art teacher said the two had often sparred over her teaching style. But instead, Holyoke said the school district made her an offer: Take a year off with pay and resign at the end of it. Holyoke agreed and spent the year on paid administrative leave, doing art therapy, volunteering and mulling her future.
Voice of San Diego
June 30, 2009
The Gompers Saga, Cont.
The saga over construction plans at Gompers continues: The charter school is planning a rally Wednesday to protest school district proposals to place classrooms and build a bus turnaround on part of its site, which is owned by San Diego Unified and shared with Millennial Tech Middle School.
 
sandiegonewsroom.com
June 30, 2009
As school budgets worsen, district-splitting option picks up steam
During his run for Los Angeles mayor in 2005, former Democratic speaker of the Assembly Bob Hertzberg made it a staple of his campaign to promote the splitting of the Los Angeles School District. He envisioned dismantling the school district into smaller, more manageable systems that could be more responsive to parents and community leaders. As the second-largest school district in the nation, Hertzberg believed the mayor should have substantial control over the schools, calling the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) a "big fat roadblock" and "just impossible to deal with."
 
Company press release via marketwatch.com
June 29, 2009
Sempra Energy Awards More Than $200,000 Under 2009 Scholarship Program
Sempra Energy has awarded more than $200,000 in college scholarships to 38 high school seniors as part of the company's annual scholarship program for children of employees.
 
San Diego Daily Transcript
June 18, 2009
Construction summer camp for high school girls
Reporter Carlos Rico visits the 2009 MAGIC -- Mentoring A Girl In Construction -- Summer Camp, which kicked off Wednesday.
 
 
Jack Brandais
Communications Department
San Diego Unified School District
(619) 607-0477 (cell)
(619) 725-5570 (desk)
 

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