OCDE Education in the News

Thursday, December 15, 2022

LOS ANGELES TIMES

DAILY PILOT

Parents say fifth-grade bullies are tormenting teachers, kids on one Costa Mesa campus

Parents of California Elementary School in Costa Mesa are asking administrators to discipline a group of fifth-grade “bullies” they claim repeatedly disrupt learning, harass and intimidate students and have caused teachers to leave their classrooms in tears. Several parents Tuesday spoke in public comments before the Newport-Mesa Unified School District trustees, expressing frustration with a lack of intervention they say has allowed the same cohort of students, and their problematic behaviors, to move from one grade level to the next.

https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/story/2022-12-14/parents-say-fifth-grade-bullies-are-tormenting-teachers-kids-on-one-costa-mesa-campus

SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS

Schools sex education falls short, South Bay high school students say

High school students overwhelmingly rate their sex health education a C or a D, or had too little instruction to judge, in an informal survey.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/12/14/schools-sex-education-falls-short-high-school-students-say/

PRESS-TELEGRAM LONG BEACH

15-year-old’s family sues LAUSD over Bernstein High drug death

The mother of a 15-year-old girl who died of an overdose in a bathroom at Bernstein High School in Hollywood announced a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District Wednesday, alleging school officials knew there was a problem with drug use at the campus but took no action.

https://www.presstelegram.com/2022/12/14/15-year-olds-family-sues-lausd-over-bernstein-high-drug-death/

EDSOURCE

Weingarten marks Sandy Hook anniversary with call for more to be done to ensure students are safe on campus

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten called for more to be done to ensure schools are safe against gun violence today, the 10th anniversary of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, that left 26 children and adults dead and two injured.

https://edsource.org/updates/weingarten-marks-sandy-hook-anniversary-with-call-for-more-to-be-done-to-ensure-students-are-safe-on-campus

SEIU Local 99 announces intentions to hold strike authorization vote amid negotiations with Los Angeles Unified

The union representing custodians, cafeteria workers, special education assistants and other essential employees in the Los Angeles Unified School District has announced plans to hold a strike authorization vote in January. SEIU Local 99, which represents nearly 30,000 workers, is pushing for a wage increase, expanded health care benefits and sufficient staffing and resources to keep schools clean. The union has been negotiating its contract with the district since 2020 — the year its contract expired — though negotiations were halted for a period amid the pandemic’s peak. According to the union’s executive director, Max Arias, this round of negotiations has differed from previous ones in that the district has been unwilling to engage with the proposals this time.

https://edsource.org/updates/seiu-local-99-announces-intentions-to-hold-strike-authorization-vote-amid-negotiations-with-los-angeles-unified

U.S. ranks worst in the developed world for early childcare, study shows

The U.S. may be the only country in the developed world that does not offer any paid maternity leave, according to a new report. Countries with half the GDP are more generous than the US when it comes to offering financial support to new mothers, the report suggests.

https://edsource.org/news-updates#u-s-ranks-worst-in-the-developed-world-for-early-childcare-study-shows

SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE

Bassett Unified approves $1.75 million settlement with 7 victims of former janitor

The Bassett Unified School Board approved a $1.75 million settlement with the families of seven former Torch Middle School students who were victims of a former janitor now serving time behind bars on sexual abuse charges, authorities said. The district didn’t admit fault in the settlement agreed to on Tuesday night, according to Alejandro Alvarez, superintendent at Bassett Unified. “The district is glad this issue was resolved. We wish them (the students) the best and hope this will allow them to move forward,” Alvarez said.

https://www.sgvtribune.com/2022/12/14/bassett-unified-approves-1-75-million-settlement-with-7-victims-of-former-janitor/

OTHER NEWS OUTLETS

Chico Unified sees large enrollment jump; grants awarded to all schools

Chico Unified School District (CUSD) held a board meeting Wednesday night announcing updates on grants awarded to the district, and the latest enrollment numbers. The North Valley Community Foundation Butte Strong Fund awarded the district $169,263 in grants that schools can use immediately through the foundation's education grant program.

https://bit.ly/3Px8bC9

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