OCDE Education in the News

Friday, April 23, 2021

OCDE NEWSROOM

Celebrating democracy in the OC: virtual webinar encourages student advocacy and civic learning

Equipping students with the confidence and competencies that allow them to civically engage with their local communities was the focus of a webinar organized by OCDE’s Educational Services team. The virtual symposium — ”Celebrating Democracy in the OC: Supporting the State Seal of Civic Engagement” — was held on April 22 and brought together nearly 75 educators, law professionals and community leaders to discuss civic learning across the county.

https://newsroom.ocde.us/celebrating-democracy-in-the-oc-virtual-webinar-encourages-student-advocacy-and-civic-learning/

Three OC campuses retain their status as ‘California Schools to Watch’

Three Orange County middle schools have been re-designated as 2021 “California Schools to Watch.” Bell Intermediate School in the Garden Grove Unified School District, Cerro Villa Middle School in Orange Unified and Ladera Vista Junior High School of the Arts in the Fullerton School District are among 31 high-performing campuses spotlighted by the state for demonstrating “academic excellence, social equity and responsiveness to the needs of young adolescents.”

https://newsroom.ocde.us/three-oc-campuses-retain-their-status-as-california-schools-to-watch/

LOS ANGELES TIMES

DAILY PILOT

Ladybugs are all the buzz as Huntington Harbour school celebrates Earth Day

More than 200 students at LaPort Montessori School celebrated Earth Day on Thursday with a ladybug release.

https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/story/2021-04-22/ladybugs-are-all-the-buzz-as-huntington-harbour-school-celebrates-earth-day

DAILY NEWS LOS ANGELES

LAUSD’S outgoing superintendent offers to ‘be around’ to help with transition

With a varied career path, Superintendent Austin Beutner said in an interview this week that heading up the nation’s second-largest K-12 system has been one of the most challenging jobs he’s held — but also “the most rewarding.”

https://www.dailynews.com/2021/04/22/lausds-outgoing-superintendent-offers-to-be-around-to-help-with-transition/

SACRAMENTO BEE

More than 300 students in El Dorado district quarantined; over 200 at one high school

More than 200 El Dorado Hills students at Oak Ridge High School are in quarantine after possibly being exposed to COVID-19. The quarantines come after 19 students recently tested positive for the virus at the school.

https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/education/article250865374.html

SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE

San Diego County public schools lost more than 12,000 students this year

Nearly every San Diego County school district lost students this school year during the pandemic, but local charter schools gained enrollment, according to new state data released this week.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/education/story/2021-04-23/san-diego-county-public-schools-lost-more-than-12-000-students-this-year

VOICE OF SAN DIEGO

The Learning Curve: Schools Prepare to Tackle Massive Mental Health Needs

Schools face a mental health challenge of dramatic proportions – and it’s still unclear whether teachers and principals will have the tools to address it.

https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/education/the-learning-curve-schools-prepare-to-tackle-massive-mental-health-needs/

EDSOURCE

Missing kindergarteners drive largest drop in 20 years in California's K-12 enrollment

The pandemic has intensified a multi-year trend of dwindling student enrollment statewide, causing a steep drop this year. More than a third of the decline stemmed from 61,000 missing kindergarteners. Statewide, enrollment in K-12 public schools in California fell by almost 3%, or 160,000, students in 2020-21, according to annual data released Thursday by the California Department of Education.

https://edsource.org/2021/missing-kindergarteners-drive-largest-drop-in-20-years-in-californias-k-12-enrollment/653531

California public universities’ vaccine requirement could impact more than 1 million students, faculty and staff

Requirement is contingent on full FDA vaccine approval; not guaranteed before the fall term.

https://edsource.org/2021/california-public-universities-vaccine-requirement-could-impact-more-than-1-million-students-and-staff/653608

Why Los Angeles superintendent will step down after managing through pandemic

The resignation of Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner has raised the specter of whether the pandemic will contribute to an accelerating pace of turnover in the leadership of the state’s and the nation’s school districts. Superintendent turnover is a fact of life, especially in large urban districts, and especially in Los Angeles Unified.

https://edsource.org/2021/why-los-angeles-superintendent-will-step-down-after-managing-through-pandemic/653525

Q&A: L.A. Unified's Austin Beutner on the toll of the pandemic

After a three-year tenure as the superintendent of the nation’s second-largest school district, Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner announced Wednesday that he will step down from his position when his contract ends on June 30. His decision comes at a significant moment for the district as it takes on the additional challenge of addressing students’ well-being and mental health after more than a year of working remotely via distance learning.

https://edsource.org/2021/qa-la-unifieds-austin-beutner-explains-his-decision-to-step-down-as-superintendent/653524

New superintendent for West Contra Costa Unified has concrete ideas for closing achievement gaps

Kenneth “Chris” Hurst, who will take over as the first African American superintendent of West Contra Costa Unified School District within a few weeks, has his sights set on closing longstanding achievement gaps.

https://edsource.org/2021/new-superintendent-for-west-contra-costa-unified-has-concrete-ideas-for-closing-achievement-gaps/653516

KPBS

San Diego Unified searching for solutions to handle increased demand for in-person learning

It’s been less than two weeks since San Diego Unified began modified in-person instruction — but some schools are already seeing more students than they expected. At some schools, students had to be sent to overflow rooms.

https://www.kpbs.org/news/2021/apr/22/san-diego-unified-solutions-in-person-learning/

CALmatters

Public school enrollment hits 20-year low: Biggest dip in youngest grades

California’s public schools lost more than 160,000 students amid the pandemic, the largest enrollment drop in two decades and a likely harbinger of serious educational and financial challenges. The sharp 2.6% decline, announced Thursday by the California Department of Education, doesn’t capture the full effects of the pandemic. The enrollment tally comes from a one-day headcount in October and doesn’t include students who may have left the public school system afterward.

https://calmatters.org/newsletters/whatmatters/2021/04/california-public-school-enrollment-drops/

DISCLAIMER: This Internet site contains hypertext links to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for your convenience. The Orange County Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of this outside information. Further, the inclusion of links to particular items in hypertext are not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed or products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites.