OCDE Education in the News

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

OCDE NEWSROOM

7 Orange County elementary schools earn National Blue Ribbon honors

Seven Orange County schools have been awarded the nation’s highest level of distinction as 2021 National Blue Ribbon Schools, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona announced Tuesday. The local winners are: Anaheim Hills Elementary School in the Orange Unified School District, De Portola Elementary School in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District, Los Alamitos Elementary School in the Los Alamitos Unified School District, Los Coyotes Elementary School in the Centralia Elementary School District, Davis Magnet School in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, Oka Elementary School in the Fountain Valley Elementary School District, and Lee Elementary School in the Los Alamitos Unified School District.

https://newsroom.ocde.us/7-oc-schools-earn-national-blue-ribbon-honors/

Three OC middle schoolers named finalists in national STEM competition

Three Orange County teens were recently named as some of the most promising middle school STEM students in the country. Sebastian Rae Alexis from Sierra Vista Middle School in Irvine, Clara Choi from Orange County School of the Arts in Santa Ana and Hailey Miya Van from Jeffrey Trail Middle School in Irvine have been recognized as three of the top 30 finalists to compete in Broadcom MASTERS.

https://newsroom.ocde.us/three-oc-middle-schoolers-named-finalists-in-national-stem-competition/

ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Garden Grove High marks 100 years

The Garden Grove High community – alumni, staff past and present, current Argonauts – celebrated the school’s 100th anniversary this weekend. A festival was held on campus featuring memorabilia, dance contests and lots of catching up. The school opened Sept. 15, 1921 with 63 students, moving to its current location the following year. Today, some 2,300 students call themselves Argonauts.

https://www.ocregister.com/2021/09/21/garden-grove-high-marks-100-years/

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

West Contra Costa teachers file Cal/OSHA complaint over COVID safety rules

Teachers in West Contra Costa Unified School District have filed a complaint with state workplace safety regulators alleging that the district policies on COVID testing and outbreaks are inconsistent and that teachers are told they cannot send home students who exhibit symptoms. The complaint filed on Aug. 31 with the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health comes as the district struggles to contain the virus, with more than 200 confirmed cases among students and staff, and 25 classrooms closed since the beginning of the school year.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/West-Contra-Costa-teachers-file-Cal-OSHA-16477689.php

Oakland school board poised to vote on student vaccine mandate

The Oakland school board is expected to decide Wednesday evening whether to become the first school district in Northern California to require their students be vaccinated against COVID-19.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/eastbay/article/Oakland-school-board-poised-to-vote-on-student-16477545.php

CONTRA COSTA TIMES

Piedmont schools consider adding COVID to list of required shots

The Piedmont Unified School District’s Board of Education held the first reading at their Sept. 14 meeting for revising policy to add COVID-19 vaccinations to the existing list of vaccinations required for enrollment in the district.

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2021/09/21/piedmont-schools-consider-adding-covid-to-list-of-required-shots/

EDSOURCE

State superintendent sets goal to get all California third graders reading by 2026

After years in which reading scores throughout the state fell short, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced a new initiative Tuesday that would get all California third-grade students reading by 2026.

https://edsource.org/2021/state-superintendent-sets-goal-get-every-california-third-grade-student-reading-by-2026/661411

Long Beach Unified approves pay increase for substitute teachers

Facing a shortage of substitute teachers, Long Beach Unified is increasing pay for those teachers. The district’s Board of Education approved a pay hike that will see the daily rate increase from $165 to $190, according to the Long Beach Post. The substitute teachers shortage is not unique to Long Beach Unified. Districts across the state are also increasing their daily rates. Some are facing a shortage so dire that some schools are facing possible temporary closures.

https://edsource.org/news-updates#long-beach-unified-approves-pay-increase-for-substitute-teachers

OTHER NEWS OUTLETS

‘Too much masking is real’: More districts call on students to mask up outside, but scientists are skeptical

With the recent rise in positive cases due to the more transmissible Delta variant, districts like Solana Beach are now enforcing additional measures — policies that go beyond recommendations from most state health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says masks aren’t needed during recess.

http://laschoolreport.com/too-much-masking-is-real-more-districts-call-on-students-to-mask-up-outside-but-scientists-are-skeptical/

San Bernardino City Unified School District brings COVID liaisons on campus

The San Bernardino City Unified School District has partnered with a company to bring COVID liaisons to each campus. They are tasked with handling “all things COVID,” so educators can focus on teaching the students.

https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/orange-county/education/2021/09/21/san-bernardino-city-unified-school-district-brings-covid-liaisons-on-campus

Why San Diego Unified School District is struggling with modified quarantine

San Diego Unified’s district physician says an experimental alternative to home quarantine is keeping more students in classrooms following a COVID-19 exposure, but it’s also posing daunting administrative burdens for school staff.

https://www.10news.com/news/in-depth/in-depth-why-san-diego-unified-school-district-is-struggling-with-modified-quarantine

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