http://www.siacabinetreport.com Stay up to date with what is going on in today's school system. Budget & Finance Check back Monday for a transportation story http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2376 Mon, 21 May 2012 03:25:00 -0700 Politics & Education Check back Monday for a school meals story http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2375 Mon, 21 May 2012 03:22:00 -0700 Human Resources Check back Monday for an attendance story http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2374 Mon, 21 May 2012 03:01:00 -0700 Curriculum & Instruction California schools have until July 1 to adopt two policies related to students and bullying - one to comply with changes to California law, the other to remain eligible for federal E-rate funding for Internet services. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2373 Fri, 18 May 2012 08:02:00 -0700 Curriculum & Instruction A contradictory accountability system, insufficient student learning time and a lack of professional development for teachers and school administrators are among factors weakening California’s network of more than 500 continuation high schools, according to a new two-year study of the system. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2372 Fri, 18 May 2012 05:08:00 -0700 Curriculum & Instruction New guidance from the U.S. Department of Education on the use of restraint and seclusion in schools has already drawn criticism from one leading advocacy group as being “too weak.” The federal resource guide, issued earlier this week, offers public school administrations a core of 15 principals focused on the use of schoolwide behavioral interventions can cut down or eliminate use of restraint or seclusion. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2368 Thu, 17 May 2012 03:42:00 -0700 Curriculum & Instruction Gov. Jerry Brown’s latest budget still seeks to eliminate the legal requirement that schools, starting this fall, must offer a new kindergarten-readiness program for 4-year-olds whose birthdays occur after Nov. 1, the kindergarten age cutoff date. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2367 Thu, 17 May 2012 03:37:00 -0700 Politics & Education For months, Democratic lawmakers and Gov. Jerry Brown have largely skirted a growing political rift over whether to include the governor’s plan for restructuring school finance as part of the budget negotiations or set it out for a full legislative review under the committee process. Tuesday that confrontation broke clearly into public view. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2366 Wed, 16 May 2012 07:49:00 -0700 Budget & Finance Just days after California’s striking $16 billion budget deficit attracted national attention, lawmakers moved ahead Tuesday on legislation that would protect the state’s cash flow next year by deferring $3.5 billion in payments to schools during the 2012-13 fiscal year. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2365 Wed, 16 May 2012 04:14:00 -0700 Budget & Finance California’s public school emerged largely unscathed from Gov. Jerry Brown’s revised May budget released Monday, although any relief is contingent on voter approval of a tax hike in November. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2364 Tue, 15 May 2012 04:35:00 -0700 Curriculum & Instruction Nearly $4 million in new grants from the U.S. Department of Education targets professional development in support of English language learners http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2363 Tue, 15 May 2012 04:32:00 -0700 Budget & Finance Gov. Jerry Brown released his revised May budget plan Monday that would close the pending $16 billion shortfall using about $8 billion in funding cuts and the hope that voters approve his tax measure this fall. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2362 Mon, 14 May 2012 09:56:00 -0700 Curriculum & Instruction A new study from a nationally-recognized research center found significant progress among the first group of inner city high school students attending all four years at a campus run by Green Dot Public Schools in Los Angeles. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2359 Mon, 14 May 2012 08:20:00 -0700 Budget & Finance Despite the stark news over the weekend that the state budget deficit has ballooned to $16 billion, there are strong indications that the governor’s revised May budget will actually offer schools more money than proposed in the January because of the influence of the Proposition 98 guarantee. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2358 Mon, 14 May 2012 05:24:00 -0700 Curriculum & Instruction An eastern San Diego County high school with a large number of Iraqi war immigrants won a potentially precedent-setting waiver last week from meeting student performance requirements of the Quality Education Investment Act. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2357 Mon, 14 May 2012 03:09:00 -0700 Human Resources The first cohort of districts awarded federal School Improvement Grant money have been given more time to implement new teacher and principal evaluation systems at target schools, with action Thursday by the California State Board of Education. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2355 Fri, 11 May 2012 04:27:00 -0700 Politics & Education After months of debate and analysis, the California State Board of Education agreed Thursday to submit a potentially ground-breaking request to federal officials aimed at relieving California schools from key sanctions under the No Child Left Behind Act. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2354 Fri, 11 May 2012 04:21:00 -0700 Politics & Education A bill that would prevent the state’s charter schools from offering preferential enrollment to students whose parents volunteer time or make cash donations was moved by a key Assembly panel Wednesday over objections of the California Charter Schools Association. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2353 Thu, 10 May 2012 05:22:00 -0700 Curriculum & Instruction Already attempting a ground-breaking NCLB waiver proposal, California education leaders have devised a second front to getting schools relief from widely-discredited federal performance mandates set to go before the state board of education today. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2352 Thu, 10 May 2012 04:01:00 -0700 Budget & Finance Gov. Jerry Brown will unveil his revised May budget on Monday amid growing signs the administration’s plan for restructuring school financing will differ significantly from the current proposal. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2350 Wed, 09 May 2012 16:31:00 -0700 Budget & Finance The number of California school districts at risk of failing to meet their near-term financial obligations has reached an all-time high and is likely to increase between now and June, the state’s watchdog on school finance reported Tuesday. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2351 Wed, 09 May 2012 04:34:00 -0700 Budget & Finance A planned oversight hearing on Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed weighted school funding formula set for tomorrow has been canceled by legislative leaders – setting off rumors that the administration is preparing major revisions to the plan. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2349 Tue, 08 May 2012 11:33:00 -0700 Human Resources Things are going to look and feel quite a bit different at Azusa Unified School District offices after July 1. That’s the day Superintendent Cynthia Cervantes McGuire will retire, ending a career in the district that began 37 years ago when she was hired as a teacher. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2348 Tue, 08 May 2012 04:16:00 -0700 Human Resources Eleven high-performing schools have petitioned the California State Board of Education to be excused from the state’s list of ‘low achieving’ schools for the purposes of the Open Enrollment Act. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2347 Tue, 08 May 2012 04:12:00 -0700 Curriculum & Instruction Children whose parents speak little or no English can significantly improve their reading skills significantly if they attend preschool, according to a study from the Public Policy Institute of California. http://www.siacabinetreport.com/articles/viewarticle.aspx?article=2346 Mon, 07 May 2012 04:57:00 -0700