Have you or your teen struggled with the freshman year of high school? I want to hear from you! Send me an e-mail at emily.alpert@voiceofsandiego.org. Now for the newsblitz:
- The Union-Tribune recaps the saga over the Poway teacher who hung banners referring to God.
- Also in the UT: Alpine residents debate whether to name their new high school after Ronald Reagan. (The paper’s editorial board argues no.) Teachers in North County are anxious over layoff warnings.
- The La Jolla Village News reports that a small plot of land next to La Jolla High is in dispute. (Republished in SDNN.)
- Local graduate schools are slowly going online, the San Diego Business Journal writes.
- California Watch finds that Love Library at SDSU is in danger of collapsing during an earthquake. Our own Keegan Kyle contributes some local reporting to tell you more.
- KPBS reports that California legislators are asking what UCSD is doing to combat intolerance.
- And in case you missed it when it aired, you can check out my debut on San Diego Explained, where I explain how teachers are placed in San Diego Unified classrooms. The piece was based on reporting from my Insert Teacher
- The race for California state superintendent of schools is normally a sleepy one, but this year groups are throwing money in to support warring candidates. The Sacramento Bee explains why Democratic groups that have traditionally agreed are splitting up over education policy.
- The Los Angeles Times has an affecting story about adults trying to pass the high school exit exam with the help of teen tutors.
- Also from California Watch: Nearly half of California school districts are eyeing a shorter school year to save money.
- Biases still hold women back from math and science careers, the San Francisco Chronicle writes.
- Educated Guess blogs that the health care bill also included additional funding for community colleges. The Associated Press explains more.
- USA Today reports on the move to put advertisements on school buses. Critics are worried about kids becoming a captive audience.
- The president of the Fordham Institute makes the case for having school on Saturdays in the Wall Street Journal.
- The New York Times gives another spin on the Texas textbook controversy: It argues that this is just another iteration of identity politics, this time on the right.
- A former school board member argues in Education Week that when it comes to reforming schools, it’s the classroom, stupid.
- Public School Insights blogs that labeling a school as a failure can be a mixed blessing for it.
- And Alexander Russo has this interesting dissection of school turnarounds in Miller-McCune.
— EMILY ALPERT