I just started reading Diane Ravitch’s new book, which includes a chapter on San Diego Unified. It’s interesting stuff to mull and debate between your newsblitz:
- We report that San Diego Unified is charting its own course on school reform — one that differs significantly from the fixes the Obama Administration wants for schools.
- The Union-Tribune writes about the uncertain future of Felicita Elementary, a North County school that landed on the state list of persistently failing schools.
- San Diego News Network reports on San Diego Unified school board member John de Beck’s push to eliminate non-instructional days when teachers are getting training and replace them with full school days.
- Also in SDNN: Marsha Sutton writes that illegal fees for student activities are still being charged in Del Mar and San Diego Unified schools.
- An editorial in the U-T praises the unconventional school buildings of High Tech High.
- KPBS delves more into Prop. 13’s impact on school funding.
- The North County Times highlights a high school teacher of the year in Escondido.
- And in case you missed it on Friday, we blogged about the new president of the teachers union and why one of the school board candidates has switched his political party.
- Los Angeles Unified is cutting five days from the school year to save money, just like San Diego Unified did, the Los Angeles Times reports.
- Meanwhile, San Jose teachers are extending the school day without any extra pay, Educated Guess blogs.
- Also in the LAT: Families fear that Los Angeles Unified may not let them switch to other school districts anymore. And an editorial says that the Texas textbook flap should make us all question how good our textbooks are.
- Sacramento teachers are split over concessions to help close a deficit, the Bee reports.
- The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin writes that class sizes there have grown significantly.
- The winners of Race to the Top, a competition between states for school stimulus money, will be announced today, Education Week blogs. California has already been eliminated for this round. Rick Hess blogs about how the federal education secretary is spinning the news.
- PBS NewsHour explores why many teachers unions are unhappy with Race to the Top. This piece explores some of the same school reform debates we wrote about today.
- And the Quick and the Ed has this great explainer about how the media completely misunderstood the results of that national test that came out last week. Part of the problem? The kids changed.
— EMILY ALPERT