Top Stories: July 23-July 29

These were the most popular Voice of San Diego stories for the week of July 23-July 29.

1. The Kindergarten Shock
Like with anything in education, equipping more children to enter kindergarten prepared won’t be easy. We could extend transitional kindergarten to all students. We could expand slots for universal preschool and vouchers for good preschools. We could massage the standards. But whatever we do, new parents need to know right away that they must set their kids’ educations in motion from the beginning. (Scott Lewis)

2. The Locals Are Getting Restless With State Housing Laws
In response to state laws, cities are pursuing contradictory local initiatives that put them “between the devil and the deep blue sea.” (Maya Srikrishnan)

3. Unusual County Office of Ed Giveaway Sparked Internal Probe
County Office of Education employees who came to a gathering to air workplace grievances were given vouchers to buy books and school supplies. The catch: They were urged to leave the meeting to spend them. The giveaway – which cost $25,000 – raised concerns internally that it could be seen as an illegal gift of public funds. (Ashly McGlone)

4. Horton Plaza’s Parking Problem Is a Showstopper for the Lyceum Theatre
Patrons of the Lyceum Theatre used to enjoy free parking at Horton Plaza; now they must pay $24. That’s a problem, since the Lyceum is meant to be a public theater, accessible to a diverse range of audiences and users. Horton Plaza says it’s working with the theater to find a cost-effective parking solution. (Kinsee Morlan)

5. Sacramento Report: The San Diego Split Over Prop. 57
A sickly showing from California at the RNC, San Diego adopts a plastic bag ban as statewide confusion swirls, a San Diegan is leading the charge to overturn new gun-control measures and more in our weekly digest of news from the Capitol. (Sara Libby and Kelly Davis)

6. San Diego Explained: The Colorado River’s Waning Water
In this week’s San Diego Explained, NBC 7 San Diego’s Monica Dean and Voice of San Diego’s Ry Rivard talk about the Colorado River’s receding waters’ impact on San Diego, and dig into why the region’s water officials aren’t part of the doomsday discussion. (Kinsee Morlan)

7. A Guide to the Latest Charter School Showdown
San Diego County has been ground zero for legal fights over where charter schools can open satellite campuses, or so-called resource centers. Both school districts and charter schools argue the other is driven by profit instead of what’s best for kids. The conversation is so loaded that it’s easy to lose sight of the actual legal point in dispute. So let’s unpack it. (Mario Koran)

8. Opinion: Nothing in the Chargers’ Initiative Will Hurt Your Neighborhood
Many politicians have framed the Chargers stadium issue as a choice between a new facility and neighborhood needs. Don’t believe them. (David Agranoff)

9. Lincoln High’s Revolving Door Claims Another Leader
During his short tenure, John Ross helped open a program that allows high school students to take courses for college credit. According to district officials, this year Lincoln had a record high number of graduates who met college entrance requirements. But none of it has been enough to attract a significant number of students back to Lincoln. (Mario Koran)

10. A Reader’s Guide to the Balboa Park Revamp
If the money comes in, Balboa Park’s central mesa is poised for a major overhaul. (Lisa Halverstadt)