A group of high school principals at San Diego Unified School District says district leaders are not providing enough resources for schools to adequately run their special education programs, English-learner programs and math curriculum.
VOSD’s Will Huntsberry obtained several memos from the past few months detailing the principals’ concerns, not only with their lack of resources, but with their damaged relationship with district leaders.
“Principals feel demoralized due to lack of transparency, communication and support,” reads one memo to Superintendent Cindy Marten, dated Sept. 5.
It is not the first time principals have raised an alarm about problems inside their schools. After severe budget cuts in 2016, principals detailed chaos in their schools as a result of the cuts’ impacts on school operations. Elementary school principals at the time also detailed major safety concerns for special education students.
Trump Wants a Homelessness Crackdown in California Cities
President Donald Trump has ordered White House officials to conduct “a sweeping crackdown on homelessness in California” to move people from the streets and other areas to government-backed facilities, the Washington Post reports. It’s unclear what the federal government has planned, how it would actually do this and under what legal authority it would be operating.
Voice of San Diego’s Lisa Halverstadt has explained what governments can and cannot do to force homeless people off the street before.
Todd Gloria, who’s running for mayor, responded to the story by noting, “If 45 wants to do something productive on homelessness, he should start by reforming the federal formula that gives San Diego *less* HUD funding than cities with *smaller* homeless populations.” He was referring to this 2013 Voice of San Diego investigation showing that San Diego has one of the nation’s largest homeless populations but receives far less federal funding than cities with less homelessness.
Get Ready for More Homes and People in Mission Valley
The San Diego City Council unanimously approved the Mission Valley Community Plan update Tuesday, making way for 28,000 new housing units — or 50,000 new residents — in the area by 2050.
The Union-Tribune reports the plan also lays the foundation for two roads that will cross the San Diego River, six pedestrian- and bicycle-only bridges and a pathway adjacent to the river.
“Only 600 people live and work in Mission Valley. This results in in over 40,000 commuters driving into the neighborhood every day,” Councilman Scott Sherman said in a press release following the vote. “The community plan update will lower the number of daily commutes and help the city achieve its climate action goals.”
Check Out East County’s Literary Scene
For decades, Grossmont College has put on twice-yearly reading series and literary arts festivals focused on creative writing, emerging voices, banned books and much more.
“Between open mics and curated readings and writers groups, there’s something almost every night,” said Adam Deutsch, creative writing faculty at the college.
Julia Dixon Evans explores the upcoming series, open to students and the public, for our latest Culture Report. Plus: San Diego-based Volar Records celebrates its 10-year anniversary, upcoming events and more culture news.
Coming Soon: Good Schools for All
We’re relaunching our podcast Good Schools for All in the next few months and we’ll be tackling some of the biggest issues facing parents, students and schools. We’ll also revisit some of the most fascinating stories Voice of San Diego has worked on in the past year.
Is there something you’d like us to dedicate an episode to? You can submit your ideas, or any questions you have about the education system in San Diego County, here.
In Other News
- The Trump administration’s Migrant Protection Protocols – the policy that requires asylum-seekers to return to Mexico to await their asylum proceedings – has been wreaking havoc on immigration courts along the border, including San Diego’s. (Reuters)
- Union workers at Ralphs, Vons and Albertsons will be voting through Wednesday on a new contract brokered over the weekend between the grocery stores and the United Food and Commercial Workers. The looming threat of a Southern California grocery strike appears to have subsided. (Union-Tribune)
- A former student at the Bishop’s School in La Jolla filed a lawsuit against the school, alleging a former teacher sexually assaulted him over a number of years on the school’s campus, at her house and at local restaurants. The lawsuit claims the teacher groomed the student for a sexual relationship. Here’s more about how grooming works in schools, and why it’s hard for administrators to crack down on. (NBC7)
- Former Rep. Darrell Issa told Roll Call he intends to run for Congress in Rep. Duncan Hunter’s district if he’s not confirmed to a position in the Trump administration by winter. As the U-T’s Michael Smolens noted, Issa told Roll Call he’d make a decision by early November, but said over the weekend a decision could be coming this month. VOSD’s Jesse Marx recently examined the hold-up with Issa’s nomination to lead the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.
The Morning Report was written by Maya Srikrishnan and Megan Wood, and edited by Sara Libby.