Local Education Issues


| Lafayette School District | Sausalito School District | Canyon School District |
| Mt. Diablo School District  | Contra Costa County |


LAFAYETTE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Teacher's Own Family History a Lesson in Perserverance
Contra Costa Times, 9/16/98

Kindergarten marks a time when a child's inherent imagination is allowed to flourish. And for teacher Nancy Flood, that spirit has never diminished.

California Won't Buy Unexcused Absences
Contra Costa Times, 9/15/98

The state will no longer pay schools for excused absences caused by illness or vacation, even though a student provides a note from home.

Another quote from Bob Giannini is in this article.

Parents Fib to Get Kids Into Top Public Schools -- Tactics include fake addresses, phones
S.F. Chronicle, 9/15/98

Desperate to get their children into the Bay Area's best public schools -- those that boast high test scores, low class sizes and safe campuses -- a growing number of parents are engaging in all sorts of manipulation.  There are fake rental agreements, phone numbers that ring nowhere, happily married parents who say they are separated and fabricated stories of sick and frail relatives.

Includes reference to Lafayette School District and quote from Bob Giannini.

New Schedule May be Costly for Teachers
Contra Costa Times, 9/13/98

State cuts paid in-service days from 8 to 3 and reduces funding; districts must pay the difference or reduce training.

(Includes quotes from Jon Frank)

Around the school year in 180 days
Contra Costa Times, 9/13/98

Several local districts must apply for exemptions to the new state budget mandate before deciding how to realign calendars.

(Includes quote from Jon Frank)

Teachers Need Upgraded Tools  (White, Nancy -- Letter to the Editor)
Contra Costa Times, 9/9/98

I have been a classroom teacher in the Lafayette School District for the past 14 years. I feel the need to respond to the article about local school district renovations (8-26).

Students Return, Schools Scramble
Contra Costa Times, 9/8/98

With students off in the summertime lull, construction crews rolled onto school grounds to bang out millions of dollars' worth of new classrooms and buildings throughout the East Bay before the first bell rang.

Local School Renovations Await the Classes of 1998
Contra Costa Times, 8/26/98

Swimming in a Sea of Learning
Contra Costa Times, 8/9/98

Teachers learn how to interest students in marine biology through institute by Lawrence Hall of Science.

(Mentions Springhill Elementary)

Expected Result: Division Over Test Scores
Contra Costa Times, 7/12/98

Includes quotes from Bob Giannini and Sandy King.

Acalanes (High School) District Sees Boundary Changes
Contra Costa Times, 7/11/98

Growing enrollment and a classroom space crunch at high schools in Walnut Creek and Lafayette have prompted consideration of changing attendance area boundaries in their district.

Lafayette School Builds on Practical Concepts
Contra Costa Times, 7/8/98

As the foundation formed this past year at the soon to be renovated Springhill School, teachers took advantage of the building to offer new curriculum.

School Districts Are Preparing for Next Parcel Tax
Contra Costa Times, 7/8/98

The Lafayette K-8 school district has used its $800,000 in annual revenue for program development and salaries for additional teachers since 1992. "It's a huge chunk of change in our budget," said Lafayette school board president Mary McCosker. "There is a very strong sentiment that we can't do without it."


SAUSALITO SCHOOL DISTRICT

Sausalito Parents Upset of School District's Licensing Error
S.F. Chronicle, 8/20/98

Just days before the start of a promising new program in the struggling Sausalito School District, some parents have learned they will need to make other plans for their preschoolers because officials never obtained the necessary licensing.


CANYON SCHOOL DISTRICT

Canyon Rememberances
Contra Costa Times, 8/19/98

Walking among the redwood trees, Grace McCosker Siefker relives the games she played with her brothers in the Canyon School yard or in the hills surrounding the family's sprawling ranchhouse.


MT. DIABLO SCHOOL DISTRICT

School Machine Weeds Out Criminals
Contra Costa Times, 9/10/98

Mt. Diablo district hooks up with the Justice Department for a new and speedier process to screen job applicants' fingerprints.

Expand vs. Build
S.F. Chronicle, 9/7/98

As College Park High School in Pleasant Hill opens this week bulging with 1,850 students, a committee trying to solve the overcrowding is focused on two options -- each with its own problems.

Mt. Diablo Schools Under Fire
Contra Costa Times, 8/24/98

PLEASANT HILL -- The mother of a 12-year-old boy with learning disabilities says the Mt. Diablo school district has collected public money for services it failed to provide her son.


CONTRA COSTA COUNTY

Area Gang Violence on the Rise
Contra Costa Times, 9/7/98

After a relatively quiet summer, gang confrontations last month in Antioch and Pittsburg left one dead and sent two to the hospital with gunshot wounds, forcing police to scramble to keep up with the surge in violence.

Here's to a New School Year (Editorial)
Contra Costa Times, 9/5/98

A NEW SCHOOL YEAR begins today for many. Whether it's met with high expectations or pure drudgery depends on a number of factors. Most great schools point to parental involvement as a key to their success. Certainly the attitude and commitment of parents and students are crucial. Yet success also hinges on the schools -- teachers and principals to be exact. Students need teachers who are enthusiastic about teaching. Principals must be strong leaders -- individuals willing to take risks, who have high expectations and who are committed to excellence.


OTHER PAGES BY DAVE NETTELL:

Dave Nettell's Homepage
| Breaking News -- Education Issues | Local Education Issues | Standardized Testing | Special Education | |School/Youth Violence | Adolescent Issues | Juvenile Justice | Substance Abuse Prevention |
| Social & Emotional Learning | Classroom Management | Class Size Reduction | Proposition 8 |
| Bilingual Education  | Parenting Page |
| Bibliographies |