What to Watch for as the School Year Kicks Off
What to Watch for as the School Year Kicks OffThe school year is upon us, and we’ve got lots to talk about. Here’s a refresher on a few issues facing the district, as well as a kind of syllabus for...
View ArticleAll Eyes on Lincoln High
All Eyes on Lincoln HighIt’s the first day of school at Lincoln High and the place is all smiles. Some top brass was on hand, including Superintendent Cindy Marten, trustee Marne Foster and Kevin...
View ArticleReminder: Teacher Tenure Isn’t Going Anywhere for a While
Reminder: Teacher Tenure Isn't Going Anywhere for a WhileCongressional candidate Carl DeMaio has a plan for San Diego schools: If you want students to learn more, pay the best teachers more money....
View ArticleDisadvantaged Students Are Doing Better in Charter Schools
Disadvantaged Students Are Doing Better in Charter SchoolsStudents from disadvantaged backgrounds are doing better in charter schools than in traditional public schools. According to the California...
View ArticleWe’re Having the Wrong Conversation About Charter Schools
We're Having the Wrong Conversation About Charter SchoolsEvidently, charter schools are getting something right. Between 2006 and 2013, the number of students enrolled in charter schools in San Diego...
View ArticleLincoln’s Steady Hand
Lincoln's Steady HandSince it opened in 2007, Lincoln High School has been sprinting to catch up with the promises of what it could become. Four superintendents and three principals later, it’s yet to...
View Article‘We Have to Invest in Our Teachers Once We Hire Them’
'We Have to Invest in Our Teachers Once We Hire Them'Americans have debated the qualities that separate good teachers from the bad for more than 100 years. These days, this conversation gets stuck on...
View ArticleLessons from San Diego Schools’ MRAP Debacle
Lessons from San Diego Schools' MRAP DebacleYep. That happened. San Diego Unified got hold of a $730,000, mine-resistant, ambush withstanding, teddy bear-carrying, armored vehicle that made the...
View ArticleAnother Blow for English-Learning Students
Another Blow for English-Learning StudentsIt just keeps getting worse for English learners in San Diego Unified. This past summer the district started cutting a program for English learners – who...
View ArticleEverything You Need to Know About the District’s Plan for English Learners,...
Everything You Need to Know About the District's Plan for English Learners, in One GraphicParents of English-learning students showed up to the San Diego Unified school board meeting Tuesday night –...
View ArticleA Relentless Campaigner – for Better or Worse
A Relentless Campaigner – for Better or WorseIt’s a few short weeks until the November election, and San Diego Unified School board president Kevin Beiser is right where he wants to be. Since he was...
View ArticleBreaking Down Beiser’s Absences
Breaking Down Beiser's AbsencesTacked to the end of San Diego Unified school board president Kevin Beiser’s emails, you’ll see his slogan, simple and inspirational: “with students first.” He’s a...
View ArticleThe Ominous Cloud Hanging Over the Class of 2016
The Ominous Cloud Hanging Over the Class of 2016San Diego Unified has a huge problem on its hands. Data just released by the district shows troubling news about the class of 2016, the first class being...
View ArticleGraduation Stats Loom Large in Lone School Board Debate
Graduation Stats Loom Large in Lone School Board DebateSan Diego Unified school board president Kevin Beiser has got to be mad at somebody. A week before the election, and on the same day as his only...
View Article‘This Is a Systemic Failure’
'This Is a Systemic Failure'For the first time in years, San Diego Unified has stripped naked. And right now, it’s not sure whether it should be proud or ashamed. This week, the district published a...
View Article3 Things Teach for America Is Doing Right in San Diego
3 Things Teach for America Is Doing Right in San DiegoApparently, it’s just not cool to be a teacher these days. Far fewer young people are setting out to become teachers. In recent years, the number...
View ArticleThe Most Common Gripes About Teach for America, Ranked
The Most Common Gripes About Teach for America, RankedThe names and players change, but many of the same education themes we’re debating today – teacher evaluations, teacher tenure, school discipline –...
View ArticleStill Struggling Financially, SD Schools Ponder Teacher Raises, Big Pension...
Still Struggling Financially, SD Schools Ponder Teacher Raises, Big Pension PaymentsIn 2011, San Diego Unified promised teachers raises it didn’t have the money to make good on. To make that work...
View ArticleClass Sizes in San Diego Schools Are Not Down
Class Sizes in San Diego Schools Are Not DownA common misconception about classes in San Diego Unified is that they’ve remained small in recent years, despite the budget challenges. In fact, school...
View ArticleWhy San Diego Unified Is Looking to Kindergartners to Boost Graduation Rates
Why San Diego Unified Is Looking to Kindergartners to Boost Graduation RatesWhen Liz Duvall, principal of Central Elementary school, looks at a list students who are chronically late or absent from...
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