|
 |
||
|
School Update Capistrano USD: Trustee Mike Darnold announced he won’t run for reelection in November. Trustee Duane Stiff says he’s running, if for no other reason than to make sure challenger Michael Winsten will have an opponent. With the election still three months away, perhaps Stiff might think of one positive reason he should run. A parent who has been active in CUSD reform, Jim Reardon, discovered several months ago that a high-pressure fuel pipeline near San Juan Hills High School is a safety issue. Reardon recently launched a blog to cover school issues. On July 29, he posted, “Last week, CUSD began installation of portable classrooms on its brand-new $150-million high school. With all of the brilliant capacity planning that went into this site, it is now evident that almost half the classrooms on campus were planned to be in so-called ‘relocatable’ buildings.” Readers can find the blog at http://nzj1hn215k.blogspot.com Saddleback Valley USD: On July 31, the Justice for 375 Trabuco Scholars coalition hoped Judge Jamoa Moberly would stop the Education Testing Service from invalidating their Advanced Placement exams. The judge instead decided the students at Trabuco Hills High School will have to retake the test. The national administration of the AP exams made allegations of cheating and improper proctoring when students were tested in May. Students who filed suit complained that the allegations had not been properly investigated. The principal at Trabuco was removed from his post after district officials said his staff failed to follow national testing protocols. Students had been allowed to use study materials during the tests, bring in their cell phones and take unauthorized restroom breaks in groups. Ten students admitted to cheating. PALs update from Julie Collier: Now that the new school year is coming upon us, some people are worried with what it means to them. Several communities are realizing that the cuts made during the past school year are now going to affect them in different ways. Mission Viejo is one community that is experiencing growing concern for lost busing to the students. The schools in Mission Viejo are not what many would consider "community schools," as most students cannot walk or ride their bikes to school. They are dependent on busing or carpools. Here is an article that might be of interest to parents: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/bus-school-city-2103135-district-traffic We might see other cities follow Mission Viejo's lead. If you are not sure if your bus route is available, click below. If your school is not on the list below, it means there is no bus route for that school. An annual bus pass is $401 per year. Second child is $381, and third child is $342. More info can be found at I also wanted to remind parents that if they plan to volunteer in their child's classroom this school year, they will need to get a T.B. test and a background check. Please note, if they have had a background check through their work or church, it will not qualify. They must do a separate background check through CUSD at their own cost. Depending on the job as a volunteer (if parents do not work directly with students), they might not have to get the background check. In addition, if paying for the volunteer background check will be a financial hardship to the family, please contact CUSD. They might be able to help. |
||