February 6, 2012, 12:05 AM
Bolstered by a recent court ruling, a Southern California assemblyman filed legislation last week that seeks to crack down on school districts that charge parents and students fees that violate state law. AB 1575, sponsored by Assemblyman Ricardo Lara, D-South Gate, would require school...
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January 26, 2012, 12:05 AM
With an eye toward revolutionizing how defense systems and vehicles are made, the Pentagon has tapped a team of Bay Area-based scientists, engineers and hackers to create a program that will enlist California high school students to build robots, drones and other low- and medium-tech gadgets. ...
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January 25, 2012, 12:05 AM
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, the California State Board of Education, the state Department of Education and the attorney general's office all want a judge to drop a lawsuit that seeks to hold the state accountable for school districts that illegally charge students...
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January 19, 2012, 12:05 AM
School foundations and PTAs used to raise money for the extras – high-tech projectors and special field trips. But these days, private donations to schools have grown dramatically and are being used to prevent teacher layoffs, keep libraries open, and save music and foreign-language classes....
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January 13, 2012, 12:20 AM
Newly appointed State Architect Chester Widom said yesterday that he is "digging deep" and looking at all possible solutions to address issues cited in a recent audit critical of the state's seismic safety regulator for public schools. Speaking for about five minutes near the end...
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January 12, 2012, 12:05 AM
Newly appointed State Architect Chester Widom is slated to discuss today what steps seismic regulators are taking to address problems with their enforcement of earthquake safety requirements for public schools. Widom will brief the state Seismic Safety Commission in Sacramento about a...
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December 22, 2011, 12:04 AM
Despite California’s strict seismic safety regulations, the construction process at two school districts illustrates how mismanagement, disregard for safety requirements and allegations of fraud led to structural defects that could endanger students during an earthquake.
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December 22, 2011, 12:03 AM
Frequently asked questions about earthquake safety in California public schools
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December 22, 2011, 12:03 AM
December 22, 2011, 12:02 AM
California Watch uncovered systematic failures by the state's chief regulator of construction standards for public schools. You can contact school officials, politicians and state agencies about earthquake safety.
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December 22, 2011, 12:02 AM
Here are ways that you can learn more and get involved in earthquake safety at schools in your community.
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December 22, 2011, 12:02 AM
Find information to help you better understand earthquakes and the terms used throughout our seismic safety coverage. There are resources for getting involved, tips on how to prepare for the Big One, a parent’s preparedness checklist and more.
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December 16, 2011, 12:05 AM
By the time Krista McGhee pulled her son from school in the Riverside Unified School District, she said the fourth-grader had taken to hiding under his desk, been bitten by his classmates and been bruised by a teacher's aide trying to restrain him. McGhee's son, who has Asperger's...
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December 12, 2011, 9:00 AM
BAKERSFIELD – As he waited for his first disciplinary appeal hearing to begin this fall, the sixth-grade student began sobbing. He was barely 11 years old. He had been expelled again – for the rest of the school year – from his Bakersfield elementary school district, this...
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December 8, 2011, 1:48 PM
State regulators charged with overseeing school construction have failed to ensure that the buildings children occupy are safe, according to a state audit released today.
The California State Auditor’s report found that the Division of the State Architect has limited authority to penalize...
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