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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October 10, 2011, 12:05 AM
Although California students are among the best in the country when it comes to Advanced Placement test scores, a California Watch analysis has found that many low-income students score lower on final exams than their wealthier counterparts. The analysis looked at each district in the state...
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August 30, 2011, 12:05 AM
In 2004, Liberty High School had just laid new carpet, finalized a fresh paint job and installed up-to-date air-conditioning units when the Liberty Union High School District learned the campus was on a state list of school buildings that may be unsafe in an earthquake. Alarmed and trying to...
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August 22, 2011, 12:05 AM
In a move designed to kick-start the review and repair of 7,600 potentially unsafe California school buildings, the State Allocation Board in May scrapped restrictive rules that blocked school districts' access to nearly $200 million in seismic retrofit money. But weeks after lowering...
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