Teachers and parents of John Muir Middle School want their school to provide wrap-around services for students in the hopes of addressing rising discipline issues, teacher burnout and lack of communication with parents. San Jose Unified School District educators and parents are pushing for the campus to convert to a community school model, which builds...
San Jose community college delays ethnic studies hire after protests
Nearly 600 community members signed an online petition within days of its launching to oppose the hiring of a non-Native instructor for Evergreen Valley College’s first full-time Native American studies teaching position. Indigenous students, faculty and residents with feathers and ceremonial drums protested at the San Jose-Evergreen Community College District meeting on Tuesday, with signs reading...
Time is running out for San Jose students to get food benefits
College students experiencing food insecurity need to sign up for CalFresh within the next month before pandemic-era eligibility rules expire. The state-run nutrition program, formerly the Food Stamp program, will end two temporary rules for students on June 10 that made it easier for them to access assistance. Until then, college students who qualify for a federal...
San Jose colleges offer students immigration services
Community colleges want students to know free legal services are available to those in need of immigration assistance. The San Jose-Evergreen Community College District has programs for students and employees to receive immigration-related help for naturalizations, undocumented status and more. Advocates said the resources are crucial for AB 540 and DACA students who have uncertain...
San Jose’s largest school district scrambles for teachers
San Jose’s largest school district is projecting a need for hundreds of teachers starting next fall, but hurdles remain amid an ongoing shortage. San Jose Unified School District estimates it needs to hire 202 teachers for the 2023-24 school year, according to the California Department of Education. Education officials said districts are looking for teachers, but...
Silicon Valley community college wants the 50-plus crowd
It’s never too late to go back to school, and one Silicon Valley community college district wants to welcome older adults as it looks to fill its student ranks. The West Valley-Mission Community College District is releasing a survey in May to garner ideas on how to make higher education age-friendly. Advocates said increasing education access...
San Jose State students want recognition for Filipino farmworkers
Filipino students at San Jose State University said honoring a key leader in the farmworkers rights movement is long overdue—and they staged a rally to make their intentions known. With signs reading “Cynthia Teniente Matson Act Now” and “Campus Planning Board Act Now,” Students for Filipino Farmworkers protested today at the Arch of Dignity, Equality...
San Jose parents frustrated by loss of college program
San Jose parents are upset over their school district’s decision to shut down a popular enrichment program and want to know why they are just now learning about it. San Jose Unified School District closed its middle college program last April, which allowed high school juniors and seniors to attend school at a community college...
San Jose college administrator dies on vacation in Mexico
A top official and longtime leader of the San Jose-Evergreen Community College District has died. Vice Chancellor Jorge Escobar died recently while vacationing in Mexico, according to a Tuesday statement from the district. Escobar, 55, was in the running to take over as chancellor from Interim Chancellor and San José Spotlight columnist Raúl Rodríguez, according...
Silicon Valley teachers say ethnic studies isn’t just about credentials
As Santa Clara County school districts ramp up high school ethnic studies classes, educators said more training is sorely needed at the local level to ensure quality courses on diversity are being provided. California became the first state in the nation in 2021 to require high schoolers to take ethnic studies in order to graduate....