The hummingbird hanging beside 13-year-old Autumn Medina isn’t just another painting. Its purple, blue and green feathers remind her of her grandmother, who loved hummingbirds and whose yard was filled with the tiny birds every summer. The painting is in the style of maque y la laca perfilada, a traditional lacquer art form from the Mexican state...
Silicon Valley students housed through college partnership
West Valley-Mission Community College District provides students living within its service area with free tuition, childcare and healthcare. Now it’s ensuring they have a safe place to lay their heads at night. The community college district is partnering with San Jose State University to provide beds for students facing housing insecurity. The community college district’s...
Foreign student visa restrictions to hit Silicon Valley
New federal regulations will restrict how long international students can attend U.S. colleges, and schools are scrambling to work through the problem as the fall semester begins. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has finalized a rule that limits most international students on F-1 visas and J-1 exchange visitor visas to a four-year education...
San Jose school district weighs workforce housing options
A local school district is finding itself in choppy waters as it weighs the best way to provide teachers and other employees with affordable housing. In 2024, the San Jose Unified School District issued a general obligation bond, Measure R, to fund the renovation of classrooms and facilities, as well as provide affordable housing for...
East San Jose school district hires new superintendent
A struggling East San Jose school district has a new leader at its helm. The Alum Rock Union School District has named Marnie Hazelton as superintendent for three years through June 30, 2029. She takes the reins from Interim Superintendent George Sanchez, who was temporarily hired to lead the district for the month of July....
East San Jose school district hires superintendent for one month
An East San Jose school board has appointed an interim leader — to serve for one month. The Alum Rock Union School District has hired George Sanchez as temporary superintendent to serve the struggling district during July. District leaders said Sanchez brings more than 30 years of experience in education from his time as a...
East San Jose charter school allowed to stay open — for now
An East San Jose charter school slated for closure has been temporarily saved by a court’s ruling. Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Peterson issued a tentative decision directing the East Side Union High School District to keep the schools of Escuela Popular open, after the board of trustees on April 2 revoked its...
San Jose nonprofit gives school supplies to 3,500 students
Inequity remains a growing issue in Santa Clara County, but one nonprofit is trying to help. For families struggling to make ends meet, backpacks and school supplies can be out of reach. Sacred Heart Community Service — which tackles the systemic roots of poverty by offering essential service safety net services such as food aid,...
Silicon Valley lawmakers want to prepare students for AI workforce
Two Silicon Valley lawmakers want to reshape the AI narrative by connecting students with cutting-edge careers. Congressmembers Sam Liccardo and Jimmy Panetta have co-authored a bill that would award tax credits to companies partnering with colleges to train students in technologies such as artificial intelligence. Liccardo unveiled the Supporting Knowledge through Industry-Led Learning (SKILL) Act...
South County families create their own livestock fair
Santa Clara County fairgrounds leaders caused an uproar this year for pushing the annual fair date to keep vendors happy and – as a consequence – some youth farmers out of contention for junior livestock shows. The parents’ response: Fine, we’ll organize our own. Preparations for an alternative fair are now underway among farmers in...