After hiring and firing a second superintendent within one year, Alum Rock Union School District chose a new interim leader. In an unanimous vote during a special board of trustees meeting on Saturday, the district appointed, effective Aug. 12, Sandra Garcia, assistant superintendent of instructional services as its acting superintendent. Garcia had already assumed major...
East San Jose school district fires superintendent hired last year
The Alum Rock Union School District board of trustees on Thursday voted to fire recently appointed Superintendent German Cerda. The board of trustees said in a statement it has “unilaterally” ended the employment relationship with Cerda effective in 10 days. No other explanation was given. The board and administration are focused on the successful opening...
San Jose Rep. Lofgren calls out Trump for science cuts
Government workers from the National Science Foundation are sounding the alarm on President Donald Trump’s attack on the federal independent agency and its impact on the scientific community. In a July 21 letter addressed to San Jose Rep. Zoe Lofgren — ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology — nearly 150...
Silicon Valley grad students could shift careers due to loan limits
It’s Natalia Zamora’s dream to become a doctor. As an immigrant, Zamora, 24, had to navigate a chronic health condition while feeling dismissed by the medical system. Her experience steered her toward the health care sector and she received a full ride to Stanford Medicine to earn her MD. She’s one of handful of students...
San Jose State scores 5-star rating
San Jose State University is among the best public colleges in the U.S., according to recent rankings. Money magazine has given San Jose State University a five-star rating in its 2025 Best Colleges list, which scored more than 700 four-year universities nationwide based on quality of academics, affordability and outcomes for alumni. Eighteen other public...
East San Jose youth center garners support for remodel
Community efforts to save the Mexican American Community Services Agency youth center in East San Jose are paying off. The Alum Rock Union School District board of trustees on Thursday voted unanimously 4-0, with Trustee Minh Nguyen absent, to extend the deadline for deciding the youth center’s fate. This will allow time for forging a...
San Jose language programs could boost school enrollment
San Jose school districts are counting on specialized programming to slow their enrollment decline. While overall enrollment continues to fall, a number of local school districts have found a way to attract new students through transitional kindergarten and dual language immersion during the 2024-25 school year. Alum Rock Union School District in East San Jose...
San Jose State keys in on next gen social service workers
This story is a collaboration between San José Spotlight and Open Campus. Genesis Smith is spread thin. There aren’t enough social workers in Silicon Valley, leaving her to juggle tense encounters with parents whose children have been placed in protective custody with hour-long drives as far as Merced to check on foster placements. “If you...
San Jose high school district switches how trustees are elected
A San Jose school district is changing how its board members are elected and wants the public’s help. The East Side Union High School District has started redistricting its trustee voting areas as it switches from at-large elections. The district received a legal claim earlier this year saying existing trustee areas violate the California Voting...
Silicon Valley leaders in uproar over Office of Education mass layoffs
A growing number of Silicon Valley residents – joined by state and federal lawmakers – are questioning the Santa Clara County Office of Education’s motives for decimating scores of programs and hundreds of teaching jobs serving the region’s most vulnerable children. Teachers, labor leaders and county officials gathered outside the Office of Education Tuesday calling...