Most Santa Clara County school districts do not impose term limits, which has enabled some board members to remain in office for decades. This lack of term limits means boards that never change can become unresponsive to the communities they serve, experts said. But board members themselves said maintaining historical knowledge can provide decadeslong leadership that makes...
Silicon Valley donations to school board races may be capped
As more eyes turn to local school board seats, one newly-introduced bill takes a closer look at campaign finances for those races. California Senate Bill 328 holds school board races to the same standards as other local and state congressional races, limiting individual campaign contributions to $5,500. School board races currently have no donation caps....
Silicon Valley struggles to hire teachers despite investment in education
Early education is making strides in California, but staffing shortages remain an issue. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his proposal for the state’s 2023-24 budget last month, which allocates $128.5 billion for K-12 education and community colleges. The proposal highlights investment in early education, including expanding universal transitional kindergarten, but support for students should coincide with...
Meet San Jose State University’s new president
Cynthia Teniente-Matson is the first Latina and fourth woman to serve as San Jose State University president since the university was founded in 1857. Teniente-Matson, 58, the granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, was born in Texas. Her father was a sheet metal worker and her mother worked in retail. She grew up inspired by her mother’s...
UPDATE: Education leaders can’t stop Sunnyvale school closure
Santa Clara County education leaders are questioning the probable closure of a charter school in June as parents scramble to find a new place for their children. The Santa Clara County Board of Education received a report Wednesday regarding Summit Denali, a charter middle and high school in Sunnyvale run by Summit Public Schools. Charter...
San Jose parents push school on sexual assault details
San Jose parents are demanding transparency from a local school district they said has provided few details about a teacher’s arrest for sexual assault last fall. Music teacher Israel Santiago, who taught at Adelante Dual Language Academy in Alum Rock Union Elementary School District, was charged for alleged sexual assault against minors at the end...
San Jose school districts need to foster parent involvement
San Jose school districts should encourage more parents to attend board meetings and become involved in the work they do, community advocates said. School board members are responsible for hundreds of thousands of students across Santa Clara County school districts. They’re in charge of allocating millions in funding, from federal stimulus monies to bond measure...
Social action change-maker to retire from San Jose State University
History shapes people. But for San Jose State University sociology professor Scott Myers-Lipton, people also shape history. Myers-Lipton has taught his students that not only do they live through world events, they have the ability to create change. Now after 24 years, Myers-Lipton is making a significant change in his own life—retiring this summer. “Once...
Mixed progress for Silicon Valley’s English learner students
Santa Clara County’s English learner students, part of the largest group in the nation, saw mixed progress during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Santa Clara County school districts with the largest populations of English learners, data reviewed by San José Spotlight showed three districts had a drop in test scores while the others saw an increase. The...
Santa Clara County graduation rates are up
More Santa Clara County students are crossing the stage to get their diplomas than years past, and education leaders hope to keep the momentum going. High school graduation rates for the 2021-22 school year increased across Santa Clara County’s largest school districts, data from the California State Dashboard reveals. Rates also went up for vulnerable...