The search to fill a Santa Clara County Board of Education seat is over after an expedited selection process. Sitting members appointed former San Jose Councilmember Donald Rocha on Monday to represent Area 3, with San Jose District 1 Councilmember-elect Rosemary Kamei vacating the seat next month. “I want to thank the Board of Education...
Why East San Jose students are missing school
One East San Jose school district is looking at how post-pandemic challenges are contributing to students skipping school, as chronic absenteeism rises in the local education system. One out of five students in the East Side Union High School District were chronically absent in the 2021-22 school year, missing class as families struggled with financial...
Four compete for open Santa Clara County education seat
The Santa Clara County Board of Education has a vacancy, and four individuals would like the job. Rosemary Kamei’s win as councilmember-elect in San Jose District 1 opens the seat in Area 3. The board plans to fill the seat during a special session on Nov. 28, where public comment will also be heard. Community leaders previously...
San Jose college students demand changes to 988 hotline
Activists are demanding changes to Santa Clara County’s suicide prevention hotline amid concerns the service is failing to live up to community expectations. College advocacy group Students Against Mass Incarceration gathered at San Jose State University on Thursday to urge the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors to make several changes to how the 988...
Silicon Valley special educators reach breaking point
More than 100 Santa Clara County special education workers in violet shirts emblazoned with phrases like “Together we rise,” chanted “Hey hey! Ho ho! Unsafe classrooms got to go!” as cars blasted horns in support. The Tuesday rally is the latest action taken by SEIU Local 521, a union that represents about 700 county special education...
Santa Clara County special educators file safety complaint
The union representing approximately 700 special education workers in Santa Clara County schools has filed a complaint accusing the county’s Office of Education of refusing to implement safety measures or address understaffing that has left the workers increasingly vulnerable to attacks from the students they serve. In a Nov. 7 complaint filed with the federal...
San Jose school measures sweeping to victory
Santa Clara County voters appear to have delivered a big victory to local school districts this election, with all five education measures leading by decisive margins. The four bond measures and one parcel tax renewal are expected to provide millions of dollars for five local school districts to improve classroom space and address ongoing staff shortages,...
Santa Clara County school elections bring new leaders
Last updated 5 p.m. on Friday. The next update is expected at 5 p.m. on Saturday. New and familiar school board members are ready to fill numerous seats throughout Santa Clara County come January, making decisions that affect how hundreds of thousands of students will be educated in the coming years. With just more than...
Why test scores are plummeting at San Jose schools
Santa Clara County test scores are plummeting, especially for low-income students, and the drop goes beyond the classroom. The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the disparities across low-income households with the digital divide, disproportionate loss of loved ones and housing insecurity, all factors in the state’s drop in standardized test scores. Recovering from this learning loss...
Expulsions rising in East San Jose schools
Expulsions are on the rise in one of San Jose’s largest school districts, another symptom of post-pandemic education. The East Side Union High School District had an uptick in expulsions last school year. As schools contend with the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on student behavior, the district is ensuring students who face expulsion have clear paths to...