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Although distance learning is the new educational normal for Santa Clara County, some public schools and one private school have received waivers for in-person learning. Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered distance learning for counties on the state’s COVID-19 watch list but schools could resume in-person learning if their county had been off the watch list for...
Free student meals harder to come by in South Bay
East Side Union High School District was handing out 6,000 free lunches daily after COVID-19 shut down schools earlier this year. Now, with classes back in session, that number has dropped to about 120 a day. When the pandemic hit, the federal government issued a waiver allowing schools to distribute free lunches without checking to...
School resumes in San Jose as teachers decide where to set up class
Public school resumed in San Jose Aug. 12 with some teachers working from home and others from campus after a last-minute deal between the district and union gave teachers the option they had been demanding. “A lot of my colleagues had a lot of anxiety going into the first day of school,” said Patrick Bernhardt,...
SJSU students demand changes at national sorority
Members of Alpha Omicron Pi at San Jose State University are demanding the sorority lower its dues and eliminate “empty bed fees” to provide relief to less-advantaged students during the economic downturn triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. The university’s Delta Sigma chapter of Alpha Omicron Pi organized a news conference Wednesday to address concerns about...
Community college faculty push to continue providing classes to residents in care homes
As the Bay Area heads into its sixth month of lockdowns, community college faculty who once taught classes to older adults in nursing homes and retirement communities are pushing for their classes to resume online. The West Valley-Mission Community College District’s Older Adult Program (OAP) consists of four classes offered for free to seniors living...
Santa Clara County pledges another $7.1 million to get students online
A lack of access to technology and the internet meant Sylvandale Middle School teacher Brenna Rodriguez lost communication with 80% of her students when COVID-19 shuttered schools in March. Teaching English and English Language Development within the Eastside’s Franklin-McKinley School District since 2008, Rodriguez said last year was the first time each of her students...
Teachers: Silicon Valley school board trustee was ‘misogynistic, abusive’
Two educators who worked under Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Joseph Di Salvo broke their silence about gender-based harassment claims against him in letters obtained by San José Spotlight. The women sent the letters to the county Office of Education after Di Salvo said at a July meeting that he’s treated women colleagues with...
Fear and anxiety as San Jose teachers prepare for first day
Less than a week before school begins, visual arts teacher Katherine Leung is overcome with anxiety about her future instead of focusing on lesson planning, engaging with families and getting ready. Leung is at high risk of contracting the deadly coronavirus, she told San José Spotlight. “We just want choice for teachers who want to...
East Side superintendent calls it quits
Citing distance learning, equity and budget challenges, Chris Funk said this will be his last year as superintendent of East Side Union High School District. “I can’t lead in this environment anymore,” Funk said. “I want to help us get through this pandemic and hopefully release some of the pressure allowing new thoughts for solving...
New gender-bias complaints emerge against Santa Clara County school official
Two local educators have leveled new complaints of gender-based harassment against Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Joseph Di Salvo, who’s been in hot water over his behavior toward women. The complaints came to the board after Di Salvo claimed a long record of supporting women in July to rebut an independent investigation that...