Schools in the South Bay have upped efforts to help students navigate mental health challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Local schools including San Jose Unified School District, East Side Union High School District and Sunrise Middle School have implemented seven key mental health practices, which a recent Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG) study described as essential tools...
In Silicon Valley, college students see hardship through COVID-19 pandemic
This story is being co-published with The Imprint, a national news outlet covering child welfare and youth justice issues. College students have long gone hungry and slept in their cars in Silicon Valley, one of the wealthiest enclaves in the nation. But many of the young people pursuing higher education this year face obstacles that...
UPDATE: Housing tower moves forward after San Jose commission denies appeal
A last-ditch effort to derail a high-rise residential tower near San Jose State University has been denied, opening the way for more housing downtown. The San Jose Planning Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a 23-story, 248-foot apartment building one block from the university called The Mark. Commissioner Jorge Garcia abstained from voting because of...
California students must take ethnic studies—some in San Jose already do
California high school students will have a better understanding of the state’s history, diversity and culture under a new policy. Some Santa Clara County schools are ahead of the curve, offering ethnic studies as an elective. Local elementary school districts—such as Oak Grove, Alum Rock and Mount Pleasant—already have ethnic studies as part of the curriculum....
South Bay voters to decide extending taxes for schools
Parcel taxes for schools and library services are about to expire in two local school districts. Residents will decide in a special election next month whether to extend them. In the Berryessa Union School District, Measure A would renew a $79 parcel tax to maintain its level of services for the next eight years. “This...
San Jose State University president resigns
San Jose State University’s president is resigning in the wake of a massive sexual abuse scandal that has consumed the school for months. Mary A. Papazian announced Thursday that she will resign as president on Dec. 21. California State University Chancellor Joseph Castro will meet with campus stakeholders before naming an interim president. “The best...
San Jose school community wants students vaccinated for COVID
Students wearing masks poured out of James Lick High School in San Jose as classes ended for the day. Some stopped to chat with friends and others gathered around a student playing guitar. The mood was light-hearted and social. But not all of the students were vaccinated against COVID-19. That may change with Gov. Gavin...
San Jose school district using counselors as substitute teachers
Facing a substitute teacher shortage, the San Jose Unified School District is calling on its counselors to step in. The unusual move has raised concern for advocates, who worry students will lose out on much-needed mental health services and face anxiety after returning to classes following months of distance learning due to COVID-19. Starting this...
San Jose school district in talks to sell shuttered site for housing
A shuttered elementary school in San Jose may become an affordable housing site, much to the chagrin of nearby residents. The Oak Grove School District is in early negotiations to sell or lease the Glider Elementary School site to The True Life Communities, a real estate firm headquartered in Denver, Colorado. “True Life Communities has...
With federal settlement, San Jose State promises to better protect students
San Jose State University is promising major changes to how it handles claims of sexual misconduct and discrimination following a federal settlement of a decades-long sex abuse scandal in its athletics department. The university will pay $1.6 million to female student-athletes sexually harassed by an athletic trainer named Scott Shaw, the U.S. Department of Justice announced...