After the previous president was forced to resign last year over an inappropriate sexual relationship, California Community College veteran Tammeil Gilkerson is taking over as president of Evergreen Valley College. Former President Keith Aytch failed to disclose a sexual relationship with another employee as per district policy for fear of jeopardizing a promotion to interim...
South Bay school leader tests positive for COVID-19 after in-person meeting
Nearly 40 school principals with the Santa Clara Unified School District were forced to attend an in-person meeting last month amid the COVID-19 pandemic — and one education leader tested positive for COVID-19. Sources told San José Spotlight this week that Superintendent Stella Kemp required principals to show up in person — despite other leaders...
Will Santa Clara County schools reopen in the fall? The answer is unclear, but county issues guidance
Santa Clara County officials Tuesday painted a picture of what returning to school might look like for kids this fall: desks six feet apart, face coverings for everyone and canceling some activities such as choir. Officials released guidance for local K-12 public and private schools for reopening for the 2020-21 school year. The biggest question...
San Jose libraries face $1 million budget cut
The San Jose Public Library will lose more than $1 million in the upcoming budget year, leading to reduced hours and the elimination of dozens of full and part-time positions. The move came in response to the city’s request to scale back on expenses due to the budget shortfall dealt by the coronavirus pandemic. “We...
San Jose police officers removed from East Side district campuses
The San Jose Police Department will not patrol East Side high school campuses for the foreseeable future. Following a June 11 resolution supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, East Side Union High School District Superintendent Chris Funk recommended Thursday that officers be removed from schools in the upcoming school year. “I felt like it was...
Activists petition to remove police officers from East Side Union High School District
A movement to remove police officers from schools is underway in East San Jose. Families of East Side Union High School District are calling on officials to terminate agreements with police for school resource officers and outside law enforcement on campuses. As of Monday, a Change.org petition, created under a profile called “East Side Union...
‘It’s about time’: Ethnic studies coming to Alum Rock school district
An East San Jose public school district is set to explore bringing ethnic studies to its diverse students, a move lauded by some as being a lifeline for struggling students of color. For Adan Perez, seeing himself in the curriculum during ethnic studies courses he took made the difference between dropping out of school and going...
Silicon Valley trade school that trains essential workers at risk of closure
A longtime Silicon Valley trade school that trains essential workers such as electricians, mechanics and nurses could soon close its doors, the latest casualty of the coronavirus pandemic that’s swept the world. But its leaders are fighting for a chance to survive another year. Officials from the Metropolitan Education District (MetroED) are asking the city of San Jose and...
County to consider plan to offer WiFi, devices to neediest South Bay families
Santa Clara County officials on Tuesday will consider a proposal to purchase computing devices and provide internet access for the county’s 15,000 neediest families. The proposal, authored by Supervisor Dave Cortese, calls for partnering with the county’s Office of Education on an initiative that he estimated would cost the county “a little more than $1...
South Bay college faculty want more pay for more work during COVID-19 chaos
West Valley, Mission community college instructors say their workloads have increased significantly since the district switched to online learning because of the coronavirus pandemic