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...
Election experts tell Congress more federal funding is needed
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congress must provide more federal funding to ensure a safe and successful election this fall, according to two election experts who testified this week. “With the election less than three months away, we need Congress to act now,” Sylvia Albert, the director of voting and elections at Common Cause, a nationwide network...
Downtown San Jose residents may soon get relief from blaring train horns
To stop blaring train horns from waking San Jose residents at night, a “quiet zone” proposed by city leaders could be created as early as November. According to San Jose Councilmember Raul Peralez, the city submitted a Notice of Intent to designate a partial quiet zone around crossings from Horning Street to North Montgomery Street...
Lawmakers still battling over coronavirus relief
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Legislators continued to clash this week over coronavirus relief efforts as millions of Americans struggled with unemployment, looming evictions and rising virus death rates. “I see a light at the end of the tunnel; we just don’t know how long the tunnel is,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday during a press...
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...
Santa Clara County approves Caltrain sales tax measure
Caltrain moved one step closer to being saved when the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved a sales tax measure Tuesday to keep the rail running. “I appreciate that folks weren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves, keep talking and get us to ‘yes,'” said Board President Cindy Chavez. However, to be placed on...
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...
Santa Clara County education board hit with lawsuit over gender harassment probe
Tensions in the Santa Clara County Office of Education continue to rise as trustee Joseph Di Salvo filed a federal lawsuit against the board and his colleagues Tuesday, claiming a vote to censure him last month violated his free speech and due process rights. The civil complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the...