“They are growing up in such a charged time. This population of kids are so open-minded, but they live in such a closed-minded world,” says one of the teachers who’s an advisor to the Soquel High School Multicultural Club. “I think it’s just really important for them to surround themselves with people who think like them and who accept them.”
K-12 Education
Posted inK-12 Education
Prom or Passover? Schools making progress on accommodating the diversity of Santa Cruz County
Debra Feldstein, a mother of two high school students, wants her children’s religious holidays to be considered as important as any other child’s. That’s why each year her children have been in school, she has been asking school officials to plan events around Jewish religious holidays, and those of all religious minority groups. Now, after several updates, she’s feeling cautiously optimistic.
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‘Our voices should matter in the present as well as in the future’: Academy trains high school students to participate in board meetings
The Santa Cruz County Office of Education launched a School Board Academy for Students this past summer with the aim of helping students understand how school boards function and training them on how to serve on boards as student trustees. Students and COE officials shared what they learned with Lookout.
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New Gen Learning: UCSC researchers change the narrative for underserved children’s education
It’s easy to identify the difficulties low-income and minoritized students face in pursuing their academic goals. But what about also identifying their often-overlooked strengths? That’s the focus of UC Santa Cruz’s New Gen Learning, an interdisciplinary research consortium. The group, now in its third year, puts UC Santa Cruz faculty members and graduate students from […]
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Affordability, teacher housing, student well-being: Superintendent outlines county’s top challenges
As schools welcomed students back to classrooms this past week, education leaders, including Santa Cruz County Superintendent Faris Sabbah, are ready to focus on student well-being, workforce housing solutions and funding. Local education faces the same issues as all employers — and increasing worries about a “fiscal cliff” even amid this year’s unprecedented state allocations.
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Soquel Union district teachers, among lowest-paid in Santa Cruz County, gain 15% raise
Teachers bargained and parents complained. After months of negotiation, the district and teachers within the Soquel Union Elementary School District have agreed to a new contract thanks to a boost from the state budget. Midcareer teachers should see a jump in pay to about $73,000 a year from $64,000, somewhat easing affordability pressures.
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Time, turnover, parent pushback: Superintendent Tanya Krause details challenges as she pursues equity in Scotts Valley
Santa Cruz County’s fourth-largest school district is seeing a 30% turnover of staff this year amid issues of affordability and COVID-related stress on the profession. Scotts Valley Unified Superintendent Tanya Krause talks about the pressures of the moment and how they affect her efforts to build fair and inclusive school environments.
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A comparison of all Santa Cruz County high schools from a realtor’s perspective
“How are the schools?” As a Realtor, this is a question I get almost daily. Frankly, the answer isn’t all that clear. You could ask 100 different students at the school and get 100 different answers because our opinions are shaped by our own experiences. Asking Realtors would produce similar results. So how do we […]
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Back to school soon — what to do about COVID?
California’s guidelines haven’t changed much from last spring — masking and vaccination remain highly recommended — though fears of increased infection have risen. In Santa Cruz County, just over 44% of youth aged 5 to 9 have received a COVID vaccine compared to about 68% of 10-to-14-year-olds. Among those aged 15 to 19, about 61% have received a vaccine.
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‘Tell the school goodbye’: Families, staff, alums heartbroken by closure of 60-year-old Good Shepherd school
After 60 years of serving families in Santa Cruz, Good Shepherd Catholic School closed on June 30. Officials from the Diocese of Monterey said declining enrollment and financial challenges led them to shutter its doors, but families believe they were close to meeting the target enrollment — and now feel betrayed.