After three decades at Soquel High School, retiring band director Jim Stewart leaves behind a program defined as much by community and belonging as by musical achievement. Through a mix of humor, discipline and care, Stewart shaped generations of students — many of whom went on to careers in music and education.
K-12 Education
Posted inEducation
Pajaro Valley Unified officials, teachers face off over district proposal to cap health insurance contributions
Contract negotiations in Pajaro Valley Unified School District have intensified as teachers push back against a district proposal to cap health insurance contributions. The district says the cap is needed to address rising health care costs, while teachers argue it could drive staff out of the district.
Posted inEducation
California’s math scores are abysmal. Is it time to screen kindergartners for basic math skills?
A new bill would require California schools to screen all kindergartners, first and second graders for basic math skills. The idea is to help those children catch up to their peers who might have had much more exposure to math before starting school.
Posted inEducation
Live Oak School District announces new superintendent
Live Oak School District has named San Jose district administrator Jennifer Baldwin as its next superintendent, effective July 1. Baldwin, a Santa Cruz resident, has three decades of public education experience.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Achievement gaps, artificial intelligence and more: State superintendent hopefuls detail their plans at candidate forums
EdSource hosted two forums this week for the top six candidates vying to be California’s next superintendent of public instruction.
Posted inEducation
Renaming Watsonville’s Cesar Chavez Middle School could cost $100,000, district says
Pajaro Valley Unified School District officials say it will cost more than $100,000 to rename Cesar E. Chavez Middle School as they move forward with the process following recent sex abuse allegations against the late civil rights leader. Trustees voiced support for the change but raised concerns about the expense, the risks of naming schools after individuals and the possibility of spending funds on a campus that could later face closure.
Posted inEducation
California’s next governor to face tough choices for education as state budget tightens
Coalitions of school districts are grumbling about new program overload and are calling on the next governor and the California Legislature to focus on raising base funding.
Posted inEducation
The Santa Cruz County school districts that approved layoffs this year
Amid declining enrollment and shrinking state and federal funding, several Santa Cruz County school districts approved significant layoffs this year to maintain long-term financial stability. Districts including Pajaro Valley Unified, Soquel Union Elementary, Live Oak, Scotts Valley Unified and Santa Cruz City Schools proposed cuts affecting dozens of positions, though officials say some reductions could be avoided through attrition or other savings measures.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
California kids are going without vision care, and the problem is getting worse
Nearly every California county saw a drop in children’s eye exams over the past decade, a new report finds.
Posted inEducation
Black Student Union presidents lead growth, anti-hate speech efforts
Soquel High student Ivory Woodson and Santa Cruz High student Amara Anderson are co-leading the development of a public service announcement addressing racial slurs in schools, just part of the impact they’re making as leaders of their schools’ Black Student Unions.
