Santa Clara County Education Digest

Stanford’s list of harmful words and phrases, which made headlines earlier this week, is being seized upon by comedians.

UC Santa Cruz’s new cryo-electron microscopy facility has a unique structure that makes the technique accessible for local researchers and is attracting international business.

“The problems of climate change cannot be solved in isolation. This agreement between NPS and Stanford takes our respective education and applied research to new levels,” explained NPS president Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau.

As Santa Clara County prepares to adopt a new plan to govern Stanford University's growth, Palo Alto officials are pushing for more housing, expanded shuttle services and a seat at the table in the coming negotiations.

The search to fill a Santa Clara County Board of Education seat is over after an expedited selection process. Sitting members appointed former San Jose Councilmember Donald Rocha to represent Area 3.

With 98 percent of the votes counted, Catherine Vonnegut, Esmeralda Ortiz and Thida Cornes appear to have secured seats on the Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District's board. Fourth-place finisher Eric Mark has conceded.

Just 67 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds and and 38 percent of 5- to 11-year-olds have had the primary two-shot COVID-19 vaccine series.

Anu Nakka has been elected to the Milpitas Unified School District’s Board of Education. “I honestly didn’t expect so much support,” said Nakka.

Overall undergraduate enrollment for the Cal State system fell once again, to 404,820 students this fall—about 17,500 fewer students than the previous year.

A discussion on the possible outcomes of the SCOTUS decision in the case Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. the online event delved into the impact of banning the consideration of race as a factor during the college admission process.

Top universities, including the law schools of Harvard University and Yale University, will no longer provide data to the publication, alleging the report can be harmful to attracting a diverse set of prospective students.

The Santa Clara County Board of Education has a vacancy, and four individuals would like the job. Rosemary Kamei's win as councilmember-elect in San Jose District 1 opens the seat in Area 3. The board plans to fill the seat during a special session on Nov. 28.

A report from the College Futures Foundation says racial bias plays a role in hiring for executive-level posts at the UCs, CSUs and community colleges.

Stanford launches the nation’s first study of an antiviral strategy for long COVID.

Fletcher Middle School's plan to adopt a campuswide sustainability theme next fall and allow students from throughout Palo Alto Unified to apply for enrollment received support from the school board.

Public speakers at Palo Alto school board meetings will now have a maximum of two minutes, rather than three minutes, the board decided in a split vote.

New and familiar school board members are ready to fill numerous seats throughout Santa Clara County come January, making decisions that affect how hundreds of thousands of students will be educated in the coming years.

School Districts aren’t immune from financial frustrations, especially when construction costs skyrocket while Santa Clara Unified School District is in the middle of creating cost estimates for elementary school upgrade projects.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom recently joined the California Museum in announcing the 15th class of inductees into the California Hall of Fame. They join 138 Californians previously inducted for embodying the state’s innovative spirit.

A look back on the Bakke decision—the 1978 Supreme Court decision that ruled affirmative action was constitutional—as the Court gets ready to reexamine the matter.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control decided to list COVID-19 among the vaccines it recommends for children, but each state decides whether to adopt those guidelines. It's unclear what California will do.

Ellen Fletcher Middle School is looking to institute a campus-wide focus on environmental sustainability and allow students from throughout Palo Alto Unified to apply to attend. The "Sustainability for All" initiative would be incorporated into the curriculum as well as after-school activities and community service opportunities.

Santa Clara County school board candidates zeroed in on student mental health and substance use at a recent community-hosted forum. Dozens of attendees turned out for a virtual forum last week organized by the African American Community Services Agency, SOMOS Mayfair, Vietnamese American Roundtable, Jewish Community Relations Council of Silicon Valley and Latinos United for...

Dozens of candidates are running for school board seats throughout Santa Clara County. In some districts, school board candidates are prioritizing the digital divide, staff retention, COVID-19 recovery and school safety. Potential board members are also highlighting fiscal responsibility.

San Jose voters are facing a large pool of school board candidates on the November ballot, with contenders jostling for seats in crowded races. The winners will juggle a host of critical issues, including COVID-19 recovery, access to early education, chronic absenteeism and staff shortages.

Four below-market units are readied for Los Gatos teachers who can’t afford to live in the city where they teach. So far 80 teachers have applied.

A throng of 500 people attended the Santa Clara County Board of Education candidate presentation. The hopefuls, who will supervise a 30-district system, spoke on problems of diversity and academic inequality.

SCOTUS is set to rule on race-based programs in college admissions. Since 1996, affirmative action in college admissions has been banned in California; an amicus brief filed by the University of California states that other efforts have failed to bring representative racial diversity to its student body.

Mountain View/Los Altos High School District Board candidate Carrol Titus-Zambre allegedly threatened an unnamed reporter for Los Altos High Talon with a lawsuit and military investigation.

Nature and educational center Hidden Villa hires executive director Elliot Wright, who says, “The chance to join Hidden Villa at this important time—two years before we celebrate 100 years of making a difference in the Bay Area—is an incredible opportunity.”

Palo Alto Board of Education candidates discuss the direction of local schools, including matters of mental health care, “de-laning,” gender and diversity.

Education fundamentals, bullying, the pandemic and mental health pressures discussed by candidates for the school board.