Santa Cruz County Education Digest

If you pay taxes in California, it’s almost certain that some of your money goes to Lozano Smith, the Fresno-based law firm that represents more than 500 public school districts. It recently lost a prestigious local client, the Carmel school system, partly because of its handling of a public records request.

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District will consider a tentative bargaining agreement with the California School Employees Association salary schedules, bereavement and other matters.

Aiming to respond with trained mental health professionals rather than police officers, the Campus Mobile Crisis Team fields calls four days a week and is ramping up to seven.

After almost a year of bargaining sessions, the teachers union at United Pacific Collegiate School in Santa Cruz ratified a tentative agreement that in a landslide vote.

More than a week after his appointment as Pajaro Valley Unified School District trustee for Area 6, Adam Scow is feeling energized about his vision for the district.

The California Teachers Association has consistently opposed legislation that would require dyslexia screening for all students in early grades. Yet many teachers say early intervention is key.

Martha Vega, Rebecca Garcia and Manuel Bersamin are in the running to represent Watsonville on Cabrillo College’s governing board, a seat vacated when Felipe Hernandez was elected District 4 Santa Cruz County supervisor.

In 2019, the total number of student employees across all dining facilities on campus was about 1,100. That number has since dropped to 600, according to Bill Prime, executive director of dining at UCSC.

"Our students are in crisis," said Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah.

All three candidates will be interviewed Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. in the Cabrillo College Watsonville Center. The meeting is open to the public.

The Cabrillo Governing Board voted to approve the final draft of a complex that could house 624 students from Cabrillo College and UC Santa Cruz.

The 15,000-square-foot building on Panetta Way holds three climate-controlled galleries, a screening room, and event space.

Stephen McCabe, emeritus director of research at the Arboretum & Botanic Garden, has recently named two species from the Dudleya genus.

On the opening day of Black History Month, the College Board is making history by releasing details of its first Advanced Placement class on African American studies for high school students.

Rep. Jimmy Panetta released news about $3 million in grants for scientific research from the National Science Foundation.

UCSC is microcosm for exploring the pros and cons of ungrading. When the campus opened in the ’60s, it pioneered written evaluations.

Controversial investments. A worsening housing crisis. Climate deadlines. These were just a few of the topics on the minds of speakers at the University of California Board of Regents’ meeting.

But it isn’t feasible for most schools in California, where the Education Code requires schools to hold classes five days a week or have their funding reduced.

Cal State leaders revealed a new plan that will take money from campuses missing enrollment targets and give it to schools exceeding their targets.

The replacement will be selected by the Board of Trustees at its Feb. 27 special meeting and the provisional appointee will serve until 2024.

The public university's health system is renewing contracts with outside hospitals and clinics even as some doctors and faculty say clearer language is needed to protect physicians performing abortions and gender-affirming treatments.

Cabrillo College’s governing board plans to solicit applications to form a “name advisory committee” of up to 25 people to help narrow the list of potential new names.

The recent agreement between striking graduate student workers in the UC system did little to solve their housing woes.

Students nationwide face lower earnings over their lifetime because of a loss of education during the pandemic, a Stanford economist said in a recently completed study.

A specific plan for finding a new name has not yet been agreed upon, but the subcommittee will begin drafting an outline for the process with a goal of selecting a new name by the August 2023 trustee meeting. This story is part of the Sentinel's Newsmaker 2022 Year In Review series.

University of California graduate student workers have ratified a new labor agreement with big wage gains, support for child care and new protections against bullying and harassment.

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.

Following a campaign that saw Soquel Union Elementary School District Area 4 trustee Phil Rodriguez retire, then be reelected, a group of parents and teachers weigh in.

Postdoctoral scholars and academic researchers were back at work at all 10 UC campuses after ratifying a labor agreement, but thousands of other grad students remain on strike.

UCSC union members held a 5.4K run and rally and show no signs of ending their strike.

Lookout Santa Cruz asked its readers to weigh in with suggestions for Cabrillo College’s new name—selecting either from a multiple-choice list of names or submitting ideas of their own.