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Extra Credit

Daily education news and conversation

SR board gives Liddell send-off

Thursday, at 11:18 by

The Santa Rosa School Board give a long, laudatory sendoff to outgoing Superintendent Sharon Liddell Wednesday night – her last at the helm of Sonoma County’s largest school district. Liddell announced her resignation in February after nine years with the district. Board President Larry Haenel, reading from a text crafted in part by Liddell’s district office colleagues, commended Liddell for her outreach in the larger Santa Rosa community and for her “remarkable leadership.” “I wish to thank you for all… Read More »

Scene pulled from school play about bullying

Friday, at 4:44 by

Third through eighth grade students at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts are putting on a play about bullying for the school and wider community this week and next, but the show is not without controversy. One segment of the many vignettes in the production that students have been developing since November dealt with a portrayal of a student who was being bullied for being gay. The piece used the word “faggot.” “The story is about a child being… Read More »

Parents, need an assist on carpooling?

Thursday, at 7:00 by

Here is in update on the Safe Routes to School and Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s program to encourage carpooling (and group bike riding and walking) among parents in Sonoma County schools. Think 511.org for the school-age set. I wrote a story about the new program (read it here: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100905/ARTICLES/100909730). Santa Rosa City Schools Superintendent Sharon Liddell posted the following information on the district’s website: http://www.srcs.k12.ca.us/news/HealthyKids.pdf

Steele Lane named arts focus school

Wednesday, at 4:51 by

Steele Lane Elementary School in Santa Rosa has been named the 2010-11 Adopt-A-School campus in a partnership between the Arts Council of Sonoma County and the Steele Lane School Enrichment Foundation. The program was launched today with a performance from students and a lineup of local leaders, including Sonoma County schools chief Carl Wong, Santa Rosa City Schools Superintendent Sharon Liddell, Santa Rosa City Schools trustee Wally Lowry and leaders from the local arts community. The Adopt-A-School program was established… Read More »

Test scores: Should we aim higher than 800?

Monday, at 6:09 by

In a teleconference with reporters on the release of the latest round of API and AYP scores, state schools chief Jack O’Connell said now is the time to consider upping the state’s goal from a target of 800 to something beyond. How much beyond, he wouldn’t say. Now is the time for “thoughtful and open discussion with our educational community…as to whether we should raise the API score past the 800 target,” he said. O’Connell acknowledged the recent budget cuts,… Read More »

Principal changes at Cook, Burbank

Monday, at 7:45 by

An accelerated charter school for fifth and sixth graders will be established on the Cook Middle School campus next fall when Patricia Turner takes over the job of principal. Turner, who is currently principal at Burbank Elementary School, will move over to Cook on April 5 to work with outgoing principal Harriet Gray until the end of the school year, said Santa Rosa School District Superintendent Sharon Liddell. Gray is retiring after 38 years with the district. Turner was principal… Read More »

UPDATED: Sion expected to remain at Santa Rosa High through year

Thursday, at 4:28 by

UPDATE: I just got off of the phone with Pat Crocker, assistant superintendent of human resources with Santa Rosa City Schools who said 22 people applied for the job, only four of whom met the district’s baseline criteria. Those criteria include: extensive administrative experience at the middle or high school level, teaching experience and a history of job stability. Crocker acknowledged the difficulty of searching for a qualified candidate mid-year and also acknowledged the demands of the job that seem… Read More »