East County News Service

August 23, 2010 (La Mesa) -- The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD, a public agency that supports various health-related community programs and services in San Diego’s East County, has selected nine recipients for its 2010 Health Tech Careers scholarships. The students, who are currently pursuing medical field jobs in positions often defined as technicians, applied for the scholarships by submitting an essay on “Where I will be in my career five years from now.”

San Diego County Receives 25% of Total Funds, Provides Educational Resources to Military Families and Their Children

East County News Service

August 12, 2010 (Lemon Grove) -- Seeking relief for school districts already scrambling to cope with unexpected cash shortages and budget revisions, Assemblymember Marty Block (D-Lemon Grove) announced that AB 184 has cleared the Senate Education Committee. This legislation provides statutory authority to allow school districts to recover critical special education funding that they received during the last fiscal year to meet the needs of students in their classroom.

Flurry of new charter approvals raises questions over state funding priorities in an era of budget shortfalls

East County Magazine Special Report

By Miriam Raftery

 

August 5, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – In the 2009-2010 school year, California approved more than 88 new charter schools at a cost of tens of millions of dollars. Recent charters approved include middle schools opening in districts that already have schools with high academic achievements--new charters with oversight provided by a district with middle school test scores that rank in the bottom 10% statewide.

These findings, discovered by East County Magazine, raise serious questions about budget priorities at a time when the state faces a $20 billion deficit.  What are the long-range consequences of approving numerous charters, all entitled to a portion of public education funds? 

July 31, 2010 (Escondido)– Eleven  San Diego County agriculture students have been awarded scholarships from the San Diego County Farm Bureau Scholarship Program. This year, the San  Bureau's Scholarship Committee awarded $16,000 in varying amounts to the students.

Longtime instructor and musician will oversee arts, languages and communication department; aims to build performing arts center for campus

East County News Service

July 27, 2010 (El Cajon) – Steve Baker has been named dean of the department of arts, languages and communication at Grossmont College. Baker began his career with the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District as a music instructor in 1985, and has taught at both Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges. At Grossmont, he was music department chair and interim dean before his latest appointment.

Baker has been a professional musician for over 40 years. In his career as a pianist, he has performed with numerous national and international recording artists. The Steve Baker Trio specializes in Brazilian and Afro-Cuban-influenced jazz and performs in varied venues.

East County News Service
 

July 24, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Mountain Empire School District, which serves rural areas of East County is asking for donations of backpacks and other school supplies for students. Communities in the district, which serves many poor families, include Boulevard, Campo, Clover Flat, Dehesa, Guatay, Jacumba, Pine Valley, Potrero, and Tecate.
 

Donations may be brought to locations in Alpine or Campo prior to Back to School Night on August 31.
 

East County News Service

Committee takes action to protect students at other CSU campuses, but fails to reverse change in admission policy at SDSU

July 1, 2010 (Sacramento) – AB 2401, which would require San Diego State University and other CSU campuses to give priority to local students who meet admission requirements, failed to secure passage and was held by the Senate Education Committee yesterday. However a companion bill, AB 2402, which would increase transparency by requiring CSU campuses to provide notification and public input prior to change admissions policies for students in their local service area, passed the committee.
 

July 1, 2010 (San Diego's East County) -- Ralf Swenson has been tentatively selected as the next superintendent of the Grossmont Union High School District contingent on successful contract negotiation, a positive community visit by the Governing Board to his current school district and further routine background checks.

2 BILLS BY BLOCK TO HELP LOCAL STUDENTS WILL BE HEARD WED. IN SACRAMENTO

By Miriam Raftery

June 29, 2010 (San Diego) – “What was once my dream had become a nightmare on the day I was notified that I was denied admission,” Donna Chanthalangsy, a student who had met all requirements for admission to San Diego State University. “I was angered, saddened and disappointed.”  She is among 1,740 local students rejected by SDSU due to a last-minute rule change made by SDSU president Stephen Weber.

June 23, 2010 (La Mesa) -- The 10th annual Summer Healthcare Saturday, East County’s largest free health fair, held  June 19th at Grossmont Center, was by far the most successful ever, according to Mike Cully, president/CEO of the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce.  The event was organized by the Chamber and co-sponsored by Grossmont Healthcare District, Sharp Grossmont Hospital, Alvarado Hospital and Grossmont Center.

Bill to limit fee increase to be heard Monday in Legislature

By Miriam Raftery

June 18, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – The California State University Board of Trustees today voted to raise CSU fees by 5% for undergraduates and graduate students and by 10% for doctoral education students. For full-time undergraduates, that amounts to a $204 annual increase—bringing total CSU fees to $4,230 starting in fall 2010.

Gavin Newsom, Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, called the hikes “unacceptable” and noted that CSU has raised fees seven times in eight years—including a 32% hike last year alone.

“That cost is pricing very many would-be students out of the chances of getting a college education,” said Pat Washington, an instructor at San Diego State University and a leader with California Communities Unitied Institute.

Since Program Launch, Barona Has Invested Nearly $1 Million to Schools Statewide

Committee's objectivity called into question amid Reagan name proposal

June 13, 2010 (Alpine) – A naming committee for the Grossmont Union High School District’s 12th high school in Alpine has been disbanded by the GUHSD governing board.  

“Among other items, our Board clearly heard the request for a community survey, and was reminded that the Bond language included the new high school in Alpine serving both the Alpine and Blossom Valley areas,” Gary Schwartzwald, director of adult education and special projects, wrote in an e-mail to parents in Alpine.

June 12, 2010 (El Cajon) – Our hats are off to the class of 2010!

On Tuesday, June 22, and Wednesday, June 23, 2010 5,258 senior students from nine comprehensive high schools, two charter high schools and three alternative high schools in the Grossmont Union High School District will don caps and gowns for commencement services. The District will also honor 20 valedictorians as well as 13 salutatorians for high academic achievements.

Scroll down for graduation dates and locations for each school, as well as graduating class sizes and names of valedictorians and salutatorians attaining top honors.

June 7, 2010 (El Cajon)--At 39 weeks along in her pregnancy, Nicole waited in line to walk at Grossmont College’s 49th annual commencement on June 3, when her water broke signaling the delivery of her fourth child. The 28-year-old didn’t want to leave the college and go to the hospital, while 4,000 people waited to celebrate the 1,398 students in the Class of 2010 receiving an associate degree or a certificate of achievement.