The news that didn't fit from Jan 6th!

►STATE SCHOOLS CHIEF JACK O'CONNELL ANNOUNCES GUIDE TO MRSA IS TRANSLATED INTO 23 LANGUAGES TO REACH MORE PARENTS

Friday, January 4, 2008 - BURBANK — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell held a news conference at Burbank High School to announce that A Parent's Guide to MRSA (antibiotic resistant staph) in California: What You Need to Know, an informative brochure produced by the California Department of Public Health, is now available in 23 languages – from Arabic to Vietnamese.

►IVY CHARTER FUNDS AT RISK, LAUSD STALLS APPROVAL

In September, Woodland Hills charter school Ivy Academia expanded to include high school students, creating an increased urgency in the school’s search for a local facility that can accommodate both its smallest and biggest students.

Representatives of Ivy, a high-performing school with an entrepreneurial focus, say they qualify for state funds that would allow them to move into one of a handful of closed Los Angeles Unified School District buildings in the area. There’s just one problem. LAUSD has become a stumbling block as the school attempts to transition into one of these buildings, say Ivy officials.

►CALIFORNIA KIDS FALLING BEHIND IN HEALTH, EDUCATION

An Oakland-based youth advocacy group gave low marks to the state of children's health and education in California today and urged leaders to boost funding and take other measures to dramatically improve those areas.

In its 2008 California Report Card released today, Children Now concluded that the well-being of youth statewide is generally poor and needs top priority even in the face of the current budget crisis.

►LA EDUCACIÓN TIENE LEYES PARA ESTRENAR/EDUCATION HAS LAWS TO BUILD ►NEW LAWS EFFECTING EDUCATION IN 2008

Sindicato Escéptico Porque las Leyes No Destinan Recursos Financieros/Union Skeptical Because Laws Have No Earmarked Funding

Technical changes to existing laws on Special Education and continued assistance to students who do not pass the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) are two of the 49 laws that come into force this year in the California public education system.

►ONLINE GATE PD: UC Irvine Offers Online GATE Courses for United States K-12 Teachers

Courses Prepare Nation’s Teachers to Recognize and Teach Gifted and Talented Students

In an effort to help K-12 teachers around the country better understand and motivate gifted and talented students, the University of California, Irvine Extension is offering a host of Gifted and Talented Teacher Education (GATE) online courses. UC Irvine Extension is known for its exceptional GATE programming. Its programs provide options for K-12 teachers with focused professional development sessions; individual courses; and entire certificate programs, aligned with the California Association for the Gifted (CAG), the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), and state standards for excellence.