Arcadia Unified School District's superintendent Joel Shawn writes a column bragging about the many notable accomplishments and achievements of Arcadia High School students during the 2009-2010 school year.
Individual students and the Arcadia Educational Foundation (AEF) raised about $840,000 for the Arcadia Unified School District (AUSD) during its annual appeal last year, enabling the district to reinstate 12 teaching positions. Budget cuts from the state have created "serious challenges" for Arcadia schools over the past 4 years, said AUSD superintendent Joel Shawn.
After 21 years with the Arcadia Unified School District, superintendent Mimi Hennessy, 63, is retiring. Her last day will be July 1, 2008, and Joel Shawn will take her place.
Arcadia Unified School District superintendent David Vannasdall will be paid $205,000 annually, agreed to for a 3-year contract. Vannasdall, 45, was named the district's new chief after Joel Shawn retired. Vannasdall had been deputy superintendent and previously principal of Arcadia High School from 2005 through 2012. His car allowance is $850/month, $150/month for expenses, and a $1,000 annual salary increase if he completes his doctorate degree.
Arcadia gets top marks in county API scores. Arcadia Unified School District has three of the top four highest scoring middle schools on the Academic Performance Index. Foothills Middle School ranked first, tied with Huntington Middle School in San Marino. First Avenue Middle School and Dana Middle School also ranked in the top four in Los Angeles County.
Arcadia Unified School District hosting Arcadia Innovation Summit, free of charge and open to all. Sessions will focus on three areas: Google Ecosystem (using Chromebooks, Google Apps for Education and Third-Party Applications), teaching in a 1:1 classroom, and other innovative teaching practices like Genius Hour and Makerspace.
Hundreds of teachers across the San Gabriel Valley are facing layoffs again this summer and experts say cuts could be far more drastic if a solution to the state's budget problems is not reached. About 20,000 teachers in the state have been put on notice that they could be laid off if school districts do not receive the necessary state funding. Arcadia Unified School District (AUSD) sent out notices to about 16% of its teachers.
Arcadia Unified School District (AUSD) releases personalized learning thought exchange results. Personalized Learning is an innovative new campaign led by Arcadia Unified School District (AUSD) Superintendent David Vannasdall. In May 2017 AUSD utilized a thought-sharing platform called Thought Exchange to facilitate community and student feedback. The report covers five major principles that personalized learning should constitute: 1) Differentiated Learning 2) Class Size and Assistance 3) Individual Learning 4) Students' Current Skill Assessment 5) Parent-Teacher Communication.
Joel Rosario's (photo) big return to Santa Anita Park a success. He rode racehorse Mind Your Biscuits to win the Malibu Stakes during opening day of Santa Anita Park's Winter Meet.
Experts question donations for travel. Delegation from Arcadia City Hall given $30,000 from two Chinese firms and one local developer for trip to Asia, including Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong in China and Taipei, Taiwan. Government and ethics experts say the cash donations to the City of Arcadia for this trip raises concerns about transparency and influence. The trips are designed study sister city relationships, learn about the culture and talk to Chinese and Taiwanese officials. Those traveling include Mayor John Wuo and his wife, Council Sho Tay and wife, Councilman Tom Beck, City Attorney Stephen Deitsch, City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto, Fire Chief Kurt Norwood, Recreation Director Sara Somogyi, Public Works Director Tom Tait, and George and Sandy Wuo, who are relatives of the mayor. See VF Sister City.
Arcadia Unified School District named to the 2018-2019 Educational Results Partnership Honor Roll for its high achievement in student success for the second consecutive year. Arcadia Unified School District is one of only 26 public school districts to receive this recognition.
The Arcadia Board of Education adopted a policy to prohibit the use of anabolic steroids and other controlled substances. It goes further to hold coaches responsible for educating students and parents about the dangers of using uncontrolled substances and diet supplements.
Arcadia Unified School District's Board of Education upholds its decision of having fired cross country coach James O'Brien. There were no details about the reasons of his dismissal.
The second annual Arcadia Education Foundation "Connect to the Future" telethon will be on March 6. It is believed to be the only student-produced telethon in America.
Arcadia Unified School District celebrates grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony of the Compressed Natural Gas Station. It was made possible by nearly $500,000 in grants from California Energy Commission and Mobile Source Air Pollution Review Committee. The new CNG station is estimated to save the district up to $40,000 in fuel and maintenance costs per year.
A message supporting embattled former Arcadia High School cross country coach James O'Brien, sent by a concerned parent named Michael Yamane, was forwarded to the police by a school board member. Yamane's email urged the district to reconsider its firing of O'Brien, accuses district officials of abusing employees, lying about a CIF-SS investigation into O'Brien's program, and suggested officials might be breaking state law. Yamane is concerned about his constitutional right to free speech, after his email was forwarded to police. Yamane is also a proponent of the "Recall Arcadia" campaign, which seeks to recall three school board members.
Three candidates vie for two seats on Arcadia Unified School District Board. Leigh Chavez and Fenton Eng are currently the respective president and vice president of the school board. In Tuesday's primary election, newcomer Ben Zhang is in the running. Zhang has criticized the current board for its response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. See also Pasadena Star News, p. A3 and A9, June 9, 2022 for semifinal vote count--incumbents Leigh Chavez and Fenton Eng are ahead.