Arcadia students will begin to learn about AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases through a program starting next February. The Board of Education will establish a committee to come up with the curriculum on the subject.
The School Board is wrestling with a list of 24 recommendations for the control of and education about illegal substances. Among the options considered are eliminating the open lunch privilege for seniors, a urine screen on students continually truant or tardy and undercover operations by the police.
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.
Members of Parent Alert accused the Board of Education of dragging their feet in developing curriculum aimed at educating students on substance abuse. Such a curriculum is required by the California Health and Education Code. The district has been out of compliance with the code for more than 3 years.
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.
Ben Zhang is seeking a position on the Arcadia Unified School District Board. Zhang is a business owner, project manager and community volunteer in Arcadia. He currently manages a senior living facility, works with local non-profits such as Arcadia Police Foundation and American Red Cross, along with establishing several other developments throughout San Gabriel Valley.
A committee to hear public comment on the possible demolition of First Avenue Jr. High School and the sale of other district property was created Monday by the Board of Education.
In a rather lengthy meeting last week, the Arcadia Board of Education ratified modifications to the current contract agreement with the Arcadia Pupil Support Services Association. Other business follows.
Classroom of the future is in Arcadia. Arcadia Unified School District embraces AltSchool's "Personalized Learning" technology in an experimental lab that has flexible seating, desks and walls that can be written on, hanging chairs, an observation room, Google Jam Board, and other tools and techniques not typically used in other public schools.
The Arcadia Board of Education has adopted a $63.9 million General Fund budget for the coming year. The budget contains reductions across the board, with 10% cuts at schools, a reduction in categorical programs and no cost of living increase from the state.
Arcadia Unified School District (AUSD) caught in the web of Net-Neutrality preservation. On December 14, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to repeal net neutrality laws. AUSD is transitioning into technology-based platforms of learning with a focus on personalized learning using Chromebooks. Students using different ISPs at home may have varied access to educational means. It is unlikely to affect their access to educational resources while they are at school.
The Library Board of Trustees voted to post a PATRIOT Act notice, as required by the act. The notice reads, "Although the Arcadia Public Library makes every reasonable effort to protect your privacy, under the federal USA PATRIOT Act (PL107-56), records of the books and other materials you currently have on loan from this library, your inter-library loan requests placed during the past year, or the Internet sites and e-mails that you access through our computers may be obtained by federal agents. That federal law prohibits library workers from informing you if federal agents have asked about or obtained your records.
Arcadia Unified School District has been mandated to honor transgender student's rights. A settlement agreement resolves a complaint filed October 2011. The complaint alleged that the district had prohibited the student from accessing facilities consistent with his male gender identity, including restrooms and locker rooms. The United States federal government investigated the complaint under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Both Title IX and Title IV prohibit discrimination against students based on sex.
Arcadia Unified School District's Board of Education took no action to reinstate fired coach James O'Brien as head cross country coach of Arcadia High School.
Arcadia Unified School District school board refuses to reinstate James O'Brien as the cross country coach. The school board expressed appreciation for all the individuals who shared their perspectives on the Arcadia High School cross country program at the Board of Education meetings. Mr. O'Brien continues to be employed as a teacher at Arcadia High School. Coaching assignments are made on a year-to-year basis.
Arcadia Board of Education candidate, Gene Shepherd feels it is unfair that he and 3 other candidates were not interviewed (as they had been in past years) by Arcadians for Arcadia. A spokesman for the group said it was pointless to interview Shepherd since the 3 incumbents "are doing a good job" while Shepherd "hasn't proven himself."