Glendale Unified School District has agreed on a raise for members of its teachers union, wrapping up salary talks that lasted nearly a year, a union official said today.

The district and the Glendale Teachers Association, which represents 1,400 instructors, nurses and psychologists, reached a tentative agreement after a 20-hour negotiation session that went from Thursday to Friday morning, said Steven Field, the union’s bargaining chair.

Both sides have declined to discuss the terms of the multi-year contract until it is announced to the union’s membership, which has to approve the deal. It will be retroactive to the 2006-07 school year.

The teachers union has sought a 12.6 percent raise for the 2006-07 while the district has held firm at 5.1 percent. The district declared an impasse in March, which led to intervention by a state mediator.

In May, the district offered a two-year proposal -- 6.1 percent for the 2006-07 school year, then another 2.6 percent for 2007-08.

Posted by Eugene Tong at 3:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

GLENDALE - Doug Dall can still recall his mission clearly when nine years ago he and several local educators reopened an underused middle school as a technology magnet high school.

"Glendale is really a hub for technical work," said Dall, principal of Clark Magnet High School. "We wanted to come up with a theme that would draw students to the program. We didn't want to gerrymander attendance in Glendale to force students to come here. We want students to come here on their own."

As the 1,200-student campus begins its 10th year in August, it also will have the distinction as one of nine high-achieving schools profiled last month by the U.S. Department of Education as a model of excellence despite circumstances.

"We're the best kept secret in Glendale," Dall said. "But nationally, we're recognized. We're really proud of that."

See dailynews.com for more.

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Some results from this year's California English Language Development Test (CELDT). Students are graded as beginning, early intermediate, intermediate, early advanced and advanced. The last means the student is deemed proficient in English.

At Glendale Unified School District, 2,829 English learners, or 46 percent of 6,198 students tested, were rated early advanced proficiency or better. Of that, 807 received the top ranking of advanced. Last year, 61 percent of the 6,815 English learners GUSD tested earned a passing grade. See complete GUSD results here.

Burbank Unified School District tested 1,828 English learners, of which 43 percent, were deemed early advanced or better. Among them 133 students were rated advanced. About 65 percent of the 2,047 students tested passed the exam last year. See complete BUSD results here.

*Update 3:17 p.m. -- GUSD's Director of Assessment and Evaluation Terry Dutton said doing a year-to-year comparison of the numbers doesn't really show what's happening, since English learners who are deem proficient don't have to take the test anymore. Overall, the English language learner population here is shrinking, as overall enrollment declines and students master the language. Also, district is seeing fewer immigrants who do not speak a word of English -- most have some prior knowledge.

Posted by Eugene Tong at 2:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Finally, some news...

• The Glendale City Council approved a trash fee hike -- an extra $1.11 for residents to offset fuel costs. It's a 7 percent increase to $16.95 from $15.85. News Press

• The Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission is looking at potential ethnic tensions between Armenian and Latino students at Glendale High, after a student brawl last month. Some attributed inter-group tensions as a cause of the fight, though police disagreed. News Press
  Earlier: Law and order in Glendale

• For you entertainment techies -- Joost threw a party for Hollywood execs in North Hollywood, though this tech columnist thought it closer to Burbank than Tinseltown.

Posted by Eugene Tong at 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

In other union vs. management action, the Glendale Teachers Association is mounting a rally at Brand and Wilson today at about 4 p.m. to draw attention to their contract talks stalemate with Glendale Unified. A state-appointed mediator is involved right now, and both sides are doing a numbers check.

The dispute is over the raise -- the union representing 1,400 teachers, counselors and other certificated staff are making a hard push to make up for raises they had forego in past years, while the district, which had a good budget year with an extra $12 million from Sacramento, wants to save in anticipation of declining revenues due an enrollment drop. Another meeting is scheduled June 30.

Update 7:45 p.m. -- According to GTA president Allen Freemon, about 400 of the floursecent green tee shirt-wearing union members rallied on at Wilson and Broadway this afternnoon, though their message went from demanding GUSD return to the negotiating table to let's make a deal.

Freemon told me the district, which retreated into fact-finding two weeks ago to review the numbers, called him earlier today to say they're ready to go back to the table, and they've set a June 21 meeting to work things out.

Here's what's on the table: The union is still looking for a double-digit percentage raise, but GUSD surprised them at their May meeting with a two-year proposal -- 6.1 percent for the 2006-07 school year, then another 2.6 percent for 2007-08. It's closer than where both sides were at the start of last school year, with the union proposing 12.6 percent and the GUSD countering with 5 percent. But still not quite enough...

"I think there's room to compromise on a two year deal and we want to reach a settlement," Freemon said. " We're willing to work together to make something that's fair and equitable happen."

If they go for the two-year solution, that could postpone the union's opening talks for a new three-year contract, also slated to begin in the new school year.

Here's GUSD's GTA's release from earlier...

Continue reading "Glendale Teachers to Rally for Contract" »

Posted by Eugene Tong at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

YouTube find of the day! It seems a group of creative Burbank High film production students shot a 22 minute short titled "Burbank Battle Royale" -- their take of the 2000 Japanese Box Office hit (turned cult classic in the West) Battle Royale, in which a fascist state pits teenagers against each other in a deadly survival game on an island. It's actually deeper than it sounds...but I'll leave it to you, dear reader, to see for yourself.

NOTE CONTENT -- In the tradition of the best do-it-yourself horror cinema, the filmmakers spill A LOT of fake blood, and if you find the idea of teens being coerced to fight one another repulsive, DO NOT PUSH PLAY!

Just move along -- nothing to see here...

For parts 2 and 3, check out uploader Zilgor's channel here.

Posted by Eugene Tong at 5:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) |

via Glendale Unified School District:

Mark Ouweleen has recently been selected to represent Glendale Unified School District as our Teacher of the Year and to participate in the Los Angeles County Office of Education competition.

The Los Angeles County Office of Education has served as the sponsoring organization of the Los Angeles County Teachers of the Year Program -- an honors competition and awards luncheon that spotlights excellence in public education. The program is the largest in the state and is part of the California and National Teacher of the Year programs.

The following points summarize his selection:

Mark has been teaching at Columbus Elementary School since January 27, 1994. The first year of his career Mark was described as being an enthusiastic and charismatic teacher. This has not changed in the 12 years since he began teaching.

Continue reading "Mark Ouweleen Selected as Glendale Teacher of the Year" »

Posted by Eugene Tong at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Officially-sanctioned news from Burbank Unified...

Continue reading "This Week in BUSD Happenings" »

Posted by Eugene Tong at 7:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Officially-sanctioned news from Glendale Unified's Linda Junge...

Continue reading "This Week in GUSD Happenings" »

Posted by Eugene Tong at 7:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

• Police are saying today a series of fights that broke out between two groups of students at Glendale High Wednesday was not due to Armenian vs. Latino tensions.

  A News Press story this morning quoted a couple students who suspect it could be a cause for the melees between two groups of friends, the first of which began at about 12:30 p.m. -- lunch time. Several more fights broke out throughout the day that students had to be dismissed in groups. And this all happened during the Every 15 Minutes DUI prevention program, with several GPD officers on campus.

  "There is no evidence in yesterday's incidents that says it's racially motivated," Glendale Police spokesman John Balian told me. "It was a 'What're you looking at?' -- that type of thing." In fact, another fight happened today after school on the soccer field, he said. No one was hurt.

  As for ethnic tensions, Balian said: "It's been quiet for a long time."

  Tensions between the two groups erupted in 2000, when Latino Hoover High student Raul Aguirre was stabbed to death when he was caught in a fight between rival gang members. Three charged in his murder were Armenian Americans.

  I'm just waiting for the YouTube video to see for myself.

• Meanwhile, Jason Kandel blogs about Glendale's pay-to-stay jail. It's a Crime.
  

Posted by Eugene Tong at 8:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Nine local high school seniors and Glendale Community College students were awarded a total $6,000 in scholarships from the Glendale Latino Association at a special fete this morning. From the release:

Almost all of the 2007 recipients are the first in their families to attend college. Many have beaten incredible odds. Their successes are remarkable compared to their counterparts nationwide. According to a June 2003 report issued by the U.S. Census Bureau, more than two in five Hispanics aged 25 and older have not graduated from high school. Only 57% have earned their high school diplomas and the percentage of those earning a Bachelor’s degree is even more staggering at 11.1%.

“Unfortunately, Latino students are facing so many challenges today in pursuit of higher education… Learning the process as they go along, not having the right guidance, or not having the means to pay for the astronomical college tuition fees and costs of books,” stated GLA President, Martha Rivera. “Their stories mirror that of many of the association’s Latino professionals. Inspired and remembering their own struggles, the members have pulled together to give back and help out the next generation.”

The 2007 scholarship recipients are: Christiane Gomez and Desiree Jerez of Crescenta Valley High School, Luz Ramirez, Norma Rojas and Erick Santos of Glendale Community College, Yared-Montalvo-Montano of Glendale High School, Aksana Guzman of Holy Family High School, and Alejandro Hernandez and Jessica Olivas of Hoover High School.

Posted by Eugene Tong at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) |

GLENDALE - A student who brought an air-soft pistol to school grounds triggered a lockdown at three local schools today after administrators received reports of an armed student on campus, officials said.

Eleanor J. Toll Middle School at 700 Glenwood Road, where the rumor surfaced, entered lockdown mode about 1:45 p.m. after a student reported seeing a handgun on campus.

About 4,500 students were affected as Hoover High School and Mark Keppel Elementary also were secured as a precaution.

Police recovered the model gun from a backpack just after 3 p.m., and officials began releasing students. Police identified the boy as a seventh grader from Toll Middle School, who was being held for questioning.

Brian Crosby, who teaches journalism at Hoover High, was holed up with about 18 students in his classroom as police conducted a room-by-room sweep.

"The door is locked, the lights are off and we're under tables," he said during the lockdown.

Nayiri Nahabedian, a Glendale Unified School District board member, praised the vigilance of the student who made the original report to school officials.

"We are very fortunate that one of our students acted responsibly and notified an adult when they saw something suspicious," she said. "Everything happened the way it was supposed to."

Posted by Eugene Tong at 4:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Providencia Elementary in Burbank was among the first to raise the flag this morning in a ceremony with county Supervisor Mike Antonovich.

It was green. Feel free to inhale until tomorrow. Click here for a full-size PDF of the smog guide.

Posted by Eugene Tong at 4:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

I went over to Woodbury University in Burbank today to do a video on the reaction from faculty and students about the shooting tragedy at Virginia Tech. Here's a couple of clips. One is of the vice president of academic affairs who recites a poem she wrote to remember the tragedy. The second clip is a brief interview with one of the students.

Posted by Jason Kandel at 5:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

A note from Glendale Commnity College -- April 6, 2007:

Glendale Community College received a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the Math and Science Transfer, Excellence and Retention (MASTER) Scholarship Program. The five-year grant program will focus on providing scholarships to financially disadvantaged students maintaining a level of academic achievement and majoring in science, technology, engineering or math.

Continue reading "Wanted: Motiviated, Cash-strapped Science Students" »

Posted by Eugene Tong at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

A note from Glendale Commnity College -- April 6, 2007:

Glendale Community College received a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the Math and Science Transfer, Excellence and Retention (MASTER) Scholarship Program. The five-year grant program will focus on providing scholarships to financially disadvantaged students maintaining a level of academic achievement and majoring in science, technology, engineering or math.

Continue reading "Wanted: Motiviated, Cash-strapped Science Students" »

Posted by Eugene Tong at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Back in the saddle after two days of Glendale election madness with the MSM...

• But first, more Gledale election aftermath -- Did the ethnic divisions in Glendale's City Council elections spill over to the school and college board races? Daily News
  
• A few words from -- well, there's no other way to say this -- the losers, via Glendale News Press. MIA -- Rafi Manoukian, who word has it, win or lose, is taking a break with his family.
  
• More election analysis from my idol Will Rogers. It starts with "They elected who?" -- financing, identity politics, attitude adjustments -- it's all here.
  
• Here's Pasadena Weekly's take.
  

• The News Press comes through with gavel-to-gavel coverage of Carlos Palma and Julian Martinez, who were found guilty of first degree murder in the 2004 New Years' Eve drive-by shooting death of 16-year-old Carlos Pinon in Glendale. Palma, the shooter, faces 50 years to life while Martinez, the driver, could see at least 25. Here's a partial copy of the charges.
  
• Burbank Library Blog! -- I know it's been online for a year since last August, but it's new to me! And any blogger who digs author Haruki Murakami and Mike Judge's underappreciated Idiocracy is worth plugging in my book (hey -- book! get it?).
  
• It's an actor's life in Burbank -- from the Branford Era in Pennsylvania.
  

Finally, for Burbank folks looking to serve the city, it's commission application season once again! Follow the link...

Continue reading "Morning Briefing -- April 6, 2007" »

Posted by Eugene Tong at 7:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) |

The state Academic Performance Index base scores are out today.

Burbank Unified’s overall 2006 API Base score was 782 out of a maximum the state-set goal of 800. All of the district’s schools (individual school results here) were in the top half of schools statewide.

Jefferson Elementary held the highest statewide ranking -- 9 out of 10 -- of all the schools in the district. Four elementary schools remained below 800 on the index, along with Burbank Middle, Burbank High and Burroughs High. Disney Elementary is required to hit the 800-point goal this year.

“We want to see continuous growth in student learning no matter where they started,” said Joel Shapiro, the district’s deputy superintendent. “Even if a school is well above 800, we’re looking for constant improvement.”

Glendale Unified’s API base was 802. Of the district’s 20 elementary schools, seven were below 800. (Campus-by-campus report here)

Three of the campuses -- Cerritos, Edison and Mann -- scored below 6 in the statewide rankings, though they measured-up among schools with similar demographics. Four campuses -- Dunsmore, Monte Vista, Mountain Avenue and Valley View -- scored 10.

Roosevelt and Toll middle schools, along with Glendale High and Hoover High, also scored below 800, though all remained in the top half of statewide rankings.

updated 3/29 at 3:17 p.m.

Posted by Eugene Tong at 4:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) |

So the Glendale College faculty union is endorsing one of their own in the three-way race for two seats on the Community College District board. Word from the Glendale College Guild is they're backing challenger Christine Rodriguez, a former guild member who now teaches at East Los Angeles College. She's trying to unseat incumbents Tony Tartaglia and Vahe Peroomian. Here's the release:

At its February meeting, the Glendale College Guild voted to endorse Christine Rodriguez for our district's Board of Trustees. Ms. Rodriguez was a member of the Guild until recently, teaches full-time at East Los Angeles College, and has been active in the Guild in that district. Among other service to the LA College Guild at ELAC, she has served as the Grievance Officer for that campus. She has also worked many years as a (employee-side) labor lawyer.

In her endorsement interviews, Ms. Rodriguez evinced a commitment to improving the lot of adjunct faculty, direct communication with all members of the campus community, and respect for the rights of workers to organize.

Both of the other candidates presented significant strengths, and only a few troubling weaknesses, but Guild members decided not to pick between them. The Guild's political action committee will do what it can to help elect Ms. Rodriguez, and the Guild will work closely with whomever is elected to the Board on April 3rd.

Now I haven't been following this race that closely _ does this make a difference? Or is this as much an incumbents-only done deal as my mediocre political handicapping tells me?

Posted by Eugene Tong at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) |