A longtime Fresno Unified school psychologist says the district needs to offer contracts to eight school psychologist interns who are being courted by a neighboring school district. Susan Wittrup, who calls the interns "the cream of the crop," says this isn't the first time that interns would have undergone intensive...
City Hall Proposal Would Leave Guns to the Cops
Update, 12/12/19:Â The city council voted 7-0 to table the introduction of this bill until later. The next meeting is Jan. 16. The final vote to approve would be at the second meeting the item appears on. It would then go into effect 31 days later if passed. Also, City...
Ashjian Fined $23,500 for Failure to Disclose Conflicts
Former Fresno Unified trustee Brooke Ashjian has paid a $23,500 fine to the state's political watchdog agency for a variety of infractions, capping a three-year investigation. Listen to this article: "Although the Commission considers the violations serious in nature, the Enforcement Division found no evidence that Respondent intended to...
No Cops, No Budget, Says City Council Candidate Karbassi
Fresno City Council hopeful Mike Karbassi wants District 2 to know he is the law and order candidate. At a fundraiser Tuesday night at the Sierra Sport and Racquet Club, having police chief Jerry Dyer and district attorney Lisa Smittcamp in attendance was a good start. Dyer himself is running...
Improving Special Ed Top Priority For New FUSD Trustees
Three new members will join the Fresno Unified School Board on Wednesday, and all say improving special education will be among their top priorities. "That is something that is very high on my list," said Terry Slatic, who will succeed Brooke Ashjian representing the Bullard High School area. Slatic believes the board...
Ashjian vs. Nelson: A Hot, Loud Debate on Special Ed
Cool, calm and collected Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson has a temper after all — as you can see in the video accompanying this article. The trustee who spiked Nelson's blood pressure: Brooke Ashjian, with his comments on a $1 million supplementary spending proposal for special education. A million dollars...
Old 'Hall of Shame' Will Now Uplift Southeast Fresno, Leaders Say
Fresno's notorious "Hall of Shame" will be transformed into a state-of-the-art alternative education site in southeast Fresno. Fresno Unified trustees voted unanimously Wednesday night to buy the old juvenile hall campus on Tenth Street, ending months of negotiations with the county of Fresno. Fresno Unified will demolish the closed campus...
With Ashjian Leaving, Who Will Represent Bullard High Area Next?
To the relief of some, the Bullard High area seat on the Fresno Unified School Board will have a new representative after the Nov. 6 election. The controversial incumbent Brooke Ashjian, who came under fire last year for his comments toward the LGBT community, announced earlier this year he is not seeking re-election....
A Congenial Fresno Unified Debate to Replace Ashjian
The four candidates hoping to succeed Brooke Ashjian to represent the Bullard High School region on the Fresno Unified school board debated congenially Tuesday (Sept. 26) night. In the one-hour forum, no one yelled or screamed at each other. The four candidates had ample time to answer questions from moderator...
More Homework? More Taxes? Highlights from Sunnyside Area Debate.
Mark Ratchford kept a serious face all night. He doesn’t like the direction of Fresno Unified and wasn’t shy talking about it. Ratchford, educator Karl Diaz, and incumbent Valerie Davis met Monday (Sept. 24) night at the CMAC studios downtown in a debate among candidates for the Fresno Unified trustee...