U.S. Department of Justice officials based in Sacramento say that a federal investigation into construction contracts awarded by Fresno Unified School District is over and no charges will be filed. The probe, which was launched in August 2015, began with a federal grand jury subpoena of district records related to its use of...
FUSD Probe Contradicts Slatic’s Claim of Student’s Threats
Fresno Unified’s internal investigation of a physical confrontation between trustee Terry Slatic and a Bullard High student offers a different narrative than what the trustee told GV Wire. The report, which redacted the names of all witnesses except a Bullard resource officer and Slatic, was released Friday afternoon by the...
Pan’s Bill Would Further Restrict Vaccine Exemptions for Schoolkids
Wanting to crack down on what he calls fraudulent doctors, a California legislator introduced a bill that would take the power to approve medical exemptions away from doctors and grant it to other health professionals. Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) introduced SB 276 at a Sacramento news conference Tuesday. Pan, a...
Wild Chase Reveals FUSD Failure to Support Troubled Student
Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson and the district's trustees face perhaps the biggest challenge in his nearly 27 months of leadership. On Wednesday, a student was removed from Bullard High School by Fresno police for his safety and the safety of others after running all over the campus screaming threats...
Black Teachers Provide Big Boost to African American Students
There has long been an academic achievement gap between white and black students. Historically, black students have graduated from colleges and universities at lower rates than their white peers. California, which is home to the fifth-largest black population in the country, is no exception. However, new research shows that having just one black teacher can...
Job One for Fresno Unified Bureaucracy? Self-Preservation.
The notion that Fresno Unified School District's mission is to educate and equip children to succeed as adults was shredded Thursday at Starr Elementary School. Rather than let Trustee Terry Slatic observe a meeting about how the district intends to improve classrooms for special education students, the district staff told...
Hurtado’s Bill Aims To Reduce Suicide in California
When Brandy Lidbeck was 10 years old, her mom killed herself. "It was incredibly devastating," said Lidbeck, the program coordinator for Survivors of Suicide Loss. For years, Lidbeck felt alone, ashamed and embarrassed. She constantly wondered if she bore any responsibility. "You are always questioning what if I did this or what if...
Mascot Name Game. Getting it Right at Young Elementary.
It’s the dawn of a new school in Clovis Unified and the district has completed most of the groundwork. The land is under construction; the school boundaries are set; and the school will be named for former superintendent Janet Young, a very fine choice. But, the hardest decision with repercussions...
Is Longer Day for Kindergarteners in Fresno Unified’s Future?
Fresno Unified parents are exasperated by having to take time off from work in the middle of the day to pick up their kindergarteners at school. And a majority of trustees want to see the district fix the problem. Trustee Carol Mills said she understands their frustration, and offered a...
Slatic Clashed With Army Recruiter at Bullard High School
A confrontation between Fresno Unified Trustee Terry Slatic and a high school Army recruiter led to a complaint being filed with the district’s constituent services department. Slatic confirmed that an incident involving Staff Sgt. Jeremy Cooper at Bullard High School occurred in January. Slatic said that he didn't remember the...