Ever since Taylor King can remember, she wanted to be a teacher. "I grew up with a lot of really influential teachers and it has been a lifelong dream of mine to be a teacher," says King, who is a student teacher at Ewing Elementary School. On Tuesday morning, King and...
'Sweet' Holiday Sounds Break Heart of Mom With Excluded Son
School holiday concerts and plays are a source of great pride for parents. The singing, acting, and costumes often provide joyful lifetime memories. But the holiday program Wednesday night at Figarden Elementary School triggered anguish in Chrissy and Michael Kelly. Special Needs Class Excluded That's because the school excluded Parker...
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...
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...
Trustee Candidates Forums for McLane, Bullard Are Tonight
There will be a minimum of two new trustees joining the Fresno Unified School District board after the November election. And, with two candidates facing incumbent Valerie Davis in Area 3 (Sunnyside High School) and Veva Islas challenging incumbent Christopher De La Cerda in Area 4 (McLane High School), there is...
Edison Area Trustee Candidates Offer Their Visions for Fresno Unified
The November election will bring new representation for the Edison High School area on the Fresno Unified school board. After 12 years as a trustee, Lindsay Cal Johnson decided not to run for re-election. He will exit having made good on perhaps his biggest promise to Edison area families: The...
Controversial Civil Rights Activist Sarsour Speaks at Fresno Event
Linda Sarsour, a political activist embraced by progressives and vilified by the right, appeared in Fresno Thursday (Sept. 6). She spoke at a California Endowment gathering called “Fight For All” at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Fresno. Known for her advocacy for women’s rights, Palestinian rights, and other liberal causes, she...
Blackstone Brawl Prompts New FUSD Game Plan
Students taking part in a brawl last Friday after an Edison and Central High School football game will be held accountable, according to Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson. A series of fights occurred in a Wendy's parking lot on Blackstone Avenue, across the street from where Central defeated Edison in a...
Fresno Unified Must Make Special Ed a Priority. Not an Afterthought.
Even before Bob Nelson took over as Fresno Unified superintendent, he had to know that the district's efforts to educate students with disabilities were coming up short. The many lawsuits against the district filed by families of special education students and the voices expressing frustration at board meetings were ample...