Madera Unified eighth-graders embarked on a project this year to study the impact of Jim Crow laws on their town and the nation that enforced and legalized racial segregation in many areas. As their research widened, the students were horrified when they learned the story of Emmett Till. A...
Racist Taunt Shows Up on Computer Screens in Madera South Class
Anitra Jones' son was attending one of his Madera South classes Wednesday morning when a chat box suddenly surfaced on his screen, with a hateful and racist message repeated 40 times. Jones said it's not the first time one of her children, who are African American, was hit by racist...
Madera Unified Schedules Sessions to Talk about Back-to-School Plans
Madera Unified School District is hosting a Zoom online teleconference at 5:30 p.m. Monday to talk about the governor's mandate closing schools in COVID-19 watchlist counties such as Madera. Counties that have rising infection or hospitalization rates are put on the watchlist. Once Madera County is off the watchlist for...
Special Report: Fresno Unified Parents Want More Learning Amid COVID-19
When schools across the Valley abruptly closed after March 13 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, educators scrambled to pull together lesson plans to keep students learning as they sheltered at home. Some teachers banded together to get classes posted onto YouTube channels, while others quickly set up teleconference classes and...
Madera Unified Teachers, Counselors Back To School Wednesday
Madera Unified School District has directed all classroom teachers, counselors, teachers on special assignment, and academic coaches to return to school Wednesday to work on a three-week curriculum for students. Meanwhile, on Wednesday the district will begin distributing same-day lunches and next-day breakfasts at all elementary and K-8 schools. The...
University High Retakes Fresno County Academic Decathlon Title
University High School has reclaimed its title as champion of the Fresno County Academic Decathlon. The charter high school topped a field of 29 teams in the 38th annual competition, which culminated in Saturday's Super Quiz at Central High School East — and which University also won. University High's points...
While Raising Flags, School Janitor Spots Flames, Rescues 2
School custodian Tony Martinez was raising the flags in front of Eastin-Arcola Elementary School about 6 a.m. Thursday when he saw flames engulfing a house across the street. Listen to this article: Martinez sprinted to the home, jumped a fence and burst inside. Through the thick smoke and flames,...
Fresno Teachers Get a Do-Over Vote On Union Fee Proposal
A plan by the Fresno Unified teachers union to charge members an extra $5 monthly to bankroll a new union-run foundation will be up for a revote this month after a legal challenge by dissident members put the plan on hold. The Fresno Teachers Association was ready to start collecting...
Madera Kids to Get Early Jump on Career Choices at New School
Madera Unified School District's newest middle school is designed to give students a head start on careers such as nurse, florist, computer programmer, plumber, and museum curator. The district held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday on the site of the Concurrent Enrollment Middle School, a $36 million project on Lilly Street...
Porterfield Funeral Is Set for Monday in Clovis
The funeral service for Kelly Porterfield, who left his imprint on Central Unified and Madera Unified school districts, is scheduled for Monday, July 29. The public funeral is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Peachwood Ward, 220 N. Peach Ave., in...