Nearly half of California's largest districts eye shorter school year
By Louis Freedberg/California Watch
In response to California's deepening budget crisis, administrators in nearly half of the state’s 30 largest school districts are considering shortening the school year from its current level of 180 instructional days, according to a survey by California Watch. Teachers in San Jose have already agreed to cut one week from the school year. In Los Angeles, Superintendent Ramon Cortines is pushing to cut the school year by 5 days. The Long Beach Unified School District wants to reduce it by three days, and the San Francisco Unified by two. “This is a major setback,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell. (more...)