Dave Rice 3:33 p.m., May 22
Chad Deal 3:23 p.m., May 22
Matthew Lickona 1:15 p.m., May 22
Liz Swain 12:53 p.m., May 22
Ed Bedford 12:18 p.m., May 22
Sweetwater school district to team with Alliant University?
Don't worry. This will wither on the vine. The FAFSA rules have changed and students cannot apply for FAFSA any more unless they have a diploma or GED. That means high school students can't go into debt for this because they can't get a student loan until they graduate. I am guessing Dr. Brand is unaware of this. So the only students who can utilize this are students who have the four grand laying around- and hopefully those parents will see through this scheme. I teach in Sweetwater district and I am all for college options- I enroll lots of kids at SWC every year while they are still in high school and with the BOG waiver they pay no tuition. Every student should take advantage of that.— May 16, 2013 6:39 p.m.
Ramona Unified School District board votes to cut teachers’ salaries
I'm a teacher- and if I had to take an 8% cut or pay more for insurance I would understand that a budget is a budget and we all have to do whatever it takes to keep the lights on. It is having to take it all over 2 checks that is brutal and cruel. If you make $60000 a year, that is $4800 or $2400 out of each of your next two pay checks. Surely there is a better way to do this than causing your employees to have to default on their mortgages. Shame on this school board for being so punitive.— April 24, 2013 5:39 p.m.
Ramona Unified School District board votes to cut teachers’ salaries
Whatever you think about education and teachers- it is a pretty crappy thing to do to your employees to make them take an 8% pay cut retroactively for the year- which means it all comes out of the next 2 paychecks. Imagine your next check going down by thousands of dollars. That is no way to treat anyone.— April 23, 2013 9:23 p.m.
Sweetwater U partnership opposed by Freedom from Religion
Watch the Frontline Video College Inc. The parent company of Grand Canyon University has a method by which they buy struggling private colleges that HAVE accreditation and then flip them into for-profit institutions. The owner actually said an accreditation is worth 10 years of development and 10 million dollars to a for-profit college. So while this may be benign, think about the fact that CGU will now have free access to the contact information for these kids who enroll for one class. The Sweetwater rate is a reasonable $285 a course- but the real rate is $500 a unit, with all courses a minimum of 4 credits- so GCU will have a funnel to recruit our kids into a hugely debt-fueled future. And of course I am not even mentioning the rigor and relevance (Maria's mandate) of a course that can be completed online in only 7 weeks. If you think college is just accumulating credits- sign up. If you value learning- look for a better online program. SWC has online classes, taught by real professors.— January 28, 2013 9:41 p.m.
Sweetwater U partnership opposed by Freedom from Religion
No one is making students go to Grand Canyon. But by labeling it "Sweetwater University" the district is lending its name and credibility to an organization that proclaims openly that: *"A uniquely important element of the GCU mission statement is the defining attribute of its Christian heritage. The GCU community defines its culture by the way its members reflect a committed relationship with Christ and creates the GCU experience in a manner that reflects His teachings to support students and graduates through a successful life journey."* This is inappropriate for a public entity to support. Add to this that CGU has been sued by the United States Government as recently as 2009 for misusing financial aid money. Additionally many Sweetwater students are the first in their families to go to college. They trust our district to guide them to sound educational choices such as Ed Brand's baby the "Compact for Success" - selling them on a for-profit college with many programs that are not accredited is inappropriate. You claim we teachers are greedy and don't care about the kids. I care deeply for the kids and this is not what is best for them. We all have an obligation and a right to express this to the district and community.— January 24, 2013 3:56 p.m.
Sweetwater U partnership opposed by Freedom from Religion
Everyone should go to the Parent Meeting and address the concerns directly. Parent / Student Information Meeting Jan. 24, 2013 – 6 p.m. Location: Sweetwater Professional Development Center 680 L St. Suite C Chula Vista, CA 91911 My money is on Tim-Tim being Pearl's vocal supporter Jimmy.— January 22, 2013 4:13 p.m.