May 4, 2010 (El Cajon ) – The Grossmont Union High School district board has called a special meeting for Thursday, May 6 at 4 p.m. to discuss search procedures for a new superintendent to replace Robert Collins, who is retiring in June.

GUHSD TO HOLD HEARING APRIL 15 ON PROPOSAL TO NAME SCHOOL AFTER REAGAN

By Bill Weaver, Chairman, Alpine High School Citizens Committee
 

April 8, 2010 (Alpine) -- There has been correspondence accusing the Alpine High School Citizens Committee (AHSCC) of having name bias, and of being anti President Ronald Reagan. The AHSCC does not take a position on the naming of our high school, other than supporting (1993) Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) Board police #7310, without exception, and nobody representing the AHSCC promotes an anti-President Ronald Reagan position.
 

The AHSCC's non-scientific sampling of area residents (www.ahscc.com), suggests that less than 10% of Alpine support's the GUHSD March 11th Board action to deviate from the original BP#7310.

March 16, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Massive state budget cuts to education have squeezed many local school district budgets to the bone, forcing teacher layoffs, larger class sizes, program cuts, and elimination of counselors and nurses at some schools.

By Miriam Raftery

March 10, 2010 (La Mesa) – Last week, we reported that Helix Charter High School’s board has filed a lawsuit against the Grossmont Union High School District after the GUHSD announcing its intent to consider revocation of the Helix charter.

Now GUHSD Superintendent Robert Collins has issued a public letter strongly defending the District’s actions and accusing Helix Charter Board of being “non-responsive” and engaging in “delaying tactics” regarding an administrator accused of contributing to delinquency of a minor.  In response, Helix Charter Board president Cathy Singer has fired back a blistering letter of her own, calling Collins “dead wrong” and accusing the District of mounting an “unjustified and expensive smear campaign of Helix.”

February 11, 2010 (La Mesa) – Tonight the Grossmont-Union High School District  voted 4-0 to send a notice of intent to revoke the charter from Helix Charter High School.  A public hearing will be held next month.  (for background, see our previous story.) Now Helix supporters are firing back—contending that the district’s motives may be financial, not altruistic.

Open to all GUHSD students – if you can draw, you can win!

February 5, 2010 (La Mesa) – Golden Artistry Jewelry Design invites Grossmont Union High School district students to participate in its 2nd annual jewelry design competition. “We are doing this in order to find students that have creative skills, and help them find their calling,” says Terry Whyte, owner and master goldsmith.

El Cajon Valley High is 1st of 8 East County campuses to get new science buildings through Prop H

January 29, 2010 (El Cajon) Say goodbye to portable buildings and science classrooms built during the Eisenhower administration. Grossmont Union High School District ushers in a new era for its East County high schools with opening of the first of eight new state-of-the-art science classroom buildings.

By Steve Haiman
Academic League Co-Coordinator

January 24, 2010 (San Diego's East County)--Rain did not dampen the Academic League spirit or acumen last week. The brain power exhibited at the host schools gave off more than enough heat to fight off the winter cold outside!

By Steve Haiman
Co-coordinator, GUHSD Academic League

December 9, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) -- The layoff for Thanksgiving did not slow up the four teams in week four’s featured match with the Santana “Sultans” hosting the Grossmont “Foothillers”.

In, fact all of the teams got right down to turkey…pardon the pun…from the very opening question right down to the last one. They were amazingly, evenly matched teams!

Nearly 85% of local refugees are from war-torn Iraq, straining resources on schools and social services; local leaders call for major changes in treatment of refugees

"We can create a national model," -- Sunny Cooke, president, Grossmont College

November 12, 2009 (El Cajon) – Impacts of the Iraq War are hitting home in East County, where so many Iraqi refugees have settled that El Cajon's mayor has dubbed a section of his community "Little Baghdad."  From Oct. 1, 2008 to October 1, 2009, the U.S. admitted almost 75,000 refugees—including 18,333 from Iraq.*  Since October 2008, San Diego has been taking in 400 refugee families a month.  Nearly 85% are from Iraq.  Almost 75% of all area refugees have settled in the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District (GCCCD), straining resources beyond capacity in social services, education, and healthcare.

“Social Services predicts that 200 to 300 new families will be entering East County each month for the next two or three years,” Mike Lewis, PhD, assistant superintendent of education for the Grossmont Union High School District said at a November 6 summit at Cuyamaca College titled Spotlight on Refugee Education and Employment.  Some have spent weeks or even years in refugee camps.  Many don’t speak English and have not been able to receive an education.  Many refugees are also physically maimed by war or suffer post-traumatic stress.  Often they receive misinformation and find steep barriers to getting the help that they need.