Tag: News

  • Covered California Better Equipped to Help Foreign Language Speakers

    By Kenny Goldberg In its first year of operation in 2013, California’s health insurance exchange wasn’t well equipped to help people who speak foreign languages. But this year, Covered California’s website has information in Spanish, Arabic, and ten other foreign languages. The exchange also has operators at its call center who speak Chinese or Korean.…

  • Pilot Program in City Heights Schools Shooting for Boosted Graduation Rates

    Central Elementary principal Liz Duvall says goodbye to students as they leave school for the day. | Photo By Dustin Michelson By Mario Koran When Liz Duvall, principal of Central Elementary school, looks at a list students who are chronically late or absent from school, she notices a concerning trend: Her youngest students, kindergartners and…

  • California DMV Prepares for Rush of New Immigrant Drivers

    By Jill Replogle The California Department of Motor Vehicles is preparing for a flood of new driver applications ahead of a law that allows immigrants without legal residency to apply for licenses. The law goes into effect next year. Starting Jan. 1, immigrants who lack a Social Security number can apply for a special California…

  • Teach for America Schools SD Unified On Recruiting Diverse Teachers

    David Lopez is executive director of Teach for America in San Diego. | Photo by Sam Hodgson By Mario Koran Apparently, it’s just not cool to be a teacher these days. Far fewer young people are setting out to become teachers. In recent years, the number of students in California teacher preparation programs has plummeted.…

  • Effects of Prop. 47 Immediately Felt in San Diego County

    By Megan Burke, Tom Fudge, Peggy Pico Under newly passed Proposition 47, certain non-violent crimes would be lowered from felonies to misdemeanors. Those crimes include drug possession, petty theft, shoplifting, receiving stolen property and forging and writing bad checks. Chief Deputy District Attorney Dave Greenberg said new misdemeanor cases would be handled by the San…