By Stan Mantooth, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools   Last November, just after Thanksgiving, there was a remarkable gathering in Camarillo. Some 400 members of our community – representing business, education, government and nonprofit organizations – came together for the first-ever Ventura County Education Summit. They were there to forge stronger bonds between education and business to ensure students are learning the human and technical skills they need for caree...

Parents who suspect their child has a disability are advised to contact their local school district or the Ventura County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA). Federal and state laws require public schools to provide free and appropriate education for children with special needs. Children and youth from birth through 21 years of age may qualify for special education programs in public schools. Special education staff will help parents identify appropriate programs based upon ...

Dr. Roger Rice, VCOE's Deputy Superintendent of Student Services, has been named the new Superintendent of the Ventura Unified School District. Below is an email that Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Stan Mantooth sent to the VCOE staff about Dr. Rice's appointment.Dear VCOE Family-It is with great pleasure that I inform you of our own Deputy Superintendent Dr. Roger Rice’s selection by the Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) as their next permanent Superintendent. ...

The Ventura County Board of Education welcomed two newly-elected trustees at its meeting tonight in Camarillo. Rob Collins (pictured on the right) and Mike Teasdale were formally sworn in as trustees following their election victories in November. Collins now represents trustee area four, which includes Simi Valley, Moorpark and surrounding areas. Teasdale now represents trustee area two, which includes Thousand Oaks and surrounding areas. Rachel Ulrich, who represents trustee area one, and...

A redesigned and expanded California School Dashboard is now available to the public at www.caschooldashboard.org. The Dashboard, which debuted in 2017, has a new look that makes it easier to see how individual schools and districts are performing in six statewide measures of student success. For the first time, the Dashboard is providing data on chronic absenteeism and college and career readiness along with the four other state measures that were reported previously. The six measures are:...

For the first time, Ventura County’s major educational institutions have combined their resources to create a report that encompasses educational programs and achievements from elementary school to graduate school. The 2018 Ventura County Education Report to the Community is now available to view and download at www.vcp20.org/report.California Lutheran University, CSU Channel Islands, the Ventura Community College District and the Ventura County Office of Education jointly produced the 20-...

The Ventura County Office of Education is pleased to announce the winners of logo design contests for the 2019 Academic Decathlon, Mock Trial and Science Fair. Nearly 150 middle and high school students from throughout Ventura County submitted entries for the contests. The winning design for the Academic Decathlon and Science Fair logos came from Sophia Peate, a student at La Reina High School in Thousand Oaks. The design selected for the Mock Trial logo was created by Alexandra Clark, also from...

As crews work to contain the Hill and Woolsey fires in Ventura County, we have posted a list of useful resources for educators and parents at www.vcoe.org/fire.

In the wake of Wednesday night's shooting at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, our thoughts are with the friends and loved ones of the victims. As many students may have questions and fears about this tragic incident, we are offering the following resources to help parents and educators respond in the most appropriate way.American Psychological Association• Helping your children manage distress in the aftermath of a shooting• Managing your distress in the aft...

Two Ventura County public education leaders have been recognized at the state level by the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA). Ventura County Superintendent of School Stan Mantooth has received the 2018 CCSESA Champion Award, which recognizes a county superintendent who works to strengthen the service and leadership capabilities of California’s County Superintendents in support of students, schools, districts and communities. The Champion Award is p...