This story is part of a series of profiles the Ventura County Office of Education is presenting about outstanding graduating seniors in the Class of 2023. When Sinthia Cardenas landed the prime role of Wednesday Addams in the Ventura High School production of The Addams Family, it was a particularly meaningful accomplishment. Since childhood, she had struggled to pronounce her Rs and Ls and often found people had difficulty understanding her. Speech therapy and lots of hard work p...

Teachers from throughout Ventura County are being honored with grants for developing innovative lessons for their students. At a ceremony tonight in Camarillo, the Ventura County Office of Education presented 9 IMPACT II grants to 15 teachers. Individual winners received $500 each and teams received $1,000. The winning entries cover a variety of subject matters, including history, language arts and social sciences. Detailed lesson plans prepared by each of the grant winners w...

Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools, is pleased to announce that Debbie Dogancay from Newbury Park High School (NPHS) in the Conejo Valley Unified School District is the 2023 Ventura County Teacher of the Year. Dogancay found out about the honor today when a group of local education officials made a surprise visit to a school faculty meeting. Dogancay is a veteran educator who has taught at NPHS for 22 years. She currently teaches chemistry in grades 11 and 12...

A powerful new video about the dangers of fentanyl is now available for Ventura County teens and parents. The video, Real Talk: Fake Pills, 100% Danger, was produce by the Ventura County Opioid Abuse Suppression Taskforce (COAST) and lunched on National Fentanyl Awareness Day. It features real stories about lives that have been devastated by this dangerous opioid and interviews with young people who have successfully overcome their addiction. We encourage families to use this video as ...

Fighting Fentanyl Use Among Students • Science Fair Returns In Person • Migrant Students Shine at Tournament • Equity Conference Uplifts Students • Mock Trial Makes History • Free Computer Courses • Upcoming Events and Workshops

Fentanyl is now responsible for more overdose deaths in Ventura County than any other drug. That’s according to a new report from the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office which found that fentanyl claimed 181 lives in Ventura County last year – a sobering new record. Most of those who died were between 30 and 50 years old. But the victims also include 13 people between the ages of 18 and 24 and one who was under 17 years old.

The winners of the 68th annual Ventura County Science Fair were announced at an awards ceremony this evening at the Ventura County Office of Education in Camarillo. Awards were presented in 13 scientific categories including microbiology, engineering and chemistry. The winning entries were chosen by 120 local science, engineering and education professionals who volunteered their time to serve as judges.  ​View the complete list of Science Fair winners   Video and photos from...

Trinity Pacific Christian School is the winner of both the high school and middle school divisions of the 2023 Ventura County Mock Trial competition. Twenty-one high schools from throughout Ventura County participated in Mock Trial this year. Here’s how the eight highest-scoring high school teams ranked:  Trinity Pacific Christian School, Silver Team Oak Park High School, Black Team Westlake High School La Reina High School Trinity Pacific Christian School, Blue Team Santa Susana High...

Attend the VCOE Equity Conference • 2023 Academic Decathlon Winners • Transitional Kindergarten Enrollment • February is Black History Month • Teacher of the Year Attends State of the Union Address • Students Design Winning Logos • Upcoming Events and Workshops

The Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 Ventura County Academic Decathlon, which was held in person over the past few weeks. The winners were revealed at a ceremony today at Oxnard High School. The three teams with the highest overall scores this year are: 1st Place: Westlake High School 2nd Place: Thousand Oaks High School 3rd Place: Channel Islands High SchoolThis is the third consecutive year that Westlake High School has placed first overa...