More than two dozen local high schools will field 34 teams in the Ventura County Mock Trial competition, which begins Monday in Ventura. The public is invited to watch the courtroom drama come to life as students take on the major roles of a criminal case, including attorneys, witnesses and even bailiffs. The students will present their cases before actual local judges who volunteer for the competition. Local attorneys serve as coaches.WHAT: 2017 Ventura County Mock TrialWHEN: The competiti...

With a major storm headed to the region, the Ojai Unified School District has decided to close its schools on Friday, February 17. As a result, a teacher in-service day that had been scheduled for March 13 will instead be a regular school day at Ojai USD schools.The storm is expected to drop more than seven inches of rain in parts of Ventura County through Saturday evening. The latest National Weather Service advisories about the storm are available here.As we become aware of any addit...

In light of potential changes at the federal level, the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) and education law firm Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost have created a fact sheet with answers to key legal questions about undocumented students. This resource for administrators, teachers and parents is available here. In addition, the California School Boards Association has developed a new legal guidance, a pair of sample policies and a sample resolution addressing the right ...

In 1994 Dr. Victor J. DeNoble, a former research scientist for the tobacco industry, became the first “whistle-blower” to begin tearing down the wall of secrecy built by the tobacco industry. He was a key witness in the federal government’s case against the industry and testified before congress.Today, Dr. DeNoble continues to raise awareness of the highly addictive nature of tobacco and other drugs. On March 1, 2017, Dr. DeNoble will be in Ventura County giving an informative,...

The Ventura County Office of Education is pleased to announce that the winner of the 2017 Ventura County Academic Decathlon is Calabasas High School’s A Team. Coming in second place is Oxnard High School’s A Team, followed by Oak Park High School’s A Team, which came in third. Oak Park High School’s A Team won the “Super Quiz” portion of the competition. The Academic Decathlon was held Saturday, February 4 and the winners were announced at a ceremony February ...

It's never too early to learn about resources for students with disabilities after high school. On March 11, help your high school student prepare for a quality adult life they envision by attending the 2016-17 Ventura County Annual Transition Fair. This is an opportunity for parents, teachers, care-providers and students in special education to learn about the process of transitioning to adult life and about the support available from various community and government agencies. Stop by this ...

From a three-year-old attending a neighborhood preschool to a college student seeking financial aid, Ventura County students of all ages benefit from an organization you may not have heard of. Find out how the Ventura County P-20 Council is uniting the community to enhance education in this edition of Focus on Education. Read it below or click here to view on your mobile device.   ...

Newly-released results of the 2015-16 California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) for Ventura County show many positive trends for local students. The use of alcohol, marijuana and cigarettes is down; drinking and driving is less prevalent; and fewer students report being bullied. However, the survey does illuminate some challenges facing some Ventura County kids. Hispanic students report feeling less safe at school and less connected to their schools than their white classmates.During the same period...

Special needs students at the Phoenix-Los Nogales School in Camarillo got a big holiday surprise today when members of the Oxnard Police Department SWAT team arrived along with Santa to present them with holiday gifts. The gifts included new shoes donated by the New Balance Factory Store in the Camarillo Premium Outlets, toys provided by BG Solutions and shirts donated by Marquez Termite Control in Oxnard. Phoenix-Los Nogales paraeducator Becky Roberts first coordinated this holiday event six ye...

Don't miss the 10th Annual RtI2/MTSS Symposium and Gold Ribbon Schools Showcase coming Wednesday, February 1, 2017 to VCOE. This year’s presentations feature Gold Ribbon Schools and PBIS/CHAMPS exemplars and special guest Sanger Unified School District, who will share their signature practices. Additionally, Curriculum and Instruction content specialists will provide separate breakouts to address a variety of Common Core best practices.Topics will include:• Car...