Oct 14, 2015
The recent investigation at Spark Charter School in Sunnyvale has lit a fire under the Santa Clara County School Board (County Board). In the wake of the child molestation accusations against a Spark employee, the County Board now seems ready to take responsibility for the more than 9,000 students attending the 23 county-approved charter schools. At the October 6, 2015…
Oct 12, 2015
City of San Jose San Jose Neighborhoods Commission will discuss Crime-Free Multi-Housing proposal by Council Members Khamis and T. Nguyen; would evict residents for any violation. On October 7, 2015, the Rules Committee referred the proposed Crime-Free Multi-Housing memo to the Council’s Neighborhood Services and Education Committee for future action, and to the Neighborhoods Commission to discuss the possibility of…
Oct 9, 2015
The City of San Jose is considering the adoption of a Crime Free Multi-Housing Program supposedly designed to facilitate the eviction of problem tenants. However, it is written so badly it places at risk victims of domestic violence, residents who engage in acts of civil disobedience and others who are in no way a threat to their neighborhood. The discussion…
Since 2000, most full-time wage and salary workers in San Jose have seen a drop in their earnings, according to the newly released National Equity Atlas. From the period of 2000-2012, the bottom 80% of full-time workers saw their earned income stagnate or fall. The low-wage workers suffered the largest drop, with earnings for the bottom 20% of full-time workers…
Oct 5, 2015
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County Board of Education: Update on fingerprinting, TB clearance and credentials for Spark Charter School Staff will provide an update on the status of Spark Charter School regarding procedures for conducting employee fingerprint and TB clearance. Where: Santa Clara County Board of Education When: Oct. 7, 2015, 5 pm Link to item: http://sccoe.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=1&event_id=57&meta_id=5668 Link to…
Oct 1, 2015
The need to preserve and construct affordable housing in Silicon Valley is critical. One way to combat the housing crisis we are facing is through a multi-city nexus effort that would help jurisdictions explore the feasibility to fund affordable housing through impact fees on new commercial and/or residential development. The current efforts underway in Santa Clara County are modeled after an…
Sep 29, 2015
Parents and the media seemed surprised when Spark Charter School in Sunnyvale was forced to close down after one of its students was molested by a staff person. The school had failed to keep the required background checks or TB tests for the majority of its employees. But some saw this coming. The Sunnyvale Unified School District Board, denied the…
Sep 28, 2015
City of San Jose Council Members Khamis, T. Nguyen call for Crime Free Multi-Housing program to be implemented in San Jose; would evict residents for any violation Council Members Khamis and T. Nguyen recommend the City Manager report out, at the October 6th City Council meeting, on progress toward the implementation of an opt-in Crime Free Multi-Housing Program to be…
Sep 24, 2015
The Pope’s visit to the United States is reenergizing organizations throughout our nation that advocate for the just, humane and dignified treatment of workers. The Pope’s message on income inequality, workers’ rights, migrant rights and economic justice has put the spotlight on a very real issue facing working families in Silicon Valley: the significant and growing economic disparity between those…
Sep 22, 2015
City of Santa Clara Final adoption of ordinance to raise minimum wage to $11/hour This is the second reading of the ordinance approved by City Council last month. The ordinance will raise the City of Santa Clara’s minimum wage to $11.00 per hour, effective January 1, 2016, and bring it in line with the other cities in the region that…