Orange County Public School

Judge permits El exit; superintendent candidate drops out

Superior Court Judge John J. Gogerwas asked on Monday to release board members from a portion of a consent order he issued last year that required current leaders, including Chairman Khaatim Sherrer El, to remain in place until Dec. 31. The judge issued the order during a lawsuit among board members.

At the same time, Barbara M. Jenkins, an Atlanta native and deputy superintendent of schools in Orange County, Fla., removed herself from consideration to replace outgoing superintendent Beverly Hall. An APS spokesman confirmed Jenkins' action, but had no comment.

Candidates still in contention are Cheryl L.H. Atkinson, superintendent of Lorain City Public Schools in Ohio, and Bonita Coleman-Potter, deputy superintendent of Prince Georges County Public Schools in Maryland.

El announced last month he would resign as chairman as long as the judge released the board from that timeline. El's departure comes as the board tries to coalesce behind new leadership and regain full accreditation. He will remain a regular member of the board, which was put on probation in January for infighting.

Vice Chairwoman Cecily Harsch-Kinnane will also step down from leadership but remain a regular member. Harsch-Kinnane, however, was not considered nearly the divisive presence as El was perceived to be by members.

The board had already planned to meet Monday to continue its accreditation work, and an election of new board officers could take place. The board also could call an emergency meeting this week to take action, given the members' preference to move quickly. Yet no such meeting had been scheduled as of late Tuesday.

As for the APS superintendent search, Superintendent Ronald Blocker of Orange County late last week noted that Jenkins, even with her Atlanta ties,  would find it hard to leave Orange County, where she got her start as a teacher and has spent most of her 25-plus years in education.

Blocker spoke positively about her leadership skills, acumen and readiness to be a superintendent. Blocker, who is retiring next year, also acknowledged, that if she stayed, Jenkins would likely be a top candidate to replace him.

Atlanta school board members on Monday made tentative plans to bring their superintendent finalists to the city as soon as next week. Those plans presumably remain, and are notable because they raise the possibility that residents may know by mid-July who will be their next school chief.

13 O.C. high schools named to Newsweek's top 500 - Orange County ...

Thirteen Orange County high schools have been recognized as the best public high schools in the nation by Newsweek magazine, with University High in Irvine ranking No. 8, the highest in California.

The annual rankings, released Monday, mark a sharp departure from the way the magazine previously ranked schools. A new weighted formula was developed this year to emphasize graduation and college-going rates, as well as SAT, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exam scores. The previous formula only considered the number of AP and IB exams taken.

"We're just so excited," said University High Principal John Pehrson. "It's been a challenging year dealing with the budget problems, so to get an accolade like this is a nice way to close out the year. It's a testament to the quality of our staff and our students working together."

Under the new formula, University High in Irvine shot up 138 places, from No. 146 last year, and was the only school in California to place in the top 20.

The next highest-ranked California school was Troy High in Fullerton at No. 32. Troy was ranked No. 53 last year.

Noticeably absent from the magazine's list this year is Oxford Academy in Cypress, which has been ranked in Newsweek's top 20 list every year for the past four years. Last year, the school was ranked No. 11.

Click here to view the full list of 13 ranked O.C. schools, including the raw data used to determine the rankings.

It's not immediately clear why Oxford fell out of the top 500. Its academics remain solid by any measure, and it was named the No. 1 high school in Orange County by the Register this spring, its third time receiving the honor.

Click here to view the Register's 2011 report on Orange County's best high schools.

Newsweek noted on its website that to be considered for the top 500 list, a school was required to complete a survey requesting specific data from the 2009-10 school year.

The Anaheim Union High School District could not immediately confirm whether Oxford completed the Newsweek survey this year.

All of the Orange County honorees except Oxford are traditional public schools, although No. 32-ranked Troy High in Fullerton offers a successful technology magnet program that encompasses about half of the student body.

Oxford admits its students from across the Anaheim Union High School District through a competitive application process.

Development of self-concept of public school children, report of planning grant 1966-67

Orange County Public Schools, West Orange High School (Winter Garden, Florida)

Never again, Orange County Public Schools Holocaust curriculum : grade 10 : world history

Orange Coast Magazine

Orange Coast Magazine