Beth Bowers, a dedicated and innovative teacher who has spent much of her career serving students with disabilities, has been named the 2022 Teacher of the Year for schools and programs operated by the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE). Bowers will now be in the running for the Ventura County Teacher of the Year award, which is open to all teachers countywide.After a career in banking and becoming the mother of a son with Down syndrome, Ms. Bowers joined VCOE in 2012 as a paraeducator, p...

Math Week • Environmental Education Exhibition • Dual Language Immersion Programs • State Delays Student Vaccine Mandate • Special Populations Student Forum • Teacher of the Year Nominations Due May 6

On April 14, 2022, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced that a statewide requirement for K-12 students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 will be delayed at least until the 2023-24 school year. California had initially intended to require student vaccinations for the 2022-23 school year, but that was contingent on the FDA fully approving the vaccine for most students. Since it’s not known when the FDA will grant full approval, CDPH says health officials and schools wi...

The ability to speak more than one language is an invaluable skill that can open doors both personally and professionally throughout a student’s lifetime. There are schools throughout Ventura County that do an amazing job teaching this skill using “Dual Language Immersion” programs or DLI. Some of the students in these programs are native English speakers, and others are still learning English. They all receive instruction in both English and Spanish. Students end up becoming proficient in bo...

Science Fair Winners Headed to State • Students Dive into Tech at "Hackathon" • Inclusion for Students with Disabilities • Giving All Students the Chance to Succeed in School • Teens Fight Vaping and Smoking • More COVID-19 Test Kits for Schools • Gateway Students Prep for College • Oak Park High Goes to State Mock Trial

Do tortoises have a favorite color? Is car exhaust damaging to plants? Do insects get lonely? These are some of the intriguing questions explored by students who entered the 67th annual Ventura County Science Fair.  The Science Fair was held virtually last Friday, with 230 students from 17 local middle and high schools presenting their projects to volunteer judges via online video. The 35 projects that received the highest scores will go on to represent Ventura County in the California Scie...

There are 130,000 students in Ventura County public schools, and every one of them is unique. They come from all types of backgrounds that represent a huge diversity of ethnicities, cultures and family structures. Some are from families that are financially secure, while others struggle to put food on the table. Some grew up speaking English, and others are still learning the language. Some have parents who know all about the college admissions process, but others have to figure it out on their ...

Students and staff at public and private K-12 schools in Ventura County and throughout California will no longer be required to wear masks after March 11, regardless of their vaccination status. Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration made the announcement Monday, saying COVID-19 conditions have sufficiently improved to warrant the change.

The Ventura County Office of Education is pleased to announce that Oak Park High School’s Team A is the winner of the 2022 Ventura County Mock Trial competition. Westlake High School’s Team A came in second, and Newbury Park High School’s Team A took third place. The winning teams were announced during a live virtual awards ceremony this evening following the final rounds of competition. For the second consecutive year, Mock Trial was held virtually due to the pandemic. Tonight...

Starting on February 16, vaccinated Californians will no longer be required to wear masks in public places, but the mask mandate will remain in effect for K-12 schools for at least two more weeks. Today, the state set February 28 as the date to consider lifting the mask requirement at schools. Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of the California Health & Human Services Agency, made the announcement today, saying that additional time is needed to evaluate the latest data about the spread of COVID-19.D...