REDLANDS, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California school district will pay $2.25 million to settle the latest lawsuit involving a teacher who became pregnant by one of at least two students she was accused of sexually abusing.

The settlement brings to $8.25 million the amount paid by Redlands Unified School District to Laura Whitehurst’s victims since her 2013 arrest, the Southern California News Group reported Sunday.

In August 2016, the district agreed to pay $6 million to a former student who impregnated Whitehust while she was his teacher.

The latest lawsuit was filed in 2021 by another former student who alleged he was preyed upon and sexually abused at Redlands High School by Whitehurst in 2007 and 2008 when he was 14, according to the plaintiff’s attorney, Morgan Stewart. Whitehurst admitted to police in 2013 she had sex with the youth 10 to 15 times in her classroom and at her apartment, a police report stated.

Redlands Unified spokesperson Christine Stephens said Friday that the district was aware of the recent settlement, but could not comment due to confidentiality agreements.

In the other lawsuit, the boy who fathered Whitehurst’s child alleged that Redlands Unified officials knew of his relationship with the teacher and failed to warn his family.

Whitehurst gave birth in 2014 after having sex with the boy for a year, starting when he was 16.

Whitehurst, who taught English and was a soccer coach, pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with three former students. She served six months in jail and registered as a sex offender.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post California school district to pay $2.25M to settle suit involving teacher who had student’s baby appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

An exterior door at Robb Elementary School did not lock when it was closed by a teacher shortly before a gunman used it to get inside and kill 19 students and two teachers, leaving investigators searching to determine why, state police said Tuesday.

State police initially said a teacher had propped the door open shortly before Salvador Ramos, 18, entered the school in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24.

They have now determined that the teacher, who has not been identified, propped the door open with a rock, but then removed the rock and closed the door when she realized there was a shooter on campus, said Travis Considine, chief communications officer for the Texas Department of Public Safety. But, Considine said, the door did not lock.

“We did verify she closed the door. The door did not lock. We know that much and now investigators are looking into why it did not lock,” Considine said.

Investigators confirmed the detail through additional video footage reviewed since last Friday’s news conference when authorities first said that the door had been left propped open. Authorities did not state at that time what had been used to prop open the door.

Considine said the teacher initially propped the door open but ran back inside to get her phone and call 911 when Ramos crashed his truck on campus.

“She came back out while on her phone, she heard someone yell, ‘He has a gun!’, she saw him jump the fence and that he had a gun, so she ran back inside,” removing the rock when she did, Considine said.

San Antonio attorney Don Flanary told the San Antonio Express-News that the Robb Elementary School employee, whom he’s not naming, closed the door shut after realizing that a gunman was on the loose. She had initially propped it open to carry food from a car to a classroom, the attorney said.

“She kicked the rock away when she went back in. She remembers pulling the door closed while telling 911 that he was shooting,” Flanary told the newspaper.

“She thought the door would lock because that door is always supposed to be locked,” Flanary said.

Flanary did not immediately return telephone messages left at his office from The Associated Press.

Investigators are also still trying to interview Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo, who state police have said was the commander of the school shooting scene while it happened.

Steven McCraw, the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, has said Arredondo treated the active scene as a hostage situation and as if children were no longer at risk, while 19 police officers waited in the school hallway outside the classroom where Ramos was.

McCraw called that the “wrong decision,” saying the focus of the investigation has shifted to Arredondo and the police response.

Other officers in the Uvalde city and schools police departments continue to sit for interviews and provide statements, but Arredondo has not responded to DPS requests for two days, Considine said.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Texas police: Teacher closed propped-open door before attack appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Simply trying to adjust while still trying to be a quality teacher pushes me to attempt to do better for the children’s benefit.” Instead of being thrown by such an unorthodox teaching situation, Garcia and others at the school have gotten very creative. “One particular highlight was Soboba Spirit Week while quarantined,” she said. “Each dress-up day was dedicated to the various people in our communities who are affected by COVID-19.

This week sparked the trend of using social media as a platform to keep in contact with our students and their families. Teachers and parents shared pictures showing off their school spirit from the safety of their homes. It was a fun way to let them know we are still here for them and to bring some light to the current situation.” Garcia’s job at the preschool was a result of her involvement in the Tribal Member Employment Development Training Program, which she was accepted to in 2019. She had worked several different positions in various departments during the past year, but most recently had been an intern at the preschool.

She has been interested in a position such as this since high school when she participated in Soboba TANF’s WE Lead summer job program and was given the opportunity to work at the preschool. She enjoyed it so much she took a CTE Child Development course at school and more classes at college where she majored in Child and Family Development. “This introduced a more in-depth study of early childhood development and working with others,” said Garcia, who lives in San Jacinto. “Even with my past experiences in the field, I have gained so much more knowledge since working at the preschool as part of the Tribal Member Employment Development Training Program.” She signed up for the program to get a more hands-on experience where she could apply her education.

But she also welcomed the challenge of working in other departments and learning new skills. “The program primarily demonstrated what a real-life job hiring process is like, including all of the steps it takes before actually starting a new job position. Being given the opportunity to meet others with the same desire to work for our tribe was a major blessing,” Garcia said. “I believe the program’s different job placements from time to time throughout my year prepared me in adapting to different work environments and responsibilities, getting me out of my comfort zone, and encouraging a positive work ethic no matter where I am.

Because of this, I feel I was able to succeed so highly at the preschool.” She enjoys assisting any and all staff, students and families she interacts with daily. Before the school was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic and distance learning was implemented, Garcia would help with serving children meals, supervising and encouraging play on the playground and indoors, instructing students while doing work and providing a rich learning environment for young children. There are some behind-the-scenes tasks like cleaning, prepping activities and/or events, and filing that she also took part in on a regular basis. Her new normal, along with others at the preschool, consists of social media interaction with the students.

“Julissa has been a lot of fun making videos and activities for the students,” said preschool director, Dianne King. “One of our first Facebook Spirit Days was to honor the elders who may be struggling during this time. Julissa dressed up as an elder and made a video of circle time as Mrs. Doubtfire. She is such a team player.” All the teachers have been working on their own circle time videos, dance and movement videos, and activity demonstrations to keep the children engaged and as close to their classrooms as much as possible. And a Facebook page keeps them all connected via social media.

“I’ve personally enjoyed the responsibility of making stay-at-home activities that relate to each week’s homework packet theme,” Garcia said. “It’s always nice to see what their families post or respond to our posts with; sometimes it’s pictures or a simple comment, whatever is comfortable. Regardless, no efforts go unnoticed and are all extremely appreciated by our staff,” Garcia said. “We truly do miss our students!” Preschoolers have been able to compete for prizes as an incentive to participate in Facebook activities. It’s also a way for them to see their friends, even if it is just in photos.

“Watching the young children in our tribal community grow and succeed every single day has to be the most rewarding part of my job,” Garcia said. “It’s the little things that happen daily, to the bigger accomplishments we see from the beginning to end of the school year that I enjoy being a part of. Even the thought of being someone or something positive in their early childhood days, where they can explore and be themselves, while feeling supported and nurtured all at once gives me joy.” The Tribal Member Employment Development Training Program’s objective is to serve Soboba Tribal Members by offering job training and educational experience. It can be effective in helping tribal members enter or return to the work force.

Those with little or no work experience, or other barriers to employment, are targeted by the development program. A recent teacher parade through the streets of the Soboba Reservation was a treat for participants as well as families whose children attend the preschool. “All of the teachers dressed up for the start of Spring and came together to spread love and cheer throughout our tribal community while continuing to practice social distancing,” Garcia said.

“It was definitely a time I enjoyed wholeheartedly; worth cherishing forever. I will never forget the joy expressed on the children’s and their families’ faces, including the wholesomeness I felt witnessing it all.” She said the biggest challenge since the closure has been trying to build and maintain the same connection with students while they are gone.

“We can’t expect our students to log on to a virtual classroom nearly every day like we can with grade school students, so there are certainly barriers we face trying to keep young children excited and motivated to learn,” Garcia said. “Part of this challenge is considering that not everyone has access to materials we have available in the classroom so trying to think outside of the norm to provide the same quality crafts and activities to be done at home gets tough.

For the most part, we are sending everything they need to complete activities or crafts home with them to enjoy.”

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Soboba Preschool Teacher

The post SOBOBA PRESCHOOL TEACHER THINKS OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

SAN JACINTO, Calif. —The California Charter Schools Association presented the 2020 Hart Vision California Teacher of the Year award to Marissa Espinosa on April 21 at 11 a.m. via Facebook in recognition of her outstanding records of leadership and excellence in public education.

“As the 2020 CCSA Teacher of the Year award recipient, Mrs. Espinosa is truly an exemplary teachers. Mrs. Espinosa is representative of the thousands of other highly qualified California teachers who are innovative and dedicated to students nationwide,” said San Jacinto Valley Academy CEO, Penny Harrison.

Espinosa is an IB English Teacher and Dean of Secondary Education, and the second recipient from SJVA to receive this award since 2012, which was earned by Kelly Perez, elementary teacher and Primary Years Program Dean. SJVA is a K-12 International Baccalaureate World School, offering the IB diploma program, located in San Jacinto, Calif.

Following the cancelation of the CCSA 27th Annual California Charter Schools Conference due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hart Vision Awards will be available to view and share on the CCSA conference Facebook page using the following link: https://www.facebook.com/CCSAconference/.

The Hart Vision awards were established in 1995 and named in honor of Senator Gary K. Hart to support education, children and educators during his tenure in legislation.

Espinosa was nominated by her colleague, Jonathan Harrison, SJVA IB Coordinator.

SJVA is located at 480 N. San Jacinto Ave.

Ryan Jones, Public Relations Specialist

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Teacher of the Year

The post San Jacinto Valley Academy Teacher Will Receive Teacher of the Year appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

When it comes to students, there are only two kinds of students. Those that like to study, like to learn new things, and enjoy the whole experience of being in school. They do their homework on time and with diligence. They start their projects early and finish them well ahead of time. Above all, they have developed good study habits that will see them prosper in careers of their choice. Then there are kids like my kids. They are allergic to homework. They consider studying beneath them and spend as little time as possible learning anything new. They spend all of their time playing video games on their cell phones, tablets, computers, Xbox, Playstation, you name it, any kind of gizmo that the tech industry has been kind enough to shove down our throats, they have it, and they use it. Sometimes many of these devices simultaneously.

When it comes to teachers, there are two kinds as well. Those that know how to teach, enjoy teaching even though they rarely have a student worthy of their skills, and they spend time with the students to help them understand different concepts. They have the patience to explain, as often as necessary, how to solve problems, and how to comprehend difficult subjects. Then some teachers mostly end up teaching my kids. Most of them are new graduates, with hardly a year or two of experience. They chose to teach not out of passion, but because they couldn’t decide on anything else. Some end up teaching a subject different from their field of study, like a Biology graduate having to teach Physics. Their favorite tool is Google Chromebook with Google Docs and Google this and that. They think that the best way to teach students is to direct them to a website with a database of problems and let them figure things out for themselves. They expect students, those that don’t even know how to brush their teeth (yes, my kids), to work out complicated concepts like Pythagorean Theorem and Quadratic Equations on their own, using their minds, and using their intelligence, however little as it may be. Talk about being extremely optimistic!

I have to give credit to my kids, though. They have figured out very quickly that, on these websites, each wrong answer is immediately followed by the correct solution and if they repeat their exercises long enough, questions start repeating, and they let the website answer its own questions. They score very high on their homework assignments, almost always an A, unless the teacher has specified that all they need is 80% to pass, then as soon as they hit 80%, they stop. When it comes to exams and quizzes, though, they fail miserably. Why? Because the questions don’t repeat so they have no way to “hack” the answers. The worst part about these computer-based studies is that the teacher never knows where exactly is a student struggling. The student is nothing more than a mere statistic.

Well, the students have nothing to worry about, though. Our schools don’t like to fail any students, because it cuts into the funding that they receive from the State. Schools have to show a high success rate and teachers have devised many ingenious ways of making sure that the students pass. For example, giving a 50% score even if the student does not answer the question in the exam, or making the final exam super easy and worth 500 points, so that each and every student scores very high on the final and everyone miraculously passes the class with flying colors.

Another criterion that is used to determine the amount of funding for the school is attendance. A lot of students miss classes as a fashion statement. Our school district has come up with the idea of Saturday school, where students show up and all they have to do is to spend a few hours playing games or doing nothing in particular. They just have to be present for the roll call and that improves their attendance. Schools get proper funding and everyone lives happily ever after.

I remember my professor used to say that schools have so much knowledge because freshmen bring none with them and graduates take none away when they leave. I never really understood his point until I started working with my kids and saw for myself the state of disarray that our schools seem to be in.

For local news, go visit www.hsjchronicle.com

The post Students and Teachers appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.