Bayview Essential School

On March 8th at 11 am, at the Bayview Public Library, 5075 Third Street @ Revere, 80 9th and 10th grade enrollment applications will be accepted for September to the new Bayview Essential School of Music, Art, and Social Justice at 1195 Hudson Avenue. A second enrollment opportunity is offered at the school itself on March 13th at 5 pm. Refreshments will be served at both events. The new high school is a collaborative effort between the San Francisco Unified School District and the Coalition of Essential Schools, an Oakland based education reform organization. For further information call 510-433-1842 or email the principal, fgutierrez [at] essentialschools [dot] org (Dr. Francisco Gutierrez).

CAHSEE resolved

Assembly Bill 347, Chapter 526, sponsored by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and authored by Assembly Member Pedro Nava, added new language to the Education Code that says school districts shall do the following:

Ensure that all pupils who have not passed one or both parts of the high school exit examination by the end of grade 12 have the opportunity to receive intensive instruction and services as needed based on the results of the diagnostic assessment and prior results on the high school exit examination...for up to two consecutive academic years after completion of grade 12 or until the pupil has passed both parts of the high school exit examination, whichever comes first. A school district shall employ strategies for intensive instruction and services that are most likely to result in these pupils passing the parts of the high school exit examination that they have not yet passed.

Bouncing back from Student Loan Defaults

Among the saddest times for StudyBuddy have been the times an adult has sought our help in dealing with trying to get back into school after a loan default. Until now there has been no way. A recent Suze Orman column passed on a suggestion from Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid: he suggests calling the Default Resolution Group at the U.S. Department of Education (800-621-3115) to discuss a payment plan that will get the loans out of default. There is an Income Contingent Repayment plan for those who qualify. The monthly installment is based on the current income. Late fees cap at six percent of the income.