Young Observers is not just a group of student volunteers who write for the Fullerton Observer. Now in its 4th year, the club has expanded to include a separate group of volunteers […]
Young Observers: July Edition
Graduating with a Uterus
In today’s fragile political climate, it is often easy for symbols to be misrepresented. During the Fullerton Union High School graduation, senior Scarlet Marenco had her graduation cap confiscated due to her […]
Fentanyl: a Dangerous Killer Drug: Part II
One of the more common causes of becoming addicted to opioids and then dying of fentanyl comes from injuries in high school sports. I interviewed the parents of a young man who […]
Young Observers: Mid-June Edition
One of the most important, patriotic, and glorious symbols of any nation is its flag. There are almost 200 separate countries globally who have their own unique flag. These flags can represent […]
‘Observing Fullerton’ Episode #14: Fullerton College Transfer Trends
In the fourteenth episode of the “Observing Fullerton” podcast, host Urooj Naveed interviews Cecilia Arriaza, director of the Fullerton College Transfer Center, who has been at FC for 10 years. She discusses […]
Young Observer: Early June Edition
While most people celebrated the merry month of May (Cinco de Mayo and Mothers’ Day), many high school students, including me, were busy preparing and taking AP exams. AP stands for Advanced […]
OC Department of Education Race to be Decided on June 7
Candidates differ over charter schools and the role of the Board On June 7, in addition to determining primary candidates, voters will cast ballots for local nonpartisan offices decided by a majority […]
Solutions for Parents Seeking Responsible Advocacy
Communities trust schools to provide a safe educational environment for all children, but sometimes things go wrong. When bullying occurs in public or charter school settings, parents have legal options to problem […]
Student Involvement Leads to Changes in Dress Code
Student dress codes are a universal rite of passage into adjusting into a healthy learning environment. As a result of student involvement and activism, the Fullerton Joint Union High School District (FJUHSD) […]
Fullerton School District Promotes Family Book Clubs
These days, California state standards demand that even five-year old readers “continue a conversation [about a story] through multiple exchanges” and “ask and answer questions about key details and request clarification if […]
Young Observer: Mid-April Edition
Our planet is slowly collapsing right under our noses. With climate change, pollution, and rising sea levels, parts of the environment are becoming unsuitable to support life. Believe it or not, we […]
High School Board Highlights: April 12 Meeting
Honors Fullerton Joint Union High School District (FJUHSD) Board meeting celebrated district wide visual arts honors hosted by Fullerton Union High School (FUHS) Principal Laura Rubio and Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) […]
Observing Fullerton Podcast Episode #4: Interview with Vivien Moreno
In the fourth episode of Observing Fullerton, Urooj Naveed interviews Vivien Moreno, education correspondent for the Fullerton Observer. Moreno has been researching alternative grading systems that reflect what students know and not […]
High School Board Highlights
Return to In-person Celebrations The Fullerton Joint Union High School District (FJUHSD) Board welcomed back in-person honorary salutes for its staff and students on March 8. Trustees celebrated teachers from the agricultural […]
LeVar Burton Reads to Richman Elementary School Students
“The story about Rhino isn’t just about everything that he lost, it’s also about things that he gained in terms of knowing that we’re never alone, and that we all need help […]
Grading What a Student Knows Instead of What They Do
For the past decade when educators compare grading systems, they are often referring to grading to state standards versus traditional grading. Presently, grading is contractually under the purview of the instructor; teachers […]
Maple School Teacher Wins State Honor
Maple Elementary School teacher Veronica Krause was selected as California Elementary Educator of the Year by the California League of Schools at its annual conference in Monterey this month. Ms. Krause teaches […]
FJUHSD Trustees Skip Sharing School Plans with Public
School board members are elected to do three main things: hire and/or dismiss a superintendent, set the overarching goals of a school district, and approve a fiscal plan to enact actions to […]
FSD Teacher of the Year
Veronica Krause, a 3rd grade teacher at Maple School was awarded the Region 11 California League of Schools Elementary Teacher of the Year. Krause was nominated for her devotion and dedication to […]
High School Board Highlights
December 14 meeting During FJUHSD Board’s organizational meeting on December 14, the Trustees reassigned the yearly appointments held by various members. Lauren Klatzker became President of the Board with Joanne Fawley as […]
Free shoes and a Merry Christmas for all
The Leon Owens Foundation sponsors its annual Shoes for Kids Community Outreach program. Richman Elementary was selected this year. The students and teachers were told that one student from each class would […]
Hidden Treasures in Fullerton
Exploring the CSUF Library’s Special Collections Did you know that California appeared as an island on maps drawn from the journeys of early explorers? Thirteen maps dating from 1587 to 1761 show […]
Vivien Moreno interviews new FJUHSD Superintendent
Just prior to the start of the 2021/22 school year, I sat down with new FJUHSD Superintendent Dr. Steve McLaughlin and discussed his early impressions of the District, goals, and some challenges […]
FJUHSD Offers Mental Health Services
For the past four years FJUHSD has increasingly focused on social and emotional health and greater overall mental health care by expanding mental health resources, particularly for extreme mental health emergencies through […]
Young Observers: August Edition
In two weeks, Fullerton schools will reopen to regular in-person classes despite the renewed threat from COVID-19 variants and the significant rise in daily new cases. I reached out to a small […]
The Limits of Desegregation: a Story of Maple School (Part 5)
The following is part of an ongoing series about school desegregation efforts in Fullerton from the 1960s to today. ‘White Flight’ Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the percentage of ethnic minority students […]
Museum of Teaching and Learning Receives Grant for Brain Odyssey Exhibit
The Fullerton-based Museum of Teaching and Learning (MOTAL) has received a $500,000 grant in the 2020-2021 California Budget. The money will be used to help fund a mobile exhibit about the importance […]
Fullerton College President Moves on to Citrus College
Over the last six years, thousands of students met President Greg Schulz as he worked his way through the Fullerton College campus during the first week of each semester. He enjoyed dropping […]
Hunt Library Receives $ 2.75 Million in State Funding
The Hunt Library has received $ 2.75 million in funding in the 2021/2022 fiscal year budget just signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. This new round of funding will add to a $ […]
The Limits of Desegregation: A Story of Maple School (Part 4)
The following is part of an ongoing series about school desegregation efforts in Fullerton from the 1960s to today. The main focus has been on Maple Elementary School, which was closed in […]
The Limits of Desegregation: A Story of Maple School (Part 2)
Part 1 of this series told the story of efforts to desegregate Maple Elementary School in the late 1960s and early 1970s, which was 98% Latino and Black. In 1972 the Fullerton […]
Young Observers: Early June Edition
After only six years into the job he held since 2015, our high school district superintendent Dr. Scott Scambray is retiring this month. One of the best decisions he made for our […]
The Push… and Pushback of a High School Ethnic Studies Course
Some alumni, teachers, and community members of Fullerton Joint Union High School District (FJUHSD) are advocating for all eight of its high schools to add an Ethnic Studies course as a requirement […]
The Limits of Desegregation: A Story of Maple School (Part 1)
In 1896, Homer Plessy, who was 1/8th black, entered a whites-only railroad car in New Orleans and was arrested. The Supreme Court ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson that the doctrine of “Separate […]
FSD FEST Showcases Student Projects
The public is invited to join a week-long virtual showcase of Fullerton School District student projects. Now in its third year, FSD FEST is an annual student conference celebrating many of the […]
