The winners of the 2019 Ventura County Science Fair were announced at an awards ceremony this evening at the VCOE Conference and Educational Services Center in Camarillo. At tonight’s ceremony, awards were presented in 14 scientific categories including microbiology, engineering and chemistry. In addition, local companies and organizations selected winners in 11 special categories. The winning entries were chosen by local science, engineering and industry professionals who v...

Trinity Pacific Christian School in Thousand Oaks is the winner of the 2019 Ventura County Mock Trial for the second year in a row. The Mock Trial results were announced this evening at an awards ceremony at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center. Here is how the top eight teams placed:1. Trinity Pacific – Silver Team2, St. Bonaventure3. Santa Susana – Locke Team4. Oaks Christian – Gold Team5. Westlake6. Adolfo Camarillo – Scorpions Team7. La Reina8. Oak Park – Black Tea...

Dr. James Cowan, who served as Ventura County Superintendent of Schools for 24 years and left an indelible mark on Ventura County education, has passed away at the age of 87. “Jim was a true champion for all students and education in general,” said Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Stan Mantooth. “During his tenure, he built a wonderful legacy for us all which continues to this day.”That legacy includes the establishment of the local career education program for pu...

Four local high school teams emerged victorious from Wednesday night’s semifinals of the 2019 Ventura County Mock Trial competition. The final four teams that will face off in tonight’s last round are:• Saint Bonaventure• Trinity Pacific (Silver)• Oaks Christian (Gold)• Santa Susana (Locke)Saint Bonaventure and Trinity Pacific will be competing for 1st and 2nd place. Oaks Christian and Santa Susana will be competing for 3rd and 4th place. The four remaining teams ...

The eight high school teams that will advance to the semifinals of the 2019 Ventura County Mock Trial were announced today by the Ventura County Office of Education. The semifinalists received the eight highest scores of the 30 teams participating in this year's Mock Trial. Listed in order of their scores, the final eight teams are:1. Saint Bonaventure2. Trinity Pacific Silver3. Oaks Christian Gold4. Santa Susana Locke5. Westlake6. Oak Park Black7. Adolfo Camarillo Scorpions8. La ReinaThe pu...

Kids today are shockingly ill-equipped to evaluate the information that comes rushing at them on their phones, tablets and computer screens. They may have grown up with the internet, but they lack the skills they need to tell legitimate news from advertising or propaganda. In this edition of Focus on Education, we show you how these skills, known as Media Literacy, are increasingly being taught in Ventura County schools.Read it below on your computer or click here to read on your phone or mobile...

More than two dozen local high schools will field 30 teams in the Ventura County Mock Trial competition, which begins Monday in Ventura. Courtroom drama comes to life as students take on the major roles of a criminal case, including attorneys, witnesses and even bailiffs. The students will present their cases before actual local judges who volunteer for the competition. Local attorneys serve as coaches.WHAT: 2019 Ventura County Mock TrialWHEN: The competition runs Monday, February 25 to Thursday...

The Ventura County Office of Education is pleased to announce that the winner of the 2019 Ventura County Academic Decathlon is Calabasas High School. Coming in second place is La Reina High School, followed by Westlake High School, which came in third. Calabasas High School is also the winner of the “Super Quiz” portion of the competition.Students from twenty local high schools participated in the competition, which was held over the past two Saturdays at Pacifica High School in Oxna...

By Stan Mantooth, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools   Last November, just after Thanksgiving, there was a remarkable gathering in Camarillo. Some 400 members of our community – representing business, education, government and nonprofit organizations – came together for the first-ever Ventura County Education Summit. They were there to forge stronger bonds between education and business to ensure students are learning the human and technical skills they need for caree...

Parents who suspect their child has a disability are advised to contact their local school district or the Ventura County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA). Federal and state laws require public schools to provide free and appropriate education for children with special needs. Children and youth from birth through 21 years of age may qualify for special education programs in public schools. Special education staff will help parents identify appropriate programs based upon ...