Over the past three days, the Santa Cruz Sentinel ran a comprehensive series highlighting issues facing our schools.  The convergence of declining budgets with new focus and mandates from the federal government present significant challenges for school leaders, teachers, parents and community leaders. Here’s a handy guide to the full slate of school stories:

• Audio slideshow: State of our Schools
• Bulk retirements in SCCS keep younger teachers on the job
• School finance primer
• Kindergarten teacher: “I can keep these guys busy, but…”
• Harbor High teacher gets tenure thanks to colleagues retirement
• State of our schools: Bigger classes, fewer resources
• Bigger classes pose challenges for teachers
• Parents enlisted for EA Hall school cleanup
• Pay to play: Athletics hit hard by budget cuts
• Scotts Valley Middle School needs more than a makeover
• Field of Dreams: Santa Cruz cuts back to complete facility
• Budget cuts stretch support staff
• School districts whose funding relies on property taxes doing well
• Parcel taxes help local schools survive state cuts
• Can California keep achievement high as funding drops?
• Despite statewide declining enrollment, local private schools hold steady