[ San Jose | News Index | Metroactive Central | Archives ]

Metropolis

News From Silicon Valley's Neighborhoods Babbling Bush Cupertino--When a presidential hopeful decides to drop in, it's no small deal. That's why educators at De Anza College, while criticizing Republican George W. Bush's wishy-washy ideas on education, were still charged up for his pit stop last week. After a fundraising stint in L.A., the Bush campaign hit up De Anza for a panel discussion on math and science education. There the Texan tackled the issue of American students lagging in math and science, and vowed a loan forgiveness program for those who'll teach the subjects. De Anza president Martha Kanter contends Bush's pronouncements were old news and just don't dig deep enough. Bank of Intel Sunnyvale--As the cost of living has soared beyond many a teacher's budget, some have no choice but to flee Silicon Valley altogether. Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD), which includes four Sunnyvale schools, wants to retain its hardworking maestros, however. The district just announced a new partnership with high-tech giant Intel Corp, which will grant teachers $500 per month toward their mortgage payments. Teachers will face paybacks within five years or when they sell their house, whichever comes first. Name Game Willow Glen--Times they are a-changin' for San Jose's 29-year-old historical museum. Long known as the dull-sounding "San Jose Historical Museum," City Council last week officially deemed the place "History Park" to play upon its physical reality. The museum is actually a gated, outdoor park with historic and replica houses, situated in Kelley Park. Armed with a revamped mission and the friendly new name, CEO Davis Crosson hopes History Park will soon lure in the same folks as nearby crowd pleasers like Happy Hollow Park and Giants Stadium. [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]