Education week in review

EDUCATION

Flying to schools’ aid

On Wednesday, nine Newport-Mesa PTA members joined a countywide

coalition in flying to Sacramento to voice educational concerns to

state officials. Top on the group’s agenda were budgetary woes that

resulted from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s cutting of Proposition 98

funds last year.

* The State Dept. of Education last week named Newport Harbor High

School a California Distinguished School for the third time, making

it one of 192 middle and high schools in the state to receive the

honor this year. Newport Harbor previously won the honor in 1986 and

1999.

* UC Irvine received another gift on Thursday, as local

businessman Fariborz Maseeh pledged $2 million to the university for

the creation of a Persian studies center. The Dr. Samuel M. Jordan

Center for Persian Studies and Culture, set to open this fall, will

offer research grants and seminars and add three endowed faculty

members to the campus.