OCDE Newsroom

An aerial view shows emergency crews cooling a large industrial storage tank with water at the site of the Garden Grove chemical leak as mist rises from the facility.

Chemical tank update: Schools out of evac zone reopen as tank temperature holds steady

Staff reports May 26, 2026

Lainie Rowell, Dr. Stefan Bean and David Blair stand together on the set of the FutureCurrent podcast studio at the Orange County Department of Education.

FutureCurrent: Bright Futures Foundation leader David Blair discusses student-centered innovation

Ian Hanigan May 26, 2026

From left, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Raelene Velasquez, Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Aller, Sunburst Youth Academy Director Lt. Col. Sarah Rambo, Principal Dinah Ismail, OCDE Executive Director of Special Education Dr. Amita Cloke and OCDE Manager of Human Resources Support Services Lorena Villa pose for a photo during the 2026 California Classified School Employees of the Year recognition ceremony in Sacramento.

Sunburst Youth Academy paraeducator honored as California Classified School Employee of the Year

Vicky Nguyen May 26, 2026

Sierra Vista Middle School students Aryan Shah, Krish Marfatia, Kaito Yamashita and Davis Barbee win the Stephenson Family Award for Sports History at the NHD-CA contest earlier this month.

Orange County claims state-leading honors at National History Day, sends 21 students to finals

Madeline Gray May 22, 2026

Students participating in the OC GRIP program gather at Angel Stadium before the Los Angeles Angels’ May 19 game against the Oakland Athletics.

Weekly roundup: Sports Illustrated highlights OC GRIP mentorship event at Angel Stadium, and more

Vicky Nguyen May 22, 2026

An image of students and staff at Don Juan Avila Middle School

Outstanding PAL programs and advisors honored for innovative practices in youth engagement

Ian Hanigan June 1, 2016

Four schools and two advisors were recently recognized for implementing creative and innovative practices that enhance youth engagement and connectedness through...

An image of a student in a boat at the the 2016 Solar Cup

VIDEO: Students soar with solar-powered boats at 2016 Solar Cup

Staff reports May 31, 2016

When it comes to the 2016 Solar Cup, one student summed it for us: “You learn a lot and you...

In the news: Angels’ Mike Scioscia bats for kindness, Placentia-Yorba Linda names new schools chief and more

Staff reports May 27, 2016

If you missed any Orange County education news this week, have no fear, the OCDE weekly roundup is here! Take a look: Los Angeles Angels skipper Mike Scioscia stepped up to the plate to support OCDE in the journey to register one...

An image showing a team of four students from Santiago High School in Garden Grove

Santiago High team takes first place in contest to build robots that can locate disaster survivors

Ian Hanigan May 26, 2016

A team of four students from Santiago High School in Garden Grove took first place at the Rescue Robotics Invitational at...

An image showing the maiden voyage of the viking ship constructed at Marina High School

VIDEO: Student-built Viking ship at Marina High takes its maiden voyage

Ian Hanigan May 26, 2016

Remember back in January when we shared this video of Marina High School students building a full-scale Viking ship under...

An image showing the new superintendent of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, Dr. Gregory S. Plutko, Ed.D.

Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District announces new schools chief

Staff reports May 25, 2016

The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District Board of Education has announced that Dr. Gregory S. Plutko, Ed.D. has been selected as that district’s next superintendent. His starting date is July 1. “I am honored to accept this position,” said Dr. Plutko....

An image of a vehicle racing in the UCI Energy Invitational

VIDEO: STEM education hits the road for the UCI Energy Invitational

Ian Hanigan May 25, 2016

The challenge? To build vehicles capable of covering as much ground as possible using just $1 worth of energy. On Saturday,...

An image of students involved in OCDE's Orange County Friday Night Live Partnership

Orange County Friday Night Live Partnership honors two chapters, one advisor

Ian Hanigan May 24, 2016

The Orange County Friday Night Live Partnership has honored a pair of community agencies and a school advisor for their...

An image of the eighth-grade team from Fairmont Private Schools‘ Historic Anaheim Campus

Anaheim school comes out on top at the 2016 USAD National Academic Pentathlon

Staff reports May 24, 2016

Students come from all over the country to compete at the 2016 USAD National Academic Pentathlon at Boise State University, but it was a couple of Orange County teams that took home the top spots. The eighth-grade team from Fairmont Private Schools‘ Historic Anaheim Campus...

An image of a sign at the Water Expo at Brea High School

Brea Olinda High classes partner with OCDE’s Inside the Outdoors program to promote water conservation

Ian Hanigan May 24, 2016

Students enrolled in AP environmental science courses at Brea Olinda High School recently spent their lunch break educating schoolmates and...