Jakob McWhinney

5 days ago | voiceofsandiego.org | Jakob McWhinney

It’s done.  At yet another packed, raucous board meeting on Thursday night, Grossmont Union High School District Trustees voted to approve the layoffs that have for months roiled the community. District officials have argued the layoffs were necessary to ensure the long-term fiscal health of the district, which is projecting a multi-million-dollar deficit over three years.

1 week ago | voiceofsandiego.org | Jakob McWhinney

Seven years ago, Jerry Hobbs, a Grossmont Union High School District teacher, resigned after officials launched an investigation into allegations he’d engaged in misconduct.  Years later, Hobbs was hired as a paralegal for a law firm that ended up doing work for the district. That work included conducting an investigation into Hobbs’ former boss, the person who launched an investigation into him. Hobbs worked on that investigation, which concluded he’d been a victim of retaliation.

1 week ago | voiceofsandiego.org | Jakob McWhinney

Kassandra Young had never played flag football before a couple months ago. But on a crisp April morning, she was one of dozens of middle schoolers playing flag football at Hoover High School’s turf field.  And she was killing it. During the Language Academy Lions’ first game against Clark Middle School, Young scored a touchdown and pulled down an interception, helping propel her team to a 22-2 victory.

2 weeks ago | voiceofsandiego.org | Jakob McWhinney

California’s childhood vaccination rates have been falling in recent years. That’s not entirely surprising given the deep politicization of vaccines during the pandemic. If some people are convinced vaccinations amount to microchipping or the “mark of the beast,” it follows they’d be less likely to subject their children to it. The trend is, however, deeply troubling, especially against the backdrop of the resurgence of diseases once virtually extinct.

2 weeks ago | voiceofsandiego.org | Jakob McWhinney

During last week’s meeting of Southwestern College’s Governing Board, trustees unanimously approved a slate of contracts. Included among them was a contract with N2N Services to subscribe to a software program called LightLeap AI. Like many community colleges across the country, in recent years, Southwestern has been inundated with fraudsters who marshal legions of stolen identities to swindle financial aid funds.