Los Angeles schools superintendent John Deasy on Thursday sought to reassure teachers and principals in the nation's second largest school district to remain courageous as the district undergoes major classroom changes.
Deasy addressed worries over Common Core State Standards -- new curriculum changes expected to be phased in as soon as this upcoming school year -- and repeated a morale-boosting World War II-era phrase used by the British government: "Stay calm, stay calm. And carry on."
The annual back-to-school speech, which took place at historic Hollywood High School, is viewed as a barometer for the state of L.A. Unified and the perception of Deasy, who took office in spring 2011.
While plans call for implementing Common Core reforms in many states beginning in fall 2014, Los Angeles Unified and a handful of other districts will begin phasing in the standards over the course of this school year. Complicating issues for local teachers is a recent waiver of the No Child Left Behind law, freeing up $150 million to educate low-income students and creating new benchmarks for gauging their individual success at LAUSD schools.
Amid such big changes, Deasy called for his top administrators to remain brave and resilient. "It's