4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT
STATE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS AND THE MESSY BUSINESS OF POLITICS: How elections in 2014 could shape education policy in the states.
by Louis Jacobson | GOVERNING: State government news on politics, management & finance http://bit.ly/LmKOcW In 2012, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz beat Tony Bennett, who later stepped down as the top schools official in Florida due to a grading controversy dating back to his Indiana tenure. AP/Darron Cummings January 16, 2014 :: Education policy is a
In Age Of School Shootings, Lockdown Is The New Fire Drill
By JACK HEALY, New York Times | http://nyti.ms/1aA6ls6 Students walked to safety after a shooting in Roswell, N.M. Mark Wilson/Roswell Daily Record, via Associated Press JAN. 17, 2014 :: The bomb threat was just a hoax, but officials at Hebron High School near Dallas took no chances: School officials called the police and locked down the school this week. Separately, a middle school
Researchers Question Teach For America’S Standing
by Tom Chorneau | SI&A Cabinet Report | http://bit.ly/1eUMohk January 17, 2014 (Colo.) :: Despite its reputation for producing high-quality teachers that serve in hard-to-fill positions all over the country, Teach For America provides only a “stop-gap” solution for desperate schools and generates mixed results for students, according to a new paper from National Education Policy Center. The
A Cool Map Shows Some Ugly Truths About California Education
by LA School Report | http://bit.ly/19DiL4l Posted on January 17, 2014 :: Any idea how California ranks in high school graduation rate? How about 8th grade math? Or education spending? A Columbus, Ohio group called Best Education Degrees has put together a handy interactive map that shows how the 50 states and the District of Columbia compare on nine different measures, using data from
FATE OF ARTS PROGRAMS REMAINS IN LIMBO: Local public schools are embracing a push to prepare students for work in creative fields, but LAUSD has yet to fund it
By Gary Walker in The Argonaut Newspaper [Marina del Rey, Playa del Rey, Playa Vista, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Westchester, Venice and Santa Monica] http://bit.ly/1cGjDjD January 15, 2014 :: In 2012, the Los Angeles Unified School District board voted to make arts education a core subject in its curriculum. Four months ago, the board gave district officials a Dec. 3 deadline to produce a budget
WILSHIRE CREST AMONG 20 SCHOOLS THAT LOST ARTS+MUSIC TEACHERS DURING WINTER BREAK DESPITE LAUSD’s COMMITTMENT TO ‘GRADUALLY INCREASE’ ARTS ED
Mary Plummer | kpcc 89.3 | http://bit.ly/1mbbXuZ [listen to story] Mary Plummer/KPCC | Julian Cea, a third grader in Los Angeles Unified School District, returns to school for spring semester holding his winter break homework project. January 17th, 2014, 6:01am :: The music program at his school Wilshire Crest Elementary was cut due to low enrollment numbers. His music teacher was
Utla Asks For Pay Raise, Return Of Lost Jobs
2 stories L.A. teachers union calls for 17.6% raise By Howard Blume, LA Times | http://lat.ms/1eQPIdd L.A. teachers union President Warren Fletcher on Thursday announced his union's demand for a 17.6% salary increase as well as a restoration of lost jobs. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times /
GOV. BROWN ADDRESSES STATE BOARD OF ED IN RARE APPEARANCE. All boardmembers are his direct appointees; they do as he asks.
– John Fensterwald, EdSource | Today http://bit.ly/1czCkVX < Gov. Jerry Brown testified before the State Board of Education on Thursday, urging them to adopt spending regulations for the Local Control Funding Formula. Image from California Department of Education webcast Jan 16, 2014 :: Gov. Jerry Brown made a rare appearance Thursday at a State Board of Education hearing on proposed
Deasy: “Trust me” - AFTER HEARING 300+ SPEAKERS STATE BOARD OF ED APPROVES DRAFT TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY LCFF/LCAP REGS WITHOUT CHANGE
4 stories Big changes to California's school-funding rules are approved The new system allots more money to schools with disadvantaged students and empowers local educators to decide how to use the funds, as long as needy students are among those who benefit. By Teresa Watanabe, LA Times | http://lat.ms/1dBgHuF January 16,
Deasy: “Trust me” - AFTER HEARING 300+ SPEAKERS STATE BOARD OF ED APPROVES DRAFT TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY LCFF/LCAP REGS WITHOUT CHANGE
4 stories Big changes to California's school-funding rules are approved The new system allots more money to schools with disadvantaged students and empowers local educators to decide how to use the funds, as long as needy students are among those who benefit. By Teresa Watanabe, LA Times | http://lat.ms/1dBgHuF January 16,
JAN 16
Review Finds Hundreds Of La School Libraries Without Staff, Shuttered
Annie Gilbertson | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC http://bit.ly/1j1ZA4F Annie Gilbertson/KPCC January 16th, 2014, 6:02am :: Libraries across L.A. Unified are closing their doors. Figures out this week show only half of L.A. Unified school libraries have even part-time staff and far fewer have a credentialed librarian. In a district of 768 schools libraries, there are only 98 librarians to
JAN 15
National Education Policy Center’s 8th ANNUAL BUNKUM AWARDS
Recognizing the Lowlights in Educational Research in 2013 National Education Policy Center | School of Education | University of Colorado | http://bit.ly/1gO3jS0 This marks our eighth year of handing out the Bunkum Awards, recognizing the lowlights in educational research over the past year. As long as the bunk keeps flowing, the awards will keep coming. It’s the least we can do. This year’s
UNREPORTED IN LAUSD BOARD MTG COVERAGE: Apple DOES NOT permit Pearson to present iPad curriculum content to Board of Ed.
by smf 15 Jan 2014 :: The media has a hard time covering multiple stories. Last night the Board of Ed: OKed Deasy's controversial iPad Phase 2 – green lighting the purchase of up to 100,000 additional iPads Voted to approve a plan to appoint a caretaker for Ms. LaMotte's vacant seat. Got the news that the Phase 2 LAUSD iPads would be the new IPad Air model at the same price as
LAUSD SCHOOL BOARD IGNORES BOND COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS; GIVES SUPERITENDENT ALL THE iPADS HE THINKS HE NEEDS WHENEVER HE THINKS HE NEEDS THEM
Boardmembers Galatzan and Zimmer work out an amendment “…to just leave it up to the superintendent”. L.A. school board moves forward with computer effort The board votes to distribute iPads to 38 more campuses, start purchasing laptops for seven high schools and buy as many tablets as needed for state testing. By Howard Blume | LA Times |
JAN 14
L.A. UNIFIED NEEDS ENOUGH iPADS FOR THE TESTS
The school board should approve the purchase of more of the devices so that students can take the new Common Core exams on them this spring. Editorial By The LA Times editorial board | http://lat.ms/1alzioC Students with their new LAUSD-provided iPads. (Los Angeles Times / August 27, 2013) January 14, 2014 The Los Angeles Unified school board got the new year off to a good start last
JAN 12
L.A. UNIFIED SURVEYS PRICES OTHERS PAY FOR iPADS, SIMILAR DEVICES
By Howard Blume. Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/1awjkeF In Perris, Pinacate Middle School students Raul Curil, 13 and Marco Fuentes, 12, in Mark Synnott's journalism class, work on Chromebook devices producing their electronic newspaper, the Puma Press. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times / December 6, 2013) January 12, 2014, 4:51 p.m. :: The Los Angeles Unified School District is
L.A.’s DOWNTOWN LIBRARY, 8 REGIONAL BRANCHES TO REOPEN ON SUNDAYS
By Rick Orlov, Los Angeles Daily News | http://bit.ly/1acVHHD Fredi Macias puts books away at the the Mid-Valley Library January 10, 2014 in North Hills, CA. Starting January 12, 2014 the Los Angeles Public LibraryþÄôs Central Library and eight regional branch libraries will be open on Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m.(Andy Holzman/Los Angeles Daily News) 1/10/14, 6:35 PM PST | Four years
JAN 11
With Torlakson In The Room, Sacramento Teachers And Parents Discuss Common Core
“Being an activist is going to be important; this is a call to action.” By Diana Lambert The Sacramento Bee http://bit.ly/1hHWKnB Friday, Jan. 10, 2014 - 11:04 pm :: Clutching coffee mugs, 16 Sacramento parents and teachers sitting in a South Land Park living room Wednesday night had mixed feelings about a major shift in how students learn. < Jose Luis Villegas | Superintendent
L.A. CITY COUNCIL SETS JUNE 3 ELECTION DATE FOR LAMOTTE’S VACANT LAUSD SEAT. Run-off would be Aug 12 if needed
By Daily News | http://bit.ly/KToZlG 1/10/14, 5:09 PM PST | The Los Angeles City Council on Friday agreed to the setting of a June 3 special election to fill the vacancy on the Los Angeles Unified School District board. The school board on Tuesday decided to hold the election to fill the vacancy created with the death in December of school board member Marguerite LaMotte. The board had said
JAN 10
Next Monday AM: LAUSD LOCAL CONTROL ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETING
from LAUSD Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy invites you to join us to discuss the District's development of the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). We would like to take this opportunity to listen and learn from our district and community partners as we seek to develop our initial three-year plan as required by state law. The California Endowment has graciously
CHILDREN NOW ISSUES 2014 CALIFORNIA CHILDREN’S REPORT CARD: A “C-minus” on Developmental Screening, “D-plus” on Oral Health
Posted by Barbara Feder Ostrov « Data Points http://bit.ly/KIRRfM photo credit from flickr. January 8th, 2014 :: Children Now’s 2014 “California Children’s Report Card” was released this week, with grades ranging from B+ to a less impressive D on how the state performs on child health, education and welfare indicators. While the Oakland-based advocacy group praised recent changes in state