LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District):
Defense tries hard to undermine an expert in Vergara trial
Arun Ramanathan was back on the stand. Arun Ramanathan, Executive Director of The Education Trust–West, a group that works for high academic achievement, returned to the witness stand today for more questions by the defense, aimed at undermining his credibility, research and right to be considered an expert. As one of the plaintiffs’ key experts in the landmark trial, Vergara vs. California, Raman
LAUSD leads charter school growth in California, and nation
California launched the largest number of charter schools in the nation last year, according to a report released this week by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS). The state saw the start of 104 charter schools, bringing its total to 1,130. Almost 520,000 California students of more than 6 million now attend charters in the state. Other states with big charter school gains wer
LA Unified’s education policy is upheld in US district court
–Photo by Aaron BlevinsFrancis Blend and Van Ness elementary schools are merging. Via Park LaBrea News-Beverly Press | By Aaron Blevins U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Lew has ruled against two parent groups that sought to challenge the Los Angeles Unified School District’s increased efforts to integrate special education students with their general education peers. According to the district, one
Morning Read: Panel adopts standards for CA principals
New professional standards for CA principals approved Setting a clear expectation that schools should be a place of safety and fairness, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing adopted Thursday new standards for school principals that embrace restorative justice practices. SI&A Cabinet Report L.A. Unified had requested guard where woman was killed The Los Angeles Unified School District sough
FEB 13
Experts in Vergara trial endure bumpy rides on the witness stand
Arun Ramanathan, on the stand As plaintiffs come down the home stretch in the landmark trial Vergara vs. California, attorneys for the nine-student litigants are attempting to underscore key points in their case by calling more expert witnesses. For two of them, at least, defense lawyers made it as challenging for them as they could today, peppering testimony with objections that called into quest
A series of meetings planned to explain state’s new funding
In the next few months the LA Unified school board is set to make a number of critical decisions regarding the spending of new education dollars coming into the district. To prepare, both LAUSD officials and local advocacy groups are ramping up community engagement efforts to get public input on spending priorities. Communities for Los Angeles Student Success (CLASS) is holding the first of eight
A bill to require CA school personnel to spot, report abuse
Assemblyman Michael Gatto A Los Angeles state assembly member introduced a bill yesterday that would require formal training for all school employees on the identification and reporting of suspected child abuse. Assembly Bill 1432 is sponsored by Michael Gatto, a Democrat whose district includes Atwater Village, Burbank, Glendale, Hollywood, La Cañada, Flintridge, La Crescenta, Los Feliz, Montrose
Vergara trial resumes today with more ‘expert’ testimony
Beatiz Vergara, the lead plaintiff The Vergara v California trial continues this morning, with Dan Goldhaber, an expert in education policy at the University of Washington, continuing his testimony after the court took a day off yesterday Following him, attorneys for the plaintiffs are expected to call more expert witnesses, including Sandi Jacobs, Vice President and Managing Director for State Po
SF seen as model in bilingual education over English only
Via SF Chronicle | By Jill Tucker In the 15 years since voters essentially banned bilingual education in state schools, teaching English learners to read, write and do arithmetic first in their native language has nearly disappeared from California classrooms. Since Proposition 227 overwhelmingly passed in June 1998, it’s been all about learning English, first and foremost – but not in San Francis
Morning Read: CA ranks highest in new charters, students
California leads nation in new charter schools and students California led the country in opening new charter schools this fiscal year, adding 104 campuses and 48,000 students, according to a report released Wednesday. Data compiled by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools showed that California also led the nation in charter school closures with 39, leaving California with 1,130 charte
FEB 12
No testimony today in Vergara v California
Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu is taking a break today from the Vergara v California trial. Testimony resumes tomorrow with a returning witness, education policy expert Dan Goldhaber. Lawyers for the plaintiffs — nine students — are expected to conclude their case next week, turning things over to the defendants — the state and its two biggest teacher unions. At issue are state laws that govern te
More CA students taking Advanced Placement exams
The data from the College Board’s 10th Annual Advanced Placement Report to the Nation shows a steady increase in AP exam participation among California public high school students, with the state ranking sixth nationally in the quality of its scores. In 2013, 40.6 percent of California’s public high school graduates took at least one AP exam before graduation, compared with 25.3 percent 10 years b
LAUSD board denies renewal for two high-performing charter schools
School board member Bennett Kayser voted against renewing two charters in his district In an unusual move, the LA Unified School Board voted yesterday to deny the renewal of two high-performing charter schools. The two schools, Aspire Antonio Maria Lugo Academy, a K-6 school, and Aspire Ollin University Preparatory Academy, a 6-12 school, are located in southeast Los Angeles, and both serve predom
LA Unified board votes against a caretaker (twice) for vacant seat
President Vladovic: His vote doomed caretaker The LA Unified school board on Tuesday quashed any chance for temporary representation for the 110 schools and nearly quarter million students in board District 1, twice defeating measures that would have appointed a non-voting caretaker. It was just the latest example of the inability of a school board, paralyzed by the absence of a potential tie-brea
Morning Read: LAUSD Board to address lack of library staff
LA school board launches new library task force The Los Angeles Unified school board approved a task force Tuesday to address the hundreds of school libraries that have closed due to a lack of specialized staff. There are only 98 librarians in a district with 768 school libraries. Many elementary schools opt for library aides instead – a lower-pay, part-time position. But even with aides, 332 scho
FEB 11
Vergara sisters recall teachers who inspired them to join lawsuit
Beatriz and Elizabeth Vergara, student-plantiffs in Vergara vs. California Beatriz and Elizabeth Vergara, sisters at the center of a state lawsuit in their name, Vergara vs. California, took the witness stand today, describing chaotic classrooms with inattentive and hurtful teachers in their middle school. The sisters, who now attend high school at Cesar Chavez Learning Academies, an LA Unified sc
Watch Now: Livestream coverage of today’s LAUSD Board Meeting
A heavy agenda for today’s LA Unified School Board meeting. Expected to get some attention is a report by board member Steve Zimmer on the role of a ‘caretaker’ appointee to temporarily take the seat recently vacated by the unexpected death of Marguerite LaMotte late last year. LA School Report, is there live NOW. Check us out on Twitter @laschoolreport To access, click: LIVESTREAM LAUSD For meeti
In race to run powerful teachers union: ideology up for grabs
As campaigning begins in earnest at United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), the second-largest teachers union in the country, the election for the presidency could be as much about ideology as which candidate has more foot-soldiers. The union has shown signs of deep fracture lately, and with just 20 percent of the union’s 35,000 members expected to vote, the winner’s message will have to capture the v
Morning Read: Wifi upgrades push iPad cost to $1.3 billion
LA schools’ wifi networks to cost about $800 million The Los Angeles Unified School District’s board is scheduled to green light $66 million in wifi upgrades Tuesday, bringing the total reported costs of wifi upgrades need for its iPad proposal to $795 million. With that, iPad and wifi costs together would exceed $1.3 billion if the program is expanded to all district schools. KPCC LAUSD responds
FEB 10
Vergara witnesses recall teacher intimidation, incompetence
Brandon DeBose, student in Oakland After weeks of testimony from administrators, teachers and academics, Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu today finally heard from witnesses directly involved in challenging the state laws at the heart of the Vergara vs. California lawsuit. Jose Macias, whose 13-year-old daughter, Julia, is one of the nine student-plaintiffs in the case, told the court he noticed sign
UTLA schedules two forums for president candidates
The United Teachers Los Angeles has announced two additional forums with candidates for president, one at Monroe High School on February 18 and the other two days later at UTLA headquarters. Eight of the 10 candidates faced off in a debate that resulted in at least one consensus: the current state of the union is fractured and plagued with in-fighting. Though fewer than 40 people attended, those i
Zimmer’s plan for District 1 vacancy facing a big vote
The LA Unified school board has an unusually long agenda for its monthly meeting on Tuesday, 39 items plus a handful of reports and updates. Each has consequences but few of them carry the import and emotional impact of Steve Zimmer‘s proposal to fill the vacant seat for District 1 on a temporary basis until a new member is elected later this year. After weeks of discussion and his “committee of o
Beatriz Vergara expected to testify in teacher trial, maybe today
After two weeks of testimony from school administrators and education experts, lawyers in the Vergara v California trial are planning to call their first plaintiffs to the stand this week, including Beatriz Vergara. Vergara and eight other students and their families are challenging state laws they say keep ineffective teachers employed, thus eroding the promise of a quality education for all Cali
Morning Read: LAUSD has lost 200 arts teachers since ’10-’11
LA schools’ drop in arts teachers dragged down county numbers The Los Angeles Unified School District has lost about 200 full-time arts teacher positions since the 2010-2011 school year, according to the most recent data available from the California Department of Education, suggesting the district is responsible for more than half of the loss cited in a new report last week. KPCC Centinela Valle
FEB 07
Clarifying role of ‘caretaker’ for LaMotte’s school board seat
The LA Unified school board on Tuesday is expected to approve a list of proposed responsibilities and job qualifications for a temporary, non-voting board member to fill the seat of Marguerite LaMotte, who died in December. The recommendations grew out of a meeting this week chaired by Steve Zimmer, the most vocal school board member to support installing an interim appointment. A document (see be
Vergara trial: Tears fall over challenges of minority students
Kareem Weaver In an abbreviated day of testimony in the trial Vergara v. CA, a suit that is challenging teacher dismissal laws in California, Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu heard from two witnesses who described their personal disappointments with California’s public education system and the laws regulating teacher employment. Testifying on behalf of the plaintiffs, Kareem Weaver, an award winning
iPads going home? ‘That’s concerning to me,’ says Ratliff
iPads may be heading home again Some LA Unified schools may be moving closer to allowing students to take district-bought iPads home again, and that has caught district officials by surprise. The district put an end to the practice in September after students figured out how to bypass the device’s security filters. But school board member Monica Ratliff, chair of the district’s technology committe
Morning Read: iPad curriculum off limits to LAUSD
L.A. school officials barred from access to curriculum for iPads Los Angeles school officials have failed for now in their efforts to get full access to a digital curriculum that the school system purchased in June. The curriculum, developed by Pearson for use on district iPads, is off-limits because Pearson is likely to bid on a separate contract with the L.A. Unified School District, and distric