Vergara hears moving testimony from oft-dismissed teacher
Bhavini Bhakta A stunning silence fell over the courtroom today when Bhavini Bhakta, the first teacher to testify in the Vergara v California trial, described the impact of the state’s current teacher dismissal and seniority laws. An award-winning educator with two master’s degrees, she recounted how despite her success, the warm embrace of her students and the appreciation of their parents, she w
LAUSD joins partnership to confront school health hazards
An intergovernmental pilot project began last week to address potential environmental health hazards in Southern California schools, with LAUSD as the only school district involved as a core particpant. The six month pilot program, known as the Southern California – Clean, Green and Healthy Schools Partnership, is intended to foster collaboration among local, state and federal regulators — includi
LA Unified students compete to solve social issues
Teams of students across LA Unified are preparing for the kickoff this weekend of the Aspen Challenge, a citywide competition launched by the Aspen Institute in partnership with the school district. In an effort to hone social entrepreneurial skills, the program challenges students to find solutions to a series of pressing social issues presented to them on Feb. 8, then sets a deadline of seven we
Commentary: Why Vergara won’t solve the real teacher problem
Bad teachers need to leave. And it is a gross injustice that they are disproportionately congregated in low-income communities. Right now, because of Vergara vs. California, the lawsuit waged against education laws alleged to protect bad teachers, there is a tremendous amount of public anger directed at those teachers. But to fire grossly incompetent teachers is not the same thing as to guarantee
Morning Read: Zimmer seeking public input for open seat
LA school board committee to tackle job description for temporary member Los Angeles Unified school board member Steve Zimmer is inviting the public to help write a job description. It’s for the role of District 1 advocate – a position proposed by Zimmer and approved by the school board to speak on the behalf of south Los Angeles schools while the area prepares to elect a full member in June. KPCC
LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District): Christmas returns to the stand as the Vergara trial resumesTroy Christmas, of Oakland Unified Testimony resumes this morning in Vergara v California, with Troy Christmas of the Oakland Unified School District returning to the stand to face cross examination by lawyers for the defendants — the state and it