Vergara witness says streets more than teachers shape academics
David Berliner An expert in educational psychology testified today that violence in the neighborhood, family income, food insecurity and other out-of-school factors are three times more likely to impact a student’s classroom performance than the effectiveness of the teacher. The expert, David Berliner, also discounted the reliability of student test scores to judge a teacher’s ability to enhance s
Parents, community groups rally for a say in LA Unified budget
CLASS rally at LA Unified The battle to influence the Los Angeles Unified School board on how to spend Governor Jerry Brown’s new Local Control Funding Formula budget boost and statewide tax revenues for education continues to rage on. Parents, educators and community organizers rallied outside of LA Unified headquarters today before a special school board meeting primarily focussed on budget issu
Drop in student enrollment costing LA Unified $292 million
The Los Angeles Unified School District is losing an average of 2.6 percent of students attending traditional public schools – that’s about 56,000 kids — and it’s costing the district hundreds of millions dollars each year. By the current formula, which calculates how much money goes to districts based on student attendance, about $292.4 million will no longer flow to LA Unified’s public schools i
LA Unified kicks off digital learning, digital citizenship
Not only are students at Western Elementary School in south Los Angeles learning the basic math, reading and writing skills, but they’re also learning how to be good digital citizens. LA Unified, its Common Core Technology Project (CCTP) team, the Common Sense Media team along with students, parents, staff, and elected officials kicked off the district’s inaugural Digital Citizenship Week at the s
Here’s an idea: Break LA Unified into ’6 or 7′ districts
Marc Litchman has an idea. As far as his campaign for Congress, challenging Representative Brad Sherman, a Sherman Oaks Democrat, it’s his only idea. He wants to break up LA Unified. But not into two districts, one on either side of the hill, as others have advocated. “We need six or seven,” Litchman said in an interview. Just how could that ever happen? That’s his idea: A law that denies federal
Commentary: With an API delay, a step toward real accountability
Photo: Take Part California has just suspended the calculation of API scores until 2016—and that’s cause for celebration by those of us who believe in meaningful accountability. I know, many people are freaking out because they believe this suspension of scores will leave schools in low-income communities free to go down the toilet for two full years while corrupt administrators and bad teachers m
LA Unified board talking lawsuits, budget, Melendez
Thelma Melendez The LA Unified Board meets this morning, with much of their business scheduled for a closed door session. In private, the six members will discuss various legal cases involving the district as well as updates on labor contracts and student discipline matters. At some point, in open session, they will consider an interim financial report headed to the Los Angeles County Office of Ed
Morning Read: Rally at LAUSD HQ over $1B in student spending
Community Groups Call For LAUSD To Spend $1B On Poorest Students A coalition of Southland community groups was expected Tuesday to deliver thousands of petitions to the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) board demanding that $1 billion in state funding over the next seven years be used to help low income students, English learners and foster youth. CBS Local Thelma Melendez, mayor’s educ
3-17-14 LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD
LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District): Morning Read: LAUSD moves students into rival territory and incites protestL.A. Unified’s decision to move students sparks furor Officials didn’t take into account long-standing rivalries when they decided to transfer about 280 students from Boyle Heights to Lincoln Heights, critics say. The two schools a