4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT
LAUSD UNDER FIRE FOR DESTROYING COPIES OF RECORDS OF REPORTED CHILD ABUSE BY TEACHERS + smf’s 2¢
By City News Service from the Daily News | http://bit.ly/1moAwWM 5/02/14, 11:57 AM PDT :: LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Unified School District acted within state law when it destroyed copies of records of reported child abuse by teachers, a spokesman said today, insisting that the district never had the right to collect the documents in the first place. But an attorney representing plaintiffs
Miramonte: HIGH-POWERED INVESTIGATION NEVER GOT OFF THE GROUND
Karen Foshay | KPCC | 89.3 KPCC http://bit.ly/1iapDnl Stephen Weissbart/flickr Civil rights attorney Connie Rice. Listen Now [3 min 14 sec] May 2nd, 2014, 6:10pm :: A high-powered commission set up to investigate the Miramonte sexual abuse scandal never got off the ground, according to the woman asked to head the panel. In the weeks after the scandal broke in 2012, L.A. Unified School
Sb 1174: Senate Panel Moves Bill To Restore Multilingual K-12 Classrooms
by Kimberly Beltran | SI&A Cabinet Report :: http://bit.ly/1nRILOP MAY 01, 2014 (Calif.) :: A bill that would repeal the core tenets of a 15-year-old ban on the use of bilingual education in the state’s K-12 school system cleared its first legislative hurdle Wednesday – passing out of the Senate Education Committee, where it was lauded as being both necessary and overdue. SB 1174 by Sen.
Ab215: Teacher Dismissal Bill Unanimously Supported By Senate Ed Committee
By Theresa Harrington, Contra Costa Times/San Jose Mercury News | http://bit.ly/R8TwPg 5/01/2014 7:16:03 PM PDT | SACRAMENTO :: The Senate Education Committee has given its unanimous support to AB215 by Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan, D-Alamo, which would streamline the teacher discipline and dismissal appeal process. The bill would expedite and prioritize cases of egregious misconduct, those
Allegations+Revelations About Miramonte Child Abuse Continue
Allegations in Miramonte molestation case grow by Howard Blume | LA Times | http://lat.ms/1pXSJAj Former Miramonte Elementary School teacher Mark Berndt, right, appears in L.A. County Superior Court with attorney Manny Medrano last year. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times / November 15, 2013) May 1, 2014, 6:20 p.m. :: Previously
PLAN TO USE ‘NEED INDEX’ TO GO BEFORE LAUSD BOARD + far more than 2¢ from a 4LAKids reader
by LA School Report | http://bit.ly/Si8Qdl Posted on May 1, 2014 12:17 pm :: In a surprise move, LA Unified school board will consider a resolution that supports the use of an alternative formula, known as the “Student Need Index,” in deciding how to distribute school funds throughout the district. LA School Report has learned that Monica Garcia and Board President Richard Vladovic have agreed
MAY 01
Bullets Fly, But The Test Must Go On
By Maggie Terry / commentary in EdSource Today | http://bit.ly/1miIFMc This commentary was written the day last month that 10th graders in Los Angeles were due to take the math portion of the California High School Exit Exam. April 9th, 2014 :: Five pops that sounded like fireworks. Short and crisp. Totally misplaced at 8:05 a.m. Who lights fireworks on a Wednesday morning? But it
BAD TEACHERS OR CORRUPT SYSTEM? LAUSD cracks down on alleged misconduct
student journalism by Holly San Nicolas, managing editor of the Hollywood High School Crimson Chronicle | http://bit.ly/1higAkJ ▲Screen capture of pp.7 of the online version of the February 2014 Crimson Chronicle
The authentic local voice for Local Control Funding speaks out …but were they/will they/should they be heard?: LA UNIFIED STUDENTS ASK VLADOVIC TO USE “INDEX” FOR NEEDS
by Michael Janofsky, LA School Report | http://bit.ly/1iNL56x Fremont High students, on their way to see LAUSD Board President Richard Vladovic Posted on April 30, 2014 2:50 pm :: After weeks of trying, a group of students from Fremont High School finally got a meeting yesterday in the office of LA Unified Board President Richard Vladovic to promote their Special Need Index for use in the
Mayday! Mayday!! - Miramonte civil lawsuits in disarray: LAUSD BRINGS IN NEW LAWYERS, ADMITS SHREDDING DOCUMENTS
…OK, this may be semantic overreach; I’m not sure that LAUSD’s defense was ever “in array!” Awry maybe? LAUSD Assigns New Law Firm to Miramonte Child Abuse Cases LAUSD had initially hired the Sedgwick Law Firm, with chief attorney Thomas Delaney at the onset of the Miramonte scandal. By John Cadiz Klemack, KNBC News | NBC Southern California | http://
APR 30
DISTRICT 1 CANDIDATES FORUM | Thursday, May 1 | 7:00PM | Hamilton High School
2014 Community Town Hall Meeting: LAUSD School Board Candidate Forum A public Q&A about the future of our schools For the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), this is a time of unprecedented changes and challenges. Public debate continues over testing and core curricula, teacher tenure and the role of unions, the introduction of computer tablets and other technologies, breakfast in
Trouble Ahead For Local School Bonds And Parcel Taxes?
By Mark Baldassare / commentary | EdSource Today | http://bit.ly/1u5a0XR April 29th, 2014 | The elections this year offer the first statewide look at Californians’ willingness to raise revenue for their local schools since passage of Proposition 30, the tax initiative to benefit education that voters passed in November 2012. While it’s too early to know how many local school districts will
“Pruning” in the name of “equity”: NEW PROPOSAL FOR LA SCHOOLS REDUCES ARTS EXPOSURE TO SERVE MORE STUDENTS + smf’s 2¢
Mary Plummer | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC http://bit.ly/1ftw6PQ Mary Plummer/KPCC Steven McCarthy, Los Angeles Unified's K-12 arts coordinator, outlines a proposed new curriculum plan to a school board committee. April 29th, 2014, 5:46pm :: Los Angeles Unified School District officials proposed a dramatic new vision for arts education Tuesday that would reduce most elementary art programs in
iPAD, Wi-Fi ISSUES INTERRUPT LA SCHOOLS TESTING: “When everyone goes on at once, it overloads it…"
Annie Gilbertson | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC http://bit.ly/1mZy3FU Maya Sugarman/KPCC April 30th, 2014, 5:30am :: Teachers and students often grumble about end of the year tests,but at the Los Angeles Unified School District, the complaints are mounting: iPads the district purchased to take new state competency tests aren’t getting online. They’re having trouble connecting to
3 stories: ALEX CAPUTO-PEARL ELECTED UTLA PRESIDENT
Alex Caputo-Pearl won elected president of the United Teachers Los Angeles, defeating incumbent Warren Fletcher in a runoff vote. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times / March 4, 2014) Alex Caputo-Pearl wins runoff election to head L.A. teachers union Howard Blume , LA Times | http://lat.ms/1u4Q3jS April 29, 2014, 1:59 p.m. :: A veteran social
APR 29
L.A. Schools’ Maintenance Budget Trails Other Large Districts
Annie Gilbertson | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC http://bit.ly/S6kXtI Facebook/Repairs not iPads April 29th, 2014, 5:02am :: The Los Angeles Unified school district has a backlog of 50,000 repairs. A look at next year's budget shows its likely to continue to trail the state in maintenance and operations funding. The Los Angeles Unified spends the least on maintenance and operations of
SUPREME COURT MAY BOOST FREE-SPEECH PROTECTIONS FOR PUBLIC WORKERS …but be Very Careful!
Justices seem likely to rule that a government employee who testifies about corruption cannot be fired. First they'd have to revisit a 2006 ruling limiting those rights. The operative words in the above headline are “MAY” and “SEEM LIKELY” - ‘May’ has a meaning in the law, it is optional [a choice to act or not, or a promise of a possibility, as distinguished
APR 28
CULTURE+CREATIVITY CANDIDATE FORUM: April 30th
April 28, 2014 This Wednesday, the Arts Community is coming to LACMA for a Supervisor Candidate Forum on Culture & Creativity at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's Bing Theatre. Can I count on you to be there? The next County Supervisor for the 3rd District will replace Zev Yaroslavsky, who, among other accomplishments, has been a huge advocate for the arts, including the LA County
School Cancels Annual Kindergarten Show In Order To Better Prepare Kids For College+Career
By Beth Greenfield, Yahoo Shine Staff | Team Mom | http://yhoo.it/1nA0fiz Photo courtesy of Harley Avenue School. Aprill 28, 2013 :: A New York public school has decided to nix an annual year-end kindergarten show in favor of more college-prep time for its youngest students, sounding alarm bells for those concerned about the toughening standards of early education. “These are
Who’s who in Education: EDUCATION LEADERSHIP CHANGES ON CAPITOL HILL
From ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development) NewsBrief | http://bit.ly/1iyv1FF APRIL 28, 2014 :: The U.S. Senate and House education committees are undergoing significant changes in their membership that could greatly influence their priorities and decision-making, ultimately affecting the day-to-day lives of educators. Senate Education Chairman Tom
PARENTS MUST GIVE OK BEFORE LAUSD iPADS SENT HOME WITH STUDENTS
By Howard Blume, LA Times | http://lat.ms/1lpQNvK Students at Roosevelt High in Boyle Heights use iPads provided by the school district. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times / September 17, 2013) April 25, 2014, 4:55 p.m. :: The Los Angeles Unified School District will seek the approval of parents before sending iPads home with students, under an updated policy. "That is a wonderful
Lausd And City Of Los Angeles Team Up To Help Needy Families
By Rick Orlov, Los Angeles Daily News | http://bit.ly/QQV0xx 4/25/14, 1:08 PM PDT :: A pilot program in which the city would join with the Los Angeles Unified School District to coordinate delivery of services to the parents of students was approved Friday by the Los Angeles City Council. This summer, four schools in the district will implement the program, called Optimizing Access to Service
Report: CALIFORNIA KEY TO RAISING NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL GRAD RATE + CDE Announces 80.2% Grad Rate
By Lisa Leff, The Associated Press from the San Bernardino County Sun | http://bit.ly/1fJZdZM 4/27/14, 12:01 PM PDT :: SAN FRANCISCO >> The high school graduation rate in the United States will not increase as quickly as experts think it can without more improvement in California, which educates one-fifth of the nation’s low-income school children and more Hispanic students than any other
Governor’S Proposed Rainy-Day Fund Reserve Would Rarely Be Filled
By John Fensterwald | EdSource Today http://bit.ly/S26krw April 27th, 2014 :: To even out the boom-and-bust revenue cycles that can particularly destabilize education funding, Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing a separate reserve for K-12 schools and community colleges in his revised plan for a rainy day fund. But that lock box for education would gather dust most years because of the tight
L.A. TIMES ENDORSES GEORGE McKENNA FOR L.A. SCHOOL BOARD
ELECTIONS 2014: In the race to replace the late Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte in District 1, he stands out as the kind of person the district needs right now. by Times Editorial Board | http://lat.ms/1fpGrfn George McKenna (Handout / April 28, 2014) April 28, 2014 :: The seven candidates for the District 1 seat on the Los Angeles Unified School Board include several teachers, a
PPIC Survey: CALIFORNIANS SUPPORT HISTORIC CHANGES IN SCHOOL FUNDING, CURRICULUM
By Teresa Watanabe, LA Times | http://lat.ms/PLgzhU Californians support new national learning standards known as Common Core, a new survey found. In Santiago Elementary School in Santa Ana, teachers are already using the new standards to emphasize critical thinking and prepare students for more complex tests. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times / April23, 2014) April 23, 2014, 9:00 p.m. :: In
APR 27
smf RADIO INTERVIEW RE: TEACHER JAIL
4LAKids’ Scott Folsom interviewed by KPFK host John Cromshow for a special report on Teacher Jail for “Politics or Pedagogy”, analysis of education, policy and practice affecting our public schools. LISTEN HERE Note: This interview was recorded on Thursday, April 24th before Greg Schiller was released – and was broadcast Saturday, April 26, 2014 at 10:57 am
Greg Schiller Radio Interview
Interview with teacher Greg Schiller by John & Ken, KFI Talk Radio hosts on Friday April 25th, after his first day back to school from Deasy Jail. CLICK HERE - listen from 1:35-10:05
Photo: OBAMA & THE MARSHMALLOW GUN
photo from Getty Images by Sal Loeb I wonder we could get a grant from the National Rifle Association …or the Stay Puft Marshmallow Foundation – to mount one of these puppies in the balcony of the Beaudry Boardroom?
APR 25
Board District 3: TWO CANDIDATES FILE TO SEEK GALATZAN SCHOOL BOARD SEAT …AND THEN TAMAR DOES TOO!
Two candidates file to seek Galatzan school board seat by Michael Janofsky, L.A. School Report | http://bit.ly/1fBhfgN Posted on April 24, 2014 11:30 am Whether LA Unified board member Tamar Galatzan runs for reelection or not, voters in her District 3 will have two other candidates to consider in the 2015 board election. Carl Petersen, Director of Logistics for a Glendale manufacturing
WHAT THE L.A. UNIFIED iPAD INVESTIGATION COULDN’T FIND
The Inspector General couldn’t find the scoring sheets …but had no problem locating the bungling bureaucracy. By Karin Klein, L.A. Times Editorialist, http://lat.ms/1mLvB5M April 24, 2014, 3:57 p.m. :: The most troubling aspect of an internal Los Angeles Unified School District report on its purchase of iPads for its students isn't what it found out, but what it couldn't find out
L.A. Teacher Wins Job Back After Removal For Science Projects
By Howard Blume, L.A. Times | http://lat.ms/1jLjDCE 7:20 PM PDT, April 24, 2014 :: A Los Angeles high school science teacher is returning to the classroom two months after being suspended over concerns that two students had assembled "dangerous" science projects under his supervision. Both projects overseen by teacher Greg Schiller were capable of launching small objects. A staff mem
L.A. Unified Doesn’T Have To Release Teacher’S Names With Performance Ratings
A state appellate court panel tentatively finds a stronger public interest in keeping the names confidential than in publicly releasing them. By Teresa WatanabE, L.A. Times | http://lat.ms/1rsTbng Kyle Hunsberger explains a problem to Robert Gunter as he teaches his pre-algebra Math 7 class at Johnny Cochran Middle school in Los Angeles. He participated in L.A. Unified's controversial
L.A. Unified Battles Lawyers Over Miramonte Disclosures, Lausd Accused Of Destroying Evidence
L.A. Unified battles lawyers over Miramonte disclosures By Howard Blume, LA Times | http://lat.ms/1il0c2j April 23, 2014, 6:42 p.m. :: The litigation over sexual misconduct at Miramonte Elementary has resulted in a struggle over which documents should be part of the public record. This includes testimony that a former teacher had alerted her principal about sexual misconduct by Mark Berndt,