LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District):
Ca’s reduction of student suspensions leads most states
Via EdSource | By Susan Frey A report released this week by The Council of State Governments Justice Center calls on school districts across the nation to hold themselves accountable for a positive school climate as well as test scores. “Research and data on school discipline is clear,” according to a synopsis of the 400-page report, School Discipline Consensus Report: Key Findings, Recommendati
JUST IN: Blake removed as principal at Kennedy High School
Suzanne Blake Principal of JF Kennedy HIgh School Suzanne Blake, whose three-years as principal at John F. Kennedy High School in Granada Hills have been marked by one controversy after another, has been removed from the school and given a new position at a district educational center. Teachers at the school said Blake learned of her dismissal before graduation ceremonies last evening. They also s
LA Unified joins with city to serve healthy summer meals
City Officials sample food at news conference for LAUSD summer meals program Now that school’s out for the summer, LA Unified is making sure students get at least one healthy and nutritious meal over the two-month break. Officials from LA Unified’s Beyond the Bell program announced yesterday at the Lake Street Community Center that it has partnered with the city of Los Angeles for the first time t
Morning Read: More than 300 CA organizations back Common Core
Hundreds of organizations sign statement backing Common Core More than 300 California business, nonprofit and children’s groups have signed a statement supporting the Common Core State Standards and staying the course amid the discord over Common Core in other states. EdSource Holding even-year L.A. city elections to boost turnout gets second nod A Citizens commission charged with finding ways to
JUN 05
Non-profit and Dodgers partner to bring breakfast to LAUSD students
Click to view slideshow. A new partnership between a non-profit and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) is ensuring that more LAUSD students can look forward to eating healthier breakfasts at school during the 2014-2015 academic year. The partnership comes as an efforts to bolster School Fuel, an initiative launched by the Los Angeles Fund for Public Education (The LA Fund), which reduces th
Galatzan doubles down in effort to block nominee to bond panel
Stuart Magruder, Architect on LAUSD Bond Oversight Committee LA Unified school board member Tamar Galatzan is not going down quietly when it comes to Stuart Magruder, a staunch opponent of the district’s $1 billion iPad program whom the board removed from the Bond Oversight Committee last month. Magruder was the representative of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Galatzan had opposed his
Analysis: Why the LAUSD school board race attracted so few voters
The voters have spoken. Well, some of them spoke. OK, a handful did. Turnout for the California primary on Tuesday was routinely disappointing — 18.3 percent statewide, 13.1 percent across LA County and how about that LA Unified District 1 school board race: 10 percent. Democracy inaction. Among 338,986 registered voters in the district, only 34,876 cast a ballot for someone to serve on the board
Morning Read: Money race begins for McKenna, Johnson
McKenna, Johnson seek funds, backers in L.A. Unified race The top two finishers in this week’s election for the Los Angeles Board of Education will meet in an August runoff, but first they face another crucial contest: the race for money and powerful endorsements. Each faces challenges in getting over the top. McKenna, 73, a retired district administrator, has a community base, but needs dollars f
JUN 04
Ruling in Vergara case over teacher laws expected by June 10
Judge Rolf Treu Lawyers in the Vergara v. California lawsuit, a challenge to laws that govern teacher employment, have been told to expect a decision in the case by June 10. The two-month trial concluded in March, leaving state superior court judge Rolf Treu to wade through the testimony of dozens of witnesses for his decision. At issue are five state laws that involve tenure, the dismissal proces
Teacher group proposes new system to pay LAUSD teachers
As LA Unified and the teachers union dive into negotiations over a new contract, a local education advocacy group is weighing in with a new plan for how to pay teachers. A policy paper by Educators 4 Excellence (E4E), a group founded by two former Teach for America teachers that has funding from the Gates Foundation, suggests instructors willing to work in hard-to-staff schools should earn higher
Morning Read: Tuck and Torlakson headed to run-off
California Chief’s Race Headed to Run-Off Between Torlakson, Tuck The state superintendent’s race in California is headed to a run-off, with incumbent Superintendent Tom Torlakson and challenger Marshall Tuck now set to face each other again in the Nov. 4 general election. Torlakson and Tuck were the top two vote-getters out of the three superintendent candidates on the ballot. But Torlakson, desp
It’s a runoff: McKenna, Johnson headed to August showdown
George McKenna on election night And now there are two. George McKenna and Alex Johnson outpolled five other candidates yesterday, but neither reached a majority, moving them into an August runoff to fill LA Unified’s vacant District 1 board seat. McKenna, 73, a career school administrator and early favorite to replace the late Marguerite LaMotte, was the clear winner in a low-turnout election, wi
Just in: School Board race heads to runoff
With 53 percent of the precincts reporting in the LA Unified school board’s District 1 race, the results indicate a runoff is in the cards between George McKenna and Alex Johnson. Latest updates available at the County Clerk’s office.
JUN 03
Tonight: Live election returns for school board race
LA School Report will bring readers live updates of today’s race to win the LA Unified school board’s District 1 seat tonight with up-to-the-minute returns. Starting at about 9:15 p.m., as results come in, LA School Report will bring you fresh updates via Twitter: @laschoolreport; our FB page and posts to this site. STAY TUNED.
LA School Report nominated for 5 SoCal journalism awards
In case you missed it, LA School Report has been honored with five nominations for the Los Angeles Press Club’s 56th Southern California Journalism Awards. The awards recognize Los Angeles area journalists and publications as well as excellence in new and emerging media. Of the five nominations, two go to LA School Report commentator Ellie Herman, a writer/teacher who has spent the last year foll
LAUSD school board candidates vote, then drum up support
Click to view slideshow. As voters head to the polls today, candidates running for LA Unified District 1 board seat were making last-minute pushes to reach voters and promote their message. Seven candidates are competing for a seat that has been vacant since December, and only an outright winner, with more than 50 percent of the vote, can assume board duties right away. Otherwise, the top two vote
UTLA wants more than 8 percent, or else (maybe a strike)
In a show of unity, UTLA‘s current and incoming presidents waved the prospect of a teachers strike in the coming school year if LA Unified offers anything less than an eight percent raise for the next school year, building to 17.6 percent in years to follow. Appearing together at an afternoon news conference yesterday, Warren Fletcher and his in-coming successor, Alex Caputo-Pearl, rejected the di
Morning Read: Education primary focuses on reform and spending
This Primary election in education: Reform and spending Voters in today’s primaries are faced with a laundry list of education issues as they head to the polls. School boards from some larger districts have vacant seats that are set to be filled, and bond measures ranging from $60 million to $650 million for school renovations will be decided on throughout the state. The key race in education, how
JUN 02
After all the noise, turnout for school board race is uncertain
After the sudden death of LA Unified school board member Marguerite LaMotte nearly six months ago, her District 1 constituents have rallied inside and outside district headquarters, demanding representation on the board. Some wanted an immediate appointment to fill her seat. Others called for a special election. The latter group won out and tomorrow, residents from southwest LA will get a chance t
Johnson, McKenna in strong last dash for cash in school board race
Alex Johnson maintained his fundraising lead in the LA Unified School board race over front runner George McKenna, in the third and final reporting period before tomorrow’s primary election. Overall, Johnson, 33, an aide to County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, has outraised McKenna, 72, a retired administrator with a national profile, by about $100,000. But in the last 10 days both candidates had
Commentary: A plea to pass the ‘Student Need Index’
Dear Los Angeles Unified School Board: We are students who live in South Los Angeles and attend South L.A. High Schools. One of us wakes up early every morning to take two buses to attend Hamilton High School in West L.A. so that she can have access to academic opportunities – like extra A.P. courses, and strong college preparation – that aren’t offered at her neighborhood school. For the rest of
Morning Read: Suspension rates in LAUSD fall, raising questions
L.A. Unified suspension rates fall but some question accuracy In the heart of Watts, where violence in nearby housing projects can spill over onto campuses, two of the city’s toughest middle schools have long dealt with fights, drugs and even weapons. Administrators typically have handled these problems by suspending students. But this year Markham and Gompers middle schools have reported marked r
JUN 01
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