LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District):
LAUSD places 9 schools among top 75 in county ‘Challenge Index’
LAUSD places 9 schools among top 75 in county ‘Challenge Index’ Los Angeles School for Enriched Studies Washington Post education reporter Jay Mathews took an in-depth look at Los Angeles County this month when he applied his Challenge Index rankings and came up with a list of the top 75 schools. The results may surprise some, as Mathews noted that only six schools on the list are private, and the
Trouble for the superintendent? It’s a pattern in LA Unified
Trouble for the superintendent? It’s a pattern in LA Unified Uncertainties surround LA Unified Superintendent John Deasy. He doesn’t see eye-to-eye with board members on a host of issues. Questions are swirling about whether he’ll quit or be fired. That was last year. But here he is again, weeks away from his next performance review, and not much has changed. This time, Deasy finds himself at the
LAUSD’s Beyond the Bell program wins prestigious Air Force award
LAUSD’s Beyond the Bell program wins prestigious Air Force award LA Unified’s Beyond the Bell program received some national recognition last week when it was honored with the prestigious Hoyt S. Vandenberg Award from the Air Force Association. The program was the first educational institution to receive the award, which for 66 years has recognized achievements by individuals or institutions in th
Morning Read: Bond panel gives thumbs down to new computers
Morning Read: Bond panel gives thumbs down to new computers L.A. Unified oversight panel rejects $42 million for computers The Los Angeles school district’s bond oversight panel rejected a move Thursday by officials to spend an additional $42 million on new computers. LA Times Crenshaw principal says teachers’ dismissals not tied to union activity The principal of Crenshaw High School testified i
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Report on Hispanic children finds ‘complex picture’
Report on Hispanic children finds ‘complex picture’ A new report from Child Trends took a close look at Hispanic children in America and found a “complex picture.” The 35-page report examined all facets of the lives of Hispanic children, including education, and said some of its findings are “familiar while others are less well-known.” Overall, while Hispanic students have made significant gains o
LA Unified receives $13 million to help expose students to college
LA Unified receives $13 million to help expose students to college LA Unified has won a $13 million federal grant intended to expose low-income students to college. The grant will span over seven years and benefit 2,000 students currently in the sixth- and seventh-grades, according to City News Service. The schools involved in the grant are Berendo Middle School, the Helen Bernstein Complex, Le Co
Closed LAUSD board session grew out of request by Ratliff
Closed LAUSD board session grew out of request by Ratliff Monica Ratliff, LA Unified board member representing district 6 The LA Unified school board’s sudden decision to hold a closed door session next week grew out of a Sept. 17 email request from Monica Ratliff to Board President Richard Vladovic, in which she expressed her desire to “discuss the current personell (sic) matter.” The reference
4 LAUSD elementary schools in pilot to improve safety for kids
4 LAUSD elementary schools in pilot to improve safety for kids City Attorney Mike Feuer Getting safely to and from school can be tricky in a rough neighborhood. To make it easier, City Attorney Mike Feuer launched a pilot program earlier this month at four LA Unified elementary schools, aimed at keeping kids safe. The Neighborhood School Safety Program targets schools in areas with high “quality o
UTLA plans ‘Big Red Tuesday’ and monthly ‘escalating actions’
UTLA plans ‘Big Red Tuesday’ and monthly ‘escalating actions’ As part of a plan to increase pressure on LA Unified as it negotiates for a new contract, United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) is planning monthly “actions” to take place on campuses around the district. In preparation for the actions, which are to begin in October, UTLA is dubbing Tuesday, Sept. 30 as “Big Red Tuesday,” when union member
Morning Read: Common Core tests shaped by crowd-sourcing
Morning Read: Common Core tests shaped by crowd-sourcing Volunteers can help frame Common Core tests Teachers and others from California have until Friday to sign up for a crowd-sourcing exercise that will help determine how questions will be scored on the new Common Core tests students will take next spring. Edsource L.A. school board to meet Tuesday; likely to discuss Deasy’s future The Los Ang
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Just in: LAUSD Board calls closed-door meeting to discuss Deasy
Just in: LAUSD Board calls closed-door meeting to discuss Deasy LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy The LA Unified school board has scheduled a last-minute closed-door meeting next week to discuss its top employee, superintendent John Deasy. Sources tell LA School Report that the meeting was called to give the seven school board members a chance to discuss what criteria they would like to include in t
Study finds online literacy gap reflects family income
Study finds online literacy gap reflects family income A new study confirms conventional thinking, that an online literacy gap is emerging among students in America, with lower-income students lagging behind their more affluent peers in the ability to navigate the Internet and use it to enhance their studies. According to the New York Times, the study, led by Donald J. Leu at the University of Con
LA’s first ‘Summer of Learning’ touted as success
LA’s first ‘Summer of Learning’ touted as success With around 50,000 students participating, the first Los Angeles Summer of Learning is being hailed as a success by officials involved with the program. Modeled after a similar program launched last year in Chicago, Summer of Learning provided access for LA Unified students to 100 learning opportunities, online and in person, at LA parks, libraries
As work on MiSiS continues, LAUSD is creating MiSiS 2.0
As work on MiSiS continues, LAUSD is creating MiSiS 2.0 Ron Chandler, LAUSD’s Chief information officer While LA Unified is still wrestling with the final kinks in MiSiS, it is already developing MiSiS 2.0. “This time we’re involving users in the conversation early on,” Ron Chandler, the district’s Chief Information Officer, told the school board’s Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Committee
Winding path to teaching leads Garfield teacher to Yale award
Winding path to teaching leads Garfield teacher to Yale award Garfield Senior High School teacher Kevin Murchie As a boy, Kevin Murchie saw the award-winning film “Stand and Deliver,” the true story of Jaime Escalante, the Garfield Senior High math teacher who inspired his Latino students to overcome gang violence and poverty in east Los Angeles. A Caucasian boy growing up in the upper class commu
Morning Read: Charter boundary restrictions struck down by Gov
Morning Read: Charter boundary restrictions struck down by Gov Brown shoots down charter boundary restriction An attempt by the Legislature to limit a charter school’s ability to locate outside the borders of its authorizing school district has been struck down by Gov. Jerry Brown. S&I Cabinet Report Newport schools considering ‘snow days’ during heat waves After an oppressive heat wave left
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LIVESTREAM of the Curriculum and Instruction meeting today
LIVESTREAM of the Curriculum and Instruction meeting today The LAUSD Curriculum and Instruction committee will meet today at 4:00 p.m. In addition to a variety of items on the agenda and in the supporting committee materials, an update on the MiSiS project will be presented. For the meeting agenda, click here. There are five supporting materials for the meeting: California Emerging Technology fund
Teachers union hiring 6 in ‘groundbreaking’ plan to organize
Teachers union hiring 6 in ‘groundbreaking’ plan to organize Alex Caputo-Pearl, President of UTLA During his first State of the Union speech at the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) leadership conference last week, President Alex Caputo-Pearl promised that the union was “gearing up for this fight” as he works to negotiate a new contract with LA Unified. Near the end of his remarks, as if to prove
After early influx, lines dwindling at LA Unified’s immigrant center
After early influx, lines dwindling at LA Unified’s immigrant center LA Unified’s Immigrant Guidance Assessment & Placement Center saw long lines when it opened its doors in August, but concerns that the influx of students would be a problem for the district to handle appear unfounded. During its first month of operation following the summer recess, the center processed 360 children from Aug.
Morning Read: Deasy faces board review as controversies abound
Morning Read: Deasy faces board review as controversies abound Amid controversies, school board to weigh superintendent’s performance After weathering a solid year of criticism for his controversial iPad program, taking a high-profile position in a case against teacher tenure and now dealing with the fallout of an irksome new attendance system, LAUSD superintendent John Deasy is about face the sch
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LAUSD Title 1 money in jeopardy over enduring MiSiS glitches
LAUSD Title 1 money in jeopardy over enduring MiSiS glitches The deadline for LA Unified students’ receiving free and reduced priced lunch is tomorrow, leaving anyone who has not renewed an application facing an empty stomach come Wednesday. Making matters worse, school site officials say a bug in the district’s new student data system, MiSiS, has made it difficult to target students who still nee
LA Unified sets record with 5 county ‘Teachers of the Year’
LA Unified sets record with 5 county ‘Teachers of the Year’ The five LA Unified teachers named Los Angeles County “Teachers of the Year” are in the front row, (left to right): Maricar J. Fortuno Calatán, Lovelyn Marquez-Prueher, Isabel J. Morales, Michael A. Morgan, and Hector V. Perez-Roman. A record five LA Unified teachers have been named Los Angeles County Teachers of the Year for 2014-15. The
Another challenger to Kayser enters LAUSD school board race
Another challenger to Kayser enters LAUSD school board race Andrew Thomas, challenger to Bennett Kayser for the district 5 seat on the LA Unified school board Andrew Thomas came to the conclusion the LA Unified school board had grown too distant from issues at the school level. He tried one approach at improving things, serving as a member of the Parents Advisory Committee, which was suppose to he
In State of the Union, Caputo-Pearl hints at strike, targets Deasy
In State of the Union, Caputo-Pearl hints at strike, targets Deasy Alex Caputo-Pearl, President of UTLA In his first State of the Union speech as the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) president, Alex Caputo-Pearl delivered a careful, balanced address at the union’s annual Leadership Conference on Friday night, leaving most of the fiery rhetoric to one of his predecessors, Wayne Johnson, who energ
Morning Read: Teacher dismissal bill may further muddy process
Morning Read: Teacher dismissal bill may further muddy process Teacher dismissal bill may add complexity not simplify Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation in late June with the goal of expediting the process of dismissing teachers for egregious misconduct, but some experts say AB 215 will only further muddy up an already difficult and costly process. S&I Cabinet Report Officials optimistic abo