Saturday, February 23, 2013

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 2-23-13



4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:

4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT

Election 2013/The best democracy money can buy: COULD A SINGLE SCHOOL BOARD RACE DETERMINE LAUSD'S FUTURE? + DONATIONS FROM INDEPENDENT GROUPS SHAPING CITY, LAUSD ELECTIONS

Could a single school board race determine LAUSD's future? Vanessa Romo | Take Two | 89.3 KPCC | http://bit.ly/ZyKQE2 Adolfo Guzman-Lopez/KPCC - L.A. Unified School District board member Steve Zimmer outside the home of a high school dropout. He and other educators formed one of 10 teams out to "recover" students who'd stopped showing up to school. Zimmer and his team recovered 15 students

Updated: LAUSD CONSIDERS CARPENTER E.S. FOR PILOT PROGRAM TO COMBAT ENROLLMENT FRAUD + smf’’s 2¢

See some of the emotional, heated and pointed discussions at the long afternoon meeting Thursday in the attached video. By Mike Szymanski, Sherman Oaks Patch |http://bit.ly/XRnkeR Attorney Georgianna Kelman challenges the district representatives to do something. Credit Mike Szymanski Photos  Videos

THE KEEP CALM & CARRY ON CAMPAIGN 2013

     “A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public debt… And if we feel their power just sufficiently to hoop

The California Office to ®eform Education: LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT SEEKS NCLB WAIVER FOR HIS DISTRICT AND NINE OTHERS + smf’s 2¢

- LA Daily News http://bit.ly/WcHCjf 02/20/2013 03:03:26 PM PST - LOS ANGELES -- With California unable to get a waiver from the No Child Left Behind law, LAUSD and nine other districts have launched an effort to create their own data-based accountability systems -- and have more freedom in how to spend tens of millions in federal dollars. No Child requires that students pass English and math

The best Bd of Ed $ can buy?: FORMER DC SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR MICHELLE RHEE JOINS LIST OF DONORS TO LAUSD SCHOOL BOARD RACE

Mary Plummer | Pass / Fail : | 89.3 KPCC http://bit.ly/YdxN6q AP Photo - D.C. Chancellor Michelle Rhee, shown here in 2008, donated $250,000 to a PAC supporting charter-friendly L.A. school board candidates. February 20th, 2013, 6:23pm  ::  Add former Washington, D.C. schools chancellor Michelle Rhee to the list of out of towners weighing in on the LAUSD school board race--financially

MICHELLE ®HEE INC. DONATES $250,000 to ®EFORM INC. CANDIDATES IN LAUSD RACES

A quarter-of-a-million dollars  from StudentsFirst, led by the former District of Columbia schools chancellor, will benefit races of board President Monica Garcia and two other candidates. By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times  | http://lat.ms/XASPMR Michelle Rhee, former chancellor of District of Columbia schools, is head of StudentsFirst, an

L.A. COMMUNITY COLLEGE CHANCELLOR RESIGNS UNDER FIRE

by Carla Rivera, LA Times | http://lat.ms/WQ9bB6 February 19, 2013 |  3:58 pm  ::  Daniel LaVista announced Tuesday that he will resign his post as chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District, the nation’s largest, and with a poor record of student completion and budget problems, one of its most challenged. LaVista made his announcement in a district-wide Chancellor's Update email

FAA GREENLIGHTS $1 LEASE FOR LAUSD AVIATION SCHOOL AT VAN NUYS AIRPORT

By Dana Bartholomew, Staff Writer, LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/WWxnU1 2/14/2013 07:17:41 PM PST  ::  A plan to save a threatened aviation mechanics school at Van Nuys Airport inched toward takeoff this week after a tentative go-ahead from the FAA for a lease proposal. In a letter to airport officials Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration said its policies would support a $1-a-year

HUGE SPENDING GAPS BETWEEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS, STUDY FINDS: South San Francisco spends less than $7K per student, across the bay Sausalito spends $29,oooK

by Howard Blume, LA Times  | http://lat.ms/1550iah February 19, 2013 |  5:26 pm   ::  Vast inequities still exist in education funding across the nation, contributing to an academic achievement gap that separates the students at well-funded schools from those who attend campuses with fewer resources, according to a report released Tuesday The funding disparities are “as wide as ever despite

LAUSD SCHOOL BOARD RACE DRAWS BIG MONEY: Primary has drawn over $4 million ….$2 million from outside sources

“How much is that school board in the window?” Outside spending in LAUSD race tops $2M Los Angeles Unified school board election has nation's attention EDUCATION: Both union and reform camps have a lot riding on primary By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer | LA Daily News http://bit.ly/

MARIA CANO: 4LAKids endorsed School Board Candidate Wine Tasting Fundraisers!

smf notes there isn’t a lot of opportunity in K-12 educational advocacy to consume adult beverages. This is one two of them maria cano writes 4LALKIds Greetings Team Cano: This is just a reminder that we have another two fundraisers at the City Club, the dates are as following: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 6:00 -7:30 and Friday, February 22, 2013 at 6:00 -7:30 Space is limited

HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other Sources from Feb. 17th

First, Protect the Children: REPORT EXCORIATES L.A. COUNTY AGENCY IN CHILD DEATHS Thirteen recent child deaths might not have happened if Department of Children and Family Services social workers had taken basic steps to assess the risks, an investigation finds. By Jason Song and Garrett Therolf, Los Angeles Times | http://bit.ly/Uvdt2m GPA CAN BE CONTAGIOUS AMONG HIGH SCHOOL

First, Protect the Children: REPORT EXCORIATES L.A. COUNTY AGENCY IN CHILD DEATHS

Thirteen recent child deaths might not have happened if Department of Children and Family Services social workers had taken basic steps to assess the risks, an investigation finds. By Jason Song and Garrett Therolf, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/Xe1jdU Vyctorya Sandoval died at 25 months old after “obvious indications of physical abuse were either ignored or not noticed” by Department

GPA CAN BE CONTAGIOUS AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, STUDY FINDS

smf: The headline above shows what happens when the data-driven operate on cruise control – and I’m sure the student authors (“Scholars”)  of the report would correct the headline editor. “GPA” is a measurement metric, a data point – a cell on a spreadsheet.  It is meaningless outside the moment and is neither transferable nor contagious.

UTLA WINS RIGHT TO REPRESENT VALLEY CHARTER SCHOOL

-- Howard Blume - latimes.com http://lat.ms/VnYjee February 14, 2013 |  5:00 am - The Los Angeles teachers union announced Wednesday night that it has won the right to negotiate a contract for teachers and counselors at a West San Fernando Valley charter school. The charter, Ivy Academia, operates out of three locations and serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The school has

OBAMA URGES BIG PRESCHOOL PUSH IN STATE OF THE UNION + WHITE HOUSE OUTLINES PRESCHOOL PLAN

Obama Urges Big Preschool Expansion in State of the Union Speech Posted by Alyson Klein | Politics K-12 - Education Week http://bit.ly/VXGXax UPDATED February 12, 2013   10:11 PM::  President Barack Obama called on Congress in his State of the Union address to significantly expand access to preschool to all 4-year-olds from moderate- and low-income families, and to create a new spin-off of

CALIFORNIA DROPS OUT OF ELL ASSESSMENT CONSORTIUM

By Lesli A. Maxwell - Learning the Language - Education Week http://bit.ly/Ut7zyG February 13, 2013 5:40 PM  :: California education officials have dropped out of a group of a dozen states that had organized around the need to develop a new English-language proficiency assessment that will measure the language demands of the Common Core State Standards. The state had planned to be part of ELPA

HARASSMENT SUIT AGAINST EX-LAUSD HEAD DISMISSED

The Associated Press | Times-Standard Online http://bit.ly/XGbYKq 02/16/2013 07:10:41 PM PST | LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Unified School District says a judge has dismissed a sexual harassment suit against former Superintendent Ramon Cortines. District spokesman Sean Rossall tells the Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/12UNZ1Z) on Saturday that a judge dismissed the lawsuit brought by district

API REWRITE GETTING FAST TRACKED, GRAD RATES COME FIRST

By Kimberly Beltran SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources http://bit.ly/Xh3fz4 A prior version of this story referred imprecisely to the date that new computer-assisted testing has been proposed to begin. It would start in the spring, 2015. Wednesday, February 13, 2013  ::  Under pressure to quickly add new indicators for school success into the Academic Performance Index, a state

BROWN’S BUDGET PLAN TAKES ANOTHER SHOT AT ELIMINATING BIP MANDATE FOR SPECIAL ED STUDENTS

  By Lee Funk | SI&A Cabinet Report | http://bit.ly/VXB1hQ Thursday, February 14, 2013  ::  After losing a decades-long battle with schools over the state’s responsibility to reimburse districts for developing behavior intervention plans for special education students, Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed legislation that would severely limit what ultimately will be paid back. The proposal,

HOLDING STATES AND SCHOOLS ACCOUNTABLE: Debate Over Federal Role in Public School Policy

News Analysis By MOTOKO RICH, N.Y. Times | http://nyti.ms/XcTiGb February 10, 2013   ::  As Congress contemplates rewriting No Child Left Behind, President George W. Bush’s signature education law, legislators will tussle over a vision of how the federal government should hold states and schools accountable for students’ academic progress. <<Mark Humphrey/Associated Press Senator Lamar

LAUSD PETITIONS FOR SWEEPING RELIEF FROM QEIA CLASS SIZE REQUIREMENTS + smf’s 2¢

  By Tom Chorneau | SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources http://bit.ly/XG2KxN Monday, February 11, 2013  |  The Los Angeles Unified School District is set to bring applications forward next month seeking relief for 78 school sites from class-size restrictions required under a special state funding program. The waiver applications, which probably would not have attracted much attention a

LA Times: “We'll be upfront about this: We consider Garcia a poor choice for the school board…” but we’re endorsing her anyway!

The Times' L.A. school board endorsements - latimes.com http://lat.ms/VW4dpr Garcia’s a poor choice  …but she likes Deasy. Kate’s a politician who’s been ineffectual at changing policy she won’t be able to control on the board  ...but she likes Deasy. The Other Monica is a good teacher at a good school miles from the district she wants to  represent.    Once

SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES DEBATE BLOOMBERG’S $1 MILLION DONATION

-- Howard Blume /LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/XSZjpy Mayor Tony’s BBF Mayor Mike: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg in New York City on Thursday. Credit: Mario Tama / Getty Images February 14, 2013 |  3:17 pm  ::  A record-setting donation to Los Angeles school board contests quickly became a topic Wednesday night at the first candidate forum after word broke of the $1-million contribution

The Spin, The Spin!: LAUSD, DEASY FIND SOLUTION TO SAVE 200+ JOBS + smf’s 2¢

  abc7.com http://bit.ly/12oKssE Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy (center) is seen speaking with a student in a classroom in this undated file photo. (KABC Photo) Thursday, February 14, 2013 LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A last-minute move saved hundreds of Los Angeles Unified School District employees from getting pink slips. LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy and the

IS OKLAHOMA THE RIGHT MODEL FROR UNIVERSAL PRE-K?

Posted by Suzy Khimm , Washington Post WonkBlog  | http://wapo.st/XBKMwq February 14, 2013 at 10:04 am “In states that make it a priority to educate our youngest children — like Georgia or Oklahoma,” President Obama said in his State of the Union address, “studies show students grow up more likely to read and do math at grade level, graduate high school, hold a job, form more stable families of

L.A. UNIFIED SCHOOL BOARD RACE COULD BREAK FUNDRAISING RECORDS THIS ELECTION

Adolfo Guzman-Lopez | Pass / Fail : 89.3 KPCC http://bit.ly/12OJrdp Listen Now [4 min 16 sec]   [Download] Maya Sugarman/KPCC - Incumbent LAUSD Board President Monica Garcia at her East LA campaign office. February 14th, 2013, 5:00am  ::  New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's unprecedented $1 million donation Tuesday to influence Los Angeles school board elections ups the ante in a school board

UTLA TO EXPAND TEACHER TRAINING CAMP FOR MANAGING SCHOOLS

●●smf: Who will train parents in the shared-management model? John Deasy? by Barbara Jones, LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/12l09kA American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten holds a news conference while visiting Woodland Hills Academy on Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. (Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer) 2/08/2013 07:19:54 PM PST  ::  Touting the success of an innovative

CORTINES CLAIMS STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS HAS EXPIRED ON ALLEGED HARASSMENT: Judge may dismiss sex lawsuit against former superintendent

By City News Service from the LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/Z06Js2 2/13/2013 07:22:33 PM PST  ::  A judge said Wednesday he was inclined to grant a motion by lawyers for former Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Ramon Cortines to dismiss a lawsuit alleging the educator made unwanted sexual advances to a male LAUSD employee. Cortines' attorneys say Scot Graham failed to file an appropriate

MONICA GARCIA + L.A. FUND FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION REMOVE OFFENSIVE, ILLEGITIMATE, UNETHICAL & SELF–SERVING BILLBOARDS

see: LA GORDA DREAMS BIG: Monica’s Big Big Billboard The utla Arts Education Committee e-mails: The mere threat of our protests was enough. The offensive, illegitimate, unethical billboards have been taken down. They've whitewashed their wrongdoing by covering them up. But, hey, we still have photos.  When faced with public denunciation of two protests originally planned later

THE STATE OF THE UNION: Early Childhood Ed, Career+Technical Education and STEM, Higher Ed, Gun Violence and Citizenship

Excerpts from last night’s State of the Union Address by President Obama | 2013 State of the Union Address: An annotated transcript | Marketplace.org http://bit.ly/12fSF2f Lincoln’s Birthday, February 12, 2013 on Early Childhood Education Study after study shows that the sooner a child begins learning, the better he or she does down the road. But today, fewer than 3 in 10 four year-olds are