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Teacher Evaluations Still a Work in Progress
Teacher evaluations for the 2012-13 school year were due about a month ago. Even though they included a section for “student achievement,” it’s safe to say that particular section was a work in progress. “There was literally just a few weeks to get it implemented, and we had to implement it according to the courts,”...
By Hillel Aron | June 14, 2013
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District Makes Student Achievement 30% of Teacher Evaluation*
LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy has issued guidelines to all principals regarding the new teacher evaluations, which will be implemented by the start of the 2013-14 school year. But UTLA President Warren Fletcher says that the guidelines may violate the underlying agreement, which was ratified by UTLA on January 19th and approved by the School Board on Tuesday.
By Hillel Aron | February 15, 2013
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Implementing the Teacher Evaluation Deal
Last week, classroom teachers voted overwhelmingly to approve a new system of evaluations, which include data from California Standardized Tests. “I’m gratified our members ratified the agreement that clearly states, individual AGT (Academic Growth Over Time) scores will not be used as part of a teacher’s final evaluation,” said UTLA chief Warren Fletcher in a...
By Hillel Aron | January 22, 2013
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UTLA’s Confusing Flip-Flop on Evaluations
While union president Warren Fletcher has claimed victory on a recent court-ordered tentative agreement on teacher evaluations, a closer look might leave rank-and-file teachers scratching their heads. UTLA has consistently opposed any use of student test scores in teacher evaluations in the past. So it was unexpected when the union leadership signed off on using...
By Samantha Oltman | December 12, 2012
Investigation: Nearly 1,000 Native Children Died in Federal Boarding Schools
Podcast: What a Mentorship Mindset Can Do for Student Motivation
Black and Hispanic Voters Say Democrats Aren’t Focused Enough on K-12 Education
Teen Activist Rhea Maniar on the Power of Abortion to Turn Out Young Voters
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Next Steps to Finalize Teacher Deal
On Friday, LAUSD and UTLA finally came to tentative agreement on a new way to evaluate teachers, just days before the court-imposed December 4 deadline in Doe v. Deasy. The initial responses were generally positive, including from the plaintiffs. “Assuming that everyone behaves in good faith, I think we’ve achieved what we’ve set out to...
By Hillel Aron | December 3, 2012
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Board Preview: Doe v. Deasy; Teacher Dismissals
The LAUSD Board will hold a special closed session on Tuesday, December 4 to confer with its legal counsel about the Doe v. Deasy case and to discuss labor negotiations: Board Members Monica Garcia and Tamar Galatzan will also introduce a resolution calling on state legislators to change “the lengthy, expensive [teacher] dismissal process required...
By Samantha Oltman | December 3, 2012
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Breaking News: Test Scores to Be Used in Teacher Evaluations
A tentative but potentially historic agreement was reached late Friday, November 30 between LAUSD and UTLA that will define how teachers are evaluated in the second largest school district in country. The agreement includes the use of individual student test scores as a part of the review process – a measurement that has been championed...
By LA School Report | November 30, 2012
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Deasy Predicts Evaluation Deal
Superintendent John Deasy said this morning that he expects a tentative agreement with UTLA over a new system of teacher evaluations, as mandated by the court in Doe v. Deasy, at some point in the next four days — just before the deadline set by the judge. “I’m not a betting or predictive kind of guy,...
By Hillel Aron | November 29, 2012
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Teacher Talks: What Happens If They Can’t Agree?
The deadline set by Judge Chalfant for LAUSD and UTLA to agree on a teacher evaluation system that satisfies the requirements of the Stull Act is December 4 — less than a week away. Neither side is saying how the negotiations are going – other than, well, “they’re going.” That sounds good, but the district and...
By Hillel Aron | November 28, 2012
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Top District Lawyer Talks Lawsuits, Unilateral Action
Not many people would recognize David Holmquist, general counsel for the LA Unified School District (pictured below). But Holmquist serves as an important role, overseeing all labor negotiations, and representing the district in over 1,000 lawsuits – including attempts by LAUSD to recover overpayment from 600 employees and dismiss more than 120 teachers. We spoke last...
By Hillel Aron | October 31, 2012