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Union “Surveys” Teachers for Deasy Criticism
The teachers union’s on-again, off-again plan to survey its members on what they think about LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy’s job performance is back on again. However, this time around the union has a much stronger idea of what kinds of negative views its members should express. The union first mentioned in January that it planned...
By Samantha Oltman | March 19, 2013
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Group Calls for “Courageous” School Board
Ama Nyamekye, the executive director of Educators 4 Excellence Los Angeles, an organization that advocates for teachers to take a more active role in shaping education policies, wrote an op-ed in last week’s Huffington Post LA calling for a more “courageous” LAUSD School Board: “Our school board needs to get to work tackling a tall order of...
By Samantha Oltman | March 19, 2013
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UTLA Calls Off Survey on Deasy
United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) has suspended its plan to send union members a survey asking them to rate LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy’s performance, according to a recent union newsletter. The UTLA Board of Directors voted to suspend the survey, which had been set to go to members early this month. UTLA has not yet...
By Samantha Oltman | February 11, 2013
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UTLA, LAUSD Prep for Prop. 30 Budget Battle
Conflicting priorities over how to spend an influx of $6 billion in statewide Prop. 30 funds are causing tensions between LAUSD and the teachers union, UTLA. As a recent UTLA newletter reveals, concerns about how the money will be spent are one of the reasons that the union is so focused on the outcome of...
By Samantha Oltman | February 6, 2013
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Morning Read: UTLA Approves Teacher Evaluation
Los Angeles Teachers Union Approves Use of Testing Data in Evaluations A landmark agreement to use student test scores for the first time to evaluate Los Angeles Unified instructors was approved by the teachers union Saturday. LA Times See also: LA Daily News, KPCC, LA School Report ‘Parent Trigger’ Organizers Find Willing Partner in Los...
By Samantha Oltman | January 22, 2013
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Union Surveys Members About Deasy
United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) announced in the latest edition of its weekly newsletter that it plans to mail out surveys next week that give UTLA members the opportunity to grade LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy’s performance. It’s common knowledge that UTLA’s leadership, including union President Warren Fletcher, has often been critical of Deasy’s policies...
By Samantha Oltman | January 18, 2013
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Union Warns Against Rejecting Teacher Evaluation Deal
Today is the last day for LA teachers union members to submit their votes to support or reject the teacher evaluation agreement that has been hashed out between UTLA leadership and LAUSD. In the January 15 edition of its weekly newsletter, UTLA urges its members, in so many words, to support the tentative agreement, warning teachers...
By Samantha Oltman | January 17, 2013
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UTLA Rails Against “Teacher Jails”
United Teachers Los Angeles announced in the latest edition of its weekly newsletter that it plans to push back harder against LAUSD’s so-called “teacher jails,” where teachers accused of misconduct are sent to wait while the district investigates their cases. As LA School Report contributor Hillel Aron wrote in a recent LA Weekly report, teachers sent to “jail” are usually...
By Samantha Oltman | January 10, 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