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Union To Ask LA Unified Board for a Stay On Dismissals*
The Los Angeles teachers union will ask the LA Unified Board of Education to temporarily suspend the two most recent rounds of teacher dismissals, which the board approved in closed sessions this month and last month. “Teachers want to make sure that if there are any bad guys in the classroom, that they stop being...
By Hillel Aron | October 14, 2013
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Gov. Brown’s Veto Leaves Teacher Dismissal in Limbo*
Governor Jerry Brown’s veto of AB 375, a bill that would have amended California’s teacher dismissal process, doesn’t mean the effort is dead. “The governor still wants to do something,” LA Unified’s chief lobbyist, Edgar Zazueta, told LA School Report. “I do see there will be one, if not several, efforts to do this next year. Hopefully we’re...
By Hillel Aron | October 11, 2013
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Teacher Dismissal Bill Blocked Over Seven-Month Time Limit
After nine months of hearings and amendments, legislation aimed to quicken and streamline teacher dismissal procedures failed to pass in the Senate Education Committee by one vote. The Chair of the Senate Education Committee Carol Liu (D-Glendale) — the only LA-area lawmaker on the committee — decided not to vote for or against the bill...
By Brianna Sacks | July 11, 2013
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Update: Teacher Dismissal Bill Heads to State Senate
A controversial bill aimed at ensuring teachers accused of sexual misconduct and other immoral acts can be more easily removed from the classroom is now awaiting referral in the Senate Rules Committee before its eventual hearing by the Senate Education Committee. Given the array of allies and opponents focused on teacher misconduct — especially after...
By Brianna Sacks | June 10, 2013
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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Charted: Teacher Dismissals By the Numbers
The above graphic is from Barbara Jones’ excellent Daily News piece on Superintendent John Deasy’s push to dismiss more teachers. The article also includes a sidebar briefly summarizing 83 cases against teachers accused of misconduct in the last 15 months — accusations ranging from “showing students images of naked children” to “paying students to do his work, such as...
By Hillel Aron | May 13, 2013
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State Teachers Union Rejects Criticism of Teacher Dismissal Bill*
California Teachers Association President Dean Vogel has issued a sharp response to criticism of the proposed teacher dismissal bill being championed by Joan Buchanan (D-Alamo), focusing in particular on those of former state lawmaker Gloria Romero: “Far from jumping late onto any dismissal bandwagon, CTA has led support of efforts to expedite the dismissal process, maintain existing safeguards...
By Alexander Russo | April 29, 2013
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Villaraigosa Expresses Concerns About Teacher Dismissal Bill
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has added his voice to a group of education leaders who are reluctant to support the current union-supported teacher dismissal bill being considered in Sacramento unless it’s amended to address key issues. In an April 19 letter sent to the bill’s sponsor, Assemblymember Joan Buchanan (D-Alamo), Villaraigosa praises Buchanan for...
By Samantha Oltman | April 25, 2013
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Deasy Requests Changes to Teacher Dismissal Bill
Earlier this week, the LA Weekly honed in on the outsized influence California’s largest teachers union is perceived to have on education policy issues, including recent efforts to speed the removal of sexual predators from the classroom. “That’s how CTA infamously killed a [2012] law to fire sex-pervert teachers, SB 1530,” LA Weekly writer Matthew Mullins wrote. “A...
By Samantha Oltman | April 24, 2013
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Assemblymember Bloom Opposes Teacher Dismissal Bill
Earlier this month, LA School Report interviewed education players in California about AB 375, sponsored by Assemblymember Joan Buchanan (D-Alamo), which would streamline the dismissal process for teachers accused of sexual abuse and other forms of misconduct.proposal. EdVoice, LAUSD, and others generally said they were happy something was being done to improve the current teacher dismissal process....
By Samantha Oltman | April 18, 2013
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Morning Read: Board Votes to Speed Dismissal Process
LAUSD Board Votes to Improve Abuse Investigations With 278 Los Angeles Unified educators sitting in “teacher jail,” the school board voted Tuesday to streamline and improve the investigations of those accused of serious physical abuse or sexual misconduct. LA Daily News See also: LA School Report, LA Times L.A. Unified Board Ratifies ‘Parent-Trigger’ Partnership The...
By Samantha Oltman | April 17, 2013