The Morning Read
Your Daily Roundup of LAUSD news from across the web | 10.05.21
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Teachers in 34 States Don’t Get Paid Parental Leave, New Study Finds

Two-thirds of states don’t provide paid parental leave for teachers beyond their accumulated sick days, according to a new study by the National Council on Teacher Quality. The research revealed that of the 16 states that require districts to offer paid parental leave, only two — Arkansas and Delaware — give teachers their full wages...
By Lauren Wagner | January 26, 2026
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Rethinking Classroom Tech: A Call for Student Well-Being

This story was originally published on EdSource. Over the past two decades, educational technology has fundamentally reshaped teaching and learning. Digital tools have transformed instructional delivery, assessment, intervention and access to resources for students with diverse needs. As an educator who has taught at the elementary, middle and high school levels, I recognize the powerful...
By Bryan Easter | January 22, 2026
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A Year After Fires Scorched L.A. Schools, Difficulties Plague Reopenings

A year has passed since historic wildfires scorched vast swaths of Los Angeles and eight schools, where enrollment is still a fraction of what it was before the fires. The schools have mostly reopened after prolonged closures, using temporary classrooms. But the fires, which killed dozens and left thousands homeless, have chopped enrollment by half...
By Ben Chapman | January 21, 2026
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If We Care About Learning, We Must Care About Kids’ Oral Health

In our country, conversations about improving student performance typically focus on curriculum standards, class size, testing, teacher pay and school technology. These debates are certainly important, but they overlook a quieter factor that affects learning every single day: children’s oral health. As a practicing dentist in Montclair, California, I regularly see children whose ability to...
By Paula Izvernari | January 20, 2026
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Newsom California Education Plan Would Shift More Power to Governor

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday proposed paring down the responsibilities of California’s elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction and shifting more power to the State Board of Education. “California can no longer postpone reforms that have been recommended regularly for a century,” Newsom said, referring to...
By Carolyn Jones, CalMatters | January 15, 2026
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California Legislators to Try Again to Make Kindergarten Mandatory

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The past few years, California has been all about the ABCs, 1-2-3s and the wheels on the bus, investing more than $5 billion in early childhood education. But kindergarten, a staple of elementary schools for more than a century, remains optional. Despite nearly...
By Carolyn Jones, CalMatters | January 14, 2026
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Trump Administration Plans to Freeze Billions in Childcare Funding to California

This story was originally published on LAist. The Trump administration says it’s planning to freeze about $10 billion in federal support for needy families in California and four other Democrat-run states, as the president announced an investigation into unspecified fraud in California. The plans come on the heels of the Trump administration announcing a freeze on...
By Nick Gerda, LAist | January 13, 2026
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Food Insecurity Is Surging Among Child Care Providers

Hunger is on the rise for the early care and education workforce, according to recent research from the Stanford Center on Early Childhood, and signs suggest the challenge is unlikely to improve in the short term. In June, 58% of early care and education providers surveyed by the RAPID Survey Project at Stanford said they...
By Emily Tate Sullivan | January 8, 2026
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L.A. Fires: Schools Mourn Losses, Celebrate Progress on Anniversary

This story was originally published by EdSource. Sign up for their daily newsletter. A year ago, Tanya Reyes watched in disbelief as the Eaton fire incinerated her Altadena home. As her three daughters listed everything they had lost in the days that followed, Reyes kept reminding them that what mattered most was that they still had each...
By Mallika Seshadri and Betty Márquez Rosales, EdSource | January 7, 2026
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LAUSD Taps Private Funders to ‘Level the Playing Field’ Between District Schools

Concerned about longstanding disparities between Los Angeles schools and a possible loss of state and federal funds, the Los Angeles Unified School District is tapping private philanthropy to fill the gaps. The district recently reignited its dormant nonprofit, the LAUSD Education Foundation, hiring a new executive director to court dollars from corporations and foundations. The...
By Sara Randazzo | January 6, 2026
