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Want to run for the LAUSD board? Deadlines approaching
The clock is ticking on deadlines, now that the City Council has approved a June 3 special election for the LA Unified school board. The candidate fundraising window opened today, according to a press release from the LA City Ethics Commission. Anyone running must form a candidate committee and file a Statement of Economic Interests with the...
By Chase Niesner | January 16, 2014
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‘Rally the Valley’ hoping to give parents a voice in funding
A new San Fernando Valley organization is seeking a greater role for parents in future LA Unified funding decisions, now that parents are part of the state’s new approach to education support, known as the Local Control Funding Formula. Heather Thompson, a parent at Hesby Oaks Leadership Charter in Encino and acting spokeswoman for last...
By Chase Niesner | January 15, 2014
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LA Unified asking community for ideas on state spending plan
With the State Board of Education meeting later this week to set a new funding plan for public education, LAUSD officials today sought ideas from community-based groups for putting the money to best use. Speaking to the representatives at the downtown office of the California Endowment, Superintendent John Deasy applauded the plan, known as the Local Control...
By Chase Niesner | January 13, 2014
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Torlakson, Democrats backing measure to expand pre-K
Democratic lawmakers and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson are sponsoring new legislation to provide free public preschool to every four-year-old child in California. The Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2014, introduced by Darrel Steinberg (D-Sacramento) and co-sponsored by Torlakson and Early Edge California, will expand access to transitional kindergarten programs to all four year old children, no...
By Chase Niesner | January 10, 2014
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LA Unified ending GED tests, awaiting alternatives on paper
When 2013 comes to a close, LA Unified will stop offering GED tests over concerns about cost and computer-only access. Until the state chooses an alternative that provides a version with paper-and-pencil, degree seekers will have to visit schools outside the district. “The populations that we serve, especially the adults, are among those who need...
By Chase Niesner | December 20, 2013
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‘Power Challenge’ helping LA Unified conserve energy
A new district-wide energy saving competition and curriculum in LA Unified schools are attempting to help the district save on its utility bill, while promoting STEM education at a time when California students are lagging in science and mathematics. In the POWER Challenge (Preserving Our Water and Energy Resources), district schools are competing to reduce...
By Chase Niesner | December 19, 2013
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For 4th Straight Year, LA Unified Has the Most Charter Students
For the fourth straight year, LA Unified has the most students in charter schools of any school district in the country, according to a new report from the National Alliance for Pubic Charter Schools. With 120,000 students enrolled, the district also ranks as the seventh fastest growing charter school community in the nation. Last year, LA Unified added...
By Chase Niesner | December 10, 2013
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Teachers Union Holding Vigils for 260 ‘Housed’ Members
While American Federation of Teachers affiliates are holding a “National Day of Action” today, UTLA is planning four vigils in support of “housed” LA Unified teachers, those caught between allegations of misconduct and final rulings on their employment status. Currently 260 such teachers are caught in so-called “teacher jails,” the consequence of what UTLA President Warren...
By Chase Niesner | December 9, 2013
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LAUSD’s Fall Soccer Games Rescheduled for This Week
The mud has dried, the rain clouds are gone, and LAUSD special needs students will finally have the chance to showcase their six weeks of training at the LAUSD Fall Soccer Games, which have been rescheduled for Thursday and Friday. The School Games, which were postponed two weeks ago due to weather concerns, are the...
By Chase Niesner | December 3, 2013
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State Tries a ‘STEM’ Video to Confront Lagging Math Scores
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tquPmplrofk&noredirect=1 While some education researchers may question the validity of the nation’s “STEM crisis,” it remains clear that California students continue to struggle in mathematics when compared with their peers across the nation. According to the recently released Report Card from the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), California fourth and eighth graders ranked 47th...
By Chase Niesner | November 25, 2013