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Update: Reform Coalition Faces Power Vacuum
Education reformers met Friday afternoon to discuss the disastrous results of the 2013 School Board elections and to consider what form the their efforts should take in the future. “It was a meeting to discuss what had happened in my election and what we should think about the future of LAUSD,” said Kate Anderson, who unsuccessfully...
By Hillel Aron | June 6, 2013
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Joan Sullivan to Head LA Partnership Schools
Today was Joan Sullivan’s last day as Deputy Mayor for Education, and it turns out she won’t be out of work very long. That’s because she’s been tapped to take over for Marshall Tuck as the new CEO of Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, which manages 22 schools within LAUSD. According to a press release,...
By Hillel Aron | June 5, 2013
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Budget: Class Size, Re-Hiring Teachers, & Raises
Yesterday’s special Board meeting highlighted the drastic cuts made to LAUSD’s budget over the last five years. Howard Blume has a good summary over at the LA Times: “[C]lass sizes in the early grades have gone up from 20 to 24 students — and higher in upper grades. Physical education classes have ballooned to more than...
By Hillel Aron | June 5, 2013
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Special Board Meeting Not So Special After All
There was an air of excitement surrounding today’s special Board meeting to discuss LAUSD’s budget, resulting in no less than four television crews in addition to KNX radio and three (count ’em!) education reporters live-tweeting the proceedings. The cause of all the excitement? The expected clash between Board members who want LAUSD to rehire teachers...
By Hillel Aron | June 4, 2013
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Parent Revolution Reaches Out to UTLA Teachers
On Sunday afternoon, around 25 classroom teachers who have been elected to represent their schools met at UTLA headquarters to discuss the contentious parent trigger petition process that’s unfolded at Weigand Elementary — and the possibility of additional trigger petitions in the future. Parent Revolution, the non-profit that has led the organizing efforts on all...
By Hillel Aron | June 4, 2013
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Garcetti’s Education Staffing Plans Unclear
On Friday, Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti named longtime advisor Rich Llewellyn to oversee his transition team. According to the LA Times, he’ll help “identify hundreds of people who will work in his office and serve as political appointees.” The big question in education circles is whether Garcetti will have an education team like Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa before him,...
By Hillel Aron | June 4, 2013
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Deasy: Raises & Deficit Reduction Before New Hires
In a memo sent out to district senior leadership and posted on the LAUSD website, Superintendent John Deasy laid out his vision for the next three years. Looking it over, it doesn’t take long to realize that Deasy’s priorities aren’t in line with those of some of his Board members. A resolution by Board members...
By Hillel Aron | June 3, 2013
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Conflicting Options at Tomorrow’s Board Meeting
The Daily News‘ Barbara Jones casts the two resolutions scheduled to be introduced at tomorrow’s special budget-focused Board meeting as two “conflicting options” for how to spend future revenue from Proposition 30, the temporary tax hike passed by California voters in November. One resolution, sponsored by Board members Steve Zimmer, Bennett Kayser and Dr. Richard...
By Hillel Aron | June 3, 2013
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Preview: Board to Consider Hiring, Formula Issues
At the May School Board meeting earlier this month, Board member Bennett Kayser (pictured) called for a special meeting to discuss next year’s budget, which is due June 30. That meeting is being held on Tuesday, June 4, at which time Board members are scheduled to introduce to two new resolutions (see agenda here), which...
By Hillel Aron | May 31, 2013
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Teachers Union Turning Back Against Parent Trigger
In recent days, LAUSD teachers and union activists have been stepping up their attacks on the use of California’s parent trigger law and Parent Revolution, the nonprofit that has been coordinating parents’ efforts. They held a Thursday press conference at Weigand Elementary, the school where parents and organizers recently petitioned to oust Principal Irma Cobian...
By Hillel Aron | May 31, 2013