Brown splits package of bills aimed at reducing truancy Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday vetoed two bills aimed at curbing truancy and absenteeism among California students. LA Times Tuck, Torlakson debate union power, lawsuit The two candidates for state superintendent of public instruction disagreed on the condition of K-12 education in California, the influence of...

Via Hechinger Report | by Jill Barshay Despite signs of a national economic recovery, homelessness in U.S. public schools steadily increased 8 percent, to 1.26 million students, in the 2012-13 school year from the previous year. That may not sound terrible, but consider that it is part of a 58 percent jump in the number...

Brown wraps up ed bills, leaves some heads shaking Gov. Jerry Brown has vetoed a bill that would have made kindergarten mandatory while at the same time signing one intended to show the overwhelming boost that optional year gives kids headed to first grade. S&I Cabinet Report Bond committee demonstrates how to ask questions about...

Via LA Times | by Jim Newton There’s a storm cloud gathering over Los Angeles politics these days, and the man at its center is schools Supt. John Deasy. In office since 2010, Deasy has fenced with his bosses, the seven-member school board, almost from the get-go. Lately, however, the situation has deteriorated: United Teachers Los...

L.A. County education officials seek to revoke group’s charter The Los Angeles County Board of Education has notified a South LA charter school organization that it intends to revoke its charter after a state audit found that administrators funneled millions in state funds to the schools’ founder and former director. LA Times Schools challenged by...

L.A. Unified oversight panel rejects $42 million for computers The Los Angeles school district’s bond oversight panel rejected a move Thursday by officials to spend an additional $42 million on new computers. LA Times Crenshaw principal says teachers’ dismissals not tied to union activity The principal of Crenshaw High School testified in a hearing Thursday...

Volunteers can help frame Common Core tests Teachers and others from California have until Friday to sign up for a crowd-sourcing exercise that will help determine how questions will be scored on the new Common Core tests students will take next spring. Edsource L.A. school board to meet Tuesday; likely to discuss Deasy’s future The...

Brown shoots down charter boundary restriction An attempt by the Legislature to limit a charter school’s ability to locate outside the borders of its authorizing school district has been struck down by Gov. Jerry Brown. S&I Cabinet Report Newport schools considering ‘snow days’ during heat waves After an oppressive heat wave left students sweltering in...

The LAUSD Curriculum and Instruction committee will meet today at 4:00 p.m. In addition to a variety of items on the agenda and in the supporting committee materials, an update on the MiSiS project will be presented. For the meeting agenda, click here. There are five supporting materials for the meeting: California Emerging Technology fund – click here,...

Amid controversies, school board to weigh superintendent’s performance After weathering a solid year of criticism for his controversial iPad program, taking a high-profile position in a case against teacher tenure and now dealing with the fallout of an irksome new attendance system, LAUSD superintendent John Deasy is about face the school board for his an...