As LA School Report celebrates its first anniversary, Michael Janofsky, a former New York Times journalist, is joining us as Managing Editor, with overall responsibilities for content and the daily operation of the site. Janofsky, who lives in Los Angeles, worked at the Times for 24 years as a staff correspondent and bureau chief, specializing...

School Born of California Parent-Trigger Law Opens its Doors The Desert Trails Preparatory Academy, in Adelanto, Calif., welcomes students following a tumultuous process led by a group of parents determined to change the leadership and direction of what has been to date an academically struggling school. Edweek  Debate Looms Over how to Spend Money for...

Advocates: Start Spending New Money Now on High-Needs Students Two dozen organizations advocating for disadvantaged students wrote county and school district superintendents and charter school administrators Wednesday, reminding them that the new funding formula directing more money to low-income kids and English learners is now the law even though the initial regulations for the system...

With school starting in just a few weeks, the Office Depot Foundation is donating 8,000 sackpacks, each containing essential school supplies, to kids served by LA-area nonprofit organizations, schools and agencies. The giveaway starts at 10 a.m. Friday during a special Back-to-School Celebration at the Office Depot store at 401 E. 2ndStreet. As he did last year,...

Nury Martinez Wins L.A. City Council Race Former Los Angeles school board member Nury Martinez pulled off a come-from-behind victory Tuesday in her race against rival Cindy Montañez for an open City Council seat in the east San Fernando Valley to become City Hall’s only elected female officeholder. LA Times Pressure on Deasy Must Not be a...

Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, delivered a hard-charging speech at the union’s convention in Washington on Monday (transcript here), asserting that ineffective teachers should find another line of work. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ot8rjKmBfk&w=400&h=225] “If someone can’t teach after they’ve been prepared and supported, they shouldn’t be in our profession,” she said, winning loud applause from more...

Polls Open for LA Council District 6 The special election — to fill the seat of former Councilman Tony Cardenas, now in Congress — pits Nury Martinez, 40, a former Los Angeles school board member, against Cindy Montañez, 39, a Department of Water and Power executive and former state legislator. LA Times  Vote for Nury...

Issue of Child Sexual Abuse Emerges in District 6 Race The late-breaking controversy — which included one candidate telling her story of being abused as a child — has added a wild card to Tuesday’s special election to fill the eastern San Fernando Valley 6th District seat vacated by Tony Cardenas, who was elected to...