By Steve Lopez | The Los Angeles Times A rare event took place recently on a family trek across Los Angeles, when my wife and I noticed an unusual sound coming from the back seat. Our daughter was talking to us. It was like being in a time warp. Free, unsolicited conversation has pretty much...

After delay, lawmakers to vote on California vaccine bill A contentious bill that would require California schoolchildren to be vaccinated faces a critical vote Wednesday. Contra Costa Times Fight over renewal of Obama’s school lunch rules creates unlikely alliances The Healthy School Meals Act was seen as a landmark nutritional achievement for the most health-conscious...

By Sandy Banks | The Los Angeles Times Three years ago, adult education was on the chopping block at Los Angeles Unified. Money was tight and the classes were considered a luxury the district could no longer afford. This time around, the system’s smallest students are being asked to sacrifice: To save $16 million, the...

Daily Breeze wins Pulitzer Prize for Centinela Valley Unified investigation The Daily Breeze just won a Pulitzer Prize for local reporting for their coverage of the Centinela Valley Unified School District. Daily Breeze Inconsistent training leaves special education staff struggling Special education staff operating outside the restrictions of general education. Ed Source Threats against Cleveland High...

LAUSD UTLA Tentative Bargaining Agreement (PDF) LAUSD UTLA Tentative Bargaining Agreement (Text)

By Maureen Magee | U-T San Diego With teacher employment rules high on the public agenda, a flurry of new bills has been introduced to the Legislature that would change how California educators are hired, fired and evaluated — even as a landmark legal dispute on the matter hangs in the balance. Gov. Jerry Brown...

LAUSD teacher union backs off battle cry, agrees to higher pay raise UTLA backed away from its demands for additional educators to help students inside crowded classrooms and, instead, collected a higher pay raise. Los Angeles Daily News Nonprofit hopes $25,000 prize lures L.A. schools’ District 5 voters A nonprofit voter group says it is...

Granada Hills Academic Decathlon team has championship in its sights In the last five years, Granada Hills students have won 11 out of a possible 14 city, state and national titles. Los Angeles Times Senate OKs bill barring sexual consent of minors as defense It comes after LA Unified Unified successfully argued last year that...

Burbank Unified’s selection of LA Unified Chief Strategy Officer Matt Hill as a finalist for its superintendent position is turning some heads and raising the blood pressure of some people in Burbank. Hill, who was closely involved in LA Unified’s MiSiS and iPad ventures, was questioned at a public meeting Tuesday in what the Burbank Leader...

Sometimes, it seems, the hits never stop coming for LA Unified. The latest blow comes from the financial website Nerdwallet and its article, “Best School Districts for Your Buck in California.” The story ranked all the state’s districts based on the criteria of affordability to live there, standardized test scores, college readiness and class size. So...