-
If history is any indication, expect voter turnout to be light in LAUSD school board runoff
It’s tough to make predictions of voter turnout in Los Angeles city elections — not even the city clerk does it, but a surefire bet is that despite the most money ever spent on a school board election in U.S. history, there will still be a poor turnout. Past LA Unified elections show that interest...
By Mike Szymanski | May 11, 2017
-
LAUSD serves up a taste of vegan menu options after a healthy debate
Always with an appetite for dishing up something new for school meals, LA Unified’s school board unanimously approved a pilot program to test vegan options on their school menus. At least one school in each of the seven regional districts will get their first taste of a non-animal-based school lunch, and the program is being prepared...
By Mike Szymanski | May 11, 2017
-
Unified enrollment plan on hold as tech decision is delayed
A sweeping technology plan for LA Unified that included an expanded unified enrollment system was postponed Tuesday night as school board members await more information and staff adds up the total costs. The school board was being asked to set aside money for a unified enrollment system even as one has launched on the district’s website this week...
By Mike Szymanski | May 10, 2017
-
LAUSD board takes another strong stand against feds to soothe immigrant fears
LA Unified reinforced its position Tuesday as the strongest school district to stand against the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant policies by passing a resolution that specifically forbids employees from cooperating with federal authorities over immigration inquiries. The resolution was another addition to a series of sweeping propositions passed by the second-largest school district in the nation since...
By Mike Szymanski | May 9, 2017
-
Hollywood and heavyweights endorse in LAUSD school board race
* UPDATED MAY 8 One of them was endorsed by an actor known (most recently) for playing creepy murderers. Another got the support of a guy who played the chauffeur in “Downton Abbey.” One sent out a heartfelt letter written by her mom, and another was endorsed by a woman who owns her own newspaper....
By Mike Szymanski | May 4, 2017
-
Unified enrollment plan heads for a vote, but some board members remain skeptical
A unified enrollment plan that is supposed to make it easier for parents to apply to multiple magnet and pilot programs is scheduled for a vote next Tuesday, but some LA Unified school board members aren’t convinced it’s ready to be funded. During a presentation at the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday afternoon, board members expressed concerns...
By Mike Szymanski | May 4, 2017
-
LAUSD diverts $27 million toward schools — and looks to move employees to local offices
*UPDATED More than $27 million is being funneled from the downtown LA Unified headquarters to local school districts, and the district is looking to move more employees out of their main office building. “We are decentralizing and putting more resources closer to the learners in the local districts,” Chief Academic Officer Frances Gipson told the...
By Mike Szymanski | May 2, 2017
-
Anger erupts over LAUSD’s lack of transparency about sharing space with public charter schools — and inflames the board election
It seems everyone is angry at LA Unified over its lack of transparency and leadership surrounding proposed co-locations of charter schools at district campuses. District staff, school board members, charter school leaders and parents throughout Los Angeles all say the number and intensity of the protests over these Prop. 39 co-locations are at an all-time...
By Mike Szymanski | April 28, 2017
-
LAUSD’s new early education program for children under age 5 is threatened by challenges
LA Unified’s new Expanded Transitional Kindergarten program, which is serving nearly 30,000 children younger than age 5, is already facing challenges that threaten it, and the district will assess it at the end of the school year. Dean Tagawa, the executive director of the Early Childhood Education Division, said that a $5 million hold on state...
By Mike Szymanski | April 25, 2017
-
LAUSD puts money and muscle behind 3 state bills that shackle charter schools
*UPDATED After passionate debate and pleas from charter school administrators and parents, the LA Unified school board voted 4-3 to support three teacher union-backed bills being considered by the California legislature that all restrict some of the autonomies given to public charter schools. The most contested bill, SB 808, was pulled by its author on Monday...
By Mike Szymanski | April 18, 2017