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Pilot program at Nava Prep: robotics, drones and entrepreneurship
About 50 high school students now spend one class a day learning state-of-the-art technology in robotics, drones, 3D printing, bitcoin, artificial intelligence and bio tech, along with cutting-edge practices in venture capitalism, crowd-source funding and other business practices. It’s all part of a first-year pilot program at Nava College Preparatory Academy in South Central that...
By Mike Szymanski | September 21, 2015
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At 71, teacher who feared computers is now an LAUSD tech champion
Jan Price heard that computers were coming to her kindergarten classroom at Galt Elementary School in Lake Balboa in the heart of the San Fernando Valley. She was scared. “It’s time for me to retire,” Price remembered saying. “I can’t handle this. I’m not technical at all.” That was a year ago. Now, the 71-year-old...
By Mike Szymanski | September 21, 2015
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Westwood Charter parents gather petition for address verifications
* UPDATE A group of parents at Westwood Charter School fear that families are faking their addresses to enroll their children in the highly sought-after LA Unified-affiliated school. The parents were concerned that school enrollment is coming dangerously close to its maximum capacity. First priority for enrollment in such schools usually goes to local residents. When the...
By Mike Szymanski | September 18, 2015
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UTLA plans protest against Broad at his new downtown museum
A few days after the posh parties with the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Orlando Bloom, Ed Ruscha and Frank Gehry to celebrate the opening of the new Broad Museum, the LA Unified teachers union, UTLA, is planning a protest at the museum on Sunday, aimed at its namesake: Eli Broad, one of LA’s leading philanthropists. More specifically,...
By Mike Szymanski | September 18, 2015
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New study finds LAUSD compares well with minority teacher hires
Los Angeles Unified School District represents a “rare bright spot” in hiring of minority teachers in both district and charter schools, according to a study released yesterday from the Albert Shanker Institute comparing nine urban school districts. The study shows that as schools are getting higher levels of minority students, there are fewer minority teachers,...
By Mike Szymanski | September 17, 2015
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LAUSD board solves dilemma: Pay debts before saving for a rainy day
In what seemed to be a routine agenda item last night, the LA Unified school board found itself debating a fundamental issue: When you have a few extra bucks do you save for a rainy day or do you pay off your debts right away? The question arose when the board was trying to figure...
By Mike Szymanski | September 16, 2015
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LA Unified board nitpicks survey for superintendent search
Even before the superintendent search team passes out the first public survey, members of the LA Unified school board yesterday raised questions over questions that they want the community to consider in finding a successor to Ramon Cortines. The board held most of the discussion in a closed meeting last night with the search team...
By Mike Szymanski | September 16, 2015
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JUST IN: Feds consider complaint over UTLA handling of strike fund
A federal agency is looking into a complaint that United Teachers of Los Angeles misused money from the union’s $3 million strike fund. An Aug. 12 letter from the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General said the complaint and supporting documents went to the Racketeering and Fraud Investigations for review. An official from...
By Mike Szymanski | September 15, 2015
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UTLA discusses new issues of unjustly housed teachers
When the union representing LA Unified teachers meets tomorrow afternoon to discuss “unjustly housed teachers,” one of the potential discussion issues is whether UTLA could get involved in the class action suit against LAUSD arising out of dispute involving Ralf Esquith. Lawyers representing have asked the union to join the class action but is still awaiting a response....
By Mike Szymanski | September 14, 2015
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School board meeting involves LCAP, superintendent search
The LA Unified school board is meeting in open and closed sessions tomorrow, with plans to consider amendments to the Local Control Accountability Plan and adjustments to the fiscal stabilization plan. In the brief open session, the school board will take up clarification amendments to the LCAP plan as required by the Los Angeles County Office of...
By Mike Szymanski | September 14, 2015