The district’s best teachers should be teaching at struggling schools, some LA Unified school board members suggested last week, with at least one board member calling for a future discussion on the issue. The comments were made during a Committee of the Whole meeting last week on how the district can improve and “reimagine” middle school,...

Gov. Jerry Brown last week signed the state’s $171 billion budget for 2016-17. Here are some highlights of education spending in the budget, including increases for additional preschool seats, efforts to address the teacher shortage and programs to prepare students for college. 1. Overall numbers The $171 billion state budget includes total funding of $88.3...

State lawmakers on Wednesday once again failed to amend teacher tenure laws, this time rejecting a bill that would have extended the probationary period from two to three years — even after the bill was stripped of its boldest language. The bill, AB 934, sponsored by Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, D-Concord, was defeated 5-2, with two...

Parent Revolution announced Tuesday that it has helped 321 students apply to new, higher performing schools through its Choice4LA pilot program launched in January. The program is aimed at helping low-income families navigate a complex system of school choice by providing information on all types of schools, helping parents choose the right school for their...

The LA Unified school board on Tuesday unanimously approved a $7.6 billion balanced budget for 2016-17, with some of the most passionate objections devoted to the 14 percent increase for school police. The passing of the budget became much simpler after the state notified the board last week that it would have an extra year...

*UPDATED Preliminary data show that 74 percent of LA Unified high school seniors met new graduation requirements, the first class required to pass college preparatory classes, the district announced Tuesday. Superintendent Michelle King made the announcement during a morning ceremony with the school board celebrating Class of 2016 graduates. “This is the first class that stepped up...

Six weeks ago LA teachers union officials told the LA Unified school board that independent charter schools were costing the district about $500 million each year. School board member Monica Ratliff called on Superintendent Michelle King to provide the board an analysis of the union-funded study on independent charter schools from which the figure was...

Maria Silva worked hard to find the right schools for her kids. As a stay-at-home mom, she could spend the time and effort it took to research schools and she was willing and able to drive her daughter from their home in Bell to downtown Los Angeles to attend a magnet high school. A mother of...

Myrna Castrejon, who was named executive director of Great Public Schools Now in January, was thrust into the spotlight this week with the release of the organization’s plan to increase access to high-performing schools for 160,000 students it identified as attending failing schools in poor areas. Castrejon came from the California Charter Schools Association, where...