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LAUSD Title I money in jeopardy over enduring MiSiS glitches
* UPDATED The deadline for LA Unified students’ receiving free and reduced priced lunch is tomorrow, leaving anyone who has not renewed an application facing the possibility of running a tab with the district. Making matters worse, school site officials say a bug in the district’s new student data system, MiSiS, has made it difficult...
By Vanessa Romo | September 22, 2014
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LAUSD says concerns cited in iPad report were expected
LA Unified officials said today they anticipated the concerns raised by an independent report on the district’s one-to-one iPad program, which found that schools are not using the devices to teach the new Common Core curriculum. What’s more, said Bernadette Lucas, director of the District’s technology project, they were thrilled to get the bad news....
By Vanessa Romo | September 18, 2014
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2 percent bonus arrives for school principals, plus others
More than 13,000 LA Unified employees of labor groups that struck new contract deals with the district are receiving a 2 percent lump sum payment this week. Among those that found the extra bump in their bank accounts are members of the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA), which includes school principals, assistant principals, administrators...
By Vanessa Romo | September 17, 2014
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What’s next *if* Deasy is out? Speculation abounds
The possibility that LA Unified Superintendent John Deasy will no longer be at the helm of the nation’s second largest school district – whether by choice or by force – is looming ever larger as the deadline for his annual evaluation approaches, leaving some district officials to speculate over how to replace him. The seven-member...
By Vanessa Romo | September 17, 2014
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Teachers union changes tactics, urges board to ‘evaluate’ Deasy*
*Correction In an earlier version of this post we mistakenly reported that UTLA is “urging the school board to fire” superintendent John Deasy. This is incorrect. We try our hardest to write with accuracy, but on this one, we missed the mark – and we regret the error. What follows is UTLA’s letter to us...
By Vanessa Romo | September 16, 2014
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‘Email delete’ policy is misunderstood according to LAUSD
A policy intended to delete unnecessary emails on LA Unified district computers has caused a media storm and much confusion, but ultimately is misunderstood, according to officials who spoke to LA School Report. “It could be this is much ado about nothing” said school board member, Steve Zimmer. The bottom line: the ‘delete’ program does not...
By Vanessa Romo | September 15, 2014
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Two years later, teachers fighting changes at Crenshaw High
A labor board hearing opened yesterday with a dozen LA Unified teachers, including UTLA president Alex Caputo-Pearl, claiming the district used the reorganization of Crenshaw High School in 2012 to rid the campus of active union leaders who posed a threat to Superintendent John Deasy. The teachers union filed the unfair labor practice charge against...
By Vanessa Romo | September 11, 2014
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LAUSD outlines backup plans as MiSiS work continues
LA Unified is still scrambling to troubleshoot technical issues as the deadline for staffing schools approaches, the school board learned at its latest meeting yesterday. “Norm” day,” as it’s called, is set for Friday but problems with the new student data management system, MiSiS, have forced the district to devise a new plan: “The process...
By Vanessa Romo | September 10, 2014
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Teachers union ups pressure on Deasy over technology, contract
* UPDATED With a new contract on the line, the LA Unified teachers union, UTLA, is stepping up its attack on Superintendent John Deasy, blaming him for problems large and small and the opening line the district has taken for a new contract with teachers. Union president Alex Caputo-Pearl ratcheted up the tension at the...
By Vanessa Romo | September 9, 2014
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Progress (or lack of it) with teachers comes to LAUSD board
The LA Unified School Board returns tomorrow with a full agenda although a lot of the juicy stuff will be discussed in closed session. In addition to the usual topics — personnel issues and ongoing litigation — the board will review labor negotiations, which at this point is down to the on-going talks with the...
By Vanessa Romo | September 8, 2014