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LA Unified teachers, on average, rank 5th nationally in salary
* UPDATED LA Unified teachers are the fifth-highest paid among the nation’s 10 largest school districts, according to the latest data collected by the National Council for Teacher Quality (NCTQ). The top four districts for paying teachers with a bachelor’s degree and five years of experience are Chicago ($62,046), New York ( $52,278), Hawaii ($50,728)...
By Yana Gracile | June 23, 2014
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Kennedy High’s new principal moving on from Blake era
As the incoming principal for John F. Kennedy High School in Granada Hills, Richard Chavez said he is only vaguely aware of the volatile situation he will be facing on campus when school begins on August 12. Despite walking into the unknown, he says he will stay focused on his main priority which is doing...
By Yana Gracile | June 18, 2014
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CA’s ‘egregious teacher’ bill shows power of collaboration
After years of trying, with students’ safety hanging in the balance, the state legislature has finally passed a measure that expedites the process for dismissing teachers accused egregious behavior. Unanimous votes of support for AB 215 in both the Senate and Assembly was not only encouraging news for children and their parents, it underscored the...
By Yana Gracile | June 17, 2014
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New flexibility for LA Unified’s breakfast in the classroom
A successful program aimed at providing free classroom breakfast to low-income students in Los Angeles Unified has quietly made a change: it will now allow schools with more affluent populations to use alternative approaches to feeding kids in the morning. Part of a national school breakfast program, LAUSD’s “Breakfast in the Classroom” (BIC) is funded...
By Yana Gracile | June 12, 2014
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New state money helping LAUSD expand services for foster youth
The new state funding formula that is sending more money into LA Unified is enabling the district to expand programs for foster youth, a group of students who have been under-served by the district for years. The LAUSD student population currently includes between 8,500 and 11,600 foster youth, as much as 12 percent of the...
By Yana Gracile | June 11, 2014
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LA Unified joins with city to serve healthy summer meals
Now that school’s out for the summer, LA Unified is making sure students get at least one healthy and nutritious meal over the two-month break. Officials from LA Unified’s Beyond the Bell program announced yesterday at the Lake Street Community Center that it has partnered with the city of Los Angeles for the first time...
By Yana Gracile | June 6, 2014
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Kennedy High principal evoking strong feelings, good and bad
Teachers at John Kennedy High School in Granada Hills are speaking out against the principal, Suzanne Blake, over what they perceive as an autocratic management style that fractures faculty unity. While Blake has supporters among Kennedy’s 90-plus teachers and staff, the willingness of some teachers to complain suggests that she remains a polarizing figure within...
By Yana Gracile | May 30, 2014
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Hudley-Hayes’ edge: no other candidate served on school board
This is the final profile of candidates running for LA Unified’s vacant District 1 board seat. The election is scheduled for June 3, with a possible runoff in August. Genethia Hudley-Hayes is the only candidate who declined to be interviewed for the series. Numerous attempts to reach her and her campaign failed to get a...
By Yana Gracile | May 29, 2014
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Teacher at Kennedy High School is back after district removed her
A librarian and teacher at John F. Kennedy High School, Leslie Garcia, is back at school shortly after being removed over allegations that she mishandled and manipulated the record-keeping of an after school provider, ARC. Garcia said she had “no comment” after LA School Report contacted her yesterday at the school library. Principal Suzanne Blake,...
By Yana Gracile | May 21, 2014
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Johnson wins an eclectic array of support for school board seat
* UPDATED Among the seven candidates running for LA Unified’s District 1 board seat, Alex Johnson, a senior deputy for LA County Supervisor Mark-Ridley Thomas, is one of the most heavily endorsed candidates in the race. His long list of supporters may appear impressive, perhaps due to his boss’ powerful connections. But a closer look reveals...
By Yana Gracile | May 19, 2014