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LAUSD board member websites range from active to somnambulent
Months after LA School Report found confusion, dated information or simply no information on the websites of LA Unified board members, a number of them still appear to be squandering them as their most direct social media asset to reach constituents. In a self-described era of board openness and transparency, some members have made significant improvements on their...
By Craig Clough | November 2, 2015
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LAUSD creating shared digital site for students, teachers, parents
A resolution approved by the LA Unified school board on Oct. 13 didn’t receive a lot of attention, but the vote to approve a pilot program with the online company Schoology has the potential to completely change how students, teachers, parents and administrators interact. The resolution launches a two-year pilot program that will test an...
By Craig Clough | October 29, 2015
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Leilani Yee presented to board as LA Unified’s new chief lobbyist
At his final appearance before LA Unified’s Committee of the Whole yesterday, chief lobbyist Edgar Zazueta introduced his successor — Leilani Yee. “I am terribly nervous because I don’t feel like I’m good at public speaking, like Edgar is,” Yee told the board, her first appearance as the heir apparent to the job — the board still...
By Mike Szymanski | October 28, 2015
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LAUSD board votes down special panel for superintendent search
As LA Unified school board president Steve Zimmer pleads for more involvement with the public for the superintendent search, the board voted down yet another effort to give the community greater influence in the selection process. It was the latest example of how the district is urging the public to play a role in the...
By Mike Szymanski | October 27, 2015
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Families, attorneys protest to seek end of LAUSD abuse cases
Attorneys representing families of students who said they have been abused by teachers and principals at LAUSD protested outside the school headquarters Tuesday morning, carrying signs that read, “LAUSD Bullies Children to Drop Lawsuits,” “Don’t be Silenced” and “Stop LAUSD Abuse.” “The abuse in the school system continues, and the district should do something about...
By Mike Szymanski | October 27, 2015
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Before leaving, Zazueta to give LAUSD board a lobbying tutorial
In what may be his final presentation to the LA Unified school board, Chief of External Affairs Edgar Zazueta said he will be giving a “legislative 101” tutorial at tomorrow’s Committee of the Whole meeting. The district announced in September that Zazueta, the district’s chief lobbyist in Sacramento and Washington, is resigning to join the Association of California...
By Craig Clough | October 26, 2015
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Petition calls for firing of LAUSD attorney in teen sex case
*UPDATED A petition is calling for the firing (again) of W. Keith Wyatt, An LA Unified lawyer who argued in court that a 14-year-old girl was partly responsible for her own sexual abuse at the hands of her teacher at Edison Middle School. After being told he would no longer be representing the district, he was...
By Mike Szymanski | October 26, 2015
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High-powered secret panel examining LAUSD finances
* UPDATED A blue-ribbon panel of leading figures in education, politics and finance has been working behind the scenes to help LA Unified identify financial challenges and solutions as the district faces budget deficits in the near future. The panel includes people who have worked with the district in the past, and many have...
By Mike Szymanski | October 23, 2015
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Zimmer undecided about fate of closed west SFV school sites
As the operators of El Camino Real Charter School High School prepare to ask the LA Unified board for approval to turn three vacant elementary school sites into new charter schools, one of the main hurdles they face is the growing skepticism of board President Steve Zimmer. The sites are located in the western San Fernando...
By Craig Clough | October 21, 2015
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JUST IN: LAUSD slapped with $1 billion lawsuit to end teacher jails
Following up on a months-long threat, high-profile attorney Mark Geragos today slapped LA Unified with a class action lawsuit, calling for an end to the practice of “teacher jails” and asking for more than $1 billion in damages. The suit was filed in state superior court on behalf of Rafe Esquith, a well-known teacher who was dismissed...
By Mike Szymanski | October 15, 2015