EdWatch 2015: 10 issues to watch 2015 promises to be a pivotal year for several major reforms in public education. Ed Source Wi-Fi-enabled bus connects students in poor Calif. community The school bus Wi-Fi program started this fall is one example of how a poor and underserved community is trying to help students get better...

Costs for LAUSD special ed services climb as parents feel the pinch Changing demographics, advances in care and stronger advocacy by families are all combining to drive up the expense of special ed. KPCC Inglewood Unified: Filth, exposed wires, roaches still at some schools An LA County inspector found 23 “extreme deficiencies” at Inglewood High...

State to fight lawsuit by impoverished students State officials granted the California Department of Education $3.4 million to fight a lawsuit that demands the state fix disruptive conditions in some schools. Ed Source California schools step up efforts to help ‘long-term’ English learners A new law requires the state to define and identify a “long-term...

Report on LCAPs finds mixed success An advocacy organization analyzed dozens of school districts’ inaugural improvement plans and found mixed results. Ed Source Students’ active engagement in music leads to brain gains, study finds Brain researchers are finding increasing evidence that music is a powerful learning tool. KPCC An alternative to suspension and expulsion: ‘Circle...

Amid safety concerns, LAUSD students hauling home iPads Students at Valley Academy of Arts and Sciences in Granda Hills are among the first in LAUSD cleared to tote home their iPads for homework. KPCC Group seeks oversight of military arms after LAUSD’s arsenal revealed An advocacy group is calling on LAUSD to create a citizens...

San Francisco to offer ethnic studies at all of its 19 high schools The San Francisco school board voted unanimously on Tuesday to require all of the city’s 19 public high schools to offer ethnic studies courses. Huffington Post Districts want to highlight retirees’ costs The coalition isn’t asking for the state to pick up...

LAUSD school board approves $2.5M in spending on arts education The Los Angeles Unified School District school board on Tuesday approved $2.5 million for arts education. KPCC Percentage of students held back a grade plunges The percentage of students held back a grade fell by nearly half from the 2004-2005 school year to 2009-2010, according...

New bill would significantly expand state preschool in California Another bill proposing to significantly expand state-funded preschool has been introduced in California. The Hechinger Report LAUSD bans use of antibiotic-treated chickens in school meals LA Unified joined with five other major school districts Tuesday to announce plans to ban the use of chickens treated with...

LAUSD students might not be ready for new tests as iPad distribution lags Los Angeles Unified is rushing to spend $22.2 million to buy iPads and some Chromebooks for students to take new tests. Los Angeles Daily News High turnover in school district leadership The state’s largest district is far from the only one in...

More money needed to fix faulty student records system in L.A. Unified Los Angeles needs to spend at least $11 million more to deal with problems caused by MiSiS, officials will tell the school board this week. Los Angeles Times John Phillips: LAUSD and the CTA: Making enablers pay up Lawsuits can be devastating for...