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More schools want parent centers than the district can handle, as they prep 91 new centers for next year

LA Unified continues to try to get a parent center on every campus, and in a report Tuesday, administrators showed that 91 more centers are slated for opening next year. But 167 schools applied for a parent center, noted Rosalinda Lugo, the district’s Parent and Community Services administrator, and the district can’t approve them all...
By Mike Szymanski | May 31, 2017
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First-generation Latino college students want to make it through college but need more support to graduate

More Latinos than ever are going to college, but as a group they continue to struggle to get a college degree. Those who are getting their diplomas this spring have much to celebrate, especially as the number of Latinos graduating from college is only slowly increasing, rising just 7 percentage points in two decades. In...
By Esmeralda Fabián Romero | May 30, 2017
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LA leads nation with most new National Board Certified teachers. So move them to low-performing schools, school board member says

More new teachers in LA Unified are certified by a national teacher accreditation program than any other district in the nation, and it costs the district $12.6 million annually in salary boosts. But, if they’re so good, those highly trained teachers need to be used better in the academically struggling school district and moved to...
By Mike Szymanski | May 25, 2017
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LAUSD All-Star Hero: Principal in San Pedro revives collapsed parent

Monday was supposed to be an easy day. State tests were over, the school year was winding down, and Taper Avenue Elementary School was heading for a long weekend. But as Principal Steven Skrumbis and his instructional director, Gina Ellis, finished their rounds touring the school just after lunch and headed back to the office, they...
By Mike Szymanski | May 24, 2017
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Trump ed budget fleshes out choice proposal, justifies deep cuts

The Trump administration’s full 2018 budget proposal lays out more details on huge new school choice programs, including a $250 million voucher program, even as the administration justifies $9 billion in cuts to the department overall. The budget makes a “historic investment in America’s students,” Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said in a statement. “By refocusing...
By Carolyn Phenicie | May 24, 2017
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Charter schools receive $5,721 less per student than district schools, new research finds

From Camden, New Jersey, to Los Angeles, funding for charter schools continues to lag behind that of traditional public schools in many cities by an average of $5,721 per student, according to a new report from researchers at the University of Arkansas. The university’s Department of Education Reform on Wednesday released “Charter School Funding: Inequity...
By Naomi Nix | May 12, 2017
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Two Celerity charter schools lose final state appeal, will close this summer

Two charter schools under federal investigation were denied their last chance to appeal their charter petition by the California State Board of Education on Thursday, meaning they will close after the current school year. The unanimous vote against the two schools marks the end of a frustrating battle that escalated when the school petitions were initially rejected...
By Mike Szymanski | May 12, 2017
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LAUSD serves up a taste of vegan menu options after a healthy debate

Always with an appetite for dishing up something new for school meals, LA Unified’s school board unanimously approved a pilot program to test vegan options on their school menus. At least one school in each of the seven regional districts will get their first taste of a non-animal-based school lunch, and the program is being prepared...
By Mike Szymanski | May 11, 2017
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Unified enrollment plan on hold as tech decision is delayed

A sweeping technology plan for LA Unified that included an expanded unified enrollment system was postponed Tuesday night as school board members await more information and staff adds up the total costs. The school board was being asked to set aside money for a unified enrollment system even as one has launched on the district’s website this week...
By Mike Szymanski | May 10, 2017
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LAUSD board takes another strong stand against feds to soothe immigrant fears

LA Unified reinforced its position Tuesday as the strongest school district to stand against the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant policies by passing a resolution that specifically forbids employees from cooperating with federal authorities over immigration inquiries. The resolution was another addition to a series of sweeping propositions passed by the second-largest school district in the nation since...
By Mike Szymanski | May 9, 2017