Reading ability isn’t necessarily a prerequisite for logical thinking. That’s why Grant Hosford, CEO and co-founder of codeSpark, a Pasadena-based startup developing computer science games for kids, has created a new app where reading doesn’t get in the way. And without barriers, Hosford is now teaching coding to kids as young as 5. “We get...

LA County Board of Education denies appeal of Glendale charter school County officials determined the plan “provides an unsound educational program,” according to the report. Los Angeles Times, by Kelly Corrigan Black male teachers a dwindling demographic Nationally, black males represent roughly 2 percent of all public school teachers. America’s K-12 schools have never been...

The second largest school district in the nation went on record last week saying it won’t allow law enforcement agents looking to deport those without documentation into any of its 1,274 schools without a review process. The LA Unified School Board voted unanimously to make the district a “safe zone.” The district is not the first. Across the nation...

LA Unified Superintendent Michelle King issued a statement commending Thursday’s announcement that the Porter Ranch well that has been leaking methane gas since October has been sealed, but there was no clear indication of when the two relocated schools and their 1,850 students would return home. Two schools were moved to temporary locations over the winter break...

Removing services for high school students learning English may have harmful effects on test scores and graduation rates if done too quickly, according to a study conducted in Los Angeles. The research, published in October in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, provides a cautionary note to policymakers hoping to swiftly move students to...

Inside the fight against California’s charter schools Twenty-five years after the California Charter School Act allowed public money to fund charter schools, advocates across the state are waging legal and legislative fights. Los Angeles Times, by Maureen Magee Is cleaning house the best way for schools to deal with sexual abuse? Sexual-abuse scandals often lead...

As part of demonstrations taking place at schools around LA Unified and in cities across the country, a group of roughly 100 protesters made up of parents, students, district leaders and politicians gathered outside Hamilton High School Wednesday morning to rally in support of public education. “Every day at this school I’m exposed to someone with different...

Nearly two years after the trial in Vergara v. California first began, the case is set to move forward as judges from a state appeals court hear arguments Feb. 25. The plaintiffs – nine students in five California public school districts – argue that five laws governing teacher dismissal, tenure, and “last in-first out” layoff...

Districts’ leaders anticipate higher math scores this year Statewide, scores on the Smarter Balanced math tests, administered for the first time last spring, were especially disappointing. But new curriculum, teacher training and expanded student access to technology raise hopes for this year’s scores. EdSource, by Theresa Harrington Op-Ed: LAUSD needs to reverse its neglect of...

More than 20,000 parents, students and teachers in LA Unified are expected to stage a “Walk-In” before school on Wednesday orchestrated by the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools to protest charter expansion and call for greater investment in public education. “We have coordinated this with the school district and the superintendent’s office,” said Alex Caputo-Pearl, president...