A group of community activists including students and parents plan to disrupt LA Unified’s Committee of the Whole on Tuesday afternoon to protest weapons on school campuses. Fight for the Soul of the Cities is protesting the federal government’s 1033 Program, which outfitted school police with machine guns and other weapons. The local civil rights group is asking that...

By Jennifer Pullen Tens of thousands of people, including Los Angeles Unified School District Board President Steve Zimmer, participated in a “walk-in” last week to show support for traditional public schools at a time when they are facing increasing pressure from — and loss of students to — charter and private operators. Staged in partnership with local and national...

The 6-foot-3, 300-pound student came to the coach because he was struggling with his classes. If he had a 3.0 grade point average, USC might give him a scholarship. Narbonne High School football coach Manuel Douglas spoke with brutal honesty. “You’re a good talented young man, but you have to want it,” Douglas told him. “I can’t want...

Dozens of L.A. schools need to check if dress codes keep students out of class About 160 schools in L.A. Unified’s central area will be asked to reexamine their dress codes to make sure students are not missing class time because of their clothes. Los Angeles Times, by Sonali Kohli Will California use chronic absenteeism...

LA Unified appears to be making significant progress on its projected graduation rate this year through a “very personalized approach,” with a new report stating the district may even surpass last year’s record rate of 74 percent. A January progress report obtained by LA School Report showed that only 54 percent of seniors were on...

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...