The LA Unified school board spent more than an hour last night, debating dates for the next three academic calendar years. Ultimately, the members decided to keep the schedule similar to this year’s — starting in mid-August with three weeks of winter break — but only for one year. The plan passed on a 5-2...

L.A. school board finds unity in opposing charter plan The Los Angeles Board of Education found common ground by offering its first public opposition to a controversial $490-million charter schools proposal. Los Angeles Times, by Zahira Torres Backers amend Prop. 30 initiative to meet governor’s demand As amended, revenue from continuing Prop. 30 after 2018...

The LA Unified board today put itself on record as opposing a proposal that originated with the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation to expand the number of charter schools in the district in the years ahead. By a 7-0 vote, the board made it clear that it would do what it could to discourage the...

The LA Unified school board today unanimously approved a $350,000 annual contract for the district’s new superintendent Michelle King. The contract runs through June 30 of 2018, provides a district-owned car and driver for King and does not include a buyout clause. The deal is $50,000 more annually than her predecessor, Ramon Cortines, received, and...

Now that Michelle King has been hired as LA Unified’s new superintendent, it’s time to ask if the school board made the right decision. King, 54, who has worked for the district since 1984 and has been its No. 2 administrator since 2011, was chosen over several outside candidates, including San Francisco schools Supt. Richard Carranza...

* UPDATED The LA Unified school board’s selection of Michelle King as the district’s new superintendent has elicited widespread praise from city and community leaders. If there are any leaders angered or disappointed in the choice, they are so far keeping to themselves. As a longtime employee of the district, King was most often cited...

I’ve never met Michelle King, but I’ve read enough about her and listened to enough people discussing her that one thing makes perfect sense to me: She’s the ideal superintendent for LA Unified. For right now. After all the time and expense — especially the time — district officials spent searching for a successor to...

The LA Unified school board is holding several open session meetings today, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., with a closed session in-between. Items up for discussion include an exploration of why certain charter schools operate on split campuses and a vote on the future of the closed Highlander campus in the San Fernando Valley,...

The LA Unified school district is analyzing why certain charter schools operate on split campuses. In a report being presented to the school board at a meeting today, the staff found 24 charters using shared facilities on two traditional school sites, and one-third of them are divided among three sites. Representatives of LA Unified charters...

By John Fensterwald  Conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices were what news reports called hostile in their questioning of union lawyers Monday during arguments in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, a case that could undercut the financial stability and the political clout of public employee unions in California and nearly two dozen states Ten teachers in...