Together for the final time before Tuesday’s elections, the three candidates for LA Unified’s Board District 5 seat were determined last night to set themselves apart from each other. In a small church in a residential neighborhood in South Gate, incumbent Bennett Kayser, and his opponents, Andrew Thomas and Ref Rodriguez, spoke only to the...

The Los Angeles Times | By Teresa Watanabe California may be a blue state, but a Republican-led effort to scale back federal intervention in educational reform is drawing support here. As the House of Representatives moves to vote this week on reauthorizing a 50-year-old education reform law, Republicans are pushing to sharply curtail what they...

It was dubbed the “Stand at Grand,” and while it may not have drawn as many as the “Thrilla in Manilla,” it was an impressive turnout of thousands of Los Angeles Unified teachers at Grand Park last night as they rallied to demand a new contract. With City Hall behind him and a massive crowd...

The Los Angeles Unified School District has reached agreement with the union on a new labor agreement. No, not that union The district and Unit E, Los Angeles/Orange County Building and Trades Council, which represents 1,300 electricians, plumbers, carpenters, roofers and other skilled workers, have agreed to terms on a three-year deal that includes a...

LA Unified broke ground Saturday on South Region High School #8 with a ceremony attended by district and community leaders. The school is the last of 131 to be built under the district’s current $27 billion bond program. The school will be on a  9.24 acre campus consisting of three learning communities, according to LA...

While the LA Unified’s District 5 board incumbent, Bennett Kayser, did not make himself available for an interview with LA School Report as part of our candidate profile series, he has nonetheless played a high profile role on issues before the school board during his term in office. With strong support from the teachers union, UTLA,...

We’ve all seen this in person or on TV: One lawyer says something provocative or inappropriate, and the opposing lawyer leaps to his feet, saying “Objection, your honor.” “Sustained,” says the judge. “The jury will disregard that last remark.” After yesterday, we’re now all in the jury box, trying to figure out what to make...

Charter school group is political force in L.A. Unified board election California Charter Schools Assn. Advocates, a political action committee, has put its muscle into a race it considers crucial. Los Angeles Times After recession cuts, LAUSD reconnects with community art groups Los Angeles Unified’s arts education leaders took steps to renew long-dormant community partnerships...

Old accusations of sexual misconduct by LA Unified Superintendent Ramon Cortines resurfaced today in a new lawsuit that includes explosive new assertions sure to cause anger, embarrassment and disruptions at district headquarters. Scot Graham, who was hired by Cortines in 2000 to be the district’s Director of Real Estate, renewed his charges that Cortines, 82, made unwanted...

School board District 7, runs up a narrow swath from San Pedro at its southern tip to South LA as its northern boundary (see map here). On the way, it encompasses parts of Wilmington, Harbor City, Carson, Harbor Gateway, Lomita, Gardena, Florence, and Watts, and is home to some of LA Unified’s historically troubled high...