* UPDATED Despite new money from the state, LA Unified Superintendent Ramon Cortines is taking direct aim at the district’s $160 million budget deficit with proposed layoffs that include hundreds of teachers. District officials have calculated that to reduce the deficit, the number of teachers, administrators, counselors and nurses — certificated employees — must be...

By Dick Startz and Dan Goldhaber | Los Angeles Times In Silicon Valley and Silicon Beach, high-tech companies help drive the California economy by paying high salaries to driven, talented employees whose productivity more than compensates for their high pay. But California’s public schools are stuck in the old mode of paying modest salaries for...

Health benefits are a promise school districts find hard to keep California school districts once viewed lifetime healthcare coverage for employees as a cheap alternative to pay raises. Los Angeles Times Task force unveils plan to overhaul special education A statewide task force unveiled Friday a 222-page plan to dramatically improve education for students with...

*UPDATE Nearly three months after missing a self-imposed deadline, LA Unified is finally close to filling 10 positions to help thousands of native English speakers who struggle to learn academic English. With nine hired, there’s one to go. The school board passed the “Strengthen Support for Standard English Learners” resolution last June and devised a plan...

Aside from being well attended by thousands of teachers and supporters, the rally held last week by the LA teachers union, UTLA, also attracted its fair share of media attention. The major city papers were there, as were TV stations, college newspapers and even a humble education news website. The rally also got national attention,...

Students from high schools across LA Unified will have an opportunity tomorrow to help shape district spending when the United Way of Greater Los Angeles hosts a town hall dedicated to seeking their ideas for the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), which outlines how the district spends Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) dollars. The United Way,...

The Washington Post | By Emma Brown International math, science and reading exams show that across dozens of countries, 15-year-old boys are more likely to be low achievers than 15-year-old girls, especially in reading. But among the highest-performing students, girls trail boys, and girls have far less confidence in their ability to solve math problems....

7,000 immigrant children ordered deported without going to court More than 7,000 immigrant children have been ordered deported without appearing in court since 2013, federal statistics show. Los Angeles Times Preschools a microcosm of debate on measles vaccinations Kindergarten classrooms and preschools have been pushed to the front lines as the national debate over vaccines...

Just when you thought it was safe to hang around Stoner Avenue Elementary in Mar Vista, another fight is in the works. A pre-emptive protest is scheduled for next week to ward off another potential co-locator. ICEF Vista Academy Middle School, a charter that’s currently located at a church facility a few blocks away from...

The Associated Administrators of Los Angeles recent election produced two candidates for the presidency who are heading into a runoff after falling short of a majority. With 1,152 active members voting for president, the top two finishers from a field of six were Juan A. Flecha (28.5 percent) and Randall V. Delling (20.3 percent), according...