Via Politico | By Stephanie Simon Teachers unions framed this election as a referendum on their vision for public education. Their vision was thumped. Tens of millions in advertising portraying Republican governors as reckless ideologues who sold out kids’ futures to give tax breaks to the wealthy failed to move voters in Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan,...

Tom Torlakson was re-elected yesterday as California’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, with 52.1 percent of the vote to 47.9 for Marshall Tuck, making it the closest of all statewide races. This was his victory statement: “We knew it wouldn’t be easy. They were strong, but we were stronger. They were tough, but we were tougher. After...

The California Secretary of State website has complete election results for yesterday’s elections across California. By clicking here, you can access the breakdown of the race for Superintendent of Public Instruction, in which Tom Torlakson won a second term. The statewide result is at the top, and below it are the county-by-county results. Click on...

* UPDATED As promised, LA Unified Superintendent Ramon Cortines has completed the reorganization of the district’s MiSiS leadership team, promoting a few employees and setting up a new chain of command with himself and Chief Deputy Superintendent Michelle King at the top. In the new hierarchy of the Information Technology Division (ITD), Cortines has named...

* UPDATED The MiSiS cash register is starting to ring. Ever since the bungled launch of the student data system, the district has been throwing heaps of money at software problems to get the system functioning properly to meet district, state and federal mandated deadlines. “More than anybody, I want to know how much money...

Would-be candidates for next year’s LA Unified school board elections have until noon on Saturday, Nov. 8 to file a Declaration of Intention to run with the Los Angeles City Clerk.  Only those candidates who meet the deadline and submit a qualifying nominating petition will appear on the March 3, 2015 primary ballot. The deadline for...

According to a recent USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times Poll, 28 percent of likely voters were still undecided on the State Superintendent of Public Instruction race going into today’s election. This is despite roughly $30 million in combined campaign spending for Marshall Tuck and Tom Torlakson, both Democrats, and with education as the top priority for many California...

A tiny, rural school district in northern Los Angeles County is under growing scrutiny over its approval of more than 20 new charter schools in the last few years, the majority of them serving students outside of its own district boundaries. At least three are within the Los Angeles Unified School District. The small district,...

What you need to know about LA schools’ computer crisis KPCC compiled a short list of questions and answers about what’s been dubbed the “MISIS crisis” by teachers and administrators. KPCC Miramonte: 5 things to watch for as sex abuse civil trial begins Trial is scheduled to begin Tuesday in a big civil lawsuit filed...