Within LA Unified’s proposed budget for 2014-2015, Superintendent John Deasy includes a line item for teacher raises. However, in the absence of a contract for the last three years between the district and the teachers union, United Teachers of Los Angeles, labor talks remain at a complete standstill, raising questions about just how much remains “TBD.” “Neither...

An LA City Council commission charged with providing a blueprint for the future of the city released its second report today, this one offering recommendations to move Los Angeles toward fiscal solvency and greater job creation. The Los Angeles 2020 Commission’s report, “A Time for Action,” largely focuses on issues related to jobs, budgets and...

A new settlement has been reached in a lawsuit challenging budget-base layoffs, marking a major breakthrough in a long-fought case. The settlement, aimed at addressing inequities at low-performing schools, will provide a huge boost in resources to 37 schools that have long struggled with high teacher turnover, student drop-out rates and low student achievement. The...

A grand plan by Steve Zimmer and Bennett Kayser to put a student voice on the LA Unified School Board hit a road block today when the board accepted the idea in principle but delayed adopting a plan for how to do it. In a 50-minute debate, board member Tamar Galatzan was the first to lead the...

Months in the making, LA Unified’s $6.8 billion budget, along with an extra $332 million through the Local Control Funding Formula, finally reached the school board today, as Superintendent John Deasy walked the members through its highlights, pointing to dozens of areas where the new money is going. His presentation was the featured attraction at...

Edweek has done a nice job providing opposing perspectives on the potential outcome of the Vergara v. California case, a lawsuit challenging the state’s teacher tenure and job protection laws. Below are the two articles, the first of which claims that the case is a lose-lose for the plaintiffs and defendants, while the second lauds...

The sound of classroom silence. As part of a rally by parents, education advocates and civil rights groups who represent Communities for Los Angeles Student Success, or CLASS, 375 desks were set up this morning at the LAUSD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles. With downtown LA’s skyline as the backdrop, the empty desks represented the number...

This morning, the Los Angeles Unified School Board meets to discuss a wide variety of issues including what promises to be a charged debate about a budget plan unveiled by Superintendent John Deasy last week. Community groups have held a series of meetings and rallies, including one last night, advocating for a say in the...

Ballots were dropped in the mail today to the 35,000 members of the Los Angeles teachers union (UTLA), to decide who will win the top job of the second largest teachers union in the country, in a second-round runoff. It’s down to two candidates from the original field of ten: between current president Warren Fletcher, considered...

With the LA Unified board meeting tomorrow, two rallies are taking place outside district headquarters that seek support for two different educational issues. Parents, education advocates and civil rights groups, who represent Communities for Los Angeles Student Success, or CLASS, are organizing a “silent protest” on behalf of low-income students, schools and communities by placing...