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A Double Dose of iPads Today, at a Meeting and a Protest
As it turns out, there are two places today to learn about elements of LA Unified’s Common Core Technology Project. One is a committee meeting, planned for 5:30 p.m. at district headquarters. The other is a 5 o’clock union protest at Valley Academy of Arts and Sciences, where Tamar Galatzan is hosting a community meeting at...
By LA School Report | November 19, 2013
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LA Unified Board Facing Another Long Day of Meetings
Another long day for LA Unified board members is gearing up tomorrow, with their regular meeting at 10 a.m., followed by two committee meetings. Only one item at the board meeting is open to the public: a motion to urge the US Army Corps of Engineers to adopt a new plan, called Alternative 20, to revitalize...
By Vanessa Romo | November 18, 2013
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All Benefit When Charters, Districts Partner on Special Ed
Via Ed Source | By Gina Plate Commentary: The charter school movement began as a way to create a new kind of public school – one with more flexibility and autonomy over instruction and operations in exchange for higher levels of accountability. However, as the movement evolved, flexibility and autonomy did not follow in the...
By LA School Report | November 18, 2013
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Deasy Calls for Stronger Laws to Get Rid of Abusive Teachers
LA Unified Superintendent John Deasy used the resolution of the Mark Berndt molestation case to campaign for a new law that would make it easier to get rid of abusive teachers. Berndt, a Miramonte Elementary School teacher who was accused of abusing 23 students under the age of 14, pleaded no contest in court today and...
By Vanessa Romo | November 15, 2013
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A Mixed Fate from the Board for LA Unified Charter Applications
The LA Unified board voted on petitions for a number of charter schools at Tuesday’s meeting. Four requests were approved, one was denied while another current charter school’s status was suspended. Here’s the scorecard: Approved: Ánimo Avalon Charter Middle School, the Math and Science College Preparatory-East High School, the PUC Inspire Charter Academy Middle School, and...
By Chase Niesner | November 15, 2013
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Ninth St. Elementary: A Polished Gem Near LA’s Skid Row*
When downtown’s 9th Street Elementary closed in 2010 to undergo construction on a gleaming new $54 million campus, its state academic rankings placed it among the lowest of the low, even among similar schools. Now, with a gorgeous new campus and ambitious new principal, the school represents a potential bright spot in a district beset...
By Ryan White | November 15, 2013
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LA Unified Close to Completing Solar Power Systems
Over the past few years, LA Unified has been implementing a plan to go green by installing solar power systems in 68 schools throughout the district. The plan was well underway last year, and as of today the district is still on track, with 59 schools now equipped with solar power systems and nine left...
By Jessica P. Ogilvie | November 15, 2013
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Ex-Miramonte Teacher Agrees to 25-Year Prison Term
Via the Los Angeles Times | By Stephen Ceasar and Richard Winton Mark Berndt, the teacher charged with committing lewd acts against nearly two dozen children at Miramonte Elementary School, including spoon-feeding them semen, has agreed to plead no contest to all charges, sources said Thursday. He has agreed to a sentence of 25 years in...
By LA School Report | November 14, 2013
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Parents Ask LA Unified for Timely Sexual Assault Notification
Parents at Superior Street Elementary in Chatsworth last night pressed LA Unified officials to change district regulations so that the public is notified of sexual assaults on school campuses. At issue was a three-year-case that only came to light after the LA Times reported back in May that the district awarded damages of $1.4 million to...
By Chase Niesner | November 14, 2013
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Union Teachers Tell LA Unfied: ‘I Want My Money’
For the hundreds of teachers who packed a nearly block-long stretch of Beaudry Avenue in front of LA Unified headquarters late yesterday afternoon, the message to the superintendent was simple. “Hey, Deasy, baby, I want my money,” the red-shirted crowd sang in a hip-hop inspired chorus at a rally organized by UTLA in its ongoing...
By Ryan White | November 14, 2013