-
Mothers of invention: Frustrated with the educational status quo and conventional parent organizing, two Latinas gave birth to a national parents union

For a moment, the issues seemed insurmountable. Some 150 parent activists, all strong-willed veterans of battles with their respective education establishments, were gathered in a New Orleans hotel ballroom trying to hammer out statements of joint belief. It was important to arrive at precise wording, the organizers running the meeting told them, because the statement...
By Beth Hawkins | January 28, 2020
-
New poll: Majority of Democratic voters prefer candidates who would preserve federal charter school spending

With the 2020 presidential primaries about to kick off in Iowa, a new poll shows that a majority of voters are less likely to support candidates who want to eliminate federal charter school funding. The results of the sixth annual poll, conducted for the American Federation for Children, an organization that advocates for school choice,...
By Brendan Lowe | January 27, 2020
-
Listen up, candidates: Most teachers feel their voices aren’t being heard, new survey reveals

As the Democratic presidential hopefuls release campaign promises to woo America’s K-12 educators — a key voting bloc — teachers feel left in the dark on major policy conversations, a new survey revealed. Just a third of educators said their perspectives are considered a “great deal” in teachers union policy decisions, and the numbers fall...
By Mark Keierleber | January 27, 2020
-
For the first time in more than 20 years, LAUSD is in full control of its special ed system. As parents worry about accountability, the district shifts its focus

This month marks a notable milestone for L.A. Unified: For the first time in more than two decades, it’s now in full control of its special education system. Until this month, the nation’s second-largest school district had unique court-ordered mandates to improve and expand services for its nearly 62,000 special education students, stemming from a 1996...
By Taylor Swaak | January 22, 2020
-
Haves and have-nots: The borders between school districts often mark extreme segregation. A new study outlines America’s 50 worst cases

The Rust Belt city of Rochester in upstate New York has the most economically segregating school district border in the country, walling off the high-poverty education system from its affluent neighbors next door, according to a new report. About half the children in Rochester live in poverty, many of whom struggle to get adequate food,...
By Mark Keierleber | January 22, 2020
-
Rethinking remedial education: New study shows college students did better in ‘corequisite’ courses built around extra instruction and support

A first-of-its-kind study found mixed evidence that a type of reform meant to improve the odds that college students graduate is truly effective. The researchers homed in on corequisite courses, an instructional model that allows students to skip remedial math and English courses and instead take college-level, or gateway, classes with additional instructional support. The...
By Mikhail Zinshteyn, CalMatters | January 21, 2020
-
Parent engagement, bilingual education and immigrant friendly schools are crucial to student success in LA, where 60% of children have at least one immigrant parent, new report finds

Nearly 60 percent of children in L.A. County have at least one immigrant parent, according to a new report by the USC Center for Immigrant Integration which highlights deep disparities in education and the workforce among Latino and black immigrants. The report, “State of Immigrants in LA County” and the challenges faced by immigrant students...
By Esmeralda Fabián Romero | January 21, 2020
-
LAUSD communities affected by Tuesday jet fuel drop return to school, but questions and anger remain

L.A. Unified schools on Wednesday opened as normal with communities still processing an emergency jet fuel dump the day prior that inflicted minor injuries on dozens of adults and children across six schools — five of them elementary schools. “We came out and we were playing, and the airplane was outside and we thought it...
By Taylor Swaak | January 15, 2020
-
Teacher Spotlight: Berendo’s Daisy Lazaro on helping students facing mental health crises and adverse life events while destigmatizing mental health issues for her school community

This interview is one in a series spotlighting Los Angeles teachers, their unique and innovative classroom approaches, and their thoughts on how the education system can better support teachers in guiding students to success. Bullying, suicide, and other mental health crises are among the issues psychiatric social workers deal with daily as part of their...
By Esmeralda Fabián Romero | January 13, 2020
-
Teacher Spotlight: Ednovate’s Kyle Perez-Robinson on mentoring 19 girls through all 4 years of high school, breaking down barriers for future Latina scientists and missing her students over summer break

This interview is one in a series spotlighting Los Angeles teachers, their unique and innovative classroom approaches, and their thoughts on how the education system can better support teachers in guiding students to success. Having the privilege of receiving abundant support from teachers and family throughout her life, Kyle Perez-Robinson thought it was her duty...
By Esmeralda Fabián Romero | January 8, 2020