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College plan calls for ‘winter school’? Marlton’s ‘Great Shakeout’

LA School Report | October 22, 2015



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Considering the looming A-G graduation crisis, an option that appears to be gaining appeal among some district leaders is extending winter break to include time for a credit recovery session.

The College and Career Readiness Plan, a year-long collaboration of administrators, teachers, parents, students and union leaders that was released this month, includes an endorsement of an extended winter break.

Among the many recommendations the study makes is: “Investigate a change in the school year calendar for 2016-2017 to balance fall and spring semesters and extend winter break to allow for an additional opportunity for credit recovery in addition to summer school.”

The academic calendar is nowhere near the top of the list of challenges or issues facing the district, but it impacts the daily life of every teacher, student, parent or employee.

The plan would reduce summer break to five weeks and increase winter break to seven weeks. During the winter break, a credit recovery session could be added for struggling students to go along with a summer school session. (Do we call this “winter school”?)

The board is set to vote on a new academic calendar in the spring.

Great Shakeout at Marlton School

The annual Great California Shakeout took place last week, and LAUSD schools participated in the earthquake preparation drill. As part of the annual exercise, one LAUSD school hosts a full-scale simulated disaster drill operation along with the Los Angeles Fire Department.

This year, the simulation took place at the Marlton School, which added an extra twist for the first responders, as Marlton is a school for deaf and hard of hearing students. Students with fake wounds dressed with makeup simulated injuries as they were “rescued” by LAFD responders.

USC’s Annenberg TV News produced a video report of the event. Check it out below.

More than a Meal

Tomorrow is an important date for LAUSD, as it is the last day students an turn in their Free and Reduced-Price Meal application.

The form collects data on the financial status of students’ households, which is the qualifier for a free or reduced-price meal. But, as the district pointed out its its “More than a Meal” campaign, the form is about more than, well, just a meal, as every student who qualifies brings in extra dollars to the district under Title I and the Local Control Funding Formula.

Click here to find the application.

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