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It may not have been the best of years or the worst of years, but 2013 was certainly among the most interesting of years for education-watchers in Los Angeles. Here are some of our favorite highs and lows of the year:

1. WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT THE iPAD CONTROVERSY?

• Update: Controversy Awaits $30 Million iPad Vote 6/17
• iPads Hacked? ‘Surprised it Took This Long,’ Says Zimmer 9/25
• LA Teachers and students protest spending, reliance on iPads 11/8
•  Despite Bad Press, LAUSD’s iPad Curriculum Is Impressing Educators

 

2. A SCHOOL BOARD DIVIDE SLOWS DOWN PROGRESS

• Marathon Board Meeting Signals Changes to Come 6/19
• School Board Meeting: More Discussion Than Votes 8/20
• Board Member Abstention Dooms Spread Out Title 1 Money 11/13
• Delay on iPads shows deep division on LA Unified board 12/18

 

3. JOHN DEASY IS OUT, JOHN DEASY IS IN

• Deasy Skirmish With Board Members a Long Time Coming 6/24
• Deasy Leaving LA Unified? Who Could be Surprised 10/25
• Story of Deasy Media Frenzy in 15 Tweets 10/29
• In Case You Missed it, Deasy is Staying 10/30

4. BOARD MEMBER MARGUERITE LAMOTTE DIES IN OFFICE

• Margueritte LaMotte, Long-Serving Member of Board, Dies, at 80 12/5
• LaMotte, ‘fierce champion’ for kids in her Los Angeles district 12/6
• Black Leaders Speak Out on How to Fill LaMotte Seat 12/6
• LA Unified board delays action on LaMotte vacancy to January 12/17

5. GOODBYE TO STANDARDIZED TESTS, COMMON CORE IS COMING

• CA Getting ‘Smarter’ with New Tests to Probe Critical Thinking 8/27
• Brown Signs AB 484, Ending Old Standardized Tests in California* 10/2
• Commentary: The Idiot’s Guide to the Common Core Standards 12/19

6. BEST KEPT SECRET: STUDENTS MAKING PROGRESS

• State & District Graduation Rates Rise 4/10
• API Tests for LA Unified Improve, State Scores Fall 8/29
• LA Unified students see national report card improvement 12/18

 

7. UNION KNOWS HOW TO WIN ELECTIONS

• UTLA-PACE Attacks District 4 Challenger Anderson 2/15
• Westside Teachers Dial for Zimmer 3/5
• Union Endorsements Could Affect District 6 Runoff 3/6

 

 

8. MONEY CAN’T BUY YOU LOVE: REFORM GROUPS TROUNCED

• Outside Spending Up $400K Since Friday – Nears $5 Million 3/4
• Coalition Campaign was “Half-Hearted and Incompetent,” says Rival Consultant 3/18
• Update: Reform Coalition Faces Power Vacuum 6/6

 

9. VLADOVIC SCORES TOP SPOT (ALLEGATIONS ASIDE)

• Board: Vladovic the Frontrunner for President 6/12
• Harassment Allegations Could Hurt Vladovic’s Chances 6/27
• Vladovic Apologizes, Escapes Further Board Action — For Now 10/8
• UTLA Applauds Vladovic for ‘Addressing’ Bad Behavior 10/10

 

10. TEACHERS UNION GOES TO THE MAT ON . . . EVERYTHING?

• Teachers Vote Against Deasy, For More Teachers 4/11
• Why Teachers Are Battling Free Classroom Breakfast 5/10
• Latest UTLA Survey Takes Aim at Common Core Readiness* 8/16
• No Race to Top for Teachers Union, ‘Travesty,’ Says Board Member 10/3

11. PARENT POWER: ‘TRIGGER’ GETS PULLED

• Parent Trigger Coming to LAUSD 1/14
• LA Parents Opting for Varied “Trigger” Options 4/3
• School Board’s Strange Parent Trigger About-Face 6/20
• Parents using the ‘Trigger’ law help get a pre-k for 24th street 11/11