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Next phase of L.A. iPad plan is back on school board’s agenda
Two board members are trying to skirt a delay in efforts to provide iPads to every student, teacher and administrator in the LA Unified School District. The unusual maneuver is being pursued by board members Monica Garcia and Tamar Galatzan, who are the most enthusiastic backers of the $1-billion technology program. LA Times
Politics of LA school board may shift
The Los Angeles school board is scheduled to decide Tuesday how to fill the seat left vacant after the death of board member Marguerite Lamotte. Lamotte was a close ally to the teachers’ union, and her absence from the board could compromise labor’s voice in district policy. She represented South Los Angeles on the board. KPCC
Making California’s new school funding formula work
Editorial: The state’s new formula for funding schools is a tremendous gift for districts that enroll large numbers of disadvantaged students. But it’s not quite the giveaway some of them had expected. The hoops they must jump through to get the extra money have riled John Deasy, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, as well as the leaders of several other districts. LA Times
Ratliff: We need ‘greater bilingual and dual language offerings’
Fifth-grade math teacher Monica Ratliff became the newest member of L.A. Unified School Board after a heavily-publicized win against Antonio Sanchez, a labor union favorite who outspent her by nearly $2 million. Since Ratliff started her term, the country’s second-largest school district has seen its share of controversy, from a botched iPad initiative to the near resignation of Schools Superintendent John Deasy last month. The Hechinger Report
Measure would ban school payment deferrals
The state would be required to repay, in a single year, billions of dollars it still owes K-12 districts and would no longer have the ability to defer school payments under terms of a measure being proposed for next November’s ballot. But a just-released Legislative Analyst’s of the “Fund Schools on Time Act of 2014” says such a decree could actually result in less money for education in lean budget years. SI&A Cabinet Report
State treasurer: California school pension plan implodes without fix
California Treasurer Bill Lockyer is warning that the state teacher retirement system is rapidly running out of money. Lockyer predicts the plan that pays benefits to retired public school educators won’t exist in 30 years unless it’s fixed. KPCC
San Juan Unified faces $17 million in claims over harassment allegations
Ten women have filed $17 million in claims with the San Juan Unified School District alleging that Superintendent Glynn Thompson created a hostile workplace, adding financial pressure to a large suburban school district that has gone seven months without a permanent leader. Sacramento Bee