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Morning Read: LAT endorses Tuck for state public education chief

LA School Report | May 2, 2014



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Marshall Tuck for state superintendent of public instruction
Opinion: Torlakson has been an able administrator, and after years as a state legislator, his relationships in Sacramento give him some influence on lawmaking. He deserves praise for his role in the state’s smooth implementation of the Common Core curriculum standards. But he has not brought much vision or leadership to his role. The biggest education accomplishment of recent years — the “Local Control Funding Formula” that simplifies the state school aid process and drives more money to disadvantaged students — was the brainchild of Gov. Jerry Brown. Los Angeles Times


Bill would expand chances to take community college courses
High school students would have more access to community college classes under a bill that proponents say will expand chances for teenagers to take courses that put them on a path for success in college and careers. “This is my favorite bill of the year,” Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen, R-Modesto, said Wednesday at an education committee hearing on Assembly Bill 1451. “It’s a game changer for our children who are seeking greater educational opportunities.” EdSource


Allegations in Miramonte molestation case grow
Previously undisclosed accusations against former Miramonte Elementary School teacher Mark Berndt reveal a more widespread pattern of alleged abuse, with more than 100 possible victims, including some children who said Berndt molested them, according to court documents. The new allegations about Berndt are included in a 512-page report based on a two-year inquiry by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. The report is confidential, but was summarized by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge John Shepard Wiley in a ruling during a pre-trial hearing this week. Los Angeles Times


Seven challenges to getting the Common Core right
The rollout of the Common Core standards offers California – and most of the nation – an opportunity to address some of the issues that have plagued education reform in the past. Foremost among these issues is the generally poor quality of state assessments of student achievement and a resulting negative effect on instruction. EdSource


Louis C.K. against the Common Core
On Thursday morning, thousands of children who attend public school in New York City will be sitting down for the second of three days of standardized math tests. Among them will be the offspring of Louis C.K., the comedian. Earlier this week, he took to social media to express his frustration at his daughter’s math homework, tweeting the questions she was required to solve to his more than three million followers. “My kids used to love math! Now it makes them cry,” he wrote. The New Yorker

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