Morning Read: 145 LAUSD Schools Closed Their Libraries
LA School Report | December 2, 2013
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Dozens of LA Unified schools lack staff needed to run libraries
As many as 145 schools across L.A. Unified may have closed their libraries, according to staffing numbers provided to KPCC this week. The district said it does not have a tally of shuttered libraries, but figures show schools and the district have hired only a fraction of the library aides needed to operate libraries in every public school. KPCC
Legislative leaders raise concerns about school-funding regulations
Top Democrats in the Legislature have poured cold water on proposed regulations to carry out the landmark overhaul of how California allocates money to schools. Suggesting that the draft rules are “inconsistent with the intent and letter” of the Local Control Funding Formula legislation enacted in June, Monday’s letter to Board of Education President Michael Kirst and his colleagues calls for changes that would preserve “local autonomy. Sacramento Bee
State unions at war with basic math
It’s been more than four years since the chief actuary for the California Public Employees’ Retirement System declared CalPERS faced an “unsustainable” future. Ron Seeling’s candor acknowledged the vast unfunded liabilities facing the nation’s largest pension system then and to this day. U-T San Diego
LA Unified police force will stop ticketing students under 13
Responding to demand for reforms, the nation’s largest school police force — in Los Angeles — will stop issuing tickets to students 12-years-old or younger for minor infractions allegedly committed on or near campuses during school hours. EdSource
Obama administration backtracks (again) on teacher equity
President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan have talked the talked about the importance of teachers, but when it comes to providing kids with equitable access to great teachers, they haven’t exactly walked the walk. The Washington Post
Closing a fear gap so children can achieve
The meeting began, as so many in middle-school auditoriums do, uncomfortably. Parents squeezed into chairs fit for 12-year-old knees. The speaker’s first question fell flat. “Estamos listos a aprender mucho?” repeated Montserrat Garibay, an official with the local teachers’ union. Are we ready to learn a lot? New York Times
What’s missing from teaching – according to teachers
As the national focus on teacher effectiveness, assessment, and measurement continues to intensify and, in many ways, determine the future of the teaching profession, those who are directly impacted (ahem, teachers!) are working hard to have their voices heard by policymakers. EdCentral
What does it take to get kids to stop skipping school?
When it comes to tackling the problem of chronic absenteeism, students who already have a track record of skipping class can be a particularly tough crowd to sway. But a new report out of New York City—where one out of every five students missed a month or more of school last year—suggests an intensive community-wide initiative is gaining ground. The Atlantic