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LAUSD iPads: Officials chose incomplete software over competitors
When the Los Angeles Unified School District set out last year to buy tablets for every teacher and student, officials drew up a scoring system to rate 19 hardware and software options. The scores meant a lot: the contract will ultimately be worth about $500 million and marks the largest school technology expansion in the country. KPCC
Candidates vying to lead UTLA reflect recent teacher woes
One candidate to head the Los Angeles teachers union was laid off. Another was removed from the classroom for alleged misconduct. A third lost his position when his school was restructured with new staff because of low test scores. A fourth is an elementary school counselor who must shuttle between two campuses. LA Times
California gets waiver for Common Core field tests without penalties
California will not face penalties or multimillion-dollar fines from the federal government for giving all students a preliminary test on the new Common Core standards, instead of on the old state standards that California has abandoned. EdSource
Testing waiver clears path for accountability update
In what is likely to be an historic step in transforming how California schools are graded for student success, the board of education this week is expected to officially suspend for two years the state’s school-performance measurement tool known as the API. SI&A Cabinet Report
Districts, partnerships signal interest in ‘career pathways’ grant program
Competition is shaping up to be fierce for a new state grant program supporting programs that link academics with real-world career opportunities. The California Department of Education has received some 275 letters from parties interested in seeking a piece of the California Career Pathways Trust. EdSource
Dumbing down the SAT won’t prepare students for college
Commentary: When the going gets tough, well, why not just make the going easier? This seems to be the conclusion of the College Board, which administers the dreaded SAT college entrance exam. Recently announced “improvements” to the test are designed, say board officials, to better gauge what students actually study and learn in high school. Shouldn’t take too long. Sacramento Bee