Your donation will help us produce journalism like this. Please give today.
Districts to Get $1.25 billion to Implement Common Core
With uncommon speed, school districts and charter schools this fall will receive substantial money they didn’t foresee coming their way a few months ago to prepare for the Common Core standards. The catch: They first have to tell the public how they plan to use it. EdSource Today.
LA Unified’s change in school for the blind draws outrage
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at Frances Blend Elementary on the last day of school. Boxes of pastries were picked over by teachers and staff as they smiled and wished each other… LA Times
IPads for School Kids
A case can be made. But this massive investment has been sprung on the public with far too little input from the people paying the freight and far too many unanswered questions. LA Daily News (opinion)
An L.A. Labor Leader with a Strong Worker Ethic
A daughter of farmworkers from Mexico, Durazo, 60, combines a street organizer’s intensity with a big, slightly hoarse laugh and easy charm. She deftly works the seams of government and private enterprise, moving between union rallies and talks with city power brokers such as billionaire Eli Broad. LA Times
Liberating LAUSD’s Schools From Budget Cuts and Micromanagement
Amid this debate, we cannot forget to consider the obvious goal for local fair funding — making local school decisions about how to invest in local school goals. Huffington Post (opinion)
Suit by Popular Restaurant Hecho en Mexico Accuses Charter School, LAUSD of Trespass, Harassment, Destroying Business
A popular restaurant in the El Sereno section of East LA is seeking more than $1 million in damages in a lawsuit against a controversial charter school and the Los Angeles Unified School District.
LA School District Working to Get Students Qualified for UC schools
Eight years ago, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) committed to graduating students from high school with the courses needed to enter University of California schools. KPCC
The Battle for Crenshaw High
Crenshaw is home to some of L.A.’s top academic awardees and athletes, as well as the first student-created cell phone app. Yet the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) calls the school a failure and is trying to destroy its community-based nature. Global Research
For Many Community College Students, A Full Summer
For the first time in three summers, Los Angeles Harbor College bustled last week with the activity of students on the go.Community college students hoping to speed transfer to four-year schools; UC and Cal State students looking to fulfill lower-division science and math requirements on the cheap; recent high school graduates seeking to jump-start their college education. LA Times
Supreme Court Returns Affirmative Action Case to Lower Court
The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 7-1 ruling on Monday, has decided to send a closely watched affirmative action case back to the appellate court, holding that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit did not use the proper standards when it ruled that the University of Texas at Austin could use a race-conscious policy to admit some freshmen. EdWeek
LA Non-Profit Kicks Off $30 million Federal Grant for Hollywood and Pacoima Families
About $30 million in federal funds is headed to L.A.’s Pacoima and Hollywood neighborhoods in the next five years through a project called Los Angeles Promise Neighborhood. KPCC
Districts Turning Summer School Into Learning Labs
Districts and communities are shifting from offering duplicative Algebra 2 and U.S. history classes to using the summertime as an opportunity to experiment with innovative teaching and learning methods. EdWeek
Parenting Classes Tailored for Latino Families Show Promise in Closing Achievement Gap
A program offering parenting classes tailored to Latino families is showing promise as a way to help children arrive in kindergarten ready to learn, a key early benchmark that educators say can help close entrenched achievement gaps across racial and economic lines. EdSource
Preschool Attendance Up in Latest Index of Child Well-Being
More 3- and 4-year olds are enrolled in preschool, one of several positive indicators of child well-being catalogued by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in its 2013 KIDS COUNT data book. EdWeek
Survey Shows US Children Make Strides in Education and Health, But Economic Well-Being Slips
Many families in the U.S. have been trying to raise children in the face of joblessness and homelessness. An annual survey released Monday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows the number of children living in poverty increased to 23 percent in 2011, after the recession. Washington Post
School Hopes Talking It Out Keeps Kids from Dropping Out
Schiff, who has worked in the restorative justice field for nearly two decades, says schools in at least 20 states have started to incorporate restorative justice practices in their school discipline policies. And while there isn’t a ton of data on how effective it is, she says what’s out there is pretty positive. NPR