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Morning Read: Parent Activism a Growing Trend in LA Schools

LA School Report | December 3, 2013



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Parent involvement at L.A. schools getting new look
In Cudahy, parents collected more than 600 signatures demanding a new principal. In Culver City, they fought attempts to unionize classroom aides and formed a group that elected a school board majority. In Los Angeles, parents are organizing for more effective school disciplinary practices. LA Times


Schools promoting ‘trauma-informed’ teaching to reach troubled students
Backed by brain research, California schools are beginning to address the effect of severe trauma on the health and achievement of their students. In districts including Humboldt, Richmond, Santa Cruz, Aptos and San Francisco, groups of teachers are being trained to recognize that students’ explosive anger, classroom outbursts, habitual withdrawal and self-injurious behaviors could be symptoms of traumatic stress, the result of repeated exposure to violence, abuse and neglect. EdSource


Hike in online courtesy fee for teacher credentialing
A seemingly obscure uptick in the cost to process online educator accreditation forms generated an expense of $84,000 last year for the state’s cash-strapped commission that oversees teacher preparation and standards. SI&A Cabinet Report


Legislative-advocacy group’s model bill tackles privacy of student data
An influential legislative-advocacy group’s promotion of a model bill meant to protect the privacy of student data sends a strong signal that the hot-button issue will be debated in statehouses around the country in lawmakers’ 2014 sessions. EdWeek


Seeing the toll, schools revise zero tolerance
Faced with mounting evidence that get-tough policies in schools are leading to arrest records, low academic achievement and high dropout rates that especially affect minority students, cities and school districts around the country are rethinking their approach to minor offenses. New York Times


The college-for-all model isn’t working
Commentary: Instead of going through Congress and making the initiative bipartisan, President Obama acted alone in mid-November, promising $100 million in grants to specialized high schools — such as New York City’s Pathways in Technology Early College High School — that prepare students for technical careers. LA Times


School reforms revive debate on impact of money on outcomes
Commentary: The dramatic transformation of how California’s schools are funded is raising one of the most complex and challenging questions on the education policy landscape: Will additional money improve student academic outcomes? EdSource

 

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