The Morning Read
Your Daily Roundup of LAUSD news from across the web | 10.05.21
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When the cost of admission is paying off a college, Americans are outraged. But when it’s the price of a house near a good school, there’s silence
Meritocracy is a cornerstone of the American ideological edifice. Or at least it was, until the FBI took a sledgehammer to it as it revealed Operation Varsity Blues: a sting that outed a long-running pay-to-play scam at some of the country’s best-known colleges and universities. The details — the bulk of which amount to Mafia-style...
By Derrell Bradford | March 18, 2019
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Heather Repenning declares she’s made the runoff against Jackie Goldberg in race for LAUSD school board seat
*UPDATE: The county announced Thursday, March 21, that six more ballots have been counted in the race this week, and all went to Jackie Goldberg. There is still a 31-vote difference between Heather Repenning, who is in second place and thus eligible for the runoff election, and the closest competitor, Graciela Ortíz. The county will...
By Taylor Swaak | March 15, 2019
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How 8 large California districts are using data to decode social-emotional learning — and predict students’ academic success
When some teachers in the Long Beach Unified School District hear students say they’re bad at math, they rephrase. You’re not bad, you’re just not understanding it yet. It’s not too difficult, it’s just challenging right now. These educators are helping students develop a growth mindset, a belief that they can improve their skills through...
By Kate Stringer | March 13, 2019
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Antonucci: Proposed Los Angeles parcel tax may give to teachers with one hand and take with the other
Mike Antonucci’s Union Report appears weekly at LA School Report. *Updated March 15 Things are definitely looking up for teacher unions, especially in California. Membership losses were less than feared after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Janus ruling. A wave of teacher strikes led to settlements with more funding. The 2018 elections went well, with a friendly governor...
By Mike Antonucci | March 12, 2019
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School districts serving mostly nonwhite students get $23 billion less each year than those serving predominantly white populations — California is among most inequitable
It was nearly three decades ago when the New Jersey Supreme Court found the state’s school funding formula shortchanged its poorest students, and lawmakers directed more money to districts serving large shares of low-income children. Now, a new report suggests the state didn’t go far enough. Despite the landmark decision, the state has one of the nation’s largest...
By Mark Keierleber | March 11, 2019
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LAUSD’s BD5 race will go to a runoff — Repenning holds 35-vote lead over Ortíz for second place
*Updated March 15 The top three finishers in L.A. Unified’s Board District 5 election retained their positions after Tuesday’s vote count, though the race for second place narrowed to only 35 votes. A runoff election on May 14 is now certain, as Jackie Goldberg is 596 votes shy of a majority and there are fewer than...
By Taylor Swaak | March 8, 2019
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Jackie Goldberg claims nearly half the votes in LAUSD’s primary election — but her opponent in a runoff remains too close to call
*Updated March 7 The Board District 5 special election in L.A. Unified is almost certainly headed to a runoff, with teachers union favorite Jackie Goldberg clinching just shy of half the votes while her future opponent remains undetermined. Goldberg, a former school board member and vocal charter critic, received 48.26 percent of the vote with...
By Taylor Swaak | March 6, 2019
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Antonucci: L.A. and Oakland teacher strike settlements are structured differently, but the results are the same
Mike Antonucci’s Union Report appears weekly at LA School Report. The Oakland teacher strike came to an end after seven days with another “historic” contract agreement. As was the case in Los Angeles, the previous Oakland contract had expired in June 2017. The strike lasted the same amount of time. Both were settled after mediation by outside...
By Mike Antonucci | March 5, 2019
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How will this LAUSD school board election differ from District 5’s last race? Will January’s teacher strike boost turnout? Experts answer these questions, and more, about Tuesday’s vote
On Tuesday, L.A. Unified’s Board District 5 will hold a special election to fill a school board seat that’s been vacant since last year, potentially determining whether the board swings more pro-reform or more pro-union. The board district’s students — who are nearly 90 percent Latino — haven’t had a representative since last July, when education reformer...
By Taylor Swaak | March 4, 2019
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LAUSD special election guide: Who’s on the ballot, and why Tuesday’s primary matters
*Updated March 4 Tuesday is the special election to fill the school board seat in L.A. Unified’s Board District 5. The person elected will become part of the seven-member school board that decides on policies, budget and approval of charter schools in L.A. Unified, which is the largest school district in California and second-largest in...
By Esmeralda Fabián Romero | March 1, 2019