LA School Report

For Democrats and Republicans alike, charter schools have long provided a happy compromise between vouchers for religious schools and no school choice at all. Charters give families an alternative schooling option but remain publicly funded, secular institutions authorized by government agencies. They have been warmly endorsed by Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama,...

For nearly six minutes Saturday, school shooting survivor Emma Gonzalez stood at a podium in front of almost 1 million people, on national television, and said nothing. It was a remarkable and chilling silence — one that rang louder than the star-studded musical performances that took the stage in Washington, D.C., before Gonzalez got up to speak. “Six minutes...

California parents looking for better public schools for their kids will get to elect a new state schools chief in November, and this week was their first chance to compare the three candidates side by side — something parents can’t yet do with schools. The three candidates for state superintendent of public instruction met for...

Every week, we sit down with Los Angeles parents to talk about their students, their schools, and what questions or suggestions they have for their school district. (See our previous interviews.) Lisette Duarte, project director of the Parent Empowerment Project of the Autism Society of Los Angeles, knows first-hand that families with autistic children face more than...

What kind of superintendent does the Los Angeles Unified School District need? It’s not an easy question to answer but it’s a deeply important one, especially at a moment when the district is facing crucial decisions not just about its own future, but also about the future of the 630,000 kids it serves. One of...

There’s been a lot of talk but little action from Los Angeles and California education officials when it comes to supporting the lowest-performing schools. Last week state board members again voted to put off revisions to California’s education plan, which are required in order for the plan to be approved by the federal Department of...

As students across the country are making their voices heard on gun control, California youths are being given the opportunity to have a voice in ensuring all students have access to a quality education with a California Students’ Bill of Rights, unveiled Thursday in Los Angeles by gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa. Students from Alliance Susan...