LA School Report

The LA Unified school board is currently on the hunt for a new superintendent and may hire one by the end of the year. Needless to say, it will not be a simple task for whoever succeeds Ramon Cortines: The district is facing a growing list of formidable challenges, including several that have generated negative headlines...

One of Stephen Salva’s first big responsibilities as a new principal at Cheremoya Avenue Elementary School was to plan for the 100th anniversary of his school, which came last week. Salva, a 20-year veteran of LAUSD turned to a little-known gem that the district has had since 2003 — the person who serves as curator and...

By Rebecca Klein High school graduation rates were on the rise during the 2013-2014 school year, according to new preliminary data released by the U.S. Department of Education. The numbers also show that the graduation rate gap between white and black students and white and Hispanic students is decreasing in many states — a positive sign. The new data...

Charters’ clout grows as top performer to disadvantaged Half of the top-performing schools serving low-income students in California are charters, according to a new analysis of test scores. Cabinet Report, by Kimberly Beltran Principal churn highlights tension in in San Diego school district Since San Diego Unified Superintendent Cindy Marten took over in 2013, about...

As the operators of El Camino Real Charter School High School prepare to ask the LA Unified board for approval to turn three vacant elementary school sites into new charter schools, one of the main hurdles they face is the growing skepticism of board President Steve Zimmer. The sites are located in the western San Fernando...

A new LA Unified police diversion program, which replaces arrests with counseling, is keeping hundreds of students out of the city’s criminal justice system. “If we didn’t have this program, a lot would have gone into a courtroom and before a judge,” said LAUSD police chief Steven Zipperman, in a presentation yesterday to the district’s school...

By Jasmine Garsd It’s been a year since thousands of unaccompanied minors surged into the U.S., overwhelming some school districts. These children, many of whom don’t speak English and have lived through violence, trauma and abuse, pose a serious challenge to schools. Some districts weren’t ready. Oakland, Calif., was. It was spring of 2014, well...

Friedrichs v. CTA: What you need to know about challenge to union dues The lawsuit challenges the authority of the CTA and other public-employee unions to collect mandatory fees, a main source of their income and, by extension, their power. EdSource, by John Fensterwald More than half of LGBT students have felt unsafe at school...

LA Unified plant managers are putting together a things-to-do list for every school in the district to prepare for a possible record El Niño. Everything from cleaning out gutters to replacing a roof could help schools weather a strong storm system that is forecast to start this winter and last through spring. The concerns were...