LA School Report

Aspire Public Schools, which operates 10 independent charter schools in LA Unified, today named Carolyn Hack as its new CEO. Hack, who is chief financial and operating officer for Uncommon Schools in New York, will replace outgoing CEO James Willcox, who is stepping down in September. “We are delighted that Carolyn Hack will be the next leader of Aspire,” Aspire...

The LA Unified board yesterday provided a closer look at how the district plans to spend next year’s $7.1 billion budget, including a windfall of $415 million that is expected to cover ongoing costs and to expand priorities established through community engagement called the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). The board meeting was the final...

By Eilene Zimmerman Andrea and I sat cramped around a little two-top table at a Starbucks near her apartment, materials from her U.S. government class spread out before us. The handouts were photocopied news articles about teenagers pursuing The American Dream, the topic of an essay Andrea was writing. There was the Somali “Lost Boy”...

The LA Unified school board is scheduled to meet today at 2:30 p.m. The meeting will primarily be dedicated to discussing the budget and LCAP spending, and many guest speakers are expected. Board member Monica Ratliff will also introduce a resolution that would extend the term limits of the board president from two years to...

With the national mood trending toward schools solving more and more of their students’ social problems, a new report by the Economic Policy Institute takes a look at the issues that schools alone cannot solve but depress student performance. What kind of services public school districts should provide and the problems they should solve seems...

By Sam Stein & Jason Cherkis The aftermath of school shootings is now all too familiar. The shock of the breaking news, the scenes of school evacuations, the ensuing political debate and the inevitable inaction. And for Ed Burke, the wave of new customers. As CEO of the Massachusetts-based company Bullet Blocker, Burke sells one...

Legislators pass a bigger budget for schools and early ed The Legislature on Monday passed a $117.5 billion budget for 2015-16 that includes $700 million more for schools and community colleges. Ed Source Award-winning teacher allegedly removed over Mark Twain quote  Rafe Esquith’s attorney fired back Monday at LAUSD officials, saying the allegations are ruining...

LA Unified Superintendent Ramon Cortines today unveiled a plan to phase out the School Readiness Language Development Program (SRLDP), a specialized program serving 10,000 low-income four-year olds, and expand transitional kindergarten. Cortines’ strategy represents a complete overhaul of district services by 2016-17 for thousands of the early education students who often begin school at a...

We openly speculated here at LA School Report less than a month ago that Steve Zimmer appeared in position to be elected the next LA Unified school board president in July. Not so fast, Kemosabe. Board President Richard Vladovic’s tenure is set to expire in July due to a two-year term limit, but that may no longer...