LA School Report

While this year’s students fared better than last year, LA Unified kids scored below the state average on the California Physical Fitness Test. According to figures released yesterday by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, the LA Unified fifth-, seventh- and ninth-graders who participated in the six-part test during the 2013-14 school year are significantly...

Opinions differ on impact of Tuck’s campaign Since Tuck’s failed effort to unseat Torlakson, observers have reached different conclusions about the election’s significance. Ed Source CSU Dominguez Hills awarded DoE grant for special ed teacher prep The grant will assist in addressing disparities within the Los Angeles Unified School District. Dateline Dominguez San Francisco’s universal...

* UPDATED In a scathing critique of LA Unified’s implementation of its new student data tracking system, a team of independent analysts found problems from the beginning, including an overall “lack of communication or understanding of application stability” critical to the project’s success. In short, Arnold Viramontes, an outside expert hired by former superintendent John...

Attorneys for LA Unified asked the judge in the civil trial against the district involving the sex abuse scandal at Miramonte Elementary School for a gag order, which would prevent anyone involved with the case from talking publicly about it, according to NBC Los Angeles. Jury selection in the case is expected to begin later this month. The case stems from...

In a new effort to gain wider perspectives for technology projects, LA Unified has formed a New Technology Advisory Committee, which includes representatives from the district’s various labor partners. As the district said in a statement, now on its website, the committee strives “to foster and strengthen relationships” with LA Unified’s labor partners, community members...

The bargaining session scheduled for today between LA Unified and the teachers union, UTLA, has been cancelled, due to an illness of a union staff member, a district official said. The agenda had included discussions of teacher support and evaluation, parent empowerment and adult education. What was not expected to be part of the dialogue...

After Tuesday’s two-hour MiSiS meltdown, Superintendent Ramon Cortines called for Microsoft to send in the cavalry and the Seattle-based company responded by sending a total of one — count ’em, one — expert to help with the glitch-plagued student data program serving 650,000 students. The system crashed when too many teachers logged on to update...

Teachers unions defend their ground by getting Torlakson reelected Teachers unions defended their ground in California this week by helping to reelect Tom Torlakson. Los Angeles Times Cortines: LA Unified looking to Torlakson for support LA Unified Superintendent Ramon Cortines says he is looking forward to support from the newly re-elected state school superintendent, Tom...

It appears that a former LA Unified worker who received little press or campaign contributions may have pulled off a huge upset and narrowly defeated incumbent Raul Bocanegra, D-Pacoima, for the District 39 seat in the California State Assembly. Patty Lopez, who is also a Democrat and a resident of San Fernando, worked at LA Unified’s North...

Steve Zimmer was the only member of the LA school board with a public response to yesterday’s victory by Tom Torlakson, who won a second term as state Superintendent for Public Instruction. In it, Zimmer makes clear his disdain for the wealthy funders who backed the losing candidate, Marshall Tuck, congratulating the state teacher unions...