LA School Report

After the downpour of bad news coming out of the district here’s a ray of sunshine: Graduation rates for all race and ethnic groups in LA Unified were up by double-digit margins last year. Across the board graduation rates for the class of 2013-14 rose by 12 percent over the previous year, the highest increase...

Via Education Week | By Peter Cunningham In the interest of seeding progress, not scoring points, I offer the following feedback to American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten in response to her Oct. 22 speech to the West Coast Labor Management Institute in the wake of John Deasy’s recent resignation as the superintendent of the Los...

LA Unified police say $8 million needed to keep iPad-toting students safe Los Angeles Unified school police say 80 new officers are needed to provide “safe passage” for students walking home from school with $500 iPads. KPCC Parents, teachers deliver 100,000 signatures to Time, demanding apology Teachers, parents and union leaders gathered in front of...

A consultant to the committee that oversees how LA Unified spends taxpayer bond dollars today recommended a complete overhaul of the district’s Information Technology operations, suggesting the district might consider outsourcing the entire department. Tom Rubin delivered the report to the Bond Oversight Committee, blasting the IT department and asserting that the recent bungled rollout...

As support in the state for the idea is growing, the LA Unified school board next month is scheduled to vote on a resolution requiring an ethnic studies course for all district students as a high school graduation requirement. The resolution was introduced by board member Bennett Kayser and would begin the process with a pilot...

By Chris Ciampa Not every California student has access to the same opportunities. I know because I teach, and have taught, in some of our state’s most underserved schools. I support Proposition 47 because in addition to reclassifying a set of non-violent felonies as misdemeanors, the ballot measure would also reallocate some of the $1.79 billion California...

Tight race for schools chief A new Field Poll shows a virtual tie between incumbent Tom Torlakson and challenger Marshall Tuck in the race for state superintendent. The Sacramento Bee Long Beach looking to extend its push for college to preschools Believing it’s never too early to think about college, Long Beach public officials and...