LA School Report

As defendants in the Vergara trial were asking the court to dismiss the case, attorneys for the state’s two biggest teachers union met with reporters outside the courthouse to offer a preview of arguments they intend to make if the judge denies their request, and the trial resumes next month with witnesses for the defense....

At 10:25 this morning, after they got their final documents entered into evidence, the plaintiffs in Vergara vs. California rested. That was the signal to Susan Carson, a lawyer for the state, to inform Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu that the state and teachers’ unions would file papers later in the day, asking him to...

LAUSD parents looking to volunteer at their child’s school no longer have to brave the LA freeways to get fingerprinted at the district’s downtown headquarters. Thanks to a recently passed resolution sponsored by board members Tamar Galatzan, Steve Zimmer and Monica Garcia, parents can have their fingerprints processed at local Educational Service Centers, a change to...

The Facebook group, “Repairs Not iPads,” whose pictures of deteriorating LAUSD facilities have gone viral, took on a real-world turn yesterday afternoon when the group gathered at Esperanza Elementary for its first press conference. Matthew Kogan, who anonymously launched the Facebook effort in December, told LA School Report that the event was intended to introduce some of the...

Defendants in Vergara v California told Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu this morning that they would file a motion later today, asking the court to dismiss the case. Treu suspended further testimony, saying he would dispense with the request before the defendants call a witness. The request for “summary judgment” is routine after plaintiffs conclude...

The LA Unified school board is busy today with two committee meetings, both chaired by school board member Bennett Kayser: 10:00 a.m.: Budget, Facilities and Audit Committee Meeting: (Agenda) 1:00 p.m. Early Childhood Education and Parent Engagement Committee Meeting. (Agenda) LA School Report, has livestream coverage: click LIVESTREAM LAUSD  

In a trial that began in late January and was supposed to take 20 court days, plaintiffs in Vergara v California used the first 16 to put on their case, as Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu heard from 22 witnesses through yesterday. Testimony from several others became part of the case record through their depositions....

More than 600 L.A. school buildings need quake evaluations, retrofits The Los Angeles Unified School District still has hundreds of school buildings in need of detailed seismic evaluations and strengthening to withstand a major earthquake, according to district data. The Times requested an update of the school district’s inventory of its buildings in need of...

Plaintiffs called their final witnesses in Vergara v California today, putting on the stand two experts who offered testimony designed to show negative consequences of the state statutes under challenge. It’s a case that could overhaul major parts of state laws that govern teacher dismissal and tenure opportunities. Frank Fekete, a lawyer from Redondo Beach...

Via CBS Los Angeles Frustrated parents converged on a Woodland Hills charter school Wednesday over what they described as a failure by the school’s principal to tackle campus issues. Parents of students at Woodlake Elementary Community Charter located at 23231 Hatteras Street say they have complained to principal Jacque Kampschroer about several issues, including increased...