LA School Report

The teacher dismissal bill awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown‘s signature includes no specific language for streamlining the process of removing teachers for sexual and physical abuse, which had been the focus of earlier bills. The final version simply creates protocols to govern any dismissal case. Brown has until Oct. 13 to sign it. Assembly Bill 375,...

Four LA Unified teachers of the year for 2012 and Superintendent John Deasy were treated to a meal on Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters” last night that they won’t soon forget. Pictured above are Deasy (fourth from left) and the teachers (with certificates): Carlos Lauchu of Millikan Middle School; Jeffery Austin of the Social Justice Humanitas Academy at the Cesar...

Future of high school exit exam unclear as California revamps testing The current overhaul of California’s student testing program is skipping, for now, the California High School Exit Exam, the one test that’s truly high stakes. If students don’t pass, they don’t receive a high school diploma. Gov. Jerry Brown has said he will sign...

October 9th is “Walk to School Day” for Los Angeles schools, the kick-off event of “International Walk to School Month,” which is designed to educate kids about pedestrian safety and celebrate the benefits of walking. Though only nine Los Angeles schools are currently registered, organizers are hoping the event encourages parents, students, school personnel and...

New research sponsored by the National Academy of Education seeks a deeper understanding of  why there are so few black male teachers in U.S. public schools. The backdrop for the work by Travis Bristol of Teachers College, Columbia University and Ron Ferguson of the Harvard Achievement Gap Initiative is the startling fact that black males, who are six percent of the...

LAUSD approves $113M budget to train teachers for Common Core After debating nearly two hours and voting down a proposed compromise, the Los Angeles Unified board on Tuesday approved a plan for spending $113 million to implement a new curriculum — the same budget that triggered the resignation of the district’s instructional chief when it...

LA Unified said today that more than $27 million has been allocated for 58 settlements with the parents of children who were suing the school district over allegations of sexual misconduct by teachers at Miramonte Elementary. That brings to 61 the number of financial settlements with two more awaiting final paperwork and 68 other cases...

The LAUSD School Board today finally approved a $113 million budget for transitioning to the Common Core curriculum. The 6-1 vote marked the end of a tumultuous and seemingly directionless process that led to the resignation of Deputy Superintendent of Instruction Jaime Aquino, an LA Times editorial calling the Board “dysfunctional,” and finally to Mayor Eric Garcetti wading in to Board...

Follow us now on twitter @laschoolreport  to catch the latest developments at today’s LA Unified School Board meeting, where the controversial budget proposal is top on the agenda (here). For a live video feed, go to the LAUSD School Board website, here. Later today, the board will hold a ‘Committee of the Whole’ meeting (agenda here)...

If there were ever any doubt where LA Unified board member Monica Garcia stands with regard to Superintendent John Deasy, it’s gone now. A group called Parent Partnership for Public Education has renewed its call to support Deasy — with a big boost from Garcia’s email list. In a message sent on Monday, the group asked...