By Valerie Strauss | The Washington Post The four corporations that dominate the U.S. standardized testing market spend millions of dollars lobbying state and federal officials — as well as sometimes hiring them — to persuade them to favor policies that include mandated student assessments, helping to fuel a nearly $2 billion annual testing business,...

Despite only modest spending on behalf of Bennett Kayser in the race to represent LA Unified’s board District 5, the teachers union said today it’s not abandoning him in the May 19 run off against reform darling, Ref Rodriguez. According to the latest data from the LA City Ethics Commission, the political action committee connected...

The LA teachers union, UTLA, released documents today that it says proves the administration of Alliance College-Ready Public Schools has been illegally blocking a unionization attempt by its teachers. Alliance, in turn, acknowledged the documents were real and said that they prove nothing. The documents outline a clear strategy by the administration to win the hearts...

By the Editorial Board On May 19, when Angelenos head back to the polls for runoff elections, there will be three L.A. Unified school board seats in play. Technically, four seats are being decided, but incumbent George McKenna is running unopposed. This is an especially important election because it is the members of the new...

Lost in the focus on double-digit salary increases in the tentative deal between LA Unified and UTLA is an agreement to overhaul the process by which the district’s 30,000 teachers will be evaluated. Under the new plan, which begins next year, both sides agreed to an interim three-tier final evaluation system, with three ratings: “exceeds...

The issue of transgender students and the restrooms they use has been all over the news lately, both in California and elsewhere. The Nevada Assembly this week rejected a bill that would have required students to use restrooms corresponding to their biological sex. The so-called “bathroom bill” had been heavily criticized by transgender rights advocates,...

LA Unified dusted off its giant ribbon cutting scissors today as Board President Richard Vladovic and officials from Bridge Housing, a property development company, unveiled a 90-unit apartment complex in Gardena that will be home for some lucky district employees who essentially are living in poverty. According to a press release sent out this morning, “Of the...

Lydia Gutierrez, a teacher from Long Beach Unified who is mounting a vigorous campaign in LA Unified’s District 7 to unseat board President Richard Vladovic in the May 19 elections, is turning a campaign message for Vladovic against him. A letter supporting Vladovic’s election circulated to voters this month and paid for by the teachers...