Privacy advocates and technophobes have responded with alarm to the news reported in the SF Gate that the FAA has lately been inundated with requests from public and private agencies to launch drone programs domestically.  So far as we know, LAUSD isn’t among those public agencies who’ve inquired about using drones, but it might not...

“Although it wasn’t recommended by the auditor, Deasy wants the Legislature to try again to pass a bill making it easier to suspend teachers accused of child abuse…. LAUSD said it is working with Sen. Padilla on that legislation. UTLA opposed last year’s bill, but Fletcher wouldn’t say what position the union would take on a new...

According to yesterday’s state audit (above), LAUSD has been required to pay $3 million in salaries to 20 teachers who have been ‘housed’ (removed from site) the longest while being investigated for misconduct — including one who’s been housed for 4.5 years.

Superintendent John Deasy said this morning that he expects a tentative agreement with UTLA over a new system of teacher evaluations, as mandated by the court in Doe v. Deasy, at some point in the next four days — just before the deadline set by the judge. “I’m not a betting or predictive kind of guy,...

While changes in district policies governing charter school oversight seem to be off the table for now, today’s SI&A Cabinet Report reminds us that the state may well take up the issue on its own. New legislation likely to be considered in the near future would require authorizers like LAUSD to consider charter schools’ performance in...

Many schools already require students to wear IDs with pictures, ID numbers, and class schedules on them. Now, a Texas high school student is on the verge of being transferred out of her magnet program to another school because she’s refused to participate in the pilot RFID tracking program in which plastic ID badges being...

The deadline set by Judge Chalfant for LAUSD and UTLA to agree on a teacher evaluation system that satisfies the requirements of the Stull Act is December 4 — less than a week away. Neither side is saying how the negotiations are going – other than, well, “they’re going.” That sounds good, but the district and...

It’s just an announcement, and there are lots of things that could prevent any real action from taking place, but kudos to the California Charter Schools Association for being one of two state charter groups to join the National Association of Charter School Authorizers this morning in Washington to call for a renewed focus on...

Wasting no time, the local branch of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which has been a big spender in recent LAUSD elections, will hold a town hall meeting on Tuesday, December 4 to select and endorse LAUSD Board candidates running for three seats in the March 2013 board election. The town hall will take...

Many Washington insiders would disagree pretty vehemently with SI&A Cabinet Report‘s assessment that the Obama administration will try for a comprehensive overhaul of No Child Left Behind, but the news outlet’s latest article (Stakes likely go up on teacher evaluations in Obama’s second term) is still a good reminder that key policy issues like including...