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Commentary: Understanding “Common Core” Backlash
Earlier today, veteran LAUSD teacher and Incubator School founder Sujata Bhatt posted some thoughts about the backlash against a set of new standards and tests called the Common Core: There’s been a lot of hullaballoo suddenly about the Common Core. Symptomatic of the strange political times we live in, the Tea Party Right and the...
By Alexander Russo | June 26, 2013
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Update: All Your Twitter Favorites in One Place
A couple of weeks ago we published a list of LA’s Top Education Tweeters — a semi-complete compendium of prolific and/or important people and organizations. We got a lot of responses and suggestions — keep them coming, we’ll do an update soon! — and then this week the kind folks at the College-Ready Promise (@CollegeRdyPrmse)...
By Alexander Russo | June 26, 2013
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“Motley Crew” Attend Ratliff Campaign Debt Fundraiser
Less than a week before she’s due to be sworn in as a new School Board member, Monica Ratliff held a fundraiser at Farfalla in Los Feliz to raise money in order to pay off her campaign debt. According to sources who attended the lunch, the roughly 20 to 25 people who were there comprised...
By Hillel Aron | June 26, 2013
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LAUSD Launches Miramonte Settlement Countdown
Yesterday, LAUSD launched a website to notify the last 35 plaintiffs in the Miramonte case of the district’s settlement offer. The LA Daily News‘ Barbara Jones describes the website launch as “the latest salvo in what has become a public campaign by both the district and plaintiffs’ attorneys.” As the Los Angeles Times notes, the website “includes a sample...
By Hillel Aron | June 26, 2013
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Zimmer to Celebrate Re-Election at Hollywood High*
After an against-all-odds re-election against challenger Kate Anderson in the District 4 primary earlier this year, School Board member Steve Zimmer is celebrating at Hollywood High School on Wednesday afternoon. “This was a very significant re-election because of the national involvement,” said a spokesperson from Zimmer’s office. “We want to celebrate the teachers, students, parents...
By Brianna Sacks | June 26, 2013
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Oakland Expands “Community Schools” Model*
Oakland Unified School District is giving the “smaller is better” approach to public education another go by breaking 12 overflowing schools into 48 smaller ones known as “community schools,” according to a new story from the The Center for Investigative Reporting. Community Schools offer a more holistic, individualized education by equipping schools with resource centers...
By Brianna Sacks | June 25, 2013
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Commentary: Board & Deasy Both Over-Reached
While laid-off teachers and ardent school reform critics may be all aglow over LAUSD School Board member Steve Zimmer’s “Pacino-esque” speech on behalf of the proposed teacher hiring/ class size reduction resolution last week, perhaps it’s not quite yet time for anyone to declare victory. Last Tuesday, the LAUSD Board debated and ultimately passed a...
By Alexander Russo | June 25, 2013
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Update: Garcetti Might Change City Hall Education Job
We’re less than one week away from Eric Garcetti’s inauguration as the 42nd Mayor of Los Angeles, and yet very little is known about the shape his administration might take, or indeed about the names of people it might employee. Garcetti aides have said the transition team is considering a major restructuring of the organizational...
By Hillel Aron | June 25, 2013
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Duncan Signals Support for LAUSD Waiver Proposal
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan seems to be trying to turn over a new leaf with California Gov. Jerry Brown after years of tense disagreements, notes EdSource Today after Duncan praised Brown’s new funding formula at an event Friday night in San Francisco. Even more immediately important for LAUSD, Duncan sounded sympathetic to the newly resubmitted...
By Brianna Sacks | June 25, 2013
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Deasy Skirmish With Board Members a Long Time Coming
Tensions are still simmering between a group of School Board members and Superintendent John Deasy following comments made by Deasy to LA School Report last week. Three Board members — Bennett Kayser, Steve Zimmer and Dr. Richard Vladovic — sent Deasy a letter asking him to clarify his remarks. The trio — who co-sponsored a resolution to...
By Hillel Aron | June 24, 2013