When California decided it was out with old standards and in with the new, Common Core-aligned assessments, it was only the start of a long and arduous transition for local school districts in adopting to the new computer-based “Smarter Balanced” tests. That was seven months ago. Now, an internal LAUSD memo released to LA School...

LA Unified Superintendent John Deasy told a packed courtroom today that it can cost the district “millions of dollars” and can take “slightly less than 10 years” to get rid of an ineffective teacher. Deasy was the first witness to testify in the long-awaited start of Vergara v California, a battle over state laws that govern...

The Los Angeles City Clerk will conduct a candidate workshop this Saturday for candidates in the LAUSD District 1 Special Election on June 3. This is the only workshop to be held by the City Clerk’s election division, and it’s intended to brief candidates on the procedures related to filing the “Declaration of Intention to Become...

A lawsuit that could lead to a seismic shift in teacher tenure and dismissal methods is underway today in a packed Los Angeles courtroom. LA Unified Superintendent John Deasy is expected to take the stand. Courtroom seats are being assigned by lottery – with limited press seating available. We will do our best to update...

By Marshall Tuck Every day, in classrooms throughout California, teachers inspire students. Despite inadequate pay and difficult working conditions, teachers are changing children’s lives and preparing them for the road ahead. Within a school, there is nothing more important to a child’s success than an effective teacher. Yet I’ve seen firsthand how the state’s education...

A lawsuit that could dramatically change how California public schools deal with ineffective teachers gets underway Monday in a California Superior Court for Los Angeles County, where LA Unified Superintendent John Deasy is expected to be the first witness to testify. The suit, Vergara v California, has been brought by students who are challenging state...

Another candidate has thrown her hat into the ring. Hattie McFrazier is the latest contender in the special election race for LA Unified’s District 1 seat. She is another district lifer. McFrazier spent 31 years with the district, retiring in 2012, and held a variety of positions including teacher, counselor, School Attendance Review Board Chair...

Some of the names and faces might be not be familiar, but five of the 10 candidates running for president of the teachers union, UTLA, have agreed to participate in a candidate forum next Thursday, Jan. 30th at Thomas Starr King Middle School. Click here for announcement. Wil Page, the school’s chapter chair, said in...