The two biggest statewide teachers unions — California Teachers Association (CTA) and California Federation of Teachers (CFT) — have problems with the waivers granted to eight school districts from the federal program, No Child Left Behind. The objections, however, are more about how they came about than what they mean. “My guess is that there...

Nearly two dozen LA Unified schools were cited by state education officials on Friday as schools where social media postings occurred during recent statewide tests. In a news release, they identified two schools — Alexander Hamilton Senior High and Alliance Cindy and Bill Simon Technology Academy High – where the postings showed legible test questions...

Look, sometimes it’s tough being famous. People crave what you have to say. They believe you when you espouse certain opinions. They trust you. They like to think you’re a Celebrity of Your Word. But then there’s that touchy issue of education. Hmm. Yes, you’re a huge supporter of public schools . . . but...

As the summer break winds to a close and schools open on Tuesday, the LA Unified School District finds itself in the usual swirl of change and challenge. Here are 10 questions to think about as the year unfolds. Consider it the first exam of 2013-2014: 1) Will Superintendent John Deasy really stay? He said...

John Deasy isn’t leaving. In his annual address to LA Unified administrators, the LASUSD Superintendent addressed head-on recent reports that his rocky relationship with the school board may lead to his resignation or removal. “A lot of chatter this summer, if you read blogs or read newspapers,” he said, “So let’s clear that up really quickly:...

The clock is ticking. California’s annual review of how students are doing are only minutes away. Known as the STAR Program, for Standardized Testing and Reporting, it’s an alphabet soup of separate assessments, covering various subjects and administered to 4.7 million students in grades two through eleven. The scores will tell us how much better or...

The No Child Left Behind waiver won by Los Angeles Unified and seven other California school districts gives them more funding and flexibility to improve schools that serve more than a million students around the state. The waiver is a one-of-a-kind, as it marks the first time a group of districts were exempted from “No...