By Emily Cadei When it comes to setting standards for America’s public schools, there’s a remarkable degree of consensus: The system the federal government has in place—known as No Child Left Behind—doesn’t work. Fixing it, however, is about to set off a new round of fierce political combat in Washington, D.C., and draw in 2016...

Hundreds of SoCal students can’t graduate after exit exam canceled As the SB 172 bill moves through the legislature this summer, about 5,000 students across the state are stuck in graduation limbo. KPCC 150 years later, schools still a battlefield for interpreting Civil War Texas’ guidelines for teaching American history do not mention the Ku...

We at LA School Report are turning in computers and note pads for barbeques and fireworks. We’re taking Friday off and will return on Monday. have a safe holiday.

On my last day with LA School Report I’d like to take a minute (or ten) to do some navel gazing — reflect on the things I’ve learned as an education reporter covering this behemoth school district, a job for the most part I have truly enjoyed. First, the things I won’t be missing about...

A group that measures how states support students in such key areas as health, safe environments and academic success has released its annual Whole Child “snapshots,” and it has good news and bad news for California. Each state gets its own snapshot from ASCD, formerly known as the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, with a comparison to the...

In the new school year, parents who have children in accelerated math programs at LA Unified will have to sign a “contract” acknowledging that their child must keep a B grade or better to stay in the class. If the student doesn’t keep at least a B, there will be a parent-teacher meeting to form...

With a recently balanced $7.8 billion budget in place, two new board members sworn in and Steve Zimmer elected as the new president, the LA Unified board is turning to the hiring of a superintendent to follow Ramon Cortines as, perhaps, its highest priority. The pronouncement to start the search was among the first orders of...

This is a bittersweet day for LA School Report. After two years as our lead reporter, Vanessa Romo is leaving us to pursue a fellowship at Columbia University in New York. She is among three journalists who were selected as the school’s Spencer Fellows in Education Reporting, for a program that provides participants the time...

By Cindy Chang and Frank Shyong It started as an ordinary spat among high school girls, sparked by an unpaid restaurant bill. At an ice cream parlor in Rowland Heights, the dispute took a dark turn. Three girls ganged up on Yiran “Camellia” Liu, forcing her to kneel and use her hands to wipe cigarette...

One week after it appeared Richard Vladovic was destined to serve as president of the LA Unified board for a third consecutive term, the members unanimously today elected Steve Zimmer as its new leader, giving the district its most teacher union friendly president in more than a decade. Zimmer, who began his career with the district...