Here’s the Friday, January 11 letter in which LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy describes his concerns about California State Superintendent Tom Torlakson’s recommendation to reduce standardized testing: It’s not that Deasy opposes all changes to the current testing and accountability system. LAUSD is one of eight districts seeking a waiver from No Child Left Behind from Washington....

The United Way of Greater Los Angeles — which has been active on issues such as the use of student test scores as part of teacher evaluations — is planning to hold a candidate forum for each School Board race: The first forum, for the Westside’s District 4, will be held on January 24 at...

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While an avalanche of charter school approvals and renewals dominated today’s Board meeting, and two controversial resolutions were postponed, the Board did manage to approve a symbolic resolution in support of state lawmakers seeing to speed the removal of teachers accused of predatory sexual behavior, veto (and then approve) the creation of two more Aspire...

“Thanks to the district’s successful approach to discipline, the number of days lost to suspension in 2010-11 plummeted to 26,286, from 46,006—an impressive 43 percent drop in one year… Today only a small fraction of our students get suspended, and the numbers are shrinking.”  – LAUSD’s Earl Perkins, in Education Week (A Successful Discipline Policy...

LA School Report‘s Hillel Aron will be Tweeting out key remarks and decisions from today’s Board meeting: Or you can watch along online by clicking here (no guarantees!). Previous posts:Board Preview: Charters, Dismissals, Tenure;Board, UTLA Have Different Plans to Reform “Teacher Jails”; LaMotte Proposes Limit to Garcia Presidency

In an endorsement that somehow flew under the radar, outgoing School board member Nury Martinez has endorsed Iris Zuniga to be her replacement, according to the League of Women Voters’ Smart Voter website. The site notes that newly-elected Congressman Tony Cardenas and State Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra have also endorsed Zuniga. Aides to Martinez and Bocanegra have...

Jeneen Robinson, the youth minister who’s running to replace School Board member Steve Zimmer in the Westside’s District 4, has registered as a write-in candidate, according to the City Clerk’s website. Voters can write-in any candidate’s name on their ballot, but in order for that vote to count, the candidate has to be registered as a...

Even unusually cold temperatures couldn’t dissuade a group of more than 65 Crenshaw High School parents, faculty, staff and students who showed up to rally in front of the school Monday afternoon, many hoisting signs that read “Resources not Reconstitution.” In a controversial move scheduled for a vote at Tuesday’s Board meeting, LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy has...

Read this new Education Week story (Chicago Years Inform Ed. Secretary’s Views on Gun Violence) and you get the clear impression that the White House is reining in Education Secretary Arne Duncan on gun control right now. Usually unconstrained on policy issues, open to the press, and Obama’s go-to guy, Duncan’s post-Sandy Hook Elementary remarks have...