“Auditors reviewed 61 settlements with LAUSD teachers – including 47 involving misconduct with a student – and found that more than $2 million in payouts had been made… Officials said Monday that 299 teachers are now being “housed” at district offices after being accused of misconduct. Each case takes an average of six months to investigate...

On Friday, LAUSD and UTLA finally came to tentative agreement on a new way to evaluate teachers, just days before the court-imposed December 4 deadline in Doe v. Deasy. The initial responses were generally positive, including from the plaintiffs. “Assuming that everyone behaves in good faith, I think we’ve achieved what we’ve set out to...

The LAUSD Board will hold a special closed session on Tuesday, December 4 to confer with its legal counsel about the Doe v. Deasy case and to discuss labor negotiations: Board Members Monica Garcia and Tamar Galatzan will also introduce a resolution calling on state legislators to change “the lengthy, expensive [teacher] dismissal process required...

“Over the past several years, teachers who have spent 10 years or fewer in the classroom have become the dues-paying majority. These newer teachers, along with many longtime teachers, are looking for their unions to elevate the profession — not to sacrifice teaching quality for job security.” — Teachers for New Unionism head Michael Stryer...

Lots of blame was dished out last week after a state audit found weak dismissal and reporting practices at LAUSD regarding teachers accused of sexual misconduct. Especially vocal was UTLA president Warren Fletcher, who has consistently lobbed criticism at LAUSD for how it has managed the scandal. Now I am a Prop-30-supporting-dyed-in-the-wool union Democrat, but...

Superintendent John Deasy explained to LA School Report why the tentative agreement reached between LAUSD and UTLA on teacher performance was so historic: “You don’t do this stuff in California – this has never been done. People were very very conscious and concerned, people were very worried about the precedent it would set.” UTLA President Warren Fletcher’s...

A tentative but potentially historic agreement was reached late Friday, November 30 between LAUSD and UTLA that will define how teachers are evaluated in the second largest school district in country. The agreement includes the use of individual student test scores as a part of the review process – a measurement that has been championed...

Santa Monica Mayor Richard Bloom seems like he’s on the verge of having won his race against Assembly member Betsy Butler. (See: KPCC, LA Observed, LA Weekly). If this happens, Bloom will have won despite being outspent by a wide margin, lacking key Democratic endorsements, and even having the state Democratic party circulate flyers against him.  And his victory...

Privacy advocates and technophobes have responded with alarm to the news reported in the SF Gate that the FAA has lately been inundated with requests from public and private agencies to launch drone programs domestically.  So far as we know, LAUSD isn’t among those public agencies who’ve inquired about using drones, but it might not...

“Although it wasn’t recommended by the auditor, Deasy wants the Legislature to try again to pass a bill making it easier to suspend teachers accused of child abuse…. LAUSD said it is working with Sen. Padilla on that legislation. UTLA opposed last year’s bill, but Fletcher wouldn’t say what position the union would take on a new...