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Analysis: Another year, another wide-ranging plan for California public education by United Teachers Los Angeles
Mike Antonucci’s Union Report appears weekly at LA School Report It was an eventful year for the Los Angeles Unified School District, with the run-up and launch of the teacher strike, the District 5 school board election and the Measure EE parcel tax initiative. Behind them all was United Teachers Los Angeles and its president,...
By Mike Antonucci | September 3, 2019
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New report: Los Angeles needs powerful parents to help city’s schools improve — but LAUSD must first give families clear information about their children’s education

Every day that parents send their children to school represents a tremendous act of faith in their schools and the school system. Parents, however, should not have to act on blind faith. They deserve to know what their children are supposed to be learning and how they are actually doing in school. Unfortunately, in Los...
By Seth Litt | September 3, 2019
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Is homework too easy? With half of parents expressing concerns, new study says students’ assignments lack rigor, favor lower-level skills

Here’s a double dose of bad news for kids more keen on playing Fortnite than analyzing text: Not only is homework worthwhile, but much of the take-home exercises students receive today is too easy, according to a study from the Center for American Progress. These latest findings, released earlier this year, are based on an...
By Brendan Lowe | September 3, 2019
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Back-to-school reads: The 6 most popular articles we published this summer about the state of Los Angeles schools

With students back in the classroom and LAUSD officials back in action tackling several urgent issues, we thought we’d pause for a moment, look back at the summer break, and resurface our six most popular articles you might have missed while traveling, surfing or ditching your e-mail for a beach read. Here are our top...
By LA School Report | August 21, 2019
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Antonucci: No, really — as I reported last week, the California Teachers Association did not add 22,000 members this year
Last week, I expressed very strong doubt about this claim from the California Teachers Association, reported by Louis Freedberg of EdSource in a story about the disaffiliation of the 19,000-member California Faculty Association, which represents employees of the California State University system: “The CTA anticipates that some 22,000 new members it says it has recruited...
By Mike Antonucci | August 21, 2019
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America divided: Public support for charter schools is growing — but so is opposition, new poll finds

This is the latest article in The 74’s ongoing ‘Big Picture’ series, bringing American education into sharper focus through new research and data. Go Deeper: See our full series. Public opinion on charter schools has grown polarized as the number of people who either support or oppose the schools has increased, according to a new...
By Mark Keierleber | August 20, 2019
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Back-to-school rundown: 5 things LAUSD parents should know as school starts

*Updated L.A. Unified’s nearly half-a-million district students are headed back to school on Tuesday for the 2019-20 year. While students were away, district officials and advocates began laying the groundwork for the upcoming year’s priorities. On the heels of a failed parcel tax bid, L.A. Unified will continue clamoring for more funding and proposing initiatives...
By Taylor Swaak | August 19, 2019
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Ashton: While 5G is coming to our cell phones, our schools are stuck in 2G. 3 ways to help give our kids a cutting-edge education
The newest craze in tech is 5G wireless speeds. All the major carriers are racing to be the first to upgrade their coverage speed, investing up to $1 trillion to develop infrastructure for nationwide 5G by 2020. But while our nation focuses on developing cutting-edge cell speed, we’re leaving behind a far more important need: preparing our...
By Mashea Ashton | August 19, 2019
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Big promises, big data: Is the SAT’s new ‘environmental context’ score a tool to personalize college admissions, or another impersonal data point?

It’s college-touring season at my house, and I am a goopy mess. I’m a total sucker for all of it. The unblemished idealism of the day. The bright new horizon revealed by each literal door the student tour guide opens. Even the obligatory lunch in the dining hall, where I try not to think about...
By Beth Hawkins | August 19, 2019
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Analysis: California Teachers Association’s claims of new membership don’t add up
Mike Antonucci’s Union Report appears weekly at LA School Report. Last week, we reported the news that the California Faculty Association, representing 19,000 employees of the California State University system, suddenly decided to drop its affiliation with both the California Teachers Association and the National Education Association. Everyone involved is being very close-mouthed about the...
By Mike Antonucci | August 14, 2019