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Mixed feelings about end of mask mandate in Los Angeles schools

Sign up here for LA School Report’s newsletter This article is part of a collaboration between The 74 and the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Rosemary Miranda was excited to send her first-grade daughter Isabella to school knowing she will be able to remove her mask after the Los Angeles Unified School District...
By Destiny Torres | April 5, 2022
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What kept students, staff going during the pandemic: Three case studies from new national report

Sign up here for LA School Report’s newsletter Despite constant learning disruption, some U.S. schools achieved record-breaking graduation rates and student engagement during the pandemic, according to a new national report. In one Massachusetts school, a midday “office hours” block became permanent — time for students to vent, unwind, and deep focus. In a Colorado school...
By Marianna McMurdock | April 4, 2022
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Women’s History Month: These female trailblazers changed American education for you and your kids. Do you know their names?

March is National Women’s History Month. In recognition, LA School Report is sharing stories of remarkable women who transformed U.S. education. These women educated black students after the Civil War, took in millions of immigrants despite anti-newcomer sentiments, and advocated for women’s right to higher education when major universities shut them out. Many female teachers have...
By Kate Stringer | March 31, 2022
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Smith-Griffin: Chronic absenteeism has skyrocketed during the pandemic. But just rewarding students for showing up at school won’t fix it

Sign up here for LA School Report’s newsletter. For years, schools have drilled into parents that attendance is an important factor in student achievement. But amid the 2021-22 school year’s rocky trajectory, marked by staff shortages, quarantines, and political battles over health measures, the focus on rewarding attendance has resulted in confused, exasperated families. Chronic...
By Joanna Smith-Griffin | March 30, 2022
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Fixing the L.A. public school system: A top priority for voters in November mayoral race, poll finds

Updated March 30 | This article is part of a collaboration between The 74 and the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. More than half of Los Angeles voters believe the quality of education in the Los Angeles Unified School District is worse than it was before the pandemic, according to a new...
By Rebecca Katz | March 29, 2022
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Open Letter: Let’s show we value equity and accountability in California schools by bringing more visibility to how every education dollar is spent

Leaders and advocates alike had high hopes for the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) introduced in California in 2013. Both of us certainly did. Eight years later we see clearly that the implementation of a system that promised equity and accountability has fallen short in two key areas: equity and accountability. A fundamental cause of...
By Jay Artis-Wright and Darcel Sanders | March 28, 2022
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New college data: If NCAA’s Sweet 16 celebrated colleges for helping grads climb the income ladder, we’d all be celebrating UCLA

With the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament set to resume today in San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia and San Antonio, the sports world will again be focused on every dunk, free throw and three-pointer playing out on the courts. But here at LA School Report, we thought we’d use the occasion of March Madness to celebrate top...
By Steve Snyder | March 24, 2022
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Commentary: Amid pandemic disruptions — & despite political attacks — it’s time to focus on children’s social and emotional well-being

To succeed in the classroom, children must be able to cooperate with other students and their teachers, focus their attention, control impulsive behaviors and manage their emotions so they can concentrate on the tasks at hand. They need to have a sense of belonging and purpose, be able to plan and set goals, and persevere through challenges....
By Stephanie M. Jones and Nonie K. Lesaux | March 23, 2022
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‘Not for the faint of heart’: Education experts and leaders warn school boards dominated by politics

This article is part of a collaboration between The 74 and the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. School boards across the nation have become consumed with polarizing political issues such as masking and critical race theory, turning their jobs into nearly impossible work, a panel of experts said earlier this month. The USC...
By Veronica Sierra | March 22, 2022
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With passage of pared-down budget, Biden may have missed best chance for historic school funding windfall, advocates fear

With President Joe Biden’s major education spending proposals for high-poverty schools and students with disabilities left out of this year’s federal budget, some advocates are already shifting their attention to next year’s cycle. But with even Biden concerned that Republicans could take control of the House — and Congress increasingly unable to pass an annual budget on time...
By Linda Jacobson | March 21, 2022