EdSource, a news organization that focuses on education policy, today released a detailed report that concludes better teacher preparation is vital to improved classroom achievement across California. The report, “Preparing World-Class Teachers: Essential Reforms of Teacher Preparation and Credentialing in California,” draws from research by other government agencies and groups, as well as from first-hand interviews...

* UPDATED A California superior court judge ordered the state to step in at LA Unified’s Jefferson High School and fix an array of scheduling problems that have left many students without proper classes and educational time since the school year began in August.  In his decision, Alameda Superior Court Judge George Hernandez, Jr. wrote that “the court finds that unless...

* UPDATED LA Unified today finally released a report that confirming that two charter schools, Magnolia Science Academy 6 and Magnolia Science Academy 7, were operating with insufficient funds and for years and have been financially mismanaged. The 78-page report, prepared by an outside firm for the district’s Office of the Inspector General, concludes that...

Will the fate of John Deasy, the beleaguered LA Unified school chief who evokes passion among both supporters and critics, come down to a school board vote at his performance review scheduled for later this month? We say unlikely. Here are the top 5 reasons why:   FOUR VOTES NEEDED (AND ITS PUBLIC) When the...

The LA Unified school board returns to another closed session on Oct. 14, with one of the agenda items “Employee Evaluation General Superintendent of Schools.” It’s the second time in two weeks such an item was listed for discussion, suggesting that the finish line for John Deasy as superintendent may now be in sight. What remains...

The nominating period for United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) House of Representatives is currently open and will last through Nov. 3. The House of Representatives is a 350 member body that meets eight times a year to debate policy and vote on motions. Any UTLA member in good standing can nominate themselves by filling out...

A ruling on whether the state needs to step in and straighten out the scheduling problems at LA Unified’s Jefferson High School is now awaiting a decision by a Superior Court judge in Alameda County. As part of Cruz v. California, a bigger case seeking the state to assure the quality of education for students from...

Via The New York Times Magazine | By Nicholas Confessore The lunch ladies loved Marshall Matz. For more than 30 years, he worked the halls and back rooms of Washington for the 55,000 dues-paying members of the School Nutrition Association, the men and still mostly women who run America’s school-lunch programs. They weren’t his firm’s...

L.A. Unified officials announced today a plan to offer computer science curriculum to all students in kindergarten through 12th grade as part of a partnership with Seattle-based nonprofit Code.org. The program will offer the instruction to all students and will expand upon the district’s earlier collaboration with UCLA to give more students access to computer science education,...

Beyond the billions of dollars from construction bonds they spend after rigorous public debate, LA Unified school board members also have access to millions of additional dollars that they can spend without debate through a little-known program known as “board member priority projects.” By rules in place since 2002, members have the discretion to spend...