Via the Los Angeles Times Running the schools was a lot simpler before there were federal standards and accountability tests and a commitment to closing the achievement gap for disadvantaged students. Back then, the Los Angeles Unified school board oversaw the district in much the same way as, say, the Police Commission now oversees the Police Department....

The LA Unified school board voted, again, to delay its final decision on crafting and approving the $113 million Common Core budget for at least another week. The money comes from the state and is intended to help school districts transition over the next two years to the new curriculum. It appeared to be a...

The LAUSD Board of Education today unanimously and without discussion approved the district’s application for a $30 million Race to the Top application. The board approved an application last year only for the submission to be rejected by the federal Department of Education, in part, because the teachers union refused to sign off on it....

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today shot back at U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who expressed opposition to a bill in the California legislature that would eliminate statewide testing for a year while districts shift to new protocols aligned with Common Core. “This legislation will continue to be guided by what’s right...

The LA Unified Board convenes at 1 p.m. today, with a long agenda of issues up for discussion and votes. LA School Report will be posting and Tweeting on the major developments, gavel to gavel. Stay with us all afternoon.

The brightly colored tour bus adorned with furry creatures rolling across the southwest is not a mirage — it’s Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in his wheels of the week. Duncan kicked off the department’s “Strong Start, Bright Future,” back-to-school tour today in New Mexico, where he is touring classrooms and holding town hall meetings on everything from improving low-performing...