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Before leaving, Zazueta to give LAUSD board a lobbying tutorial

In what may be his final presentation to the LA Unified school board, Chief of External Affairs Edgar Zazueta said he will be giving a “legislative 101” tutorial at tomorrow’s Committee of the Whole meeting. The district announced in September that Zazueta, the district’s chief lobbyist in Sacramento and Washington, is resigning to join the Association of California...
By Craig Clough | October 26, 2015
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LA Unified teacher named one of 5 CA Teachers of the Year

Daniel Jocz, a social studies teacher at Downtown Magnets High School, is one of five people named today by Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public Education, as 2016 California Teachers of the Year. Jocz is the only winner from LA Unified. “The teachers we are honoring today are dedicated, energetic, innovative and very effective,” Torlakson...
By LA School Report | October 26, 2015
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Petition calls for firing of LAUSD attorney in teen sex case

*UPDATED A petition is calling for the firing (again) of W. Keith Wyatt, An LA Unified lawyer who argued in court that a 14-year-old girl was partly responsible for her own sexual abuse at the hands of her teacher at Edison Middle School. After being told he would no longer be representing the district, he was...
By Mike Szymanski | October 26, 2015
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Dropping Common Core leads to bigger testing problems in Florida

By Lizette Alvarez MIAMI — When protests from parents and teachers erupted against the new Common Core tests here, Florida thought it had a solution: It dropped the tests. But it abruptly switched sources for the exams, hoping the substitute would be more palatable. Now, nearly six months after students finished taking their exams, Florida...
By LA School Report | October 26, 2015
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Is New Orleans a preview of Broad’s charter expansion plan in LA?

Were it to come to fruition, the Broad Foundation‘s recently announced plan to expand charter schools in LA Unified to include half of all district students would create a system that is unprecedented in size and scope across the United States. LA Unified already has more charter students than any in the nation. Whether expressing support or opposition to...
By Craig Clough | October 23, 2015
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Garcetti announces Eagle Rock HS to get earthquake warning system

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced today that classrooms in Eagle Rock High School will be the first in the country to pilot the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) earthquake early warning system, ShakeAlert, a software application that will be installed on classroom computers at the school. The software reads data from 625 seismic sensors...
By Craig Clough | October 23, 2015
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High-powered secret panel examining LAUSD finances

* UPDATED A blue-ribbon panel of leading figures in education, politics and finance has been working behind the scenes to help LA Unified identify financial challenges and solutions as the district faces budget deficits in the near future. The panel includes people who have worked with the district in the past, and many have...
By Mike Szymanski | October 23, 2015
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Editorial: What’s the role for parents in LAUSD superintendent search?

Everybody seems to have an idea about how the Los Angeles Unified school board should go about finding a new superintendent. Open up the interviews to the public, some say. Or at least make the identities of the finalists known, or their background and qualifications, so that people can weigh in with their opinions. Most...
By LA School Report | October 23, 2015
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Another public meeting on LAUSD superintendent, another small crowd

At 8:30 a.m. today in Granada Hills, a dozen parents met to offer input at one of the two dozen community meetings held for the LAUSD school superintendent search. This was the earliest and most northwest of all the community meetings planned in the large LA Unified district. It was held at the Valley Academy...
By Mike Szymanski | October 22, 2015
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College plan calls for ‘winter school’? Marlton’s ‘Great Shakeout’

Considering the looming A-G graduation crisis, an option that appears to be gaining appeal among some district leaders is extending winter break to include time for a credit recovery session. The College and Career Readiness Plan, a year-long collaboration of administrators, teachers, parents, students and union leaders that was released this month, includes an endorsement of...
By LA School Report | October 22, 2015