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What does it mean that LAUSD is a ‘safe zone’ from immigration officials?
The second largest school district in the nation went on record last week saying it won’t allow law enforcement agents looking to deport those without documentation into any of its 1,274 schools without a review process. The LA Unified School Board voted unanimously to make the district a “safe zone.” The district is not the first. Across the nation...
By Mike Szymanski | February 18, 2016
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Exclusive: It’s ‘all hands on deck’ as LAUSD says nearly 1 in 2 seniors not on track to graduate
Only roughly one in two LAUSD high school seniors is currently on track to graduate, and the district is scrambling to get extra assistance to an estimated 15,000 students in danger of being left behind this June. According to internal district reports obtained by LA School Report, an estimated 54 percent of seniors are on track to...
By Craig Clough | February 11, 2016
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School board’s high-drama discussion: Are we fair to charters?
If anything, it was good television. LA Unified school board members confronted each other headlong in a dramatic discussion Tuesday night over whether charter schools were being treated fairly by the district. The discussion opened calls for a deep dive into how district staff comes up with its recommendations for denials or approvals of charter schools....
By Mike Szymanski | February 10, 2016
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College counselors on the front lines for low-income students
High school counselors can be the secret weapon in winning admissions for first-generation college applicants.
By Kate Stringer | February 10, 2016
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Just in: Winners, losers and a surprising existential charter debate at school board meeting
Going into Tuesday’s LA Unified school board meeting, three-for-three was the Charter School Division’s recommendations against two new charters and a renewal. In the end, it went the other way, with two votes going in charters’ favor (a new school plus a renewal for the Partnership to Uplift Communities) and one vote postponed (a new charter...
By LA School Report | February 9, 2016
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School board OKs first steps for Hale expansion at Highlander site, rejects charter school
In dual votes Tuesday about a long-vacant school in the west San Fernando Valley, the LA Unified school board halted a charter school that was previously proposed for the site and instead allowed a district school to pursue it. The school board gave a unanimous thumbs-up for Hale Charter Academy to pursue a proposal to develop a performing...
By Mike Szymanski | February 9, 2016
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School board may deny more charter requests than grant approvals at Tuesday’s meeting
* UPDATED The LA Unified school board is expected on Tuesday to deny more applications for new charter schools and charter renewals than they may approve. This is the first time the recommended denials exceed approvals since the new configuration of the school board was seated last July. Already, the board has denied as many charters in...
By Mike Szymanski | February 8, 2016
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Power outages from high winds fail to stop schools
The high winds and rains over the weekend caused power outages at four LA Unified campuses, and a tree fell in the middle of another school. None of the schools closed nor did any report damage, according to an LAUSD spokesperson. Power generators at the school sites were working, and even though neighborhoods in the area...
By Mike Szymanski | February 1, 2016
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LAUSD superintendent says district unaware of any immigration raids
LA Unified Superintendent Michelle King is calling for calm in the face of rumors of impending raids on schools with authorities seeking out undocumented immigrants. “Neither the Los Angeles Unified School District nor the Los Angeles School Police Department is aware of any planned raids or other action by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at any...
By Mike Szymanski | January 29, 2016
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Zimmer tells staff to take advantage of CA leadership with LA ties
It’s a such unique moment with the leadership of Sacramento that LAUSD should find a way to take advantage. That was the message from LA Unified board President Steve Zimmer to district staff at a board committee meeting yesterday: figure out how to ask for more money from the state, even more than the district’s fair...
By Mike Szymanski | January 27, 2016