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Coalition Calls on Gov. Brown to Veto Testing Bill, AB 484
A coalition representing “tens of thousands” of parents, teachers and education reform organizations is petitioning Governor Jerry Brown to veto a bill letting California schools off the hook for testing students while the state transitions to a new curriculum and testing model. Gov. Brown has expressed his support for AB 484 and has has until...
By Vanessa Romo | September 19, 2013
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CA Has a Plan for Using Test Scores — Even With No Tests (Updated)
While a bill awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature would end statewide testing for a year – he’s expected to sign it – state officials plan to use older test results to assure that California receives its annual Title I allocations. To comply with federal regulations that states must provide annual test results to qualify for...
By Vanessa Romo | September 13, 2013
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Haddon Parents Abandon Trigger, Still Get Changes
In California public education, you sometimes don’t have to pull the trigger. Parents of students at Haddon Avenue Elementary in Pacoima have ended their ‘parent trigger’ campaign to take over their school because they got what they wanted without it. “I’m very happy that this resulted in some changes at the school,” Martha Martinez, the...
By Hillel Aron | July 31, 2013
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School Board’s Strange Parent Trigger About-Face
A couple of odds things happened towards the end of the School Board’s late-night meeting on Tuesday: Around 8:00 pm, as seven weary Board members were debating a proposal put forth by Board member Steve Zimmer calling on the district and state to bring greater transparency to the parent trigger signature-gathering process, Superintendent John Deasy...
By Hillel Aron | June 20, 2013
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Marathon Board Meeting Signals Changes to Come
As anyone following us on Twitter knows all too well, Tuesday’s School Board meeting was a marathon session that lasted well into the night — much of it accompanied by the sound of protesters drumming on the street outside. Among several key decisions the Board arrived at during the lengthy session were votes to award a...
By Hillel Aron | June 19, 2013
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NYU Professor’s Non-Apology to Parent Revolution Head
Over the recent Memorial Day weekend, NYU education historian Diane Ravitch penned a pair of angry blog posts about the parent trigger and Parent Revolution’s Ben Austin. Among other things, Ravitch wrote that “There is a special place in Hell reserved for everyone who administers and funds this revolting organization that destroys schools and fine...
By Hillel Aron | June 10, 2013
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Parent Revolution Reaches Out to UTLA Teachers
On Sunday afternoon, around 25 classroom teachers who have been elected to represent their schools met at UTLA headquarters to discuss the contentious parent trigger petition process that’s unfolded at Weigand Elementary — and the possibility of additional trigger petitions in the future. Parent Revolution, the non-profit that has led the organizing efforts on all...
By Hillel Aron | June 4, 2013
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Teachers Union Turning Back Against Parent Trigger
In recent days, LAUSD teachers and union activists have been stepping up their attacks on the use of California’s parent trigger law and Parent Revolution, the nonprofit that has been coordinating parents’ efforts. They held a Thursday press conference at Weigand Elementary, the school where parents and organizers recently petitioned to oust Principal Irma Cobian...
By Hillel Aron | May 31, 2013
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Commentary: Trimming the “Trigger”
While generally supportive of the “parent trigger” petition process to revamping low-performing schools, the LA Times editorial page is making a strong recommendation to improve at least one part of the process: “Banning parents from the second round of decision-making simply because they chose a different option during the petition drive — the option of...
By LA School Report | May 22, 2013
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Board Preview: Multiple Protests, Packed Agenda
Just as record-breaking temperatures in Los Angeles are expected to subside by tomorrow, many of the heated LAUSD issues on the docket for tomorrow’s Board meeting may cool off into mere formalities by the time they come up for a vote. But a packed Board agenda and multiple union rallies could still make for a dramatic day...
By Hillel Aron | May 13, 2013