On Friday, School Board member Tamar Galatzan endorsed Mayoral candidate Eric Garcetti. The moved represented the first major endorsement for Garcetti from a so-called “school reformer,” and was something of a surprise since most Valley-based politicians have been supporting Garcetti’s opponent, Wendy Greuel. Greuel, has been endorsed by three Board members: Monica Garcia, Nury Martinez and Dr. Richard...

Curious about how the parent trigger is evolving in Los Angeles and nationwide?  Here’s the audio from a Friday morning panel at Yale University on the parent trigger featuring Parent Trigger’s Ben Austin and former state Senator Gloria Romero, who authored the controversial law, along with the Fordham Foundation’s Adam Emerson and moderator Andy Rotherham....

Parents With Power Over L.A. School Weigh Their Options About 50 parents on Thursday attended a presentation to help them decide who should run 24th Street Elementary School, a campus whose fate is in the hands of families who are trying to change the management of the school under the controversial parent trigger law. LA...

Proposal for Parent-Trigger Overhaul at L.A. School Well-Received Leaders of a parent group have endorsed a plan to improve 24th Street Elementary, which would be jointly run by L.A. Unified and Crown Prep charter school. LA Times See also: LA School Report, LA Times Now Teacher Dismissal Bill Off and Running With Committee Approval A...

LA School Report has learned that, on Tuesday, the 24th St. Elementary Parents Union selection review committee met and decided to recommend what’s being called a “hybrid” governance model for the school. Under the parent trigger law, a majority of parents at a low-performing school can petition to revamp the school in any number of ways,...

On Tuesday, Mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel launched what LA Weekly‘s Gene Maddaus is calling a “reboot” of her campaign, delivering a speech with a meaty education section that included strong support for “reform” ideas like charter schools and rigorous teacher evaluations. “I will fight to reform our public schools,” she said, according to text of the...

Incubator School in L.A. Sparks Discord Over Location, Teachers The pilot middle school, which is slated to open next year but lacks a site, will teach students how to launch a business in addition to academics. LA Times Sun Valley’s Francis Polytechnic High to Convert to Innovative Pilot School Francis Polytechnic High in Sun Valley...

“UTLA has treated the parents, the process, and the law with respect. They deserve real credit for their actions in this regard, and we recognize and appreciate the professional nature in which they have approached this important effort.” – Blog post from Parent Revolution (read full text here) Previous posts: You Say You Want a Revolution; Contrasting Reactions...

Despite Increase in Funding, School Districts Still Sending Layoff Notices to Teachers Year after year, March 15th has been a date of dread for California public school teachers. The date, wAhich falls on a Friday this year, is the preliminary deadline for school districts to send out “Reduction In Force” notices for cuts to next...

Teachers Union to Vote on Aggressive Stand Against Deasy Policies The Los Angeles teachers union has scheduled an April vote for an initiative that would, if passed, call for a more aggressive posture against the leadership of the L.A. Unified School District. LA Times The Wrong Fight Over Schools Over the last century, American public...