-
LA Unified Board Finally Gives Deasy His Common Core Budget
The LAUSD School Board today finally approved a $113 million budget for transitioning to the Common Core curriculum. The 6-1 vote marked the end of a tumultuous and seemingly directionless process that led to the resignation of Deputy Superintendent of Instruction Jaime Aquino, an LA Times editorial calling the Board “dysfunctional,” and finally to Mayor Eric Garcetti wading in to Board...
By Hillel Aron | September 17, 2013
-
LA Unified Board Considers Common Core — Yet Again
Today is expected be another long day for LA Unified School Board members. Last week’s eight-hour session — only the second board meeting of the school year –was not long enough to hash out the details of the district’s Common Core implementation plan, so they’ve sandwiched in a Special Board Meeting between two others that...
By Vanessa Romo | September 17, 2013
-
Analysis: Aquino’s Resignation Turns a Spotlight onto Deasy
Jaime Aquino‘s surprise announcement Friday that he’ll resign from Superintendent John Deasy‘s staff at the end of the year has sent shockwaves throughout LA Unified. Tomorrow, the district school board will take up the matter in closed session. It’s unclear what they’ll discus – but his impending departure has exposed the district and its fractured...
By Hillel Aron | September 16, 2013
-
Vladovic Leadership Style Suggests Slower Pace is Best
When Richard Vladovic was elected by his colleagues as President of the LA Unified school board in July, observers predicted a much slower moving agenda. Judging by Tuesday’s board meeting, that’s exactly what’s happened. The meeting lasted about 8 hours and wrapped up a bit after 9 pm. That’s not an unheard of duration; some...
By Hillel Aron | September 12, 2013
-
No Statewide Testing Could Delay Parent Trigger Drives
Sometime in hour five of yesterday’s marathon LA Unified school board meeting, the board approved a new set of guidelines to help principals, teachers and parents navigate the complex Parent Trigger process. That’s the state law allowing parents to take over a failing school and force a complete overhaul, so long as a majority of...
By Vanessa Romo | September 11, 2013
-
School Board Wants CA to Clarify Co-Location Rules
The School Board yesterday approved a motion by Steve Zimmer to ask state lawmakers to clarify the use of Proposition 39, a 2000 law mandating that public school space be shared equitably with charter schools. That law has lead to legal disputes between district schools and charters forced to share campuses as well as a...
By Hillel Aron | September 11, 2013
-
Common Core Budget Approval Put Off for Another Week
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...
By Hillel Aron | September 10, 2013
-
Zimmer Seeking State Help with Charter Co-location Rules
An emotionally-charged debate erupted at the last school board meeting over the co-location of a charter on the campus of an elementary school in Boyle Heights. Parents of public school students at Lorena Street Elementary School were furious that the school was forced to relinquish space to accommodate Extera 2, a charter school, because of Proposition...
By Vanessa Romo | September 9, 2013
-
Deasy, Board Plunging Back into Turbulent Budget Waters
Meeting tomorrow for the second time in the new school year, the LA Unified school board will plunge back into a thorny debate over how to spend millions of new dollars flowing into the district from the state. It might not be pretty. Superintendent John Deasy is expected to respond to the board’s June directive to...
By Hillel Aron | September 9, 2013
-
Board Members Seeking to Ease Requirements for Volunteers
Three LA Unified board members are directing Superintendent John Deasy to develop a plan that makes it easier and less expensive for volunteers to work in district schools. In a resolution on the board’s agenda for its meeting Tuesday, the members – Tamar Galatzan, Steve Zimmer and Monica Garcia – expressed concern that recent budget...
By Chase Niesner | September 6, 2013