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Big Hollywood Donors Enter School Board Race for First Time
Hollywood donates a lot of money to national political campaigns. Big players in “the industry” have also donated to Los Angeles City Hall races over the years. But L.A. Unified school board races have been way off the radars of these big donors. Until now. KPCC
L.A. Mayoral Candidates Talk Education
Los Angeles’ mayoral candidates took a break Sunday from the acrimony that has marked their race in recent days. Instead, the candidates took part in an education forum, skipping the halftime show to discuss their plans as mayor to help the city’s beleaguered schools. LA Times
A Brief Overview of Teacher Evaluation Controversies
Why is it so hard to determine what makes a good teacher? The answer is both complicated and polarizing. In recent education reform history, judging teacher evaluations has become as much an issue as how to evaluate student achievement. NPR
L.A. Archdiocese Says It Warned LAUSD Not to Hire Former Priest
L.A. Archdiocese spokesperson Tod Tamberg said the diocese has sent notices to the LAUSD regarding people accused of misconduct who either have current or former ties to the district, and have offered to share information over the phone. KCET
See also: LA Times, LA Daily News
Parent Trigger Shifts Balance
The nation’s third invoking of a Parent Trigger, in Los Angeles, disproves the charges of many critics of the 2010 California law. OC Register Op-Ed
California Drops Algebra Requirement for 8th Graders, Dismaying Educators
If an 8th grader anywhere in California walks into a classroom at 1.5 miles an hour to solve a quadratic equation, what are the chances that she will get into a top-tier university? KPCC
Tarzana-Area LAUSD Teacher Charged With Molesting Three Girls
City prosecutors charged a Tarzana-area middle school teacher Monday with more than half a dozen counts of misdemeanor child molestation in connection with alleged sexual battery of three girls, authorities said. LA Times
See also: KPCC
Jerry Brown’s Tax Allies on Proposition 30 Outspent Foes 4 to 1
Gov. Jerry Brown and his allies spent nearly $54 million passing Brown’s November ballot initiative to raise taxes, about four times the opposition, according to year-end campaign finance reports. Sac Bee
Researchers Critique Final ‘Measures of Effective Teaching’ Findings
The recommendations in the final Measures of Effective Teaching work products may not be supported by the project’s hard data, the National Education Policy Center contends in a review of the project. EdWeek
Chatsworth Hills Academy Student to Represent L.A. County at National Spelling Bee
After a 14-round contest that lasted more than five hours, an eighth-grader from Chatsworth Hills Academy took honors as Los Angeles County’s top speller and will compete this spring at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. LA Daily News
Goldberg: Education Spending That Isn’t Smart
Education is important and necessary for a host of reasons. But there’s little evidence it drives growth. LA Times Op-Ed
Granada Hills Charter and Marshall High Tied for First Place During Academic Decathlon Super Quiz
Teams from the rival schools each scored 67 out of a possible 72 points in the only public event of the decathlon. Franklin High School in Los Angeles came in third, with 65 points, followed by El Camino Real Charter in Woodland Hills with 64. LA Daily News