By Kyle Stokes

Superintendent Michelle King has asked managers in the Los Angeles Unified School District’s central offices to submit plans outlining how they would slash their departments’ budgets by 30 percent in the coming fiscal year, according to a memo obtained by KPCC.

For now, it’s just a planning exercise. But top district officials say the aggressive cost-cutting target — the reductions would total more than $112 million if fully implemented — falls in line with King’s vision for a slimmed-down headquarters and a district in which school sites are given greater control over their own budgets.

“It’s not just another 5 percent drill,” said L.A. Unified Chief Financial Officer Megan Reilly. (Some central office departments took a 5 percent cut this year, saving a total of $11 million.)

For managers to hit their cost-saving targets of 30 percent, they couldn’t simply close open positions or pick off other similar low-hanging fruit in their budgets. The idea behind the exercise, Reilly said, is to prompt central office managers to completely rethink how they operate as declining enrollment in L.A. Unified kinks the district’s revenue stream.

“You can’t get to 30 percent without really reinventing yourself or basically talking about consolidation in other types of functions,” Reilly said.

“I call it an exercise,” Reilly added later, “but this is, in reality, something we will be going through … to look at how do we work effectively with a smaller, leaner kind of headquarters.”

L.A. Unified’s own projections show an operating shortfall of up to $663 million in the 2017-18 budget year. If that holds true, the long-term fiscal stabilization plan approved in June calls for $60 million in cuts to central office departments next year.

That grim projection, however, does not factor in new revenues the district could see from Proposition 55, a measure on the statewide ballot in November that would extend an income tax increase on the rich to benefit healthcare programs and schools.

The measure, which one poll showed as leading by a wide margin, could net L.A. Unified as much as $120 million in new revenues starting in 2018-19, district projections show.

To read the full article from KPCC, click here. 

University Conference Hopes to Rally Southland Education Reformers
A TEDx conference at Loyola Marymount University on Saturday seeks to turn the traditional education conference on its head. Organizers believe that competing ideologies, little cooperation, and “finger-pointing” are keeping public schools in Los Angeles from improving. KPCC

U.S. Dept. of Ed. Protesters Turn Fierce Rhetoric on ‘Corporate’ Reform
As they kicked off four days of protests at the U.S. Department of Education, organizers of Occupy DOE 2.0 today used inflammatory—and, in one case, racially insulting—rhetoric to rally opposition against high-stakes testing, “corporate” education reform, and the “dismantling of public education.” EdWeek

Brown’s Funding Plan Faces Vigorous Review – and Speed Bump
The chair of the Assembly Education Committee turned Gov. Jerry Brown’s comprehensive plan for education finance reform into bill form Thursday, ensuring that all aspects will get an extensive review, while raising the possibility that the plan may not pass in time to take effect July 1, as the governor wants. EdSource

LA County Preschool Teachers Honored at Event
Los Angeles Universal Preschool presented its Teacher of the Year Awards to six early childhood educators. ABC LA

Civil Rights, School Groups Rally to Protect Spanish-Language Testing
A critical portion of California’s 1.4 million English learners face academic setback under a plan to suspend most of the state’s student assessments next year, civil rights activists and school advocacy groups say. SI&A Cabinet Report

LA for Youth Holds Concert at City Hall
On April Fool’s Day, the L.A. for Youth campaign gathered for a concert outside of City Hall to make a statement about what they call “foolish” safety policies in schools in Los Angeles. USC Intersections South LA

Bill Would Protect Adult Ed, Career Tech While Extending Local Control
School districts would keep discretion to spend billions of dollars of “categorical” funding  however they want for five more years under a Senate bill that passed its first hurdle in the Legislature on Wednesday. EdSource

Apps and Little Kids: Should We Worry?
Maybe it’s the appeal of swiping or the challenge of Angry Birds, but any parent with a smartphone or tablet can attest to this: the devices are irresistible to children. KPCC

Encino Crespi Leader a ‘Non-Jock’ Who Knows the Score on Sports
Father Tom Batsis admits to not having a sports background. But understanding the role of athletics at Crespi is perhaps why he quickly decided an alum should run the football program. LA Times

A Huffington Post article on Wednesday pointed to a recent report from the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, which warned that the teachers pension fund is $73 billion and counting in debt, and if nothing is done to intervene, the fund will disappear completely in 30 years.  A recent Bloomberg op-ed speculated that some of Prop 30’s $6.8 billion annual funds could be funneled away from schools and used to repair the teachers pension system.

Previous posts:  Deasy & Zimmer Praise Prop. 30 Passage; UTLA, LAUSD Prep for Prop. 30 Budget Battle

California Voters Split on Jerry Brown School Plans
Fifty percent agree with the governor’s proposal to give more funds to school districts that serve low-income children. A separate Brown plan to give local districts more funding control is favored by 59%. LA Times

LAUSD Salvages Summer School, but Classes Will Be Limited
Despite fears that Los Angeles Unified would have to cancel summer school this year, officials say they’ll be able to hold a limited number of credit-recovery classes at 16 high school campuses across the sprawling district. LA Daily News

State Educators Support LAUSD Waiver From No Child Left Behind Law
State education officials support efforts by Los Angeles Unified and eight other school districts to get a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind law, but remain concerned about who would monitor a new accountability system. LA Daily News
See also: EdSource

The Downside of Superstar Schools
It’s no surprise that parents go to great lengths to get their children into the coveted classrooms. But other campuses suffer a loss from such lopsided enthusiasm. LA Times Commentary

Teacher-Prep Programs Zero In on Effective ‘Practice’
The Match Teacher Residency is one of a small number of teacher-preparation programs focusing on what’s coming to be called “practice-based” teacher education. The approach is growing in popularity among charter groups and beginning to emerge in university-based programs as well. EdWeek

Paralympian John Siciliano Coaches North Hollywood Students
Paralympian John Siciliano’s face lit up as he gave Fitnessgram certificates to two fifth grade classes at Julie Korenstein Elementary School on Friday. LA Daily News

State Must Fix Liabilities That Loom at CalSTRS
If corrective action is not taken – that is, if the state, school districts or teachers don’t contribute more into the fund – CalSTRS could deplete all its assets by 2044. Sac Bee Editorial

Connection to Education Research Elusive for States
State education officials are open to using research to shape policy and practice decisions, but they say that it remains difficult to make practical use of most studies. EdWeek

LAO Suggests Curtailing Accreditation of Teacher Prep Programs by CTC
A policy paper from the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst released late last week suggests lawmakers consider curtailing the accreditation of teacher training programs by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. SI&A Cabinet Report

Same-Sex-Marriage Cases Hold Implications for Schools
Among the scores of briefs filed on different sides of the cases are several that address same-sex marriage and the schools. The issues include schools’ treatment of same-sex parents and their children, the impact of the debate on gay students and on those who object to same-sex marriage on religious grounds, and the influence of the trend on the curriculum. EdWeek
See also: KPCC

Senate GOP Leader Wants to Reduce Pink Slips for Teachers
State Senate GOP leader Robert Huff of Diamond Bar says he has a way to reduce the annual practice of issuing preliminary pink slips to tens of thousands of California teachers who later are told they will not lose their jobs. LA Times

LAUSD Budget Forecast Is Getting Brighter
LA Unified’s Budget, Facilities and Audit Committee is convening Tuesday morning. The proposed agenda shows financial improvement at the district after five years of devastating cuts — due to a boost from Prop. 30 funds. KPCC

Power Shift on L.A. School Board
Election results for seats on the board of the Los Angeles Unified School District – the largest district in California and second-largest in the nation – will have far-reaching implications for the future of education reform in the Golden State. OC Register Column (Gloria Romero)

Divided Over L.A. Unified
One nasty election later, there is no sign that the divisiveness in the Los Angeles Unified School District will abate. If anything, it looks likely to increase, with activists in United Teachers Los Angeles announcing that teachers will vote on a passel of anti-reform positions. LA Times Editorial

Parent Group Receives Proposals to Remake Failing LAUSD Elementary
A group of Los Angeles parents who successfully invoked a state law to take over their failing school have received four proposals on how to remake the school, including one from the Los Angeles Unified School District. San Bernadino Sun

Academic Decathlon Students Get Ready for State Finals
While students on the region’s top Academic Decathlon teams are cramming, cramming, cramming for this weekend’s state championship, veterans of the brain-draining contest know that what the kids are learning extends far beyond the title match. LA Daily News

Savings From STAR Suspension Would Net About $15 Million
A plan to suspend some statewide testing in advance of transition to new assessments based on the common core standards would save the state about $15 million, according to an estimate released Monday by the California Department of Education. SI&A Cabinet Report

AFT’s Weingarten on Why She Got Arrested, ‘the Gall’ of Reformers
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten was arrested last week in Philadelphia while protesting a hearing of the School Reform Commission that voted to close 23 public schools. WaPo

Schools Partnership Aimed at Helping Teachers
In another step toward implementing new education standards, California joined a multi-state partnership Monday with resources to help teachers. Monterey County Herald

Late Donations Bolster Pro-Deasy School Board Candidates
Two eleventh hour donations have added financial muscle to a campaign seeking to bolster Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy through the results of Tuesday’s Board of Education elections. LA Times

Election Day: L.A. Voters Trickle to Precincts, Vote for New Mayor
Voters and candidates trickled into Los Angeles polling places Tuesday morning, casting ballots in the city’s most sweeping leadership turnover in more than a decade. LA Times

Angelinos Head to Polls to Elect Mayor, School Board
In a little-watched but contentious election in Los Angeles Tuesday, city residents will vote to select a new mayor from five leading candidates, though the race is expected to head to a runoff.Another vote in Los Angeles Tuesday will be for school board, a race that’s garnered national attention and dollars. CNN

Fewer California School Districts Going Broke; But So. Cal. Tops the List
The number of districts with a  “negative certification” – meaning they’re unable to meet financial obligations for this year and the next two — declined from 12 to seven. But four of them  are in southern California. KPCC
See also: EdSource, LA Times

L.A. Mayoral Candidates Scramble to Reach Undecided Voters on Last Day of Campaign
Sam Katan, 71, grimaced Monday when asked to name his favorite candidate in the mayor’s race. The Encino resident didn’t like any of the five leading candidates, he said. He wasn’t sure he’d even vote in Tuesday’s primary. LA Daily News

Scaling Up Education Reform
This past week, over 1,200 people crowded into the Los Angeles Convention Center to attend the United Way Education Summit. A few consistent themes emerged from the day: a student’s zip code shouldn’t determine the quality of their education, parents deserve quality options for their children, we must elevate the teaching profession, and accountability should be both real and fair. HuffPo Opinion

Students Learning Lessons in Social Responsibility
World-renowned inventors, explorers and artists encourage student teams participating in the Aspen Challenge to develop solutions to social problems. LA Times

Best and Worst Teachers Can Be Flagged Early, Says Study
New teachers become much more effective with a few years of classroom experience, but a working paper by a team of researchers suggests the most—and least—effective elementary teachers show their colors at the very start of their careers. EdWeek

Parents Allege Massive Enrollment Fraud at Carpenter Community Charter in Studio City
Los Angeles Unified will let schools use public records to verify student addresses after a high-performing charter in Studio City complained that scores of parents from outside the neighborhood committed fraud to get their kids admitted, officials said Monday. LA Daily News

Senator Proposes Pushing Back Teacher Layoff Deadlines
Huff said that moving the March 15th deadline for preliminary notices and May 15 deadline for final notices would save school districts millions. SacBee

Steve Barr’s Quest to Save a New Orleans High School (and Create Pilots in Los Angeles)
Barr is working in a behind-the-scenes manner in Los Angeles (not his usual modus operandi) to get approval for “pilot schools” that he supports in the district. EdWeek

What Makes a Good L.A. Mayor
Being a good politician is essential for winning a mayoral election. But the qualities that make a good politician are not necessarily those that make a good mayor. LA Times Editorial

Black Students’ Learning Gaps Start Early, Report Says
African-American public school students in Los Angeles County demonstrate significant learning gaps by second grade; those gaps widen with age and lead to the highest school dropout rate among all races, according to a report released Monday. LA Times

A Push Toward More Computer Science Education
The first step in solving a problem is to recognize it needs to be solved. Today only 2% of students study computer programming. If we triple that to 6%, we’d close the gap between students and jobs, driving $500 billion in economic value to our country. This is a giant opportunity, impacting every industry (70% of these jobs are outside the tech sector). USA Today Column

High School Graduation Rate up Sharply, but Red Flags Abound
For the first time in decades, the United States is making steady gains in the number of high school students earning diplomas, putting it on pace to reach a 90 percent graduation rate by 2020, according to a new analysis released Monday.  But the good news comes with a big asterisk. Reuters

Rebranding Public Schools as New Charter Schools
Charter schools are a silver bullet for urban education. But not for any of the reasons you might think. EdWeek Commentary

Pediatricians Oppose School Suspension, Expulsion
A group representing pediatricians says disciplining students with out-of-school suspension or expulsion is counterproductive to school goals and should only be used on case by case basis. LA Daily News

Glendale Schools Increasing Security
After several recent incidents, the school board moves to equip all schools with security cameras and panic buttons, among other measures. LA Times

As a recent UTLA newletter reveals, concerns about how the money will be spent are one of the reasons that the union is so focused on the outcome of the March 5 election. In the newsletter, UTLA President Warren Fletcher notes that the union’s ability to achieve its budget goals “will be immeasurably helped or hindered depending on the outcome of the March 5 School Board election.”

When it passed in November, Prop. 30 was lauded by just about everyone as a victory for education. For the first time in years, Prop. 30 offered financial relief for LAUSD’s cash-strapped schools, which have weathered a budget crisis, teacher layoffs, and dismally low per-pupil funding. In 2012, LAUSD’s per-pupil funding was $5,221, and California’s per-pupil spending ranked 47th out of 50 states.

And, at least initially, UTLA and the Board were in agreement. Once Prop. 30 passed, the Board immediately moved to restore the full, 180-day academic year and rescinded past teacher furloughs.

But the promise of this much-needed money now has LAUSD and UTLA preparing for a battle over how it will be spent, a process that begins now and happens for real next year.

The teachers union has proclaimed three main spending priorities for Prop. 30 revenue: It wants to protect and restore teacher jobs, to lower class sizes (which will also protect teacher jobs threatened by declining student enrollment in district schools), and to implement pay raises.

In the newsletter, Fletcher highlights the differences between what the union wants and what the district prioritizes. “[In the past,] Board members could always claim that budgetary necessity was driving their decisions,” writes Fletcher. “Now that Prop. 30 is the law, they no longer have that excuse.”

LAUSD teachers have experienced four years of furloughs, and there has been a six-year freeze on pay raises in the district.

However, the district, along with at least a part of the Board, is looking to spend Prop. 30 funds more directly on students, including by bringing more technology into classrooms.

The rift between UTLA and LAUSD on technology is nothing new (see: Union Head Opposes Tablet Initiative), and there have already been tense debates among Board members over Deasy’s push to give each LAUSD student a tablet computer (see: Technology or Salaries?). In a January interview with CBS LA, Deasy said preventing teacher layoffs was a possibility next year, but far from a certainty.

However, few of these decisions will be made before the Board election on March 5th. It will be a new Board — possibly with new members — that sifts through the different claims and priorities and determines how Prop. 30 funds are used.

California Wants to Ramp up Its Technical Education and Career Training Programs
California education officials want to expand and promote career and technical education classes offered by public schools. KPCC

Education Miracles That Aren’t
In seeking reform models, L.A. Unified should be cautious about untested solutions. LA Times Editorial

Detectives Investigating Ex-Priest’s Conduct With Girl, Then 16
Los Angeles County sheriff’s detectives have launched an investigation of an ex-priest and L.A. school district employee about a sexual relationship he allegedly had with a 16-year-old in the late 1980s, The Times has learned. LA Times

Why Education ‘Research Wars’ Leave No Winners
There isn’t a day that goes by that someone in the world of education isn’t issuing a report, data point or other form of research to make a point that conflicts with another point that also has a report, data point or other form of research to back it up. WaPo Op-Ed

Watch: the Story of 24th Street Elementary School
On January 17, more than 150 parents and children associated with the 24th Street Elementary School in the West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles delivered a “Parent Trigger” petition to LAUSD. This is their story. Parent Revolution

Giving Kids a View to a Better Future
In one year, Vision To Learn, a nonprofit mobile eye lab, has given eye exams to 5,000 students and handed out 4,000 pairs of glasses. ‘A $20 pair of glasses can change your life,’ its founder says. LA Times – Steve Lopez Column

Forbidden Fruit Roll-Ups: USDA Plans to Restrict School Snacks
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is proposing regulations to keep the nation’s students from buying gummy bears, fruit roll-ups and cheese puffs from vending machines and at campus snack bars during the school day. EdSource

Teens in Stable Condition After Fingers Severed in Tug-of-War
Two South El Monte High School students whose fingers were severed during a game of tug-of-war were in stable condition Tuesday after undergoing surgery to re-attach the fingers, officials said. LA Times

Meet the Youth Voices Student Producers from ArtLAB High School
For their first multi-media assignment, Youth Voices student producers at ArtLAB High School were asked to create a Power Point presentation that features visual representations of who they are, what they feel, and what they believe. KCET

States Lack Data on Principals, Study Says
While principals increasingly are moving to center stage in national debates over school improvement, a new study finds most states have little or no information about how their principals are prepared, licensed, supported, and evaluated. EdWeek

Senate Investigative Team Focuses on Schools’ Misuse of Cafeteria Money
The illegal but common practice at some California school districts to use federal student meal funds on non-nutritional expenses has caught the attention of investigators working for Senate leader Darrell Steinberg. SI&A Cabinet Report

Rockers Help Students Roll on Toward Understanding
Members of Ozomatli visit Hawthorne High for a discussion of immigration reform, capitalism, equal rights and community development. A teacher had set the Bill of Rights to one of the group’s melodies. LA Times

Charters Adjusting to Common-Core Demands
Charter schools throughout the country are coping with myriad challenges in preparing for the Common Core State Standards, an effort that could force them to make adjustments from how they train their teachers to the types of curriculum they use to the technology they need to administer online tests. EdWeek

Union Membership Falls to 11.3%, Lowest Level Since 1930s
Teachers unions were among the hardest hit, with the ranks of public school teachers and educators falling sharply. AP

Years After Bond’s Passage, No Start on New Sierra Madre School
The middle school, slated to benefit from a $350-million bond approved in 2008, has been operating out of trailers since the old campus’ demolition in 2010. LA Times

Despite Budget Woes, Superintendents’ Pay Rises
Los Angeles Unified pays Superintendent John Deasy $384,948 a year, about five times the salary of the average teacher. Bay Citizen

Azusa Elementary School Found Lunch After Recess Improves Diet and Concentration
For years, students at Murray Elementary School were like most others, they saw lunch as an easy obstacle to overcome to get to the important part of the school day: recess. KPCC

Head Start Requirement Boosts College Degrees for Early Childhood Educators
Through a concerted effort over the past five years, California is on track to meet a national requirement that 50 percent of Head Start lead classroom teachers hold a bachelor’s degree by the end of September. EdSource

For L.A. Schools, Stories of Modern-Day Martin Luther Kings
On Thursday night, I have the honor of joining students from the RFK Community Schools in Los Angeles for a special theatrical performance of Ariel Dorfman’s play, Speak Truth To Power: Voices from Beyond the Dark, which will raise money to bring our human rights curriculum and the stories of these defenders into schools throughout the city. Huffington Post Op-Ed

Watch: Inside the Mind of a Bilingual Child
Bilingual immersion programs are growing in popularity all over California, but are there actual benefits to programs that teach multiple languages at the elementary level? KPCC

Southern California Schools to Benefit From Gov. Jerry Brown’s Budget
California’s public schools are the big winners in Gov. Jerry Brown’s “breakthrough” budget plan, with education leaders saying they hope to have the money to restore many of the public services gutted by years of recession. LA Daily News, KPCC

With More Money to Spend, Brown Launches K-12 Funding Reform
Gov. Jerry Brown yesterday proposed an unfamiliar budget for public education in the state – one with actual increases. EdSource

In CA, Standardized Teacher Evaluations Trip Over Wealth Gap
As California tries to come up with a more robust way of evaluating teachers, the biggest hurdle could be something educators don’t have any control over: the state’s increasing socioeconomic disparities. La Opinion/New American Media

L.A.’s Economy Depends on Higher Education
Education attainment — or lack thereof — is poised to singlehandedly decide our economic future. LA Daily News Op-Ed

Early Childhood Funding Stays Flat in Governor’s Budget
After years of funding cuts to early childhood programs, Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed budget would keep funding levels nearly the same as last year. EdSource

College Admission May Get Easier as Ranks of High School Graduates Drop
High school graduates will face less competition for college admission in the next decade due to a demographic decline in their ranks, according to a report on education enrollment trends released Wednesday. LA Times

Brown Contemplates Withdrawing From School Construction Funding
With one hand, Gov. Jerry Brown gave school facility managers the proposed benefit of $450 million generated by the closing of tax loopholes from the passage of Proposition 39 in November. But with the other hand, the governor raised the specter of the state leaving altogether its traditional role as a funding partner in school construction projects overall. SI&A Cabinet Report

Suspension, Expulsion Data Cast Harsh Light on Some Schools
An Education Week analysis of data collected by the U.S. Department of Education illustrates the wide variation in how schools use out-of-school suspension and expulsion to discipline students. It also calls into question the validity of the data for some schools. EdWeek

John Deasy

Deasy says that the only way the district could deal with such drastic cuts is by ending the school year “shortly after April.” The district would also be forced to cut school meals, AP exams, and daycare, according to the Deasy memo.

If Prop 30 fails, the school board will hold an emergency meeting within seven days “to begin to put into place the fiscal crisis plan.” You can read the full memo here.

Related posts: Deasy: “We Just Won’t Have School”