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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 year’s staff. 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