2023 continued to be a tumultuous time for the nation’s second largest school district, as enrollment, transportation and other issues continued to disrupt Los Angeles Unified post-pandemic.

The year began with a heated battle at LAUSD for special needs services, with parents and advocates slamming the district’s regressive rollout plan. 

LA School Report also talked to parents, teachers and students as Los Angeles district schools saw declining enrollment and growing chronic absenteeism.

Over the past 12 months, our readers learned more about the state of the district through in-depth interviews with accomplished educators.

As Los Angeles schools experienced an eventful 2023, here are our top stories for the year:

Services denied: LAUSD parents and advocates slam weak rollout of plan for students with disabilities – January 10

Special Needs: Los Angeles parent Clenisha Cargin routinely made a round of phone calls to LAUSD school officials trying to get help for her son. Legally entitled to speech therapy and an aide, her son hadn’t gotten these services. Under an April 2022 agreement with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, LAUSD must assess whether Cargin’s son and each of the roughly 66,000 LAUSD students with disabilities are eligible for “compensatory education” to make up for services many were illegally denied during remote schooling. In January, parents and advocates told LA School Report the plan’s rollout has been uneven and confusing. Will Callan reports.

Coliseum Street Elementary teacher named 2023 California Teacher of the Year – April 18

Q&A: Bridgette Donald-Blue, one of California’s Teachers of the Year, has been an educator for over 30 years. After graduating from Howard University and joining Teach for America, she thought she would go on to law school, but found herself falling in love with teaching. She’s not only proud of what the award says about her life’s passion, but her school too. Read Cari Spencer’s full interview.

LAUSD magnet school establishes new identity through inspiring mural – August 8

Los Angeles: Valley Oaks Center for Enriched Studies opened in the midst of the pandemic on an old campus in the Sun Valley area. In an effort to foster a more welcoming environment and establish the school’s presence in the community, VOCES unveiled a new mural to inspire students to pursue their dreams through a variety of programs and resources. In August, Principal Ivania Holodnak shared with LA School Report the importance of the mural and what it meant for the film and television focused school. Bryan Sarabia had the story.

Enrollment continues to decline in LAUSD, a trend many large public school districts are also experiencing – September 12

Enrollment: Between the harsh winds of a hurricane and the hectic second week of school, LAUSD officials were hoping for one thing this school year — higher enrollment. Declining enrollment has been a trend that extends from San Diego to Chicago to New York City, and can spell big financial trouble for school districts. Nova Blanco-Rico and Balin Schneider took a closer look at the numbers.

As the new school year begins, hopes are high for LAUSD pre-K for four-year-olds – September 26

Pre-Kindergarten: With the post-pandemic effects on learning now fully realized, LAUSD put its faith in a new universal transitional kindergarten program for 4-year-olds, attracting thousands of young learners to the system. But was it enough to address what’s really at stake for young learners in the future? Charles Hastings had the story.

LAUSD school bus GPS tracking a great idea but not always accurate, parents and drivers say – October 3

Transportation: LAUSD launched a new GPS feature this spring for parents to track children’s school bus routes, in hopes of sharing real-time updates — but there have been glitches. In October, parents and bus drivers told LA School Report the inaccuracies caused confusion. Corinne Smith took a deeper look at the issue.

LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho visits homes of chronically absent students – October 24

Chronic Absenteeism: With a high rate of chronically absent students, LAUSD superintendent Alberto Carvalho visited families struggling with the problem during the district’s fifth iAttend event. “They don’t like to catch the bus in the morning because of their anxiety,” said Daisy Morales, a mother of four whose kids averaged 64 absences. In October, Morales told LA School Report how she struggled to get her kids to school after they missed the bus, but after the district intervened, began attending classes more regularly. Here’s what they told Erick Trevino.

Q&A: LAUSD board member Nick Melvoin talks about his Congressional run – November 7

Q&A: Nick Melvoin has accomplished much in his 38 years of public service. Now he is one of 16 candidates running in the March 4, 2024, to represent California’s 30th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. “There are a few things that set me apart, one is my age … and I think it is important for the next generation to take the helm,” Melvoin told LA School Report. “I think we are more inclined to work together to solve problems because we have seen the consequences of the failure to solve problems.” Read Katie VanArnam’s full interview.

The fight over charters in LAUSD school buildings: What’s really happening – November 13

Charter Schools: LAUSD superintendent Alberto Carvalho is on the verge of issuing a new policy that could ban charters from nearly half the district’s school buildings. But experts told LA School Report the fight is really about dwindling enrollment and the budget challenges facing the city. “If the district passes a policy that makes it more difficult to operate for charter schools…That’s good for the district,” said Morgan Polikoff, an associate professor of education at the University of Southern California. Ben Chapman reports.

The 2022-23 school year continued a time of transition and uncertainty for LAUSD, with district schools continuing to lose students, a three-day workers’ strike and low test scores. Here are the most read stories about the nation’s second largest school system:

1. Leaving Los Angeles: These 10 LAUSD schools lost the most students during COVID

LA School Report analyzed Los Angeles Unified data and identified the ten schools that saw the greatest enrollment declines from 2019 to 2021. Eight out of ten served largely nonwhite students, while two of the schools enrolled largely white, affluent students. While some students left LAUSD entirely, others changed schools within LA Unified. As a result, some LAUSD schools with specialized programs, such as language immersion, saw enrollment increase during the pandemic.

2. Four things Carvalho learned from following chronically absent students

After following chronically absent students, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho found many students did not have “adequate care” from an adult at home, “were caring for young siblings”, and were working multiple jobs. LAUSD implemented strategies, such as targeting early absenteeism and going to students’ homes.

3. Historic, but incremental: Educators face two realities in LAUSD deal with UTLA

Many LAUSD parents sympathize with the workers striking…But when it comes to union and district leaders, LAUSD parents are skeptical and angry. “Anytime someone says, we are for the students, or students are first priority … I just have to take it with a grain of salt,” said Paul Robak, chair of LAUSD’s Parent Advisory Committee. Because clearly, the ones who would lose most in any work slowdown of any union in the school district are the students.” 

4. Four things to know about pandemic’s detrimental effects on LAUSD test scores

While L.A. Unified’s state reading and math assessments declined 2 and 5 percentage points respectively from the 2018-19 to the 2021-22 school year, drops were even greater for some groups of students. “Kids who were at risk, in a fragile condition, prior to the pandemic, as we expected, were the ones who have lost the most ground,” said LAUSD superintendent Alberto Carvalho at a news conference. “Five years of gradual academic progress … have been reversed.”

5. LAUSD considers expanding popular math program without clear evidence of effectiveness

L.A. Unified leaders say an elementary math program called Cognitively Guided Instruction that trains teachers to let student instincts guide problem-solving is extremely popular among educators. But researchers have doubts about the wisdom of allowing young learners with little math foundation to solve new problems with minimal guidance. Even so, despite no evidence that CGI is improving math achievement in the district, some district leaders would like to grow the program.

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Developing…

A day after the end of a 72-hour strike that saw LAUSD custodians, cafeteria workers, teacher aides, special education assistants and bus drivers represented by Service Employees International Union Local 99 walk off the job, the school district announced an agreement on a new contract that “significantly increases salaries for close to 30,000 members.” 

Reportedly included in the deal: A 30% wage increase, a $1000 bonus for all workers who were with the district during the 2020-21 school year, retroactive pay of $4,000-$8,000 depending on job classification, an increase in average salary from $25,000 to $33,000, and seven hours of work guaranteed for Special Education Assistants. 

“I am so pleased to say that we have reached an agreement,” said Mayor Karen Bass, who stepped in late in the process to help facilitate mediation, during a Friday afternoon press conference. “School will continue to be in session.”

The tentative pact still needs to be approved by the full SEIU membership. 

See below for the full details of Friday’s agreement, as released by LAUSD shortly before 5 p.m. local time: 

News Release: Los Angeles Unified Reaches Historic Agreement with SEIU Local 99 https://t.co/s6rUO1IJDm

— Los Angeles Unified (@LASchools) March 24, 2023

Under the terms of the new contracts which span from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2024, Los Angeles Unified and SEIU agreed to:

Salary increases of:

— 6% ongoing wage increase retroactive to July 1, 2021

— 7% ongoing wage increase retroactive to July 1, 2022

— 7% ongoing wage increase effective July 1, 2023

— $2 per hour increase for all employees effective January 1, 2024

— Provide a $1,000 appreciation bonus for current employees who were with the District in the 2020-21 school year in recognition of in-person work during adverse circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

— Bring our Los Angeles Unified minimum wage to $22.52 an hour, outpacing the City of Los Angeles and the State of California.

— Secure health benefits for part-time employees assigned to work four or more hours a day, including coverage for their qualified dependents.

— Increase hours and compensation for paraprofessionals serving students with special needs.

— Invest $3 million in an Education and Professional Development Fund for SEIU members.

In addition, the District and SEIU reached agreement on the following:

— Respectful treatment

— Bus bidding process

— Terms for mandatory overtime 

— Joint Labor Management Committee for other issues

This agreement is a crucial step to provide equitable resources for the hardworking and dedicated employees who support the work of education. California is one of the one of the top-five largest economies in the world, and the District looks forward to the support from state leaders for deeper investments in public education, which is currently well below the national average in per student spending.

Read LAUSD’s complete announcement.

Members of the Service Employees International Union Local 99 rally outside of Los Angeles City Hall on Wednesday, March 15. (Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Unified School District is poised to shut down classrooms beginning Tuesday, as Service Employees International Union Local 99, which represents roughly 30,000 custodians, cafeteria staff, bus drivers and other service workers, has announced plans for strike for three days.

United Teachers Los Angeles, also in contract talks with the district, has announced it will be joining the work stoppage in support of SEIU.

Ahead of the disruption, which some district observers say could be a “defining moment” for Superintendent Alberto Carvalho a year into the job, LAUSD issued the below tips for families in how to navigate the next 72 hours: 

1. How families can get schoolwork for children

If a strike does occur, without enough teachers and support staff, schools will have to close. Without enough staff to support our schools, LAUSD says it will “be unable to ensure a safe and secure learning environment.” Families looking for learning materials can login to Schoology at lms.lausd.net to get students activities and resources. Students may also request printed activities and resources at their school.

2. Child care — Can children be supervised during school hours? What will happen with after school programs?

According to the district, “student supervision will be available at select elementary, middle and high schools from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. These services are available at limited locations. Every effort will be made to accommodate your child at the site you choose for student supervision. Should the site you choose be at capacity, you will be directed to an alternative site. If your child requires any special accommodations or has specific health issues, please immediately inform the site administrator of these concerns. Visit this page for real-time updates on capacity during the days of the strike.”

3. School meals

LAUSD will be providing three days’ worth of meals to all students at select locations. Meal kits will be distributed at local parks and recreation centers. To find your nearest Grab & Go location, please visit this page.

4. What does and doesn’t count as an absence for students? 

In the event of a strike, schools will be closed for students. Therefore, according to LAUSD, “this would not count as a regular day of attendance, and students would not be marked as absent.” 

Find more information and answers to common questions at LAUSD.net; follow breaking coverage of the strike by signing up for our newsletter at LASchoolReport.com.

2022 continued to be a chaotic time for the nation’s second largest school district, with chronic absenteeism and other COVID-related issues disrupting LA Unified schools.

Starting off the year, LAUSD welcomed a new superintendent, Alberto Carvalho, the former Miami schools chief.  

It was also a big year for LA School Report as we covered these changes in the district. We partnered with student reporters as part of a collaboration between The 74 and the USC Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism, who cut their teeth writing about everything from LA’s enrollment declines to test scores.

We talked to parents, teachers and students to get a sense of what they want from the district, broke down test scores that underscored inequities for female and Latin students and found out which schools in the district lost the most students.

Over the past 12 months, our readers came for the exclusive interviews and stuck around for the student voices.

These were our top stories of 2022 — Check them out to jog your memory and share them around as a reminder of a jam-packed education news year.

Illustration by Eamonn Fitzmaurice/LA School Report

Leaving Los Angeles: These 10 LAUSD schools lost the most students during COVID

Enrollment: In the fall, we analyzed Los Angeles Unified data and identified the ten schools with the greatest enrollment declines from 2019 to 2021. While some students left LAUSD entirely, others changed schools within LA Unified, resulting in enrollment increases at some schools with specialized programs, such as language immersion. Cari Spencer has the story.

LAUSD Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho addresses a press conference about sharp decline in student test scores (Getty Images)

LAUSD’s test scores reveal large drops for Latino & female students

Preparedness: Combing through Smarter Balanced test results in November, LA School Report’s Joshua Bay found the greatest decline in test scores was among female students – a 2.76 percentage point decrease in ELA and 6.16 percentage point decrease in mathematics. Latino students also fared badly, with a 2.71 percentage point decrease on the ELA exam and a 5.4 percentage point decrease in mathematics. “They’re dealing with anxiety and their own personal problems that won’t allow them to better prepare for tests,” said one parent. Joshua Bay reports.

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New Superintendent Alberto Carvalho plans to fill hundreds of classroom teacher vacancies by reassigning LAUSD school staff

Staffing: When LAUSD had 400 classroom teacher vacancies in April, Carvalho told LASR exclusively that he would fill them by re-deploying school staff for the remainder of the school year. “If we fail to do this, we are participating in something tantamount to educational malpractice,” Carvalho said. His initiative followed a startling report from the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools which found more than 3,000 teachers, counselors and critical school staff positions remain vacant, with more than 1,300 open positions in high needs schools. Rebecca Katz takes a look at the plans.

Four things Carvalho learned from following chronically absent students

Absenteeism: With half of Los Angeles students chronically absent in the 2021-22 school year, Carvalho said he would ‘personally take on’ 30 chronically absent students. In August, we caught up with the superintendent and asked him about his experience. He found that many students did not have “adequate care” from an adult at home, and were also “caring for young siblings” and working many jobs. Read Rebecca Katz’s full interview.

Four things to know about pandemic’s detrimental effects on LAUSD test scores

Student Performance: While LA Unified’s 2021-22 state reading and math assessments declined two and five percentage points respectively from the 2018-19 school year, we looked closer and found drops were even more significant for some groups of students. “Kids who were at risk, in a fragile condition, prior to the pandemic, as we expected, were the ones who have lost the most ground,” said LAUSD superintendent Alberto Carvalho at a news conference in November. “Five years of gradual academic progress … have been reversed.” Read Isabel Crespo’s full report.

Advice for new LAUSD Superintendent Carvalho: Students, parents, educators and advocates offer their must do lists

Advocates, parents, educators and students: When Carvalho was set to become LAUSD’s next superintendent of schools in March, we asked those closest to the system what they would tell him should be at the top of his to-do list. Their responses were thoughtful and thought-provoking, ranging from the need for better and easily accessible mental health supports for students to addressing the system’s steep decline of 27,000 students. Here’s what they told Destiny Torres.

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Three ways L.A. schools are trying to get ahead of chronic absenteeism

Student well-being: As the new school year approached, LAUSD worked to combat the crisis of chronically absent students from 2021-22. We heard about workers focusing on student mental health, creating trusting relationships with parents and getting families the help they needed. “Especially after the pandemic, a lot of students are going to have arrested development and behavior issues,” said Marian Chiara, L.A. county office of education attendance coordinator. “Let’s understand that and meet these kids where they are at.” Rebecca Katz reports.

Suspended: How an LAUSD journalism teacher’s ‘dream’ job at school named for slain reporter Daniel Pearl turned into nightmare

Q&A: On the day she made a decision leading to her suspension, Adriana Chavira had no second thoughts and taught her classes as usual. After her students published the name of the school’s librarian who refused the COVID vaccine, administrators demanded the staffer’s name be removed. Chavira, a former journalist, refused, leading to an unpaid three day suspension. “It never dawned on me to not publish her name,” Chavira told LA School Report in October. Bryan Sarabia has the story.

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We’re just now beginning to process how COVID has reshaped our schools — and the state of our education politics.

From historic test score declines to fractured learning recovery efforts, a teen mental health emergency, a high school absenteeism crisis and imploding college enrollment, the foundation of our education system has been rocked. Amid these trends, polls show parents more motivated by education to vote — and willing to cross party lines over school issues.

Over the last several months, we’ve looked ahead to the Nov. 8 midterms and previewed the pivotal races that could reshape schools systems and priorities: New governors that could change course on local policies, new state superintendents that will oversee city and district initiatives, new ballot propositions that will prioritize education funds and potential Congressional shakeups that would affect broader learning recovery and accountability efforts.

With education driving the political debate in a way it hasn’t for a generation, here are 16 key races we’ll be watching Tuesday night through the lens of how it will affect students:

Students from San Pedro High School marched with former Los Angeles schools chief Austin Beutner on Oct. 2 to campaign for the Arts and Music in Schools ballot proposition. (Linda Jacobson/The 74)

Los Angeles’ Arts Education Ballot Prop — As Linda Jacobson writes in her preview: “Parading down a busy street in Los Angeles’ San Pedro neighborhood, students waved signs over their heads and urged passing cars to support their cause. ‘Honk for 28!’ they yelled. ‘Say yes on 28.’ The shouting referred to California’s Proposition 28, a ballot initiative that aims to pump at least $800 million into K-12 arts and music programs, and one that comes with a pleasing selling point: It won’t increase taxes. That’s one reason no one is raising money to defeat the measure — a relief to former Los Angeles schools chief Austin Beutner, who led the effort to get the question on the ballot and donated over $4 million to the cause.” Read the full preview.

Los Angeles School Board — As Rebecca Katz writes: “LAUSD school board president Kelly Gonez is headed to a runoff against teacher Marvin Rodriguez in district 6 — a surprising outcome for the five year board member who was backed by the powerful Los Angeles teachers union. In the other top board race, Maria Brenes and Rocio Rivas are also heading to a runoff for the district 2 seat on the seven-member board. As an LAUSD teacher, Rodriguez has taken votes from Gonez because he had “credibility as someone who knows the system from the inside. Teachers have a lot of sway with the public right now,” said Pedro Noguera, Dean of USC Rossier’s School of Education. Gonez, the board member for the East Valley and the frontrunner heading into the election; has led the board on crucial decisions, including pandemic recovery and expanding school choice. “I have a track record of successfully fighting for our students and delivering for our community,” she said. “I thoroughly understand what the position entails.” Read more about where the LAUSD races stood after the June primary.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond (Getty Images) and Lance Christensen (campaign photo)

California Superintendent — As Kevin Mahnken reports in his preview: “California’s race for state superintendent is in its final days. But according to some local observers, the outcome has been in hand for most of the year. Incumbent Superintendent Tony Thurmond might have avoided campaigning entirely, in fact, if he’d picked up just a few extra points of support in the June primary. Instead, he settled for 46 percent of the vote — just a few points shy of the majority threshold to avoid a runoff — and the mantle of clear favorite heading into the fall. Thurmond’s opponent in the nonpartisan election, education advocate Lance Christensen, finished 34 points and more than two million votes behind him in the last round.” Thurmond was the slight victor over education reformers’ favored candidate in 2018; Christensen is an obscure former Republican staffer in the state assembly who has attacked the teachers’ union and quixotically pushed to bring private school choice to the deep-blue state. “And while the next superintendent will confront significant educational challenges, from pandemic-related learning loss to curricular reforms around math and English, the debate over the future of education policy has largely remained quiet.” Read the full preview.

Gov. DeSantis and the Democratic opponent, Charlie Crist (Getty Images)

Florida Governor — As Kevin Mahnken notes in his race preview: “From Gov. Ron DeSantis’s early battles against mandatory COVID safety measures in schools to this year’s dramatic intervention in local school board races, the pugnacious conservative has embraced fights about what, and where, students learn. If he is known for nothing else in the VFW halls of Iowa and New Hampshire, DeSantis will always be cheered among conservative activists for his efforts to curb what he calls teacher indoctrination on controversial subjects like race, gender, and sexuality. In so doing, he has both locked Democrats into a battle over classroom instruction and redefined what it means to be an education governor in the 2020s.

“If anything, Democrats have been happy to pick up the gauntlet that DeSantis threw this year. Former Gov. Charlie Crist and the state party followed the governor’s lead on school board endorsements, backing a group of their own candidates. The Democratic challenger has also directly attacked the Stop WOKE and Parental Rights in Education laws, unveiling a ‘freedom to learn’ policy platform and vowing to make the state’s commissioner of education an elected office. To top it off, Crist chose as his running mate Karla Hernández-Mats, the head of Miami-Dade’s teacher’s union. The selection distilled an already-polarized debate — between committed education reformers and defenders of traditional public schools — even further. Experts called it an understandable political calculation, though not without potential downsides.” Read the full preview of the race in Florida.

Texas Governor — Education policies and school choice initiatives have factored prominently into the top Texas contest. As the Texas Tribune’s Patrick Svitek reported earlier this year: “A battle over school vouchers is mounting in the race to be Texas governor, set into motion after Republican incumbent Greg Abbott offered his clearest support yet for the idea in May. His Democratic challenger, Beto O’Rourke, is hammering Abbott over the issue on the campaign trail, especially seeking an advantage in rural Texas, where Democrats badly know they need to do better and where vouchers split Republicans. O’Rourke’s campaign is also running newspaper ads in at least 17 markets, mostly rural, that urge voters to ‘reject Greg Abbott’s radical plan to defund’ public schools. Abbott, meanwhile, is not shying away from the controversy he ignited when he said in May that he supports giving parents ‘the choice to send their children to any public school, charter school or private school with state funding following the student.’” Read more at the Texas Tribune.

Georgia Superintendent — As Linda Jacobson reports in her preview: “Among the six candidates the Georgia Association of Educators endorsed for statewide office, all were Democrats, save one: Republican schools Superintendent Richard Woods. The two-term incumbent’s support of a controversial new ‘divisive concepts’ law that restricts what teachers can say about race and diversity in the classroom was apparently less worrisome to the union than the platform of Alisha Thomas Searcy, his Democratic challenger. ‘His opponent, regrettably, has a long history of advocating for taxpayer funding of private schools that we cannot overlook,’ President Lisa Morgan said when announcing the union’s slate of candidates. Searcy was elected to the state House at just 23 and consistently advocated for school choice legislation during her 12 years in office. She co-authored a law that allows students to transfer to other schools within their district, voted in favor of the state’s tax credit scholarship program and championed a constitutional amendment creating the State Charter Schools Commission. Groups seeking to start a new charter school can apply directly to the commission instead of their local district. Woods also supports charter schools, but expanding choice has not been the focus of his campaign.” Read the full preview of the race in Georgia.

Arizona Governor — As Kevin Mahnken lays out in his race preview: “Amid debates this summer around parental rights, the teaching of controversial subjects, and LGBT issues in schools, Arizona politicians resolved the state’s longest-running education dispute. Republican Gov. Doug Ducey and his allies in the state legislature pushed through an expansion of education savings accounts to all of the state’s 1.1 million students. The shift was the latest, and possibly the last, development in a lengthy war over school choice in the state. And as a political event, it may signify more than the hotly contested state elections this fall. Those campaigns are headlined by the gubernatorial bout, viewed as one of the closest in the country. But even though that race will serve as a bellwether on Election Day, delivering a rare battleground verdict on how well Democrats staved off Republicans’ midterm ambitions, its result likely cannot change the trajectory of school policy in Arizona, which will now feature more direct competition between public and private schools. Such sizable growth in ESAs has the potential to reshape the K-12 environment in one of America’s few remaining competitive states. The change was cheered by Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake, a charismatic former news anchor who has been dubbed the ‘leading lady of Trumpism’ for her right-wing views and growing national profile. It was reviled by Democratic hopeful Katie Hobbs, who has captured her own national headlines over the last few years as the state’s top elections official. The contest between the two women will decide who leads the way for a newly altered school system.” Read the full preview of the race in Arizona.

Left: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, the Republican incumbent, spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Texas in August. (Getty Images) Right: Oklahoma Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, left, the Democratic nominee for governor, met with supporters during a parade on Oct. 1 in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma Governor — As Linda Jacobson writes in her preview: “Don Ford, a veteran Oklahoma educator who leads a rural schools network, initially thought state Superintendent Joy Hofmeister didn’t ‘understand the workings’ of schools outside the state’s major cities. But then Hofmeister, a former teacher and onetime owner of a Tulsa tutoring company, put half a million miles on her car traveling throughout the state. She listened as educators spoke of the challenges facing small-town schools. ‘She was willing to listen and learn by getting out into our districts,’ Ford said. Educational options in those communities are now center stage as voters prepare to choose their next governor. Incumbent Gov. Kevin Stitt is campaigning on a statewide ‘fund-students-not-systems’ platform and promises to ‘support any bills … that would give parents and students more freedom to attend the schools that best fit their learning needs.’ A voucher plan that died in the Senate earlier this year would have opened them to children in families that earn roughly three times what it takes to qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, with most awards ranging from $5,900 to about $8,100. Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, a Republican, has pledged to introduce a similar bill if Stitt wins. But Hofmeister, who switched parties to challenge Stitt as a Democrat, has called the proposal a ‘rural schools killer’ because it would pull funding from traditional districts.” Read the full Oklahoma preview.

Wisconsin Governor — As Beth Hawkins reports in her preview: “Like many states, Wisconsin is awash in the newly charged politics over teaching about race and LGBTQ student rights. But the issues at the heart of what has become the most expensive gubernatorial race in the country are decidedly old school. A Democratic incumbent with long ties to traditional public education faces a GOP challenger who promises a dramatic expansion of the state’s private school voucher program, the oldest in the country. As of late September, some $55 million had been spent on advertising, with the race between Democrat Tony Evers and Republican Tim Michels a toss-up. If Evers wins, residents can expect him to continue to push for more funding for the state’s traditional schools — and for the Republican-dominated legislature to push back. Those same lawmakers have already signaled support for Michels’ marquee proposal — making vouchers available to all Wisconsin students — even as it is unclear how they would pay for it.” Read the full snapshot of the race in Wisconsin.

Colorado’s ‘Healthy Meals’ Ballot Proposition — As Linda Jacobson reports: “The Healthy Schools Meals for All program would fully reimburse districts for offering students free breakfast and lunch, regardless of family income. It would also increase pay for school nutrition staff and offer training and equipment to make meals from scratch. To pay for the program, the initiative would cap income tax deductions for those making $300,000 or more. There is no organized opposition to the measure, but one lawmaker who voted against putting it on the ballot said he had a ‘fundamental problem’ with subsidizing meals for students whose parents can afford to pay.” Read more about the Colorado proposal.

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Rand Paul (Getty Images)

Senate Education Leadership — As Linda Jacobson reports: Senator Rand Paul would eliminate the Education Department if he could. Senator Bernie Sanders would triple funding for poor students and send them to college for free. Depending on which party controls the Senate after the election, one of these men could be the next leader of the education committee. The other could be the ranking minority leader — setting up a scenario in which some of the most divisive issues in education get frequent airtime. Paul first has to defend his seat in Congress, which he’s expected to do in solidly Republican Kentucky. Sanders would have to give up chairmanship of the budget committee. Both men are next in line to influence legislation that not only governs the nation’s schools, but also health care policy and workforce issues. Read the full story.

Maryland Governor — As Asher Lehrer-Small reports in his preview: “Throughout the Maryland gubernatorial race, GOP candidate Dan Cox has done his best to keep education culture wars issues front and center. The state legislator named a right-wing parent leader as his running mate after her group lobbied to remove a Queen Anne’s County schools superintendent who expressed support for Black Lives Matter. And in his only public debate against Democratic challenger Wes Moore, the Trump-endorsed candidate railed against ‘transgender indoctrination in kindergarten,’ a problem he blamed on books that ‘depict things that I cannot show you on television, it’s so disgusting.’ The approach takes its cue from several recent GOP campaigns, most notably that of Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The Republican’s 2021 win over high-profile Democrat and former governor Terry McAuliffe was propelled largely by controversy over K-12 curricula and COVID school closures … But so far the strategy has not traveled well across state lines. As of late September, Moore led Cox by a 2-to-1 margin with a 32-percentage point advantage, according to a poll of 810 registered voters carried out by the University of Maryland and The Washington Post.

“Democratic candidate Wes Moore is a Rhodes Scholar, combat veteran, anti-poverty advocate and best-selling author. Sporting an endorsement from the state’s largest teachers union, he says he plans to boost educator pay, reduce the number of youth that schools send into the criminal justice system and fund tutoring initiatives to help students recoup learning they missed during COVID.” Read the full preview of the race in Maryland.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is up for re-election, opposes a school-choice initiative that will likely go before the legislature next year. Republican challenger Tudor Dixon supports it. The measure’s passage will depend on the election’s outcome. (Getty Images)

Michigan Governor — As Alina Tugend reports, driving the race between Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and GOP challenger Tudor Dixon is a school choice measure few residents have heard about: A proposal that would create one of the country’s largest voucher-like systems, with the potential to give students more than a half-million dollars in public funds to attend private schools. More than 90% of the electorate in a recent statewide poll said they knew little or nothing about the proposal, which has been enthusiastically backed by former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and her family, who have donated $4 million to the cause. Whitmer and Dixon differ sharply on measure; last year, both houses of the Michigan legislature passed bills that would have created ESAs but Whitmer vetoed them, saying they would “turn private schools into tax shelters for the wealthy.” Read Tugend’s preview of the race in Michigan.

West Virginia’s Amendment 4 — As Linda Jacobson writes in her preview: “The state legislature would get final say on any rules or policies passed by the Board of Education if voters approve Amendment 4. Republicans in the legislature pushed for the measure, arguing that regulations governing schools should be left to those elected by voters, not an appointed board. But opponents, including former state Superintendent Clayton Burch and Miller Hall, former state board president, argue the proposed amendment would subject education to more partisanship and would lead to inconsistency in learning due to changes in the legislature.” Read our full preview.

Pennsylvania Governor — As Jo Napolitano writes in her preview: “The Pennsylvania governor’s race — a face-off between a well-funded ambitious young climber already eyed as a future presidential contender and a radical right-wing election denier whose own GOP party leaders refuse to support — is among the most watched in the nation for its 2024 implications. The winner could wield significant power over how votes are counted in the next presidential election, one in which Donald Trump seeks to elevate an ally like Republican Doug Mastriano, in a key battleground state. Education is a leading issue in political contests across the country with Republicans pushing to remove discussions of race and gender from the classroom while leaning into greater parental control. But the script has flipped somewhat in Pennsylvania, with Mastriano’s stance so extreme he’s mobilized school board opponents to take unusual steps to block him while Democrat Josh Shapiro has embraced a school choice avenue usually reserved for conservatives. Both advocate stronger parent influence in schools.” Read the full preview of the race in Pennsylvania.

New Mexico’s Amendment 1 — As Linda Jacobson notes in her preview: “The amendment would set aside roughly $150 million annually from the state’s Permanent School Fund for early-childhood education and about $100 million for teacher compensation and programs serving students at risk of failure. The fund comes from oil and gas revenues and capital investment returns. The measure seeks to increase the distribution of the fund from 5% to 6.25%. If voters approve it, the measure would need final approval from the U.S. Congress because early-childhood education was not one of the approved uses written into the federal law. There is no organized opposition to the measure, but a Republican lawmaker who voted against placing it on the ballot said withdrawing more from the fund would leave fewer resources for the state’s children.” Read our full preview of the measure.

Other key reporting and analysis on what awaits education-minded voters this Election Day: 

Florida: DeSantis-Backed Candidates Rack Up School Board Wins Across Florida (Read the full story)

School Boards: There Are Just 90 LGBTQ School Board Members. Half Were Threatened, Harassed (Read the full story)

Polling: Survey Shows Majority of Parents Would Cross Party Lines to Vote For Candidates Who Share Education Agenda (Read the full story)

Parent Groups: Moms for Liberty Pays $21,000 to Company Owned by Founding Member’s Husband (Read the full story)

Future of Education: How Do Americans Truly Feel About Public Education, & What Do They Want to See? (Read the full analysis)

Campaign Politics: PACs Get Attention, but Teachers Unions Still Dominate School Board Elections (Read the full analysis)

Civic Engagement: Educator’s View — My Schools Are Helping Parents Become Voters. Yours Should, Too (Read the full essay)

GOP: Heading into Midterms, Republicans Find All School Politics is Local (Read the full article)

Watch: Video Roundtable — School Leaders Debate How Education Politics Will Shape Midterms (Watch the full conversation)

Get the Latest Ed Politics Updates: Sign up for newsletters from The 74 and LA School Report

Today we present “Meet the LAUSD School Board Candidates,” profiles of the candidates running for three open seats on the seven-member Los Angeles school board in the June 7 primary. If elected, candidates for LAUSD school board —  representing the largest school district in the country with an elected board — will confront complex issues ranging from pandemic recovery to school equity to targeting chronic absenteeism. On May 25, 26, and 27, candidates will participate in an online forum where they can share their views on the major issues.

You can read all of the profiles here

District 2 

Maria Brenes

Background/profession: Education advocate, LAUSD parent and executive director of InnerCity Struggle

Why are you running?

For 20 years I have been a strong voice and advocate for educational justice and re-imagining public education to be equitable for all LAUSD students…, Historically, students of color have been academically left behind, criminalized and public schools have been severely under-resourced. Families of color have high hopes and high expectations for their children and public education can play an essential role in empowering them to reach their fullest potential… My goal would be to develop policy and an LAUSD budget rooted in racial justice… I want to… strengthen traditional neighborhood schools to be hubs of academic excellence…in highest need communities.

Read more about Maria Brenes.

Rocio Rivas

Background/profession: Research and Policy Deputy, LAUSD School Board, BD5

Why are you running?

I am running… because I am a public education leader, professional, advocate and parent with a Ph.D. in education. I am deeply passionate about public education and have worked… to serve the… public good. I received the best educational experience as an LAUSD student and as a mom to a student thriving in LAUSD schools, I want the same for ALL students…As the only LAUSD active parent on the board I (want to) … to address all the needs of LAUSD students…(with) schools… fully staffed with full time counselors, psychiatric social workers, librarians, nurses, supervising aides, and paraprofessionals.

Read more about Rocio Rivas.

Miguel Angel Segura 

Background/profession: Public School Teacher, Organizer, Elected Official Staffer, National Advance Staff

Why are you running?

I am running because I AM Board District 2 (BD2). I was born, raised, and living in BD2. I attended Union Elementary School, Virgil Middle School, and Belmont High School … I am a product of BD2. I have been a student of LAUSD, a board member staffer for LAUSD, and currently, a teacher for the district. I know every angle of education at LAUSD … , that is best … Once I have the privilege to serve as the BD2 member, it will be an honor … to represent each neighborhood and community, rather than being a “job” … My collaborative approach to work with … members will enhance the successes set out for BD2, as we all can leverage each other’s successes and learn lessons for better outcomes. Better outcomes in BD2 are my reasons for running.

Read more about Miguel Angel Segura.

Erica Vilardi Espinosa

Background/profession: Community Organizer/Accountant

Why are you running? 

Education is the basis of everything. I believe schools are the center of the community and provide not just education but also, friends, mentors, social structure, nutrition, and a safe environment… In a country like The US, everyone should be able to receive a fair and equitable public education… I want to make sure all LAUSD schools are doing everything possible to ensure our children are prepared for the future.

Read more about Erica Vilardi Espinosa

Miho Murai (write-in candidate)

Background/Profession: Education rights/immigration attorney, educator, activist

Why are you running? I am running for school board because I know I can be a powerful voice for low-income, English language learners, students with disabilities, students in the foster care and juvenile justice system, students who are unhoused, and the Asian Pacific American community. Since 2009, I have had my own pro bono/low bono law firm and have been representing low-income students with disabilities… to ensure children are provided with a free and appropriate public education… I understand what many of our students go through…as I am a proud product of public education and initially struggled academically due to my lack of knowledge of the English language and my mom’s inability to advocate for my needs…

Read more about Miho Murai

District 4 

Gentille Barkhordar

Background/profession: Electrical Engineer/Mother

Why are you running? 

I am a parent of two LAUSD elementary students. I am concerned for our children’s well-being, the mental health crisis and learning loss.…Feeling helpless among many thousands of parents made me want to run for school board. Our children have suffered a great deal of social isolation and with little advocacy. Not a single member of the school board is a parent of a school aged child. I am running to give parents a seat at the negotiating table so that when important decisions are made about our children’s futures they are made with parent input.

Read more about Gentille Barkhordar

Nick Melvoin

Background/profession: Educator/LAUSD School Boardmember 

Why are you running?

I’m running to continue the work I started with parents, students, and educators when I took my oath 5 years ago…. with the added challenge of a… pandemic that forced kids and teachers from the classroom…I’m proud to have helped recruit Superintendent Alberto Carvalho…The confluence of a new, dynamic superintendent and the COVID-19 pandemic entering an “endemic” phase presents the district with an incredible opportunity to double down on our pledge of providing an excellent school district to every student and family regardless of their zip code.

Read more about Nick Melvoin

Tracey Schroeder

Background/profession: LAUSD teacher

Why are you running? 

I am running to help guide our district through an Academic Crisis that this district has ever seen. I am a boots on the ground, front-line, eyes-on-student-needs-educator… I have dedicated the past 24 years of my life in service to the students and families of Los Angeles Unified School District as a teacher….”

Read more about Tracey Schroeder

District 6 

Jess Arana

Background/profession: Public Service – Police Sergeant/Educator

Why are you running?

I am running on a student first platform and to give a voice back to parents and the community. Although we can never truly remove politics from education, decisions need to be made from the standpoint on what is best for students, parents, and the community. The interest of outside organizations with political agendas should not weigh more than student achievement and community concerns.

Read more about Jess Arana

Kelly Gonez

Background/profession: LAUSD School Board President, BD6

Why are you running?

I joined the LAUSD Board of Education because I know there is more that we as a community can and must do so that every child in LAUSD receives an excellent public education…. I believe that our schools have benefited tremendously from having a representative with classroom experience, and I have a strong record of delivering for our community and building a progressive policy agenda… I have spent the past five years working tirelessly as a fierce advocate for our students, staff, and families and collaborating to solve challenges… and strengthen our public schools.

Read more about Kelly Gonez

Marvin A. Rodriguez

Background/profession: LAUSD Spanish Teacher/Parent and Veteran

Why are you running? 

I am running for school board because I believe in public education and the important role it plays in uplifting communities… I am committed to a new vision for our public schools. I believe in the power of community in our schools. I look to build communities of resources, support, and hope for our students… because when our students feel they belong to a community, they are inspired to engage and make positive contributions to it.

Read more about Kelly Gonez

Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; former Minnesota State Supreme Court Justice Alan Page (Getty Images)

The U.S Constitution says nothing about education; none of the 25 amendments does either.

In Minnesota, the home of former State Supreme Court Justice Alan Page, the state constitution — ratified in 1857 — only requires “a general and uniform system of public schools.”

Page thinks the education provision is way overdue for an overhaul.

“I don’t need to remind everybody what this country looked like in 1857,” Justice Page said. “That was the year that the United State Supreme Court decided Dred Scot in which the Chief Justice of the United States said, and I’m paraphrasing here: those who had been imported as slaves had no rights which the white man was bound to respect. That’s the context in which this language – our current language – was drafted.”

Justice Page is a driving force behind the Page Amendment, which seeks to change the Minnesota constitution to read: “All children have a fundamental right to a quality public education….” He was among several experts to join a panel discussion last week presented by The 74 and the Reinventing America’s Schools project of the Progressive Policy Institute.

An empty classroom at Hollywood High School on Aug. 13, 2020, in Hollywood, CA. (Getty Images)

Shortly after the Centers for Disease Control unveiled new federal guidance surrounding reopening schools for in-person learning — guidance that prioritizes masking and social distancing as key strategies and outlines a new color-coded system for measuring surrounding community spread — the union representing more than 35,000 Los Angeles teachers pushed back against the suggestion that vaccinations for educators need not be a prerequisite for resuming classroom instruction.

“We applaud the CDC’s efforts for a national strategy to return to in-person instruction, but the new guidelines released on February 12 do not do enough to address the specific challenges of large urban school districts like LAUSD,” United Teachers Los Angeles said in a statement Friday. “And most troubling is that it does not require vaccinations for school staff, six-foot distancing in all schools, nor improved ventilation as a key mitigation measure.

“We reiterate that the path to a safe reopening must include: vaccines for all educators and school staff, multi-tiered mitigation strategies (such as COVID testing, physical distancing, use of masks, hand hygiene, and isolation/quarantine procedures) and lowered community transmission rates — LA County must be out of the purple tier.”

California’s “purple tier” refers to regions where the risk of transmission is “widespread.” The CDC guidance would create new categories and color-coded benchmarks, with the top tier being red for areas where there are more than 100 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents during a 7-day period. (Some critics of the new guidelines have also warned of greater confusion among citizens who live in states with existing color-coded guidelines)

In its statement, UTLA challenged those “who are pushing to reopen in the purple tier and without lowered community transmission rates [to answer]: How many infections and deaths are considered ‘safe?’ While LA educators want nothing more than to be back in classrooms, the risk of community transmission of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County is still too high.”

Just as the CDC guidance was being labeled too risky in California, it was being blasted as too conservative in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis made it clear that the state’s schools would remain open despite the federal government’s new guidance and color-coded directives.

“What the CDC put out at five on a Friday afternoon — I wonder why they would do it then? — was quite frankly a disgrace,” DeSantis said at a Monday press conference. “It would require, if you actually follow that, closing 90% of schools in the United States.”

Florida schools, he said, “are open, we remain open, and we are not turning back.”

Click on the below PDF to scan the full CDC guidance. Here’s more of our recent coverage of the science and politics surrounding reopening classrooms: 

• Inside the CDC Guidance: New guidelines for reopening classrooms prioritizes masks, social distancing; vaccines not a precondition (Read the full story)

• School Spread: New antibody study shows young children may be less likely to spread virus; could spell good news for in-person elementary and middle school learning (Read the full article)

• The Next Education Secretary: Miguel Cardona, in mostly gentle prodding from Senate, offers views on testing, transgender students and reopening (Read the full story)

• Flashback — Election Year Politics: Research suggests it’s not science but politics that are driving school reopening decisions to a “really dangerous degree” (Read the full story)

• Go Deeper: Scan the full CDC guidance below:

L.A. Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner announced Monday that the new school year will start online only. (lausd.net)

The following statement was released Monday morning by both the Los Angeles Unified and San Diego Unified School Districts: 

On March 13, four months ago today, we made the difficult decision to close our schools to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Much has changed since that time: New research is available, additional information on school safety experiences from around the world, and updated health guidelines from state and county leaders.

Unfortunately, much of the research is incomplete and many of the guidelines are vague and contradictory. One fact is clear: those countries that have managed to safely reopen schools have done so with declining infection rates and on-demand testing available. California has neither. The skyrocketing infection rates of the past few weeks make it clear the pandemic is not under control.

Therefore, we are announcing that the new school year will start online only.

Instruction will resume on August 18 in Los Angeles Unified and August 31 in San Diego Unified, as previously scheduled. Both districts will continue planning for a return to in-person learning during the 2020-21 academic year, as soon as public health conditions allow.

This announcement represents a significant disappointment for the many thousands of teachers, administrators and support staff, who were looking forward to welcoming students back in August. It is obviously an even greater disappointment to the many parents who are anxious for their students to resume their education. Most of all, this decision will impact our students in ways that researchers will take years to understand.

Our leaders owe it to all of those impacted by the Covid-19 closures to increase the pace of their work. No one should use the delay in the reopening of classrooms as a reason to relax. The coronavirus has not taken a summer vacation, as many had hoped. Indeed, the virus has accelerated its attacks on our community.

The federal government must provide schools with the resources we need to reopen in a responsible manner.

In the past four months, we have provided more than 47 million meals to families, distributed more than 250,000 computers to students and trained more than 35,000 educators in online learning. In the weeks ahead, we plan to continue this breakneck pace:

• The school year will resume on schedule.
• Teachers will receive expanded training in online education to better meet the needs of students.
• Students will receive additional training at the start of the year to become better online learners.
• Online supports for parents will be increased to make it easier for them to participate in the education of their students.
• Principals will continue customized planning for the safest possible reopening this fall.
• Free meals will continue to be provided at the current distribution stations.

On Friday, the American Academy of Pediatrics reversed course and said it was no longer confident that opening schools in the middle of a public health crisis is the best option for children. That reversal symbolizes the speed with which schools continue to receive vague and conflicting information from the medical and scientific communities. It is clear our two systems will need to create our own source for reliable scientific information.

Los Angeles Unified will provide more detailed information about both online and at-school programs in the coming weeks, with final plans by the first week in August. San Diego Unified plans to provide a public assessment on August 10 of how soon (after the first week of school) a physical return to class would be possible.

Explore other recent related posts at LA School Report: 

Public Opinion: Week-by-week survey finds parents worried about sending kids back to school — and three-quarters think September is too soon (Read the full article)

Learning Loss: Analysis — COVID slide is going to make the usual summer slide even worse. Time to move to year-round school schedules (Read the full essay)

Access and Equity: Kennedy —A lack of technology is just the latest barrier to education for low-income students. Time for philanthropy to step up and help (Read the full essay)

Charter school politics still in play in LA Unified school board elections

The majority of Los Angeles Unified school board seats are up for grabs next week, a pivotal election that will shape how the state’s largest school district approaches several key challenges. 

The next school board will have to grapple with budget deficits, enrollment declines and achievement gaps for black, Latino, low-income and other underserved students. However, the biggest issue framing the March 3 primary, with four of seven board seats on the ballot, remains charter schools and how to handle efforts to expand school choice. A new state law giving districts a bigger say on whether or not to approve new charter schools takes effect in July. By Michael Burke, EdSource

Those Nasty LAUSD School Board Campaign Ads: What’s Fact? What’s Opinion? LAist

California lottery shortchanged schools by $36 million as revenues soared, audit finds, The Sacramento Bee

New California school vaccine rules have left nurses, doctors and parents confused, Los Angeles Times

On Education: What Democratic presidential candidates are promising, EdSource

Students protest suspension of teacher who sparked ‘American Dirt’ backlash, Los Angeles Times

Democratic Debate Fact-Check: Did 23 NYC Schools Top State Rankings When Bloomberg Left Office? Close. It was 22, and That List Deserves a Closer Look, The 74

Trump budget would slash, recast Ed. funding stream, Education Week

Coronavirus forces universities online, Insider Higher Education

Schools Should Prepare for Coronavirus Outbreaks, CDC Officials Warn , Education Week

Get the day’s must-reads, as well as new education news and analysis from across California, delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for the LA School Report newsletter.

See previous morning roundups below:

TUESDAY, FEB. 25:

State analyst says nix Newsom’s early childhood plan

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to streamline the complicated web of agencies that support early childhood in California by creating a new state agency.

Not so fast, says the Legislative Analyst’s Office. On Friday the nonpartisan agency tasked with advising the legislature released a report recommending lawmakers reject the proposal. By Mariana Dale, LAist

Cal State Long Beach shows biggest graduation rate gains of all 23 CSU campuses, EdSource

San Diego prosecutors: Districts that authorized A3 charter schools should pay back oversight fees, San Diego Union-Tribune

Building better schools and colleges: Californians argue for and against Prop. 13 on March 3, 2020 ballot, EdSource

USC offers free tuition to families making under $80,000 and a break for homeowners, Los Angeles Times

California students who sued the state because they can’t read just won $53 million for troubled schools, The Washington Post

Bernie Sanders Wins Nevada: How Las Vegas Teachers Helped the Candidate Score His Biggest 2020 Victory Yet, The 74

Corporations hurt low-income and minority students by pulling school choice funding, The Washington Examiner

Teaching Children How to Reverse an Overdose, The New York Times

THURSDAY, FEB. 20:

Special education in California in need of overhaul, researchers say

Special education in California should be overhauled to focus on the individual needs of students, with better training for teachers, more streamlined services and improved screening for the youngest children, according to a compilation of reports released today.

Those were some of the recommendations proposed in “Special Education: Organizing Schools to Serve Students with Disabilities in California,” a package of 13 reports and a summary produced by Policy Analysis for California Education, a nonpartisan research and policy organization led by faculty from UC Berkeley, UCLA, University of Southern California and Stanford University. By Carolyn Jones, EdSource

A surprise big spender funds attack campaign mailers in key L.A. school board races, Los Angeles Times

Gov. Newsom’s big bets: community schools, competitive grants and new teacher incentives, EdSource

Long Beach Unified Places Teacher On Leave Amid Allegations She Used ‘N-Word’ In Class, LAist

Column: There’s a new Proposition 13. It would send billions to California schools that need it, Los Angeles Times

Teachers Find Coaching Helpful, but Most Don’t Get Enough of It, Survey Says, The 74

An Unorthodox Strategy Closes Academic Gaps, EdWeek

Food fight: How 2 Trump proposals could bite into school lunch, NPR

How Could Michael Bloomberg’s Education Record Play on the Democratic Debate Stage? EdWeek

Newsom wants more dyslexia screenings, services for California students

A new plan by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who struggled with dyslexia as a child, would pay for more screenings and services for the thousands of California students with dyslexia — a condition that advocates say has not received enough attention in schools.

The California Dyslexia Initiative, which the governor announced last week as part of his 2020-21 budget proposal, would set aside $4 million for screening, professional learning for teachers, research and a conference on dyslexia, a learning disorder that affects one’s ability to read and write. Although the amount is small compared to the overall education budget, it lays the groundwork for future investment and brings much-needed attention to the issue, advocates said. By Carolyn Jones, EdSource

West Valley board member faces two challengers in high-spending LAUSD election, Los Angeles Daily News

Delta sued again over jet fuel dumped on LA-area schools, Los Angeles Daily News

I only took three years of high school math, escaped with a ‘D’ and turned out OK, Los Angeles Times

College is expensive; what will key 2020 candidates do about it?, Sacramento Bee

Cal State San Marcos executives leave university on eve of critical audit, San Diego Union-Tribune

Toch: School Choice Is Here to Stay. But How to Make It Fair and Equitable for All Families? High-Tech Common-Enrollment System Can Help, The 74

Number of homeless students hits an all-time high, The New York Times

Bernie Sanders wades into a local education issue, criticizes DC decision to close school, The Washington Post

Education department investigating Harvard, Yale over foreign funding, The Wall Street Journal

THURSDAY, FEB.13:

How Gov. Newsom’s ambitious budget proposals for teacher recruitment and preparation will be spent 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s bold plans for recruiting and preparing teachers, revealed in his budget proposal last month for the coming fiscal year, were widely acclaimed by teachers and other education advocates. 

Newsom made recruiting and training teachers the biggest education priority of his proposed 2020-21 budget, allocating more than $915 million for staff development and recruitment — more than was spent in the previous five years combined, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. By Diana Lambert, EdSource

Teachers unions ask: Is it time to rethink school-shooting drills? Los Angeles Times

College costs, teacher shortage still top concerns in poll of California voters, EdSource

Despite Warning, Schmerelson Still Failed to Properly Report Johnson & Johnson Stock, New Complaint Alleges, Speak UP

New Occidental College president hailed for diversity efforts, Los Angeles Times

Foundation Report Looks Back at 3 Years of Helping Charter School Operators Build, Find and Renovate Classroom Space for Their Students, The 74

Trump administration’s budget would eliminate federal funding for charter schools, U.S. News & World Report

6 districts invested in principals and saw dramatic gains. Dozens will try to do the same, Education Week

Teacher unions, gun-control advocates urge changes to active-shooter drills, citing student trauma, The Washington Post

Where Sanders, Trump, and Warren Have Common Ground on Charter Schools, Education Week

TUESDAY, FEB. 11:

High school students benefit from taking college courses, but access uneven in California

At least one in eight California high school seniors take community college courses while still in high school, an increasingly popular strategy that gives students a head start on their college careers, and has been shown to boost both high school and college graduation rates.

A new study from the Wheelhouse Center for Community College Leadership and Research at the UC Davis School of Education provides the most specific figures yet about how many students in California participate in so-called “dual enrollment” programs.

It found that 12.6 percent of high school seniors enrolled in these programs in 2016-17, the last year for which data was available.  Researchers said they expect today’s rates to be even higher.  By Louis Freedberg and Ali Tadayon, EdSource

How some California school districts invest in counseling – and achieve results, EdSource

Lopez: About to become teachers, they’re worried about affording the rent, Los Angeles Times

Nearly every San Diego County school district may be spending more than it can afford, San Diego Union-Tribune

Bell High wins LAUSD’s 2020 Academic Decathlon, a first for the school, Los Angeles Times

Two New Schmerelson Complaints Filed Over Outdated Financial Disclosure to City Ethics Commission, Speak UP

Three Decades After Its First School Funding Lawsuit, New Hampshire Turns to the Public for the First Time to Find an Equitable Solution for All Students, The 74

High school ratings can mask groups of students who struggle, Hechinger Report 

Two boys with the same disability tried to get help. The rich student got it quickly. The poor student did not, USA Today

Mirroring a national trend, 4 charter schools apply to open in Memphis — a 5-year low, Chalkbeat

THURSDAY, FEB. 6:

LAUSD board member under investigation for possible misreporting of personal finances

The California Fair Political Practices Commission is investigating Los Angeles Unified School District board member Scott Schmerelson for a potential violation of economic disclosure regulations, as the West San Fernando Valley board member campaigns for reelection.

The commission is looking at discrepancies in Schmerelson’s disclosure of personal investments in tobacco corporate giant Altria Group. Financial disclosure forms appear to raise questions about when he first purchased the stock and whether it was reported accurately when he entered office in 2015.

An investigation was prompted by three complaints filed to the FPPC by former challenger for the Board District 3 seat Kenneth Ragsdale, a parent and education advocate affiliated with the group Speak Up Parents. Ragsdale did not garner enough signatures to qualify for the March 3 ballot. By Ariella Plachta, Los Angeles Daily News

California May Pause Student Fitness Tests Due to Bullying, Los Angeles Times

California Parents Sharpen Their Computer Science Skills Alongside Students, EdSource

District 7 Candidate Mike Lansing Promises to Bring ‘Voice of Reason’ to ‘Dysfunctional’ L.A. School Board, Speak UP

Oakland Unified superintendent recommends laying off more than 68 staffers to close budget gap, EdSource

Trump Uses State of the Union Address to Push for Tax-Credit Scholarships, Declaring No Child Should Be Forced to Attend ‘a Failing Government School’, The 74

University of California Should Keep Requiring SAT or ACT Scores for Admissions, Task Force Says, The Washington Post

 For Some High Schoolers, Summer Camp Is for College Prep, The New York Times

State of the Union: Trump Pushes Choice, Private Scholarship Tax Credits, Education Dive

 Trump’s Imminent Education Budget and How Washington Sows Confusion Over School Spending, Education Week

TUESDAY, FEB. 4:

This election is off-limits to voters. But the results will matter a lot to L.A. school families

One ballot this season is off-limits to the public but carries far-reaching ramifications for hundreds of thousands of youths and their families — the election of a new president and other officers for the Los Angeles teachers union.

United Teachers Los Angeles President Alex Caputo-Pearl, who led 30,000 teachers in a strike that gripped Los Angeles last year, is barred by term limits from running for a third three-year term. His replacement will instantly become a major voice in the nation’s second-largest school system and the leader of a union that has long influenced education policy in Los Angeles. The winner also will confront internal challenges, including the mobilization of anti-union groups that seek to persuade members to abandon UTLA entirely. By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times

Southern California students face disappointment, uncertainty after virus outbreak cancels study-abroad sessions in China, Los Angeles Daily News

California school officials reassure immigrant parents after ruling limiting benefits, EdSource

The importance of free transportation for students, Los Angeles Daily News

Parents often don’t know what their college kids are going through. CSU is changing that, Los Angeles Times

Christina Martinez Duran, LAUSD Board District 5 Candidate: ‘Parents Have Been Ignored and Dismissed’, Speak UP

Could a Supreme Court case about tax dollars for religious schools affect California?,  San Diego Union-Tribune

Districts, Charters and ‘Public School Vouchers’: Unraveling Elizabeth Warren’s Complicated Evolution on School Choice, The 74

Privacy Law May Make Students Harder to Count for Census, The New York Times

NY and CA spend billions more in taxes than TX and FL — and get worse results, The New York Post

University of California President Janet Napolitano (Credit: Getty Images)

With less than half of LAUSD’s prospective graduates eligible for California State University system, college trustees eye adding another requirement

Last July, Taylor Swaak covered the California State University system’s consideration of a new admissions requirement for incoming freshmen — a development that’s sparked opposition from L.A. Unified, where less than half of the prospective graduates are eligible to apply under current standards. As CSU’s Board of Trustees prepared to review an informal proposal to add a fourth year of “quantitative reasoning” to admissions requirements across the system’s 23 campuses, advocates said the extra prerequisite, which wouldn’t be implemented until 2026, would ensure more students build a strong learning foundation before college and have a wider array of career opportunities. Some other public university systems, such as Arizona State and Texas State, have adopted a similar requirement.

L.A. Unified and various advocates, however, viewed the move as a threat to equity rather than a vehicle for opportunity. The district school board rejected the idea outright in a June resolution, stating that L.A Unified does not have the teaching capacity to meet the requirement. Officials said they also fear adding another prerequisite would further restrict college access for minority students, who already face pervasive equity gaps in school. (Read the full story)

Nick Melvoin, left, at a board meeting last month. On Tuesday, the board will vote on his resolution titled, “Empowering Schools and Teachers with Choice of Employment.” (Photo by Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

LAUSD board to consider removing a policy that forces schools to hire from a list of displaced teachers — and forces teachers into assignments they don’t want

The L.A. Unified school board voted in February on whether to get rid of a district policy that can force schools to hire “displaced” teachers — even if they aren’t good fits. The resolution, brought by Nick Melvoin and co-sponsored by Richard Vladovic, stated that “no teacher shall be employed at a school without the mutual agreement of the teacher and the school site decision-maker” starting in the 2019-20 school year. A resolution granting this freedom to about a quarter of L.A. Unified’s schools — those that are the lowest-performing and highest-need — passed unanimously in 2018. The new resolution would expand that freedom districtwide.

School sites can currently sidestep unwanted teacher placements in a few ways, such as applying for waivers or using long-term substitutes to fill vacancies. But there is a point where the district can “place teachers anywhere” in the remaining three-quarters of L.A. Unified’s 1,000 schools, Melvoin said. Displaced teachers include those who were forced out of a school because they were bumped by a more senior employee, were deemed ineffective or are returning from a leave of absence and have not yet been hired at a school site. “Must-place” refers to teachers who have been on that list for more than a year. About 500 “must-place” teachers were assigned across L.A. Unified between 2015 and 2018, according to a Partnership for Los Angeles Schools report. (Read more about the proposal – and the board’s subsequent vote to kill the resolution)

A group of Noble Network’s college-bound seniors. (Photo: Richard Whitmire)

New numbers show low-income alumni of KIPP schools are graduating college at 3-4 times the national average; alumni of Alliance, Aspire & Green Dot schools also above average

A fresh look at the college success records at KIPP and other major charter networks serving low-income students shows alumni earning bachelor’s degrees at rates up to four times higher than the 11 percent rate expected for that student population.

The ability of the high-performing networks to make good on the promise their founders made to struggling parents years ago — Send us your kids and we will get them to and through college — was something Richard Whitmire first reported on two years ago in his book The Alumni. Writing his new book The B.A. Breakthrough: How Ending the Diploma Disparity Can Change the Face of America provided the chance to go back and revisit those results. The baseline comparison number is slightly different but still dismal — just 11 percent of low-income students will graduate from college within six years — while for the big, nonprofit charter networks that serve high-poverty, minority students in Los Angeles and other major cities, the rates range from somewhat better to four times better and, in some cases, even higher. (Read more about the numbers, and Whitmire’s full analysis)

Exclusive: Less than 25% of LAUSD seniors last year took the type of math/quantitative reasoning class California State University wants to make a requirement

As the country’s largest four-year public university considers adding a fourth-year math/quantitative reasoning requirement to its admissions standards, new data shows less than a quarter of L.A. Unified seniors last year took such a class. About 23.5 percent of seniors — or 8,472 of 36,124 — were enrolled in a fourth-year math/quantitative reasoning course during the 2018-19 school year, according to the district’s Office of General Counsel. That more than 75 percent of seniors in the state’s largest school district were not enrolled in what could become a required CSU admissions course elicited serious concerns from advocates already worried about college access and readiness among L.A. Unified graduates, less than half of whom were on track to be eligible for CSU admissions last year under the current standards. (Read our exclusive break down of the numbers)

Q&A: Jackie Goldberg outlines her first-day priorities and her strategies as she prepares to face Heather Repenning in May’s LAUSD school board election

With the race for the school board seat in L.A. Unified’s Board District 5 still headed for a runoff last spring, Jackie Goldberg had yet to break a sweat. With ardent backing from the teachers union, the 74-year-old former school board member nabbed 15,935 votes — 48.18 percent of the 33,074 total primary ballots cast — in the March primary. Even before that vote was certified, Goldberg told LA School Report that she and her team were already prepping for a runoff, and sticking to the strategy and priorities that got her to where she is now. A prominent face of union support and charter school skepticism during January’s teacher strike, Goldberg had mounted a primary campaign that nearly secured her the more than 50 percent majority vote required to win outright amid a pool of 10 candidates.“We’ll do what we’ve always done, which is to run a campaign on why I think I’m the right person at this moment to help preserve and protect and promote appropriate funding of public education,” said Goldberg. (Read our full interview)

3 California NAACP chapters break with state and national leaders, calling for charter moratorium to be overturned

NAACP branches in three California cities that have some of the state’s largest populations of black students are calling to end the charter school moratorium adopted by their national board in 2016. The San Diego, Southwest Riverside and San Bernardino branches have submitted separate resolutions to NAACP’s state board saying they oppose the moratorium, a move that breaks with the state organization’s education chair, Julian Vasquez Heilig, who was a driving force behind the national board voting in favor of the measure. In an email obtained by LA School Report, Alice A. Huffman, president of the California Hawaii NAACP, told leaders in the three local branches that the state branch “has already taken a position of opposition and would appreciate it if you all would rescind your positions.” (Read the full story)

‘Very much’ the same thing: LAUSD continues to struggle to stay afloat as it waits for new revenue, latest financial report shows

School board members have approved L.A. Unified’s latest budget, even though the district is still far from being financially sustainable. The revised fiscal stabilization plan lays out the district’s response to county concerns about deficit spending, inadequate reserve levels and reliance on non-guaranteed funds to keep itself afloat in coming years. But instead of providing clarity, the latest budget highlighted the district’s deepening reliance on new funding sources as it struggles to correct its ballooning deficit and to meet future minimum reserve requirements that could shield it from a county takeover. The plan, presented in March, offered the first in-depth look at L.A. Unified’s budget since the district settled its new teachers contract in January. (Read more about the budget)

10 things parents need to know about their schools during a teacher strike

More than 30,000 teachers, school counselors, nurses and social workers in Los Angeles went out on strike in January, an action that affected more than 1,000 schools serving about 480,000 K-12 students across Los Angeles, as well as their families and the community. On the eve of the walkout, Esmeralda Fabián Romero broke down 10 things parents should know. “Can I continue to take my child to school?” Yes, schools will remain open. School schedules will remain the same, including before- and after-school programs. “Who would be teaching my child?” The district is directing about 2,000 administrators and other Central Office and Local District staff who hold teaching credentials to provide instruction during a strike. In addition, the district anticipates having 400 substitute teachers available. (Read the full primer)

‘A pretty untenable plan’: As LAUSD moves to combine 5 student support programs into one, advocates fear ‘dilution’ of foster youth services

The Foster Youth Achievement Program has changed Skye Carbajal’s life. So the foster student left school early one day in late April to tell the L.A. Unified school board just that. Standing at the podium, Carbajal recounted her accomplishments since she’d joined the program two years ago: She’s attended a foster youth summit in Sacramento. Honed networking skills. Won a $20,000 scholarship for college. Now, the five-year-old program, which focuses on foster youth school attendance, educational achievement and social-emotional well-being, is being restructured, despite vigorous opposition from foster youth advocates. The district is combining five specialized student programs together — including the Foster Youth Achievement Program and the Homeless Education Program — which officials say will streamline counseling services for L.A. Unified’s highest-need pupils by placing counselors at specific school sites, cutting down on travel time typically spent driving to schools across the district. While district officials say intensive care for L.A. Unified’s nearly 8,700 foster youth is “not changing,” the program will no longer have its own designated counselors come August. It also remains unclear how many foster youth will stay with their previous counselor. (Read the full report)

Just 24 states mandate sex education for K-12 students, and only 9 require any discussion of consent. See how California compares

Sex education is getting more attention in the wake of the #MeToo movement, particularly the need to teach students about consent. What students learn about sex and sexuality during school varies widely from state to state and even from classroom to classroom. But this spring lawmakers in a handful of states are trying to pass bills to update their sex education policies to help students become more informed and better prepared to make good decisions. Just 24 states mandate sex education in schools. Of those, only 10 require that it be medically accurate. Only nine require that it include consent. California is in that rare category that requires all three. (Read more about the state of sex education)

Here are our top back-to-school reads:

1. With less than half of LAUSD’s prospective graduates eligible for California State University system, college trustees eye adding another requirement | By Taylor Swaak

The California State University system is considering a new admissions requirement for incoming freshmen — a development that’s sparked opposition from L.A. Unified, where less than half of the prospective graduates are eligible to apply under current standards.

CSU’s Board of Trustees will review an informal proposal to add a fourth year of “quantitative reasoning” to admissions requirements across the system’s 23 campuses. A quantitative reasoning course largely centers on problem-solving using math-based skills; a high-level math class, certain science courses or an elective with “a quantitative reasoning foundation,” such as statistics and personal finance, could all qualify, according to the proposal. Three high school math courses— Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II — are already a must for CSU admissions.

System advocates say the extra prerequisite, which wouldn’t be implemented until 2026, would ensure more students build a strong learning foundation before college and have a wider array of career opportunities.

L.A. Unified and various advocates, however, view the move as a threat to equity rather than a vehicle for opportunity. The district school board rejected the idea outright in a June 18 resolution, stating that L.A Unified does not have the teaching capacity to meet the requirement. Officials said they also fear adding another prerequisite would further restrict college access for minority students, who already face pervasive equity gaps in school…read the full story.

2. Los Angeles voters roundly defeat parcel tax, leaving LAUSD on shaky financial footing | By Taylor Swaak

Los Angeles voters decisively defeated a parcel tax that would have sent $500 million a year to schools, according to unofficial results by the county registrar.

Voter turnout stood at 12.2 percent of the district’s 2.5 million registered voters — slightly above average for special elections and surpassing last month’s school board race.

L.A. Unified — along with UTLA — had touted the tax as indispensable for securing the lower class sizes and additional nurses, counselors and librarians promised in this winter’s $840 million teacher contract, which district officials say is unsustainable with current revenue levels. Opponents of the tax cited concerns about poor accountability and oversight of taxpayer money.

While L.A. Unified anticipates millions in savings through reductions in central office and health care costs, Measure EE’s defeat leaves the district on shaky financial footing as it prepares for next school year…read the full story.

3. ‘A pretty untenable plan’: As LAUSD moves to combine 5 student support programs into one, advocates fear ‘dilution’ of foster youth services | By Taylor Swaak

The Foster Youth Achievement Program has changed Skye Carbajal’s life. So the foster student left school early one day in late April to tell the L.A. Unified school board just that. Standing at the podium during an April 23 meeting, Carbajal recounted her accomplishments since she’d joined the program two years ago: She’s attended a foster youth summit in Sacramento. Honed networking skills. Won a $20,000 scholarship for college.

“Without [my counselor], I would be without guidance,” Carbajal, who is heading into her senior year at San Pedro High School, told the board. “Without [my counselor], a year ago I would not have been able to talk to you today. I wouldn’t have the confidence to.”

Now, the five-year-old program, which focuses on foster youth school attendance, educational achievement and social-emotional well-being, is being restructured, despite vigorous opposition from foster youth advocates. The district is combining five specialized student programs together — including the Foster Youth Achievement Program and the Homeless Education Program — which officials say will streamline counseling services for L.A. Unified’s highest-need pupils by placing counselors at specific school sites, cutting down on travel time typically spent driving to schools across the district.

While district officials say intensive care for L.A. Unified’s nearly 8,700 foster youth is “not changing,” the program will no longer have its own designated counselors come August. It also remains unclear how many foster youth will stay with their previous counselor.

There are “no savings” from making these changes, district spokeswoman Barbara Jones wrote in an email on July 16. She confirmed that none of the 154 counselors across the five programs have been laid off.

The planned consolidation has sparked concerns among several advocacy groups, whose leaders have told school board members in at least three public meetings since April that the new model would bloat counselor caseloads, “dilute” services and upend current relationships between foster youth and their counselors…read the full story.

4. What if my child isn’t ready for the next grade but her school plans to move her up anyway? Here’s what parents can — and can’t — do | By Esmeralda Fabián Romero

Fewer than 4 in 10 LA Unified students are reading at grade level, even fewer are at grade level in math. But parents can’t hold their children back if the school disagrees. And district policy is to almost always move elementary and middle school kids to the next grade regardless of performance.

Last year, only 1,300 of 354,000 students in grades TK- 8 were retained; that’s less than 0.4 percent, a drop from 0.55 two years ago.

So what can parents do if they feel their child isn’t ready for the next grade? Who gets the final say?

In California, it’s the schools…read the full story

5. Q&A with Ryan Smith on what it will take to close the achievement gap in California’s schools | By Esmeralda Fabián Romero

Closing the achievement gap has become one of the most critical educational challenges in California. As part of state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond’s new initiative to close that gap, he has created a working group to look closely at schools throughout the state that have shown success in improving outcomes for African-Americans, Latinos and other students of color, while also addressing the recruitment and retention of teachers of color.

Last year, 36 percent of economically disadvantaged Latino students in California were proficient in reading and 27 percent were proficient in math on state tests. For economically disadvantaged African-American students, the outcomes were even lower: 27 percent were proficient in reading and 15 percent were in math. English learners scored at the bottom of all student subgroups, showing almost no growth — less than 1 percentage point — in comparison to the previous year’s scores, with 12.6 percent of them meeting standards in reading and math.

A recent study found that the achievement gap is deeper for low-income African-American students than for low-income Latinos in Los Angeles, but also that many schools are showing progress with these student groups, but still only 2 out of 10 of them have access to schools that are helping them succeed.

The new working group will explore what it would take to improve educational outcomes for the most vulnerable students in California’s public schools. Thurmond appointed three co-chairs to lead the statewide task force: Ryan Smith, who recently joined the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools as chief external officer; Roseann Torres, the founding attorney and CEO of Torres Law Group and a member of the Oakland Unified School District Board of Education, and Manufou Liaiga-Anoa’i, a social justice advocate and the first Samoan Pacific Islander to serve on the Jefferson Elementary School District Board in Daly City.

LA School Report asked Smith what it will take to close the stubborn achievement gap for students of color in California…read the full interview.

6. Research shows that charter schools do best for California’s low-income and minority students. Now state officials are considering slowing their expansion | By Kevin Mahnken

California’s years-long debate over school choice has taken a decisive turn over the first few months of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s tenure — and the shift has come at the expense of charter schools.

In February, Newsom convened a panel of experts to investigate whether charters siphon funding from school districts. The next month, he signed a law — repeatedly vetoed by the previous governor — establishing greater transparency requirements for the schools and their leaders. All the while, attention-grabbing teacher strikes in Los Angeles and Oakland put the issue of charter growth at the top of the state’s education agenda, alongside teacher pay and school funding.

Now bills are moving through the state legislature that could dramatically curtail the charter sector’s growth. The most contentious of the package, Assembly Bill 1505, which would grant local districts greater leeway to reject petitions for new charter schools, has passed the state Assembly and now faces consideration in the state Senate. Others, including a measure to cap the total number of charters in the state, have lost momentum.

Taken together, education observers have seen the last five months as signs that California’s long period of virtually unchecked charter expansion may be ending. Foes of the privately operated public schools, most notably the state’s teachers unions, would relish the possibility.

But for the students who gain the most from charters, a slowdown or reversal of the sector’s recent growth might not be cause for celebration.

Those students, studies show, are disproportionately black, Latino, and low-income children from the state’s biggest cities; ironically, they’re also represented by some of the sector’s most prominent critics — including Newsom himself, formerly the mayor of San Francisco…read the full analysis.

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Michelle King, who as L.A. Unified’s first female African-American superintendent championed unity and collaboration among all public schools, has passed away at age 57 after fighting cancer.

King was “a collaborative and innovative leader who broke down barriers to create more equitable opportunities for every student,” the district stated Saturday in announcing her death.

Just weeks after her January 2016 appointment, King told a crowd of about 700 parents, teachers and principals at a Pacoima town hall meeting that from the moment she was named, she wanted to find ways to share best practices among educators in traditional district schools, independent charter schools and the district’s innovative magnet and pilot schools.

“We are all L.A. Unified school students,” she said. “It is unfortunate we have labels, saying that this one is better than that one. It’s not us vs. them.”

She announced she was meeting with charter leaders to plan a forum to share strategies. “I can’t do it alone, we need your help. We need all of us breaking down walls and barriers on behalf of kids and be working together. It doesn’t help to have battles over property.”

Four months later, her “Promising Practices” forum was sold out in advance and brought praise for King from charter leaders.

“I’m so excited about what Michelle King is doing, because for the first time since I was on the board, we have a superintendent who is saying, ‘Hey, we can learn from each other,’” Caprice Young, then-CEO of Magnolia Public Schools and a former L.A. Unified school board member, said at the forum at Sonia Sotomayor Learning Academies in Cypress Park.

Young tweeted Saturday, “So very sorry she is gone. Not enough time to make the difference we all knew she could.”

King announced a year ago that she was being treated for cancer and would retire at the end of the 2017-18 school year. She went on medical leave in September 2017 after feeling weak during a long school board meeting.

In a fall 2016 interview, King described herself as an LAUSD “lifer.” She spent her entire career in the district and attended its schools, even working as a teacher’s aide while a student at Pacific Palisades High School.

When she was promoted to superintendent, she said, “I want to be a role model for students who look like me.”

King was L.A. Unified’s first female superintendent in 80 years. But she said she didn’t always aspire to that role. “It’s something that just kind of evolved,” she said.

King grew up in a largely middle-class and African-American neighborhood of South Los Angeles.

After graduating from UCLA, majoring in biology, she taught science and math at Porter Middle School in Granada Hills.

She was promoted to a coordinator for the math, science and aerospace magnet at Wright Middle School in Westchester and then served as assistant principal and principal at Hamilton High School in Cheviot Hills.

She then joined the ranks of L.A. Unified administrators in positions heading the division of student health and human services, interim chief instructional officer for secondary education and was superintendent of a western and southwestern region of the district.

She was chosen by Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines to be his chief of staff. She served as deputy superintendent under John Deasy and was named chief deputy by Cortines in October 2014 when Cortines came back to the district to replace Deasy when he resigned under pressure.

As she moved up the ladder, she said people began asking her if she had thought about becoming superintendent. Once her daughters graduated from school, she gave it more serious thought, though she imagined she might have to leave L.A. Unified to do so.

“I was as shocked as everyone,” she said of being the board’s pick.

In her first year as superintendent, King visited about 100 schools on a “listen and learn” tour to hear from students, teachers and parents.

On school visits, she was treated like a rock star, as students and staff asked to take selfies with her.

Steve Zimmer, then-president of the school board, told King eight months into her tenure that teachers had more confidence in her than in any other superintendent he had worked with in his 17 years in the district.

“You inspire trust amongst our ranks,” Zimmer said.

King’s commitment to collaboration was seen in her joint announcement in September 2016 with Myrna Castrejón, who was executive director of Great Public Schools Now, of up to $3.75 million that would be available in grants for high-performing, district-run schools. After the teachers union objected to some programs receiving the funds, $1.5 million was spent to expand the programs of two South Los Angeles schools — Diego Rivera Learning Complex Public Service Community School and King/Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science. Both have had long waiting lists.

The schools’ programs were replicated at two other sites. When they opened last fall, University Pathways Public Service Academy and University Pathways Medical Magnet Academy collectively enrolled nearly 200 students.

Castrejón said when the grants were announced that replicating high-performing schools had not been attempted in Los Angeles before or anywhere in the nation at the same scale. She said the grants were possible after she and GPSN staff had worked with King in a collaborative and open process.

“I am excited about the opportunities to increase the number of high-quality choices for our LA Unified families,” King said then. “We have schools in every corner of the district where students are excelling. Investing in these campuses will allow more of our students to attain the knowledge and skills to be successful in college, careers and in life.”

Castrejón, who is now president and CEO of the California Charter Schools Association, said in a statement Saturday, “I loved working with Michelle King.” She called King “a visionary leader who supported the replication of innovative schools and was focused on finding new ways to best meet the needs of each student. I respected her thoughtfulness and commitment to collaboration as a critical pathway to opening up opportunities for all kids.”

In a 2016 interview, King said she learned that people have to be brought together “to have dialogue and to be in each other’s face to work together to really start to break down some of these walls and barriers.”

“Sometimes in life, we don’t think that certain positions are available to us particularly if you’re a youth, a minority, that job or that position or that role might not be for you because you don’t see many role models, you don’t see many folks in those positions,” King said. “I feel that the appointment has said to particularly young women that anything is possible.”

At the end of her first community meeting, in March 2016, King said, “I think some of you see the ‘I love LAUSD’ buttons we have on, and that’s what it’s about for me, it’s about being united.”

• Read more:

Michelle King on charters: ‘It’s not us versus them’

Can these two women save thousands of LA students from failing schools? Behind the scenes with Michelle King and Myrna Castrejón

Interviews and reporting for this article were conducted by Sarah Favot and Mike Szymanski.

*This article has been updated with the GPSN grants. 

On behalf of the entire @LASchools family, we are deeply saddened to share that our beloved former Superintendent, Dr. Michelle King, has passed away. Words cannot begin to describe the sorrow we feel, the love we shared with – and for – Dr. King…https://t.co/4Nz9ydGlhL pic.twitter.com/I19nGg3d4o

— L.A. Unified (@LASchools) February 3, 2019

Dr. Michelle King’s life and career encapsulated what it means to be an Angeleno: excellence, kindness, integrity, service above self. Deeply saddened by her passing, sending love and prayers to Michelle’s daughters, parents and the entire LAUSD family.https://t.co/VMewRcd36Q

— Mayor Eric Garcetti (@MayorOfLA) February 3, 2019

.@LASchools lost a daughter and servant leader with the passing of Dr. Michelle King. She will be missed by all who were impacted by her. pic.twitter.com/IdXlyGRiap

— George McKenna (@DrGeorgeMcKenna) February 3, 2019

Thank you Dr. Michelle King. Your love & life opened doors for many just like you; scholars @LASchools who believe in themselves and are willing to lead & serve. We will embrace your call for “all hands on deck” to serve all students. Mil gracias. https://t.co/BTiYAFI5PX

— Mónica García (@Monica4LAUSD) February 3, 2019

California lost an incredible public education leader today in Dr. Michelle King, who passed away after a brave battle.

Our sincerest condolences are with the family and friends of Dr. King, and the Los Angeles Unified School District family. https://t.co/NfQdhKX1It

— Tony Thurmond (@TonyThurmond) February 3, 2019

A terrible loss. King dedicated her life to education & her career was marked by a steadfast devotion to a public ed system that serves all students. As the first African-American woman to serve as LAUSD superintendent, she blazed a trail for our future. https://t.co/N6tKR9zm7N

— United Teachers Los Angeles (@UTLAnow) February 3, 2019

Supt Duardo: Michelle King was a dear friend and colleague who inspired all who worked along side her. I’m deeply saddened and send my sincerest condolences to all whose lives have been touched by this extraordinary woman. @LASchools Read our statement: https://t.co/ug8RI7xFyv

— LACOE (@lacoeinfo) February 3, 2019

The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce sends its condolences to the family, friends and @laschools community on the passing of former LAUSD superintendent Dr. Michelle King. We were not only proud to have been an education partner with her, we are the better because of it. pic.twitter.com/D1E3F2IUpc

— L.A. Area Chamber (@LAAreaChamber) February 3, 2019

A teacher and student at San Diego’s Thrive Public Schools. (Photo: Emmeline Zhao)

From coast to coast, and up and down the Pacific Coast from San Diego to Los Angeles to Washington state, we’ve spent the year traversing the country in search of innovative schools and inspiring student breakthroughs. Along the way, we’ve met many inspiring educators who are lifting up their students and their communities. As we near Thanksgiving and reflect on the year that was, here are a few of the standouts from 2018 — seven educators and leaders we’re thankful we met this year:

Teacher Michael Tong, San Diego: At the Juanita Street campus of San Diego’s Thrive Public Schools, the day begins with a high-five and a warm greeting at the visitors’ gate. The charter elementary school currently occupies a handful of compact, semi-permanent buildings and a blacktop in a hilly stretch of the City Heights neighborhood. Its electronic gate is still pretty new; when Juanita Street first welcomed students in the fall of 2016, it was short of a few amenities that families typically look for, like play structures and a performance space. Almost two years later, the campus resembles a forward operating base more than a traditional school. But if the raw materials look like they were just dropped off an IKEA truck, the educational vision behind them is deliberate and assured. The purple modular classrooms that roughly 200 kids filter into each morning are festooned with student artwork and pictures of world leaders like Gandhi and Barack Obama. The outdoor stage facing the main office was constructed by the students themselves, part of Thrive’s philosophy of project-based learning. The ad hoc look at Juanita Street reflects the dizzying growth of an organization still in its gestational phase. Here’s what learning looks like at Juanita Hills: Olivia, 8, and Russell, 10, are both finishing up their first year in Core 3, a combined track of third and fourth grades. After their morning meetings, they’ve gathered in teacher Michael Tong’s class to talk about the Light of Kindness. That’s not a motivational poster of a lighthouse hung over the chalkboard. It’s the name of a project they completed a few months back. Along with math and literacy, Thrive students focus on project-based learning. Each class takes roughly eight weeks, three times over the school year, to develop a project they complete together. The stage outside was one such project, created with the help of staff and a few parents. They’ve also created their own books and flown a fleet of drones over the blacktop outside. (Read more about Tong and Thrive Public Schools here.)

Ruben Alonzo is the founder of Excelencia Charter Academy, which opened this fall in Boyle Heights. (Courtesy: Excelencia)

Teacher Ruben Alonzo, Los Angeles: Ruben Alonzo was teaching English learners in Texas when his wife Cynthia, a California native, challenged him to bring his vision for academic success in underserved schools to even more students. “We both asked ourselves, where we can make the greatest impact? The answer was Los Angeles, East LA, and we said, ‘Let’s go!” In August, Alonzo opened Excelencia Charter Academy in Boyle Heights with an innovative teaching model for English learners. “Unfortunately, too many schools here are not proving that their success is possible. We want to prove it, we want to be a bright spot in the city of LA, in the state of California.” Alonzo believes in English learners’ potential the same way a teacher had once believed in him — a third-generation migrant worker who went on to MIT, Harvard, and Columbia University. “I was an 18-year-old boy, with limited options, whose brother was in prison, whose father passed away, living in poverty, but this one teacher had such a high bar of excellence for me,” Alonzo said. His teacher helped him fill out and submit his application to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. When he got in, that was “the moment that completely changed my life, and that’s what Excelencia is about.” Excelencia will offer a unique “regrouping” model where students, even in the earliest grades, are taught by teachers in different specialties, like in high schools. The two-teacher program is tailored to support English learners. “Excelencia takes that message and that vision that my calculus teacher gave me, and now I want to share it with my students — 4-years-olds, 5-year-olds. When they’re going into first grade, I want them to have that vision that they are going to college, surrounded by adults in school that know that’s the goal,” Alonzo said. (Read more about Alonzo and Excelencia Charter Academy here.)

Teacher Kirsten Farrell, Los Angeles: Kirsten Farrell created one of the first LA Unified sports medicine teams and teaches it at all four grades at Venice High School. Last year, she was the only Los Angeles teacher to be named a 2018 California Teacher of the Year. In March, Farrell helped organize about 2,000 students at the West Los Angeles campus as they walked out of their classrooms to honor the 17 victims of February’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. “After today I’d like to see students continue this movement, and I’d really like to see the federal government banning weapons we consider weapons of war and really have some conversations on gun safety and mental health and the background checks,” Farrell said. “I was very lucky to teach in countries with very strict gun laws, and I think we need to pay attention to what other countries are doing.” Before coming to Venice High, she taught at St. Monica Catholic High School in Santa Monica, Leysin American School in Switzerland, and Nishimachi International School in Japan. The March demonstrations at schools throughout the city came one day after the LA Unified school board approved a resolution to strengthen school safety. “I think we should have more drills at school because we haven’t had any, and I feel like we’re really unprepared in case a real (shooting) happens,” Talita Villanueva, a sophomore at Venice High, said as she walked with a poster among 17 empty desks set up on the school’s front lawn. “We’re showing today that we don’t have to be afraid to go to school.” (Read more about Farrell and Venice High’s Wednesday Walkout here.)

.@LASchools Venice HS student Christopher Holland: “This is a start and what matters is how far we’re going to continue with this until we see change.” #NationalWalkoutDay #Enough @nickmelvoin @The74 pic.twitter.com/81drJK1FVl

— Esmeralda Fabian (@EsmeFabianTV) March 14, 2018

Teacher Ivy Schamis, Parkland: The students in Ivy Schamis’s class had just presented strategies to counter hate groups on college campuses — a seemingly distant threat — when gunshots rang out from the hallway. Students leaped from their seats and scrambled to the corners of the classroom. Some ducked behind the teacher’s desk, and others sought shelter behind a filing cabinet. But there were few places to hide. Schamis, who teaches a Holocaust history class at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, likes to make connections between Nazi Germany and current events — and February 14 was no different. They’d just learned about the Hitler Youth, linking the exploitation of impressionable young German minds and the recent surge in hate groups at U.S. colleges. Seconds after the students dropped to the floor, the gunman shot through a window in the door and unloaded rounds into the classroom. Two students in the class — Helena Ramsay, 17, and Nicholas Dworet, 17 — were among the 17 people killed in the mass school shooting, one of the deadliest in U.S. history. “The lessons of the Holocaust came into our classroom,” said Schamis, who has taught at the high school for 17 years. “There we were talking about how we’re going to combat hate, and a complete hater busted into our class and killed two of our classmates.” (Read more about Schamis, her students and the impact of the Parkland shooting here.)

Co-Founder Kriste Dragon, Los Angeles: Based in California, Citizens of the World Charter Schools operates three schools in Los Angeles that demonstrate that high performance and intentional diversity can go hand in hand. Each of the network’s Los Angeles schools outperformed both Los Angeles Unified School District and the state on California’s Common Core-aligned assessments in all subjects, for all subgroups. Identifying diverse neighborhoods and setting enrollment goals is the first step in the network’s strategy for creating integrated schools. Each charter application identifies the communities that will be served by a school, looks at the community’s demographics, and sets admissions benchmarks to mirror that diversity. In areas where many white and middle-class families are opting out of district schools, Citizens of the World sets goals to create schools reflective of the local population rather than local school enrollment. The network’s commitment to diversity does not stop with enrolling a diverse student body; diversity is woven throughout the network’s educational model, from pedagogy to parent engagement. Its approach to learning is designed to ensure that students have opportunities to interact with diverse peers and with a diverse curriculum. “We don’t think that just by making your population diverse, that inherently leverages the diversity itself,” said CEO and co-founder Kriste Dragon, who started down the path that led to the first Citizens of the World school when Dragon began investigating elementary schools for her daughter. Growing up as a mixed-race child in a highly segregated area of Atlanta shaped the way Dragon thought about education — and she wanted something different for her child. (Read more about Dragon and Citizens of the World here.)

The 2018 Teacher of the Year, Mandy Manning, of Spokane. (Photo: Ferguson Films)

Teacher of the Year Mandy Manning, Spokane: Mandy Manning, a teacher of refugee and immigrant students in Washington state, plans to spend her term as the nation’s Teacher of the Year encouraging schools to give students and their teachers a way to explore new experiences and build a stronger community. Both students and teachers should have “opportunities to seek out things that are outside of their understanding and their perceptions,” she said. “We do that very well in the lower grades … We tend to then become super, super academic-focused, and while that is important … it’s even more essential that we also have connected community members who are able to reach across differences and collaborate with one another and communicate with one another.” Manning teaches English and math to high school students in the Newcomer Center at Joel E. Ferris High School in Spokane, Washington. Since Donald Trump’s 2016 election and dramatic policy changes that have created a more hostile environment for immigrants and refugees, it’s become more important than ever for Manning to make sure her students know they’re welcome, she said. (Read more about the 2018 Teacher of the Year here.)

Susan Rubio, who worked as a teacher and administrator for 17 years, was elected this month to California’s state Senate in District 22 in east Los Angeles County. (Courtesy Susan Rubio campaign video)

Teacher candidate Susan Rubio, Los Angeles County: In California, one candidate who came in a distant second during the primaries won the general election despite a lack of support from the teachers union. Even though Susan Rubio was a public school teacher for 17 years, the California Federation of Teachers and United Teachers Los Angeles endorsed her opponent, Mike Eng, in the race for a state Senate seat in east Los Angeles County. She won by about 5 percentage points. Rubio said in an email that it was “heartbreaking” that she didn’t get those endorsements, but she believes voters elected her because she has more personal ties to the community, in part because of her teaching background. “As a teacher and councilwoman, there wasn’t a life story I hadn’t heard or had personally experienced,” she wrote. (Read more about Rubio and numerous other teachers who ran for office in 2018 here.)

This article is one in a series at The 74 that profiles the heroes, victories, success stories, and random acts of kindness found at schools all across America. Read more of our recent inspiring profiles at The74Million.org/series/inspiring.

This interview was first published by Speak UP. 

On the brink of what could potentially be the first LAUSD teachers strike since 1989, Speak UP sat down with LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner to discuss labor talks, parent power and how to solve the district’s financial crisis while putting the needs of kids first. The following is an edited version of that conversation.

Speak UP:  You’ve been on the job just a few months, and you’re already in the thick of things. How’s it going?

Austin Beutner: It is an honor and a privilege. The chance to make a difference in the life of a child, there is no higher calling than that. It is about the kids. That’s all it’s about. I think we can do better for the kids.

SU: There’s a lot of pressure to not look at it through that lens.

Beutner: Yes, there’s pressure, there’s practice, there’s historic norms, there’s adults who sometimes say things, and you scratch your head and you go, “where’s the kid in that?”… I view myself as, perhaps, the chief kid advocate. My job as a superintendent is to make it easier for that great teacher to do his or her job and make it better for that student.

SU: You’re coming in at a challenging time. The district is having financial problems, and you have a finance background. But retiree and pension healthcare is taking up an increasing portion of the budget and is eventually projected to reach 50 percent. We have a three-year healthcare deal that was made before you came in, limiting any flexibility there. What can you do to help stabilize the budget long-term in a way that won’t harm kids?

Beutner: It’s the right question. First, we have to do better. We can celebrate record-high graduation rates, but at the same time, how proficient or knowledgeable are those students? Roughly half of the students who graduate aren’t even eligible to apply to the state university systems. Two-thirds of our students are not proficient in math. A student that’s not proficient in math, is he a graduate? My mission is to help those students become proficient and knowledgeable, in particular those most in need.

Our budgets, our financial resources should all be aligned to help that student most in need. The budget is really a set of choices. If we’re spending [more] on healthcare, then we’re spending less on something else. What is that something else? And is that the choice that the community as a whole and all of the stakeholders think is the right choice?

SU: But we know that you can’t do anything about pension contributions set by the state. The healthcare deal is locked in for three years. Given the limitations, are class size increases inevitable? Are teacher layoffs inevitable?

Beutner: By 2020, we have to have stabilized things for a couple of reasons. We are forecasted to lose about a half a billion dollars this year and roughly the same next year and the next. So cumulatively, we will spend about $1.5 billion more than we take in. We have about $1.2 billion in the bank. So, if we spend $1.5 billion, we run out. That’s math.

So now, what can we do about it? We’re going to have to realign resources, meaning less in the center, more at the school site. We’re going to have to look at all the sacred cows to see where we can be more efficient. And we will likely need more revenue. We currently receive about $16,000 per student on average. I personally would put funding public education No. 1 on my list. Very few people who would say $16,000 is enough. It needs to be more.

The way we get more is if we and all of our stakeholders have confidence that we use it wisely, that we’re achieving a better set of outcomes, so more students are becoming proficient and knowledgeable, and we can convince the general public to support us.

SU: Let’s talk about the United Teachers Los Angeles contract negotiations. The union recently declared an impasse, and teachers will hold a strike vote this month. LAUSD has budgeted in the same 6 percent raises that it is giving administrators and other school workers. Some people have suggested that the union chief is intent upon striking no matter what the district offers. Do you think that’s true?

Beutner: I’d be the last probably to be able to tell you the motives of UTLA leadership. But let me just state a few facts. First, we have budget challenges. We’ve shared those. UTLA has not refuted them. We have been at the table for a year and a half. UTLA’s position is virtually identical to what it was a year and a half ago. You could put it into three buckets. The first is a set of values about the community we serve [involving immigration and community green space] that we actually agree with, but it’s not what schools do. So they have removed those from their list of demands.

There’s a second bucket that I’ll call control over the worksite. For instance, UTLA would like to have fewer magnet schools. We think magnets are one of the best things we have going. Enrollment in magnets has increased more than 35 percent over the last five or six years. Parents are choosing them. Student outcomes are very good in magnets. There are waitlists for magnets. We want more.   

They think that UTLA leadership should decide what tests students take. We already have the state involved, the federal government involved. We do not believe this is something that we would, should or could bargain with labor over.

And then there is a grouping of things that are economic. They would like lower class sizes. So would we. They’d like a counselor in every school. So would we. They cost money, okay? They’d like raises [larger than what other employees are getting in their new contracts]. On the economic issues, if you add up what they proposed as a package — they told us this is a package, take it or leave it — the entire package would cost about $1 billion a year. We had no choice but to say no. If we had said yes, we would be bankrupt right now. We’d be under state receivership.

SU: When other California government entities have gone bankrupt in the past, employee health benefits have been cut or taken away entirely.

Beutner: Under California law, we go into receivership. With a $1.5 billion hole, we run out of money. So only two things can happen then. Either the state makes a special appropriation to Los Angeles only, which I don’t think is likely. So you’re left with some outsider making a series of draconian cuts. So I look at it and say, they seem to want an impasse. They made that clear. To what end I’m not sure.

SU: It sounds like they want to strike, and that is going to impact kids. How are you going to deal with that?

Beutner: It goes back to community values. Does a strike benefit students? Does a strike benefit parents? Does a strike benefit the community? Does a strike benefit the members? My mom was a teacher for many years, part of strike votes at different points in her career. And one should always ask the question, what is the strike about? Is it about the series of economic demands, which couldn’t be met even if Santa Claus came down and said, “Santa Claus can bargain for the district.” Santa’s sleigh does not have a billion and a half dollars in it.

SU: Is there a chance they’re trying to force the state to provide more funding?

Beutner: The last time I looked, the state’s not in this bargaining. What we have proposed, and what we have agreed to with all of the other bargaining units, is together, let’s go to the state. We should be working together, so that by 2020 we have made the case to the public at large, to the voters, that we need additional resources. This will wind up being something on a ballot in 2020. And we should be working to build support for it.

I fail to see how a strike builds support for that. It’s pretty clear to me the interests of the students, the parents, the communities we serve and every one of our employees – teachers included  – that we’re all better off if we can avoid a strike. We have settled on a fair basis with our other bargaining units for approximately 6 percent [raises]. We hope we can reach a fair resolution with UTLA.

SU: Kids are obviously greatly impacted by these contract talks. Why aren’t parents given a seat at the table to represent the interests of kids?

Beutner:  That’s a good question. I view this table we’re sitting at – everyone belongs at this table. We should be open, and a parent  – they should sit at this table. If parents tell us we want fewer magnets, we will have fewer magnets. If parents tell us we want more, then we will fight like heck to make sure we have more. So they should be engaged with us, and anything we can do to better inform parents about what’s working and what’s not working, we think we’ll have a better outcome.

SU: Parents often feel like they’re shouting into the wind. They have no systemic power that gives their voices any weight.

Beutner: They do have power. They can vote. They should vote.

SU: Definitely, although undocumented parents cannot vote in LA school Board elections, and we have a lot of undocumented parents in L.A. Unified.

Beutner: Undocumented parents have friends, neighbors, colleagues who are voters. So their ability to influence the outcome is making their voice heard loudly and consistently. We think they have a good message, which is they’re advocating for their child, the student. We’re going to try to do a better job of sharing what we think is important in the contract and how we can change things. We need parents in that room with us, making more informed, better choices.  

SU: What our parents tell us they want more than anything is a quality teacher. But at the lowest performing schools, teachers are rarely evaluated, and when they are, they almost unanimously get great reviews. Something’s wrong with that system.

Beutner: The greatest determinant in that student’s success is the quality of the teacher, no question. You have a management and a labor challenge. Are we here to protect the one teacher who probably should not be in the classroom? Or are we here to make sure the 99.9 percent of teachers who are doing a good job have the support they need? We and our labor partners might disagree on that.

SU: This concept of “must-place” teachers is confounding to parents. The Board recently decided that the bottom 25 percent of the schools won’t have to take teachers that no one wants to hire, but that means somebody else will. Some districts nearby just buy these teachers out. Why can’t LAUSD deal with this and say that no school should be forced to take a teacher that nobody wants?

Beutner: That’s a very good question.

SU: You probably can’t do that unilaterally without Board support. But aside from exempting them from taking must-place teachers, how else can we improve the performance of chronically low-performing schools that have no real accountability?

Beutner: I find the label itself objectionable. Chronically underperforming restaurants go out of business. Chronically underperforming doctors don’t have patients because the patients go somewhere else or expire. So how did it ever get to this point? We have to do something very different. Other districts, other states, other school leaders have done some different things, and we’re going to have to.

SU: Are you talking about closing schools?

Beutner: Other states have done that. By “meaningfully different,” I don’t know what it is yet. [The] incremental change hasn’t worked. Re-labeling it, calling it something else hasn’t worked. We know what hasn’t worked, so we should be a lot bolder. If we only did one thing during my tenure here, assuming we stay solvent, it would be that. Because when you disaggregate the data, that’s where the challenge lies. It’s those students who come in struggling, and they leave struggling. We can’t let that continue.

SU: You mentioned that a district restructuring, re-imagining is underway. Can you tell us what that’s going to look like?

Beutner: If you think of the school district today, organized around a top-down, compliance-driven organization, the power is in the center. Rules emanate from the center. Budgets emanate from the center. Let’s start back with that student we began our conversation with. Let’s build a school around him or her. Let’s figure out how to adequately resource the school [and get] the community to support that school.  

If we look at [a school] as part of the community defined by freeway boundaries, geography, demographics, programs, you’d find a community of schools. The local people, the parents, the local community can better engage schools in their neighborhood, as opposed to trying to connect Chatsworth and San Pedro, which are many, many miles apart, somehow connected through [LAUSD headquarters at] Beaudry. That doesn’t make sense.

We have 500,000 students in traditional public schools, 100,000-and-something in charter public schools broken down into six “local” districts. But that’s only “local” because it’s less than the whole. Each of those has roughly 100,000 students. They’re ginormous. And look at the geographies: Local District South starting in San Pedro all the way up to Gardena. Very few people would think of that as a community. Local District West from the Palisades to Watts. For us to be truly accountable to a local community, we need to have local schools. What we have was sort of built from the top-down as opposed to from the bottom up. I want to rebuild it from the bottom up, and I think we’re going to find some things we can do that are more responsive to that student, that school.

SU: Are there areas in the bureaucracy that are ripe for cutting?

Beutner: I think there are. I prefer to think of it as redeploying to the school. Decentralizing, not just for the sake of decentralizing, [but] putting the decision making closer to the student, closer to the school with the right level of oversight and accountability. And I think transparency is a great place to start. So, in the coming weeks, we’re going to make sure folks have access to the information.

SU: What kind of information are we going to get?

Beutner: Whatever you want to see. That’s important because there shouldn’t be questions in the community. I also think that disaggregating what happens in LA Unified is really important because we serve students in 700 square miles. Each of those student’s daily life journeys is very different. Open data is going to help us figure out where our needs are greatest.

SU: The Board passed a Kids First resolution last July, saying everything the district does has to be examined for how it affects kids, and their needs must be put first. There was supposed to be an analysis of every Board action, but we haven’t really seen that implemented, and there’s no enforcement mechanism. Should parents have some legal mechanism to challenge LAUSD policies that don’t put kids first?

Beutner: I’m not the best one to comment on the law, but when we make commitments to our parents, our students and the community, we should live up to those commitments.

SU: The Board also passed a performance framework evaluation to help parents understand how their schools are doing, and it directed LAUSD to create a working group with parents to develop that. What’s happening with that?

Beutner: It’s underway. Parents will be a part of everything we do. In the coming weeks and months, we’re going to be sharing more information about the district as a whole and the ability to break it down by an individual school or type of school. That becomes a foundation piece for the performance framework. The goal is making sure everyone knows where the good schools are in their community.

SU: Are there any other plans or priorities you want to share?

Beutner: Sometimes the best path to improve something is to make it simpler, easier to understand, eliminate red tape, regulations and rules. So we’re not on a search for some magic dust. Let’s focus. Let’s simplify. Let’s make sure the programs that we do have are making a difference. Let’s support those. Let’s simplify the job of the principal, to be in the classroom, be present with the parents, to not have to deal with the bureaucracy. Let’s make sure the teachers are paid fairly, are supported in the work they do, have the training they need and are given the autonomy and the time to develop a relationship with their students. To help the individual student become proficient and knowledgeable. To me, there’s virtue in simplicity and clarity and focus, not necessarily a search for yet another magic solution.

You can watch the full video replay of the conversation right here:

Titled “Building Our Future: A Forum on Children With California’s Gubernatorial Candidates,” the evening’s program focused on educational equity, child welfare, juvenile justice, health care, poverty, and access to technology for California children and youth. The discussion was held three weeks before voters go to the polls for the June 5 primary, which will determine the top two candidates vying for the governor’s seat in November.

The Chronicle of Social Change, the Children’s Defense Fund-California, and the Children’s Partnership co-hosted the event at Los Angeles Trade Technical College in partnership with LA School Report and the Los Angeles Daily News.

Catch up on the rest of our in-depth coverage of the California governor’s race right here:

● How education is shaping one of America’s most-watched campaigns: Of the major candidates, former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom continues to outpace all challengers in his three-year bid for the governor’s seat. But the race is by no means decided. Past Los Angeles mayor and education reform hero Antonio Villaraigosa recently benefited from $12.5 million in contributions from charter school supporters, while Republican businessman John Cox, a few points ahead of Villaraigosa, looks to consolidate support on the right. A breakdown of the key education issues shaping the race.

● What the voters are saying: How important is K-12 public education to California voters as they choose a new governor this year? Very. And that sentiment is growing. Nearly two-thirds — 64 percent — of likely voters in a new survey called education “very important,” an increase from 58 percent four years ago when the same question was asked. A full 90 percent said candidates’ positions on education are important to them.

Ahead of the LA forum, four candidates completed questionnaires about top issues affecting California families:

● Gavin Newsom: “The fragmented state of our education system has stymied efforts to fully address the needs of our state’s most at-risk students. We need to end this era of inefficiency by linking early childhood, K-12, higher education, and workforce data systems to more productively identify what practices are working and where our resources should be deployed.”

● Antonio Villaraigosa: “Improving schools starts with transparency around performance so states and districts can help low-performing schools get better. Without the data, you can’t make the case for change.”

● John Chiang: “We need to increase funding for schools so we’re providing the resources we want our kids to have: the best teachers possible, low teacher/student ratios, school nurses, arts and music, and more. That way, we aren’t redirecting money that our students deserve.”

● Delaine Eastin: “California needs to increase the level of per-pupil funding of education from the bottom 10 to the top 10 states in the union. The state needs to ensure the schools have all the resources, funding, and tools necessary to support the continuous improvement of school districts and schools identified as needing improvement. We must consider even more support for the lowest-performing subgroups.”

]]> https://www.laschoolreport.com/edlection2018-where-do-california-governor-candidates-stand-on-education-and-childrens-issues-check-out-their-responses-ahead-of-tuesdays-forum-in-los-angeles/ Mon, 14 May 2018 13:08:50 +0000 http://laschoolreport.com/?p=50557 On Tuesday, May 15, candidates for California’s next governor will gather in Los Angeles to discuss issues vital to children and families including educational equity.

LA School Report is presenting the nonpartisan governor’s forum at Los Angeles Trade Technical College with the Chronicle of Social Change, the Children’s Defense Fund-California, and the Children’s Partnership.

Four of the candidates answered questions in advance on a range of issues impacting children. Here are their responses:

Delaine Eastin, 70, a Democrat, is a former California State Superintendent of Public Instruction. She taught at community colleges before running for office. She was a city council member in Union City, a state assembly member from 1986 to 1994, and state superintendent from 1995 to 2003. Eastin served on the board of SIATech California Charter Schools, which operates charter high schools around the state. She said charter schools have been “co-opted by multimillion-dollar industries.” She said she won’t accept any campaign contributions from state or national charter school organizations. Of the top four Democrats running for governor, Eastin has raised the least amount of money. Read Delaine Eastin’s answers.

Antonio Villaraigosa, 65, a Democrat, is a former Los Angeles mayor. He was a union organizer for United Teachers Los Angeles who later joined a lawsuit that challenged state teacher tenure and layoff rules. He was a state Assembly Speaker, a Los Angeles City Council member, and chaired the 2012 Democratic Party National Convention. During his two terms as Los Angeles’s mayor, he sought to take over Los Angeles Unified school district to turn around schools he said were failing the neediest students. When that was blocked, he formed the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, a nonprofit that took over some of the city’s most struggling schools. Read Antonio Villaraigosa’s answers.

John Chiang, 55, a Democrat, is the state treasurer and former controller. He is little known outside the state but is liked by labor, particularly public employees, and, as the son of Taiwanese immigrants, has appeal to the state’s large Asian communities. Chiang’s education ideas have centered on better accountability for charters, more education funding and more flexibility at the local level to raise funds, early education, and free community college. Read John Chiang’s answers.

Gavin Newsom, 50, a Democrat, is California’s lieutenant governor who served two terms as mayor of San Francisco. Newsom leads the pack in fundraising and is running as the campaign’s progressive, which some find incongruous with his success as a businessman, who founded and owns a constellation of restaurants and wineries. He supports community schools, a union job-creator, and doesn’t reject charter schools. In his campaign for mayor, he touted their success and received funding from backers. This year he won the endorsement of the California Teachers Association when he answered “no” to whether charters should expand in the state. Read Gavin Newsom’s answers.

The two Republicans — John Cox, 62, a San Diego-area venture capitalist, and Travis Allen, 44, an assemblyman from Orange County — have not submitted answers to the questions ahead of the forum. Allen will not attend the forum; Cox and Newsom have not confirmed they plan to attend.

Register here for Tuesday evening’s free event and prepare to vote in the June 5 primary, which will reduce the field to the top two vote-getters.

Don’t forget to RSVP for “Building Our Future: A Forum on Children with California’s Gubernatorial Candidates,” at 6 p.m. on May 15, by clicking here. LA School Report will livestream the forum.

The interviews are published in partnership with The Chronicle of Social Change.

LA School Report is co-hosting the nonpartisan governor’s forum at Los Angeles Trade Technical College with the Chronicle of Social Change, the Children’s Defense Fund-California, and the Children’s Partnership. Register here for the free event and prepare to vote in the June 5 primary.

Candidates have answered questions on a range of issues in advance of the forum.

Here are the responses from Gavin Newsom, California’s lieutenant governor.

More than half of California’s children rely on Medi-Cal for their health coverage. What will you do to ensure that children get the quality health services they need, including preventive care, mental health services and dental care?

The passage of the Affordable Care Act represented a critical step forward in the long struggle to win affordable, quality health care for all, but much work remains to be done. Even with the expansion of Medi-Cal and the availability of additional subsidies to help low and middle income families purchase coverage through the state exchange, too many California families remain uninsured as the price of coverage remains prohibitive – especially for those living in high cost areas.

Now the Trump administration is threatening these gains. President Trump and congressional Republicans successfully repealed the individual mandate, a move that will yield major premium hikes and strip millions of Americans of their insurance. As governor, I will fight to protect the ACA – but I understand that we can’t wait for the federal government to act.

To me, the phrase “health care is a human right” is more than a political cliché. It’s a promise kept, which is why I believe we must lead the way in pursuing a single payer system that will provide more effective and affordable health care coverage for all Californians, including our children. As I did when I was mayor, I will convene California’s leading stakeholders and policymakers to develop a plan for universal access that will include coverage not only for physical, but also for mental and behavioral health issues regardless of income level.

One in five California children lives in poverty. What would you do to end child poverty during your time in office?

The fact that nearly 2 million children in California live in poverty – more than any other state in the country – is a moral outrage. No child should be denied a fair shot at success in life because of their parent’s income or the zip code in which they live, which is why eliminating childhood poverty will be the north star of a Newsom administration. In taking on this multifaceted issue, I’ve proposed a two-pronged strategy to ensure equal access to opportunity and prosperity for all of our state’s children.

First, we must do more to help young people and their families currently living in poverty. I understand that for children to do well in school, they must have a strong start, regardless of their family’s income, and I’m committed to fighting for policies that establish the foundation for success these kids deserve. As governor, I’ll lead the charge for greater access to prenatal services, developmental screenings, and family nurse visits for low-income families. I’ve called for an expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit for the lowest earners, a dramatic increase in funding for CalWORKS grants, and universal access to both affordable, high quality child care and preschool.

Second, these reforms must be part of a broader strategy to break the cycle of multi-generational poverty through education and creating real opportunities for economic advancement for every child. As governor, I will address this challenge head on by launching college savings accounts for every incoming kindergarten, guarantee two free years of community college tuition, and set California on track to generate 500,000 earn-and-learn apprenticeships by 2029 to create a new vocational education pipeline of high-skill workers.

Research suggests that nearly 14 percent of children in California will be reported for possible maltreatment before age 5. What path should the state take to prevent child abuse and neglect?

As governor, I will do everything in my power to prevent child abuse and neglect. As a father, I have never taken for granted the village that gives Jennifer and I the tools we need for the hardest and most rewarding job we’ve ever had. The ACEs research makes clear the life-long consequences for child neglect, and the need to support parents in a dual-generation strategy. I will expand and strengthen the parent engagement strategies proven to support child health and safety, including family nurse visits, one-stop family resource centers and community schools, and parent support programs. As the home of Silicon Valley, California also needs to bring child data and eligibility systems into the 21st century, so we can better link families in need to the services that will prevent the spiral of despair and abuse. We also must continue to make strides to better support the children in our child welfare system, from cradle to career, including a better recognition of foster children’s needs in our child care and public education systems.

California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) promised additional resources to low-income students, foster youth and English-language learners, who face persistent achievement gaps. How would you improve school accountability, transparency and community engagement to better support the success of these high-needs students?

If we’re serious about closing the income gap, we must close the opportunity gap. That begins with education. Studies have shown that 85 percent of brain development occurs within the first three years of a child’s life. To create a strong foundation of educational success, I believe we must expand proven programs that support the health and well-being of our state’s babies and their families, including prenatal and developmental screenings, family nurse visits and affordable, high quality childcare. I will promote universal preschool and equip incoming kindergartners with college savings accounts. Our early childhood strategy must also include expanded family leave because a parent should never have to choose between keeping a job and taking care of their newborn child.

We’ll create full service K-12 community schools, engaging communities in our children’s future, with wellness centers, arts education, computer science education, after school programs, and true public-private partnerships. And, unlike Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, we will attract teachers, not attack teachers. According to a 2016 Learning Policy Institute and California School Boards Association study highlighting California’s teacher shortage, districts most significantly impacted by the shortage were those with the largest concentrations of low-income students and English learners. This is unacceptable. As governor, I’ll develop and encourage state and local incentives to attract highly qualified candidates into the teaching profession to make sure that high-needs students have access to the teachers and educational resources they deserve.

The fragmented state of our education system has stymied efforts to fully address the needs of our state’s most at-risk students. We need to end this era of inefficiency by linking early childhood, K-12, higher education, and workforce data systems to more productively identify what practices are working and where our resources should be deployed. Streamlining this information will help usher in a new era of accountability. LCFF made high needs students a priority in policy, but the hard work of implementation to truly serve students’ diverse needs is still a struggle with limited resources. Full funding for Prop 98 and successful implementation of LCFF are key next steps for our public education system.

One in six California children has an undocumented parent. What should California do to best support the health and well-being of children in immigrant families?

California is a state that doesn’t just tolerate its diversity. We celebrate it, and that includes all Californians regardless of their immigration status.

Immigrants are an integral part of California’s economy, culture and workforce. I believe we have an economic and moral imperative to protect our state’s immigrants and help them thrive, particularly our students, who are the future of our state’s workforce and economic growth. That’s why I’ve defended California’s status as a Sanctuary State, called for the state’s public colleges and universities to be sanctuary campuses, and called on Congress to pass a clean DREAM Act.

Communities across California are coming together to alert immigrants of ICE activity and ensure that their neighbors’ civil rights are protected. As governor, I will support these efforts and ensure the government is doing its part with funding for immigrant legal defense. Our commitment must also include building protections for immigrants in the workplace. By one estimate, undocumented immigrants make up 10 percent of the state’s workforce, and too often fall victim to wage theft, safety violations and other predatory abuses. I have consistently supported legislative efforts to stem underground economy abuses such as preventing wage theft, and protecting immigrant workers’ rights, personal privacy and safety. As governor, I will ensure that the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, Department of Justice, and other relevant agencies are fully resourced and trained to prioritize our immigrant communities in particular.

More than ever, America needs California’s example, to prove that old fears and prejudices need not be the new normal, and to match resistance with results. As governor, I will proudly do everything in my power to support the health and well-being of immigrant families, and lead California’s charge to protect all our community members from federal overreach.

A recent study in Los Angeles County found that four out of five youth involved with the probation system had a previous report of child abuse or neglect. What should the state do to address the widespread childhood trauma among young people who end up in the youth justice system and ensure that they do not graduate to the adult criminal justice system?

First and foremost, we know that the ACEs research shows that incidents of childhood trauma impact children for a lifetime, including setting them up for disproportionate interactions with the criminal justice system. In addition to the early childhood interventions I’ve mentioned above in order to prevent ACEs, we need to recognize trauma in our systems of support for children and students.

As governor, I will be an advocate for community schools, whose comprehensive approach to meeting students where they’re at including helping to address traumatic circumstances such as homelessness, make a real difference. I will also continue to be an advocate for prevention programs that help at-risk youth stay out of the criminal justice system, as well as rehabilitation and diversion programs that assist non-violent criminals become contributing members of society.

However, we also have to make sure that we don’t fall into the trap of treating the symptom, rather than the cause of this problem. It’s no surprise that study after study shows just how debilitating growing up in poverty is to a kid’s potential in life. It’s correlated with lower educational attainment, lower incomes, increased likelihood of homelessness and, devastatingly, increased likelihood of interacting with the criminal justice system. If we want to prevent at-risk youth from entering the criminal justice system in the first place, we need to invest in policy solutions that equip low-income families and their children with the foundation they need to succeed. As governor, eliminating childhood poverty will be my administration’s north star.

California is home to many leading tech companies, but the state is not doing enough to prepare students for careers in the fast-growing STEM field. How will you work to increase equitable access to STEM education to help children learn and thrive?

California is the tech capital of the world, but we’ve failed to align our education system to meet this economic opportunity. The state is home to over 68,000 open computing jobs with an average salary over $100,000 that we can’t fill with California public school graduates.

Meanwhile, only a quarter of California’s high schools offer computer science. And sadly, that disparity is punctuated by striking gender and racial gaps. Of the 10,244 California high school students who took the AP Computer Science exam in 2016, only 27 percent were female. Only 1,487 were Hispanic or Latino and only 146 were black. That is unacceptable. As governor, I will work to make sure every student in every school has equal access to computer science and the opportunities it opens up. Computer Science for All is an economic and equity imperative. Arkansas is well on its way to requiring computer science courses in all high schools. California should be leading the way with them.

I’m also committed to leading the movement to make universal access to high-speed broadband a reality for every Californian.

This interview is published in partnership with The Chronicle of Social Change. Candidate responses are being posted in the order they are received and will be available here.

Don’t forget to RSVP for “Building Our Future: A Forum on Children with California’s Gubernatorial Candidates” at 6 p.m. on May 15 by clicking here.