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Zimmer, King, Garcetti, U.S. Education deputy kick off LA Unified school year with positive message
LA Unified is fresh, clean, safe and on the upswing. That was the message Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, LA Unified Superintendent Michelle King, school board President Steve Zimmer, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education James Cole Jr. and board member George McKenna delivered at a news conference from the library of John C. Fremont High School in South...
By Craig Clough | August 16, 2016
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2 more candidates enter LAUSD school board races
Two more people this week entered the March 7 race for LA Unified school board. Gregory Martayan will join Nick Melvoin in challenging board President Steve Zimmer for his District 4 seat. And Joanne Baltierrez-Fernandez joins one other challenger in seeking an open seat in District 6. Martayan and Baltierrez-Fernandez filed with the city Ethics Commission on...
By Sarah Favot | August 12, 2016
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LAUSD’s graduation rate a record 75 percent, Michelle King announces at her first State of the District address
Michelle King announced a record 75 percent graduation rate at her first State of the District address as superintendent of LA Unified, “a district on the move,” she proclaimed Tuesday. King noted that the 75 percent rate is based on “preliminary data” as she addressed 1,500 principals, assistant principals and district administrators at the annual kick-off to the school...
By Mike Szymanski | August 9, 2016
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LAUSD’s ‘Promising Practices’ forum: Just ‘good vibes’ between district and charters or a new era?
There were plenty of kumbaya moments at the July 23 “Promising Practices” forum, called by LA Unified Superintendent Michelle King, leaving charter leaders cautiously optimistic it can lead to a new era of cooperation. More than 200 people from the LA Unified world attended the forum, which featured a series of workshops and discussion panels aimed...
By Craig Clough | August 9, 2016
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School board elections heat up with 4 more candidates jumping into race
Four more candidates have entered the race to run for two school board seats in the March 7 election. Three people in the last 10 days have filed with the city Ethics Commission an intent to raise money to challenge Monica Garcia for school board in District 2, and one person has entered the race for...
By Sarah Favot | August 8, 2016
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Challenger Nick Melvoin raises more than incumbent Steve Zimmer early on in school board bid
*UPDATED The candidate challenging LA Unified board President Steve Zimmer for school board has raised more money early on in the March 7 election campaign than the incumbent did in his entire re-election bid three years ago, according to city campaign finance records. Nick Melvoin announced this week that as of the June 30 filing deadline,...
By Sarah Favot | July 26, 2016
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Charter chiefs applaud Zimmer’s summit speech
LA Unified School Board President Steve Zimmer offered a rousing speech at Saturday’s “Promising Practices” forum that was praised by charter leaders because of his inclusiveness. “We understand that a narrative that blames charter schools for all that is wrong in public education may serve short-term organizing goals but is counterproductive and doesn’t help every...
By Mike Szymanski | July 25, 2016
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Sold-out crowd expected at King’s best-practices sharing session on Saturday
A groundbreaking summit that plans to share best practices between LA Unified traditional school and charter school educators is at capacity with more than 350 people signed up for the Saturday event planned by Superintendent Michelle King. From the moment she was appointed to the position in January, King said she planned to find ways to...
By Mike Szymanski | July 20, 2016
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LA Unified school board approves $7.6 billion budget, including a 14 percent hike for school police
The LA Unified school board on Tuesday unanimously approved a $7.6 billion balanced budget for 2016-17, with some of the most passionate objections devoted to the 14 percent increase for school police. The passing of the budget became much simpler after the state notified the board last week that it would have an extra year...
By Sarah Favot | June 22, 2016
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JUST IN: Teacher jail numbers rise to 181, costing LA Unified $15 million
A year after LA Unified pledged to expedite employees “housed” in teacher jails, district numbers show that there are more now than there were at this time a year ago. According to numbers requested by LA School Report and released Wednesday, 181 LA Unified staff members are being paid to essentially do nothing while awaiting internal investigations about alleged misconduct,...
By Mike Szymanski | June 22, 2016