The news that doesn't fit from June 29th

NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS CAN CHANGE SCHOOLS: Think Globally, Act Locally

• Democracy is nourished by education.
• Neighborhood councils can affect education.
• Neighborhood councils help themselves by helping their schools.

WILLIAMS COMPLAINT FILED TO REMEDY PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEFICIENCIES IN LAUSD SCHOOLS

June 24th, 2008 - Diverse allies have filed a Williams complaint with the Los Angeles Unified School District to remedy physical education deficiencies.

Physical education teacher vacancies, misassignments, and lack of subject matter competency are recurring problems in various schools from semester to semester and year to year. Teacher deficiencies are part of a pattern and practice by LAUSD of failing to provide quality physical education.

The Small Schools Resolution – SMALL SCHOOLS II: A BOLD VISION FOR THE LAUSD

Whereas, Research indicates that small schools offer a personalized learning environment and help strengthen academic performance when coupled with quality teaching, strong leadership, as well as relevant and rigorous instruction…..

College Readiness of Community College Students: EDUCATION DATA TELL A SORRY STORY

June 24, 2008 - The Legislature's budget analyst issued a report last week on the chronic problems that the state's community colleges encounter in instilling the fundamental reading, writing and mathematics skills their students need to obtain college educations.

SCHOOL'S OUT FOREVER? Focusing on money doesn't go deep enough

Back in January, the state's superintendent of public instruction said that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget proposal would change what the governor promised would be the "year of education reform" to a "year of education evisceration."

If the governor's proposal comes close to becoming reality, the impact on California schools would be an estimated reduction in funds of $3 to $4 billion. The Legislative Analyst's Office reports: "The Governor's budget provides total K-12 per-pupil funding (PPF) of $11,626 for 2008‑09. This is roughly $300, or 2.6 percent, less than total PPF for 2007-08. In inflation-adjusted terms, the reduction is about double-roughly $600, or 5 percent."

SOMEONE NEEDS TO SET PRIORITIES, TOKOFSKY SAYS

"I think we are getting close to where it's time for a county revolt, for Los Angeles to separate from the state because we aren't getting our fair share. We pass the state bond measures and get only 43 percent of the money. Where's the logic in that?"

LAO Reports: A NEW SYSTEM OF SUPPORT FOR LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOLS

California currently operates two systems designed to turn around low–performing schools—one for state purposes and one for federal purposes. The two systems are uncoordinated and often duplicative, in addition to being poorly structured. We recommend replacing the two systems with an integrated system that serves both state and federal purposes. Under the new system, the state would support district reform efforts. Districts would receive different levels of support depending on the severity of their underlying performance problem and be given short–term funding linked to specific short–term district reform activities.

'SEGREGATION FOREVER' - Why integration never came to the LAUSD

ZELMA HENDERSON, the last living plaintiff from the Brown v. Board of Education desegregation suit, died last month at the age of 88. Unlike other parents involved in the case, Henderson was satisfied with the quality of all-black schools. What mattered more to her was giving children of different races a chance to learn together and understand each other.

If that had ever happened in Los Angeles, the city's public schools might look much different than they do today.