Thursday, March 13, 2014

LAUSD IN THE NEWS: from Thursday March 13, 2014 + smf’s 1½¢

4LAKids is having a small computer problem this AM and is posting/Tweeting/Facebooking the morning email  LAUSD in the News feed directly to the 4LAKidsNews Page.

●● Were  smf  to add his 2¢ it would be to point out – re: L.A. school board approves amended contract for Supt. John Deasy -  that the Board of Ed has taken a page from the Broad Academy playbook and has made its interaction with the superintendent  a behind-closed-doors  collective bargaining contract negotiation rather than a public discussion which is why Boards if Ed exist!

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LAUSD in the News

Thursday March 13, 2014

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

In defense of Common Core

March 13, 2014

If there's anything more surprising than how quickly and calmly 45 states embraced the new Common Core curriculum standards, it's how quickly and contentiously the backlash erupted.

The standards, which California adopted in 2010, outline the skills and knowledge public school students should acquire in each grade from kindergarten through high school. Overall, they call for covering fewer topics, but covering each more deeply. They require students to think their way through math problems, rather than taking so much direct instruction from teachers.

http://www.latimes.com/news/custom/topofthetimes/opinion/la-ed-common-core-one-20140313,0,1799302.story#axzz2vqvjdCPh

L.A. school board approves amended contract for Supt. John Deasy


March 12, 2014, 8:59 p.m.

Los Angeles Unified schools Supt. John Deasy has a newly modified contract that includes an annual buyout of unused vacation days and new performance measures that require him to bring in revenue and enroll more students. He will also pay his own pension deduction for the first time, a cost offset by an increase of $20,000 to his annual salary.

http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-lausd-deasy-20140313,0,579241.story#axzz2vqvjdCPh

Parents pressure clothing retailer Tilly's to pull marijuana images


March 13, 2014

A parents organization is calling on clothing retailer Tilly’s to pull its youth-oriented merchandise that features images of marijuana leaves. Members of Youth Matters, a group of Parent Teacher Student Assn. members from Huntington Beach, told the national retailer that clothing it sells, such as leggings, tops and swimsuits, with marijuana imagery could desensitize children to drug use.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-tillys-marijuana-images-20140312,0,2538759.story#axzz2vqvIzxlM

SAT's about-face on essay presents colleges with a tough question


March 12, 2014, 6:21 p.m.

The College Board's decision to make the essay portion of its influential SAT exam optional is setting off a national debate among colleges and universities about whether to require applicants to take it. Beyond the potential effect on students, the March 5 announcement about the upcoming test change is stirring soul-searching about the importance of writing in higher education and how best to evaluate that ability.
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-sat-essay-20140313,0,92907.story#axzz2vqvjdCPh

KPCC

Bill to reauthorize federal childcare subsidy program would increase provider training

March 12th, 2014, 12:15pm

The Senate is expected to take up a bill Wednesday that will ask states to increase how much they spend on professional development and training for the early childhood workers. If passed, it would be the second reauthorization of a federal program that provides vouchers to low-income families to subsidize childcare costs. When the Child Care and Development Block Grant was first passed in 1990, providing access for low-income children to childcare was seen as critical so parents could work or go to school.

http://www.scpr.org/blogs/education/2014/03/12/16063/bill-to-reauthorize-federal-childcare-subsidy-prog/

Compton teachers back after sick out amid labor negotiations

March 12th, 2014, 12:15pm

Teachers were back to work at a Compton high school Wednesday, a day after a sick out.  Compton Unified School District officials said two-thirds of the teachers at 2200-student Dominguez High School called in sick Tuesday in a “concerted work stoppage.” Officials Tuesday said they were concerned teachers at other schools would call in sick Wednesday. “Teachers are back and there are no other reports of actions at other schools,” Compton Unified spokesman Ron Suazo.

http://www.scpr.org/blogs/education/2014/03/12/16065/teachers-back-after-2-3-call-out-sick-amid-contrac/

NPR

Obesity Linked To Lower Grades Among Teen Girls

March 11, 2014 2:16 PM

Childhood obesity has made it to the forefront of public health issues, both in the United Kingdom and in the United States. Now researchers at the Universities of Dundee, Strathclyde, Georgia and Bristol say that not only does obesity affect a child's overall health, but it may also lead to poorer school performance among teenage girls. Among boys, the link is less apparent.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/03/11/289070502/obesity-linked-to-lower-grades-among-teen-girls

LA SENTINEL

Giggles, Smiles and Joy Abound as LAUSD Girls Choose Prom Gowns

Wednesday, 12 March 2014

The Los Angeles Unified School District partnered again with Operation School Bell for the annual free prom dress extravaganza. This year, 56 girls from 17 schools picked their dream dresses, along with shoes and accessories that transform them from “plain Janes” to runway beauties. “Due to the year-round generosity of Operation School Bell, this event, now in its fourth year, transforms these girls into princesses, as they glow, shimmer and sparkle with confidence, exuberance and overall joy,” said OSB officials.

http://www.lasentinel.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12769:giggles-smiles-and-joy-abound-as-lausd-girls-choose-prom-gowns&catid=80&Itemid=170

LA SCHOOL REPORT

Denied renewals, 2 Aspire charters appeal to LA County

March 12, 2014

After the LA Unified board denied renewals last month for two high-performing charter public schools in southeast Los Angeles — Aspire Antonio Maria Lugo Academy and Aspire Ollin University Preparatory Academy — the schools vowed to fight on.

They filed an appeal with the LA County Board of Education and now have a public hearing scheduled March 18, with the board’s vote expected on April 15.

http://laschoolreport.com/denied-renewals-2-aspire-charters-appeal-to-la-county/

Ex-district chief tells Vergara court teacher laws don’t interfere

March 12, 2014

A former superintendent of the El Monte City School District today became the latest defense witness inVergara v California to describe how school administrators can work within state laws to craft policies and strategies for dealing with ineffective teachers.

http://laschoolreport.com/ex-district-chief-tells-vergara-court-teacher-laws-dont-interfere/

LA OPINION

Trivializar el asilo

MAR, 13, 2014

Hace unos años Estados Unidos reclamó que se había cometido fraude con las solicitudes de asilo político de mexicanos. Al parecer algunos notarios, que por ley no pueden dar consejos políticos, llenaban las solicitudes de asilo porque al entregar la solicitud se recibía permiso de trabajo. Canadá estableció la visa para los mexicanos porque muchos habían solicitado asilo político estableciendo una carga desmedida en su sistema judicial.

http://www.laopinion.com/opinion-columnistas/Trivializar-el-asilo

HOY LOS ANGELES

Empuje a la nutrición en las aulas de LAUSD

3/11/2014, 2:08 p.m.

Las estadísticas son alarmantes: Actualmente, más de la mitad de estudiantes del Distrito Escolar Unificado de Los Ángeles (LAUSD), el segundo distrito escolar más grande de la nación, está obeso. Asimismo, uno de cada 30 menores está propenso a desarrollar diabetes tipo 2 antes de graduarse de la preparatoria, según el California Physical Fitness Report.

http://hoylosangeles.com/news/2014/mar/11/empuje-la-nutricion-en-las-aulas-de-lausd/

SAN FRANCISCO GATE

California lawmakers look to change college admission rules

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

California voters may once again be asked to decide whether public universities should be able to use race, ethnicity and gender in admissions if state lawmakers succeed in placing on the ballot a constitutional amendment to change Proposition 209. It has been illegal for universities to take into account an applicant's demographics since 1996, when voters approved Prop. 209 to prohibit public institutions from "discriminating against or granting preferential treatment" to any group or individual in hiring, contracting and college admissions.

http://www.sfgate.com/education/article/California-lawmakers-look-to-change-college-5308643.php

CABINET REPORT

Coalition urges state to invest in child care

MARCH 13, 2014

(Calif.) A litany of top experts are lobbying lawmakers to overhaul and reinvest in the state’s early childhood care and education system by restoring more than $1 billion in recessionary cuts, requiring tougher academic standards for teachers and caregivers, and increasing subsidized reimbursement rates for quality programs that are out of reach for many California families.

https://cabinetreport.com/politics-education/coalition-urges-state-to-invest-in-child-care

ED SOURCE

Schools central to Promise Zone anti-poverty strategy

March 13th, 2014

LOS ANGELES – Most days, you can find Melissa Estrada at Monseñor Oscar Romero Charter Middle School in Central Los Angeles where her son Angel Hernandez is in eighth grade. While Angel is in school, Estrada has taken classes to learn how to track his attendance and grades online and talk to him about drugs and safe sex.

http://edsource.org/2014/schools-central-to-promise-zone-anti-poverty-strategy/58521#.UyHMWz9dWSp

THE ATLANTIC

Letter Grades Deserve an 'F'

MAR 12 2014, 2:50 PM

Letter grades are a tradition in our educational system, and we accept them as fair and objective measures of academic success. However, if the purpose of academic grading is to communicate accurate and specific information about learning, letter, or points-based grades, are a woefully blunt and inadequate instrument.

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/03/letter-grades-deserve-an-f/284372/

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