PROFILE
FROM Alex Caputo-Pearl
The future of public education in LA Here in LA the most expensive school board race in American history is over. It cost about $15 million for two races between charter schools and the teachers’ union. The union lost and the Los Angeles Unified School Board now has a majority of pro-charter members on it, deciding education policy for more than 600,000 children in the second largest school district in the nation. We speak to the head of UTLA and one of the new school board members.
President of United Teachers Los Angeles Responds to a New Charter Proposal The head of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s teachers union responds to Myrna Castrejon of Great Public Schools Now.
Should LA Put Half its Students in Charter Schools? A contentious debate has been ramped up again by the leak of a 44-page strategy plan for doubling the number of charter schools in LA Unified. Most details of how that would be accomplished have not been made public—but the plan calls for raising almost a half-billion dollars in private money. The elected school board is already sharply divided. President Steve Zimmer says he’s not opposed to charter schools but calls this plan a 'hostile takeover.'
LAUSD Board Elections: Proxy War between the Union and Charter Schools Next week's LA School Board elections have turned into a contest between the Teachers' Union and the California Charter Schools Association. Both are focused on two crucial races, and they're spending big money. Howard Blume is education reporter for the LA Times .
LA Teachers and School District At Impasse Later today, some teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District plan to boycott faculty meetings and rally at schools across the district. They’re pushing for salary increases and smaller class sizes, among other things. Meanwhile, LAUSD superintendent Ramon Cortines has warned that boycotting faculty meetings violates state law. And he’ll dock teachers’ pay if they go through with it. We hear from both sides.
Teachers Union President on Superintendent Deasy’s Resignation When LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy resigned earlier this month, it was called a victory for the district’s teachers union. Teachers had battled with Deasy over teacher tenure and other issues for three-and-a-half years. Now that he’s gone, do teachers have what they want? And what does it all mean for students?
Deasy Resigns from LA Unified In today’s letter of resignation as Superintendent of LA Schools, John Deasy says, “I am overwhelmed with pride in what this administration has accomplished for the youth of Los Angeles.” In announcing Deasy’s departure, the elected school board said “academic achievement rose substantially despite severe economic hardships” during Deasy’s tenure. Deasy’s resignation was accepted by a vote of 6 to 1, with Monica Ratliff voting no. The vote for Ramon Cortines as his interim replacement was unanimous.
Will LA Unified Flunk Its Superintendent? John Deasy has been Superintendent of LA Unified for three and a half years—weathering storms over iPads and, most recently, a disaster in class scheduling. But graduation rates are up, and more minority kids are enrolled in Advanced Placement. Tomorrow, the elected school board begins his annual evaluation, and tonight we’ll hear why he’s so controversial.
Alex Caputo-Pearl Here in Los Angeles, public school students have less than a month of vacation left. School starts on August 12. With the new school year, comes a new teachers’ union leader. Alex Caputo-Pearl took office July First...and at a national convention last weekend, he promised a more aggressive union that’s not afraid to go on strike.
UTLA Elects a New and Little Known President… by a Landslide The United Teacher's Union of Los Angeles has just chosen a new President, and with a large mandate. Eighty percent of LA Unified's teachers voted for Alex Caputo-Pearl over the sitting president, Warren Fletcher. The new leader of the teachers' union has a long record in progressive causes in education. Can he move forward on reforms to teacher evaluation and the influence of standardized testing?
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