education writer and former teacher
Writer for LA School Report and high school English teacher; writes about teaching and education policy at her blog, Gatsby in L.A.
PROFILE
Ellie Herman
Guest
FROM Ellie Herman
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Back to School: Class Sizes Some 650,000 students went back to school yesterday in Los Angeles and most of them returned to crowded classrooms. Some classes can have more than 40 kids in them. And that means, of course, less time with the teacher. We look at what that means for education in Los Angeles.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Education Lawsuit Verdict This morning, an L.A. Superior Court judge ruled in favor of students who sued the state to change the way teachers are dismissed. The case, known as Vergara v. California, has been closely watched in education circles. The lawsuit argues that strong teacher job protections have made it all but impossible to get rid of ineffective educators.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Common Core 101 The Common Core State Standards Initiative has stirred up a lot of controversy and confusion as it continues to roll out across the country. It’s supposed to establish nationwide standards for what K-12 students should know at the end of each grade. It also aims to encourage analytical thinking with more writing-based curriculums. But it’s up to states to figure out how to implement it. That’s leaving a lot of teachers and parents scratching their heads.
Recommended
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Trump says goodbye Paris Accord: What does it mean for U.S. and the planet? President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the U.S. will withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, the landmark international agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Trump was to renegotiate a new deal, but will that happen?
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Why did Jared Kushner want a back channel with Russians? News broke Friday that President Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, tried setting up a back channel between the Trump transition team and the Russian government. What are the consequences for Kushner, President Trump, and the investigation into Russian meddling?