Tuesday, June 23, 2009

LAUSD Clippings 6/23

LOS ANGELES TIMES

Summer school programs in L.A. and Pasadena areas still have open seats

3:14 PM | June 22, 2009

After school districts across California, including Los Angeles Unified, slashed summer school offerings to deal with state budget cuts, parents have been scrambling to find summer placements for their children. A story about their struggles in The Times last week prompted several responses from programs with open seats:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/06/summer-school-options.html

DAILY NEWS

L.A. schools: Bond program continues to be viable

Daily News Wire Services

Updated: 06/22/2009 02:26:02 PM PDT

The Los Angeles Unified School District's bond program continues to be viable even though it is being impacted by the current economic crisis, the LAUSD announced today.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12666429

► Some campus projects face delays due to economy

FUNDING: Weak investor demand hurts, but new schools to be built on schedule.

By Connie Llanos connie.llanos@dailynews.com 818-713-3634 Staff Writer

Updated: 06/23/2009 08:39:34 AM PDT

Due to weak investor demand for public sector bonds, a number of Los Angeles Unified school improvement projects funded under a $7 billion measure approved by voters in November will be delayed, officials said Monday.

http://www.dailynews.com/search/ci_12668712?IADID=Search-www.dailynews.com-www.dailynews.com

LAUSD may have to forgo Academic Decathlon contest

FUNDING: District says more private donations are needed.

By Connie Llanos connie.llanos@dailynews.com 818-713-3634 Staff Writer

Updated: 06/23/2009 08:42:03 AM PDT

After winning the national Academic Decathlon championship for 10 of the past 23 years, cash-strapped Los Angeles Unified may have to cancel its participation in the prestigious competition unless it can raise at least $100,000 in private donations.

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_12668040

► Villaraigosa made the responsible decision by eschewing a run for governor

Updated: 06/22/2009 08:42:30 PM PDT

AFTER reveling in the speculation for far longer than was necessary or seemly, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa finally put an end to the political guessing game Tuesday and announced that he would not run for governor of California in 2010.

http://www.dailynews.com/opinions/ci_12668217

EDUCATION WEEK

► Published Online: June 22, 2009

Calif. Charter Group Proposes Renewal Standards

By Lesli A. Maxwell

California’s influential charter school organization announced a plan last week that its leaders say would make it easier for school districts to shut down the largely independent public schools when they fail to meet minimum academic benchmarks.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/06/19/36califcharter.h28.html?tkn=NNLFmpkb7GSVIlKMC1LXUFy54WDf7IOC%2BJXN&print=1

► Scam bars parents from seeing LA school graduation

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The head of the Los Angeles Unified School District has apologized after hundreds of people apparently were shut out of a high school graduation because of a phony ticket scheme.

Many parents and guests with genuine tickets were barred from attending Thursday's ceremonies at Kennedy High School after the stadium capacity of 3,700 was reached and the gates were closed.

District Superintendent Ramon Cortines said Friday that the bleachers were packed because many people held forged tickets.

Authorities said they didn't know about the forgeries at the time and apologized to people who didn't get to see their children or friends graduate.

The school is trying to compile video footage of the event for those who were shut out.

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► News in Brief

California Groups Sue Over Program Reviews

A number of California education organizations have filed suit accusing the state of violating federal laws and the state constitution by suspending the monitoring of specialized education programs for at least one year.

The lawsuit, filed June 11 in superior court in San Francisco, says programs that won’t be reviewed include those serving students who are English-language learners, migrants, and neglected, delinquent, or homeless.

Without the monitoring, said Shelly Spiegel Coleman, the executive director of Californians Together, one of the groups bringing the lawsuit, “the districts are not held accountable for providing the services that are needed and for using the money to support the academic success of the students.”

Jack O’Connell, the state superintendent of public instruction, announced in a March 23 memo to school districts that he was suspending all “nonmandated on-site categorical program monitoring visits for at least one year.” He wrote: “During these challenging times, I want districts and schools to be able to focus their energy on improving student achievement and not on preparing for program audits.”

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LA OPINION

EL LAUSD lucha contra el hacinamiento

Con la construcción de nuevas escuelas, el Distrito Escolar pretende aliviar el problema e instituir el calendario tradicional en los planteles

Rubén Moreno |

2009-06-23

Rubén Moreno/  ruben.moreno@laopinion.com

Aun con el descenso en el registro de alumnos y con 77 nuevos recintos abiertos hasta el momento, el Distrito Escolar Unificado de Los Ángeles (LAUSD) sigue teniendo más niños por escuela que la mayoría de los campus que hay en California.

http://www.impre.com/laopinion/noticias/2009/6/23/el-lausd-lucha-contra-el-hacin-131588-1.html

USA TODAY

Do schools need more PE time to fight obesity?

By Nancy Armour, The Associated Press

CHICAGO — The gym at Eberhart Elementary School is bright and spacious — with high ceilings, several basketball hoops, even a large, colorful climbing wall.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-06-21-physical-education_N.htm

SAN FRANCISCO GATE

Budget crisis forces deep cuts at Calif. schools

By TERENCE CHEA, Associated Press Writer

Sunday, June 21, 2009

(06-21) 15:05 PDT Richmond, Calif. (AP) --

California's historic budget crisis threatens to devastate a public education system that was once considered a national model but now ranks near the bottom in school funding and academic achievement.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/06/21/national/a114003D38.DTL&type=printable

NEW YORK TIMES

New York pays many teachers to do nothing

Karen Matthews, Associated Press

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

(06-23) 04:00 PDT New York --

Hundreds of New York City public school teachers accused of offenses ranging from insubordination to sexual misconduct are being paid their full salaries to sit around all day playing Scrabble, surfing the Internet or just staring at the wall, if that's what they want to do.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/23/MNHQ18BMQ0.DTL&type=printable

CITY NEWS SERVICE

► Bond Program
   LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Los Angeles Unified School District's bond
program continues to be viable even though it is being impacted by the current
economic crisis, the LAUSD announced today.
   Like most homes in Southern California, the assessed value of property
within LAUSD is also declining, and that limits the ability to sell local bonds
over the next few years, according to the district.
   ``No one is untouched by this economic crisis,'' LAUSD Superintendent
Ramon C. Cortines said. ``We have hit a hurdle, but still we have a plan in
place to deliver on the district's commitment to enable every student to attend
a neighborhood school operating on the traditional, September-June calendar
instead of a year-round schedule by 2012.''
   In addition, the state has frozen voter-approved bond funds for the
construction and modernization of schools for an indefinite period of time,
according to the LAUSD, meaning that by fall the State will owe $1 billion of
construction matching funds to the district.
   But despite California's fiscal emergency and the freeze on state
matching funds, the LAUSD has been able to continue with its bond program
because of its ability to sell local bonds, according to the district.
   ``The current bond program will be completed for the students of Los
Angeles,'' said Guy Mehula, LAUSD chief facilities executive. ``In addition, we
are exploring every funding and financing opportunity that would enable the
district to undertake additional projects at our aging and deteriorating
schools as early as possible, as well as creating much-needed jobs.''

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