LAUSD

Jun 7 2011

Staffing, evaluations, tenure, compensation and work schedule

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The Los Angeles Unified School District needs critical reform in teacher evaluation, tenure and teaching assignment policies, according to a national study of the district released today.

The National Council on Teacher Quality, a nonpartisan, privately funded research organization based in Washington, D.C., studied five key policy areas—staffing, evaluations, tenure, compensation and work schedule.

Sheyanne Jackson  |   OW College Intern
Jun 2 2011

Original club member

On May 24, Mark Dantzler, program director at Challengers Boys and Girls club, died of complications from lung cancer. He was the oldest son of the founder of Challengers, Lou Dantzler and also one of the organization’s original members.
 

May 25 2011

Girl hurt, suspect in custody

SAN PEDRO, Calif.—A bullet fired near San Pedro High School ricocheted off a wall and lodged in the leg of a 15-year-old girl today.

Police reportedly picked up a suspect in the shooting at 1001 W. 15th St. shortly after it occurred about 2:45 p.m.

The roughly 3,400 students at the school—the campus includes a middle school and high school—were held in classrooms until about 4 p.m.

Los Angeles Unified School District spokeswoman Susan Cox said the shot was believed to have been fired from off campus.

May 24 2011

Public School Choice program

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Citing reports of voter intimidation and other election troubles, the LAUSD Board of Education eliminated advisory votes by parents and other stakeholders from the Public School Choice program that gives control of selected campuses to charter companies or other groups.

The Los Angeles Unified School District board voted 4-3 to eliminate the advisory votes, and called on Superintendent John Deasy to develop an alternative method for collecting input from the community on who should operate specific schools.

May 19 2011

June 3 deadline

Parents who want to transfer their offspring to another school in the Los Angeles Unified School District can submit an application to do so through June 3 during the “open enrollment” process for the 2011-12 school year.

In open enrollment, students’ names can be submitted to transfer to any school that has available space. The transferring pupils will not displace a youngster living in the attendance area of a school from the school.

Across Black America

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.

California
San Diego college students and volunteers will carry out their sixth home restoration project on Wednesday, July 10 through Sunday, July 14. as part of the “Healing our Heroes’ Homes” (H3) program created by the nonprofit Embrace. The five-day effort will take place at the home of medically retired Marine Corps Capt. Sarah Bettencourt. Bettencourt served with many different units across the country during the Global War on Terrorism and developed a rare neurological disorder in 2008. With a focus to restore the homes of disabled veteran homeowners, H3 falls in line with Embrace’s mission to mobilize college-student volunteers and community members to serve less fortunate members of civilian and veteran communities. The project for the Bettencourts’ home includes kitchen and bathroom remodeling, building ADA-compliant disability ramps, widening their driveway to ADA standards, widening doorways and landscaping.
 
District of Columbia
The 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival will showcase its five-year community research project on African American identity with the program “The Will to Adorn: African American Diversity, Style, and Identity.” This multicity collaboration examines the history and culture of the aesthetics of African Americans. The festival will be held June 26-30 and July 3-7, outdoors on the National Mall between Seventh and 14th streets. “Whether we realize it or not, we are all dress artists. The way we compose our look is a creative expression of our ideas about who we are and who we aspire to be,” said Diana N’Diaye, program curator. “This program explores the diversity of African American traditions of style, but also teaches young people the importance of documenting their own culture and saving that information for themselves and future generations.”