Union Fights Mayor Bloomberg in LA
Mayor Bloomberg and teachers union boss Randi Weingarten are going head-to-head again — this time in a high-stakes, bitter national fight over school reform in Los Angeles. NY Post
The Mayoral Endorsement That Isn’t
Los Angeles Unified School District board member Tamar Galatzan has spent the last few weeks taping informal interviews with Eric Garcetti, Wendy Greuel, Kevin James, Jan Perry and Emanuel Pleitez, getting their views on public education and what their role would be as mayor. LA Daily News Column
Teachers Training Teachers: It Works in California School District
Jandella Faulkner is a teaching coach in the Long Beach, Calif., school district. Her job is to train a select group of teachers at Edison Elementary. It’s part of a district-wide training system that relies on teachers working with each other to improve classroom practices. NBC News
Second Effort to Limit ‘Willful Defiance’ as Cause to Expel and Suspend
Assemblymember Roger Dickinson (D-Sacramento) is reintroducing his bill to limit the use of willfully defying authorities or disrupting school activities as a reason to suspend or expel students. EdSource
Southern California Educators, First Responders to Train on “Active Shooter” Scenarios
The L.A. County Office of Education is holding an all-day “active shooter” workshop this Friday. The training, at the agency’s compound in Downey, is designed to educate principals and police who patrol schools on how to react in the worst of all circumstances: an armed intruder on campus. KPCC
Gym Class Isn’t Just Fun and Games Anymore
On a recent afternoon, the third graders in Sharon Patelsky’s class reviewed words like “acronym,” “clockwise” and “descending,” as well as math concepts like greater than, less than and place values. During gym class. NY Times
Legislation Would Require Carbon Monoxide Alarms in New School Projects
A new law that went into effect at the first of the year requires owners of apartment buildings to install carbon monoxide alarms in each unit. Now, a San Diego County lawmaker wants school districts to make the life-saving monitor a part of any new or modernization project. SI&A Cabinet Report
District, Union Team Up to Solve Budget Crunch
As anyone who has ever sat at either side of a bargaining table can attest, the labor-management relationship is already challenging enough in flush times. But as one Colorado district shows, it is not impossible for district and union leaders to work together to make tough decisions. EdWeek
Senate Plan Would Give Schools More Time to Prepare for Common Core Testing
A leading member of the state Senate has proposed legislation that could give schools significantly more time to prepare students and teachers for assessments based on the new common core curriculum standards. SI&A Cabinet Report