Archive for the ‘Education’ Category

Lots Riding on the Los Angeles Unified School District

Saturday, May 16th, 2009

Patricia Hawke asked: Many, many people live in Los Angeles. As of the latest census there were an estimated 9,948,081 people living there. Los Angeles covers a land area of 4,061 square miles, with 2,344 persons occupying each of those areas. It goes without saying that this is a lot ...

Los Angeles Schools Welcome Back the Arts

Friday, May 15th, 2009

Patricia Hawke asked: Los Angeles Schools are seeing a steady increase in arts education as the dual result of a long-term program and recent state funding. The Arts for All program was initiated in 2002 as a 10-year plan to restore arts education to the 80 districts of Los Angeles ...

Dropouts On the Rise in Los Angeles Schools. Many Blame New Graduation Requirements and An Unprepared Math Teaching Structure for Math

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

Patricia Hawke asked: In 2003, the Los Angeles schools implemented a new policy of graduation requirements. The intention was to graduate Los Angeles schools students that were better-educated and groomed for college and high-level jobs. Requirements included graduates to pass one year of algebra and one of geometry, or equivalent ...

Los Angeles Schools Strongly Opposed to Takeover By Mayor Villaraigosa

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

Patricia Hawke asked: There is currently legislation AB 1381 in the state legislature that, if passed, will give the okay to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to take over a subset of the Los Angeles schools. Recently, the mayor's school reform team announced its latest round of changes to the bill in ...

Villaraigosa And Los Angeles Schools Are At It Again!

Thursday, March 19th, 2009

Patricia Hawke asked: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the Los Angeles schools have had several run-ins over the past couple of years. Villaraigosa has been trying to gain control over the Los Angeles schools through both the legislature and the courts. Thus far, his efforts have been only marginally successful, having ...

Mayor Villaraigosa Shares Control of the Los Angeles Schools

Friday, March 6th, 2009

Patricia Hawke asked: Last month, I wrote in an article about Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa proposing a legislative bill to take control of the Los Angeles schools (see Los Angeles Schools Strongly Opposed to Takeover by Mayor Villaraigosa). Reform Bill 1381 passed the state legislature at the end of ...

Butting Heads Again.mayor Villaraigosa and Los Angeles Public Schools

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

Patricia Hawke asked: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the Los Angeles schools have had several run-ins over the past couple of years. Villaraigosa has been trying to gain control over the Los Angeles schools through both the legislature and the courts. Thus far, his efforts have been only marginally successful, having ...

The Los Angeles Schools Bond Measure - Is It Needed?

Sunday, February 15th, 2009

Patricia Hawke asked: On November 8th, the voters of who live in the Los Angeles schools district will be faced with their fourth proposition, called Measure Y. The $3.985 bond measure, which will be paid by property taxes, is for more planned expansion within the Los Angeles schools, allowing them ...

Los Angeles Schools Run Nation’s Second Largest District

Friday, February 13th, 2009

Patricia Hawke asked: In terms of numbers, Los Angeles Schools make up the second largest public school district in the country. Only New York City Schools top them. The issues of running any urban system are complex, but in massive districts the numbers make efforts even more difficult.Los Angeles Schools ...

Overcrowding A Problem For Some Los Angeles Schools

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

Patricia Hawke asked: A long time ago, kids went to school in a one-room schoolhouse. Kids ranged in age from around 7 to 16, and were all taught by the same teacher. In the cities, schools were mostly run by religious organizations or sometimes the town's city council took over ...