LAUSD

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lausdpress — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:16:21 -0700

For the second consecutive year, one of Belmont High...

lausdpress — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:53:36 -0700

For the second consecutive year, one of Belmont High School’s photographers from Elizabeth Bush’s journalism program has advanced to the top 15 semifinalist round in The Music Center’s prestigious Spotlight Awards. Henry Abrego, a senior, advanced to the grand prize finals this year. Abrego’s evocative photo placed in the top two, quite a coup for LAUSD. Belmont took the coveted place in the finals after competing against some of the most pretigious private, prep, and art schools from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Abrego was awarded second place in the finals and awarded four thousand dollars. Henry Abrego and his classmates, including the students who posed in one of the school’s auto shop cars, attended the 25th Anniversary Spotlight Awards show at The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, May 4.

Over 40 community “Madres Campeonas”/”Champion Mothers” were...

lausdpress — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:35:15 -0700

Over 40 community “Madres Campeonas”/”Champion Mothers” were honored by Board President Mónica García at the 4^th Annual Guillermina Awards. The women honorees, nominated by community organizations and school partners, were acknowledged for their courageous work and contributions as leaders in Board District 2. The namesake award honors Guillermina Corrales García, Board President Mónica García’s mother and serves as a symbol of the strength of women and role they play in their child’s life and education.

The honorees are: Ana Maria Mejia, Youth Policy Institute; Aracely Contreras, Youth Policy Institute; Aracely Soto Vasquez, Selesian Boys and Girls Club; Bertilla Amaya, Youth Policy Institute; Carla Abeyta, Bienvenidos; Claudia Lopez, Alliance for a Better Community; Delmira Gonzalez, Proyecto Pastoral; Diana Juarez, Puente Learning Center; Elsa Molina, L.A’s Promise; Elvia Teck, Youth Policy Institute; Esmeralda Bermudez, VELA; Esther Escamilla, Alliance for a Better Community; Flor Rodriguez, CLEAN Carwash Campaign; Gladis Navarrete, Youth Policy Institute; Gladys Sandoval, Advancement Project; Hilda Linares, L.A’s Promise; Holly Priebe-Diaz, Project SPIN; Iliana Estrada, Youth Policy Institute; Isis Quan, Youth Policy Institute; Jennifer Ambrillo, Families that Can; Lora Allen, Community Coalition; Machery Banks, Communities in Schools; Maria Cordova, L.A Boys & Girls Club; Maria Cristina Mauricio, CLEAN Carwash Campaign; Maria Galvan, CHIRLA; Maria Hernandez, Youth Policy Institute; Maria Marilu Mireles, Youth Policy Institute; Maria Marquez, Para los Niños; Maria Tunchez, APALC; Mi Sook Kim, CLEAN Carwash Campaign; Miriam Inzunza, Families in Schools; Norma Pimentel, ESC East; Odilia Pablo, Communities in Schools; Ofelia Sosa, Youth Policy Institute; Rachel Keipp, Communities in Schools; Rebeca Zazueta, Eastmont Community Center; Reina Villatoro, Community Coalition; Thanh Vuong, APALC; Yolanda Ramirez, Centro Latino for Literacy; Yolanda Rodriguez, Office of Councilmember Jose Huizar; Yvette Archie, Communities in Schools.

“Celebrating amazing women inspires all of us to share our gifts and talents to make our world a better place for our students and community,” said Board President Mónica García.

LAUSD in the News

lausdpress — Fri, 17 May 2013 08:35:51 -0700

SLIDESHOW: Elephant art, LAUSD kids compete for arts funding for their schools - KPCC

On Sunday, Los Angeles Unified School District elementary students will compete in the “Love Elephants” art contest at the Bergamot Station Arts Center in Santa Monica.

County and the Inner City Shakespeare Ensemble bring ‘Twelfth Night’ to Ladera Park Amphitheater - Wave Newspaper

A play William Shakespeare wrote in England more than 400 years ago is coming to South Los Angeles Sunday.

nurymartinez: The closure of a popular aviation mechanics...

lausdpress — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:02:11 -0700

nurymartinez:

The closure of a popular aviation mechanics school at Van Nuys Airport was averted Tuesday when Los Angeles education officials agreed to lease the campus from the city’s airport agency at the dramatically reduced rate of $1 a year.

For full article: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-aviation-school-lease-20130514,0,1687916.story

By Dan Weikel May 14, 2013, 2:04 p.m.

LAUSD in the News

lausdpress — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:14:22 -0700

A view into the photography program at Humanitas Academy of Art and Technology – LA Times

More than 100 portraits of Humanitas Academy of Art and Technology (HAAT) students and their photographs will be featured on a 1,000-foot-long fence covering the construction of the Huntington Library’s Education and Visitor Center.

Los Angeles School To Be Named After Korean American Legend – New America Media

Los Angeles is naming a new elementary school after a Korean American living legend.

Photo

lausdpress — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:51:20 -0700

Superintendent Deasy honored and recognized the three winning...

lausdpress — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:27:34 -0700

Superintendent Deasy honored and recognized the three winning teams from Downtown Magnet, Taft and Westchester High School as well as the seventeen other high school teams for their creative solutions to world challenges and issues. The Board Meeting was filled with members and coaches of the twenty high schools who participated in the Aspen Challenge Los Angeles. Congratulations to all the students! You truly have made a change and positive impact in your communities. We hope to continue to hear great things from each and every one of you.

LAUSD in the News

lausdpress — Wed, 15 May 2013 08:46:08 -0700

L.A. Unified OKs $1 lease to save aviation mechanics school – LA Times

The closure of a popular aviation mechanics school at Van Nuys Airport was averted Tuesday when Los Angeles education officials agreed to lease the campus from the city’s airport agency at the dramatically reduced rate of $1 a year.

Health exchange awards $37 million in outreach grants – Sacramento Bee

The UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities and the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency have a million reasons to celebrate after the state agency overseeing a federal health care overhaul Tuesday announced 48 winners of education and outreach grants.

BOARD OF EDUCATION HONORS LEGENDS

lausdpress — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:48:20 -0700

NAMES NEW SCHOOLS FOR SAMMY LEE, SALLY RIDE AND DIEGO RIVERA

LOS ANGELES – Noted physician Dr. Sammy Lee is one of our own. He graduated from Franklin High School, Class of 1939. A scholar-athlete, passionate about studying and practicing platform diving, he became the first Asian American to win an Olympic Gold Medal for the United States.

Lee, a native Californian of Korean descent, won his first gold in the 10-meter platform in 1948 at the London Games. Four years later in Helsinki, he became the first male Olympian to win back-to-back gold medals in the same category.

Today, the Board of Education voted to honor him by naming a new elementary campus the Dr. Sammy Lee Medical and Health Sciences Magnet School. Located at 3600 W. Council St. it is scheduled to open on Tuesday, August 13 for the start of the 2013-14 school year.

“We honor a great leader today, welcoming Dr. Sammy Lee Medical and Health Science Magnet Elementary School to the LAUSD family,” said Board President Mónica García. “Our students and families celebrate the inspiration of his life story. He models cultural pride, courage, hard work and perseverance.”

Speakers also supported the name change. Michelle Steel, Vice Chair, California State Board of Equalization, said, “As the highest ranking elected Korean American in the United States and as one of California’s twelve constitutional officers, I want to unequivocally recommend that Central Region Elementary School (CRES) #20 be renamed the Dr. Sammy Lee Medical Magnet School. It would be absolutely fitting to rename this elementary school after Dr. Sammy Lee. He is an inspiration to all Americans for not only his accomplishments as an Olympic athlete but for his medical career which will inspire the students at this medical magnet school.”

Linda D. Paul, President and CEO, USA Diving said, “To name a school after Dr. Lee would be inspirational as Sammy is a Korean American who overcame discrimination to realize both his father’s desire that he become a doctor and his own dream of becoming an Olympic champion.”

Two other campuses also received new names today.

While under construction, it was simply known as Central Regional Elementary School #21. As of today, the new campus will be called the Sally Ride Elementary School: A SMArT Academy, named in honor of the first American woman astronaut.

The Ride School, located at 1041 East 46^th Street in South Central Los Angeles opened in September of 2012. It relieved overcrowding at five neighborhood schools in an area so dense in population that for decades, children had to be bused to another school far away from their homes.

Board Member Bennett Kayser represents the area in which the school is located. He said, “I am thrilled that once again the Los Angeles Unified School District is taking the opportunity to celebrate one of its highest achieving alumnae, Sally Ride. (Portola Middle School) Beyond breaking the glass ceiling as an astronaut, Dr. Ride’s contributions to Science Technology Engineering Arts and Math (STEAM) education are significant. In naming this school the Sally Ride Elementary School: A SMArT Academy, the children and staff of have joined a legacy of greatness and I expect much future success.”

The new Diego Rivera Learning Complex, a high school named today in honor of the acclaimed Mexican artist, features four small learning communities with their own classrooms and science labs. They share a library, a multi-purpose room, two gymnasiums, performing arts classrooms, offices and playfields. Located at 6100 South Central Avenue, the campus opened to students in 2011.

Considered one of the most acclaimed artists of the 20^th Century, the painter is best known for his large public murals. Many celebrated Mexico—its people, Indian heritage, earliest civilizations, history, culture, art, sculpture, dance, music, poetry, drama and labors—agricultural and industrial. And, by the way, he was married for a time to another famous artist Frida Kahlo.

Rivera’s life was filled with contradictions - a pioneer of Cubism who promoted art for art’s sake, he became one of the leaders of the Mexican Mural Renaissance. Considered a great revolutionary artist in some camps, he also painted society portraits. Not limited to Mexico, he received mural commissions from the United States where he continued to champion workers, and display a fascination with the form and function of machines. He is known for major works in San Francisco, Detroit and other areas of the U.S. At the invitation of the Rockefeller family, he took his talents to New York. In vibrant colors he depicted many scenes in a piece for Rockefeller Center. Never one to shy away from controversy, he included a portrait of Lenin, which some found offensive. His offer to add a portrait of Lincoln was rejected, and the mural was destroyed.

The school named for him and the other campuses are part of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s current $19.5 billion New School Construction and Modernization program. The goal of this program is to provide every student with the opportunity to attend a safe and healthy neighborhood school operating on a traditional, two-semester calendar.

L.A. UNIFIED ADOPTS NEW POLICY ON STUDENT BEHAVIOR

lausdpress — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:20:40 -0700

Schools Looking to Engage Students Rather than Suspending Them

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles City Board of Education approved today a landmark plan that makes the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) the first in California to ban suspensions for what is known as willful defiance.

The measure approved 5-2, represents another major shift on student discipline within the school district. The board’s vote requires Superintendent John Deasy, who backs the new approach on discipline, to provide an outline within the next four months for putting a plan into practice.

“Today our youth rights agenda moves forward as the LAUSD joins our community in accepting the responsibility to support the School Discipline Policy and School Climate Bill of Rights,” said Board President Mónica García. “This resolution means more graduations, less incarceration, it means adults must learn new strategies to teach and practice new discipline policies that support student success.”

Board Member Nury Martinez, a cosponsor said, “Once again LAUSD is becoming a model for progressive disciplinary policies. Students who are suspended for non-serious offenses are more likely to drop out later in their education. Today’s board action ends a policy that failed to keep our students learning or our streets safe.”

The number of instruction days lost to suspensions has declined sharply since 2006 when a new discipline policy was adopted. At that time, 74,765 days of school time was lost compared to 26,286 by 2011-12. Still, studies show that suspensions can cause students to fall further behind in school, and raises the risk of students getting into trouble with the law. Moreover, there was a disproportionate number of African American and disabled students being suspended, in particular, when compared to the broader student enrollment.

For these reasons, the district created a new policy that will eliminate a subjective use of suspension for such actions as not coming to class prepared or refusing to remove a cap while reserving the punishment for serious offenses. ###

Los Angeles Unified School Board Approves Reduced Rate for the Aviation Program at the North Valley Occupational Center

lausdpress — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:54:35 -0700

Vote follows months of behind the scenes negotiations facilitated by Board Member Nury Martinez and Congressman Tony Cardenas

Los Angeles, CA – The Los Angeles Unified School Board voted today to approve a proposed reduced rate for the Aviation Program at the North Valley Occupational Center at an annual cost of $1.

The agreement follows months of fast-tracking negotiations between LAUSD and Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) led by Board Member Nury Martinez and Congressman Tony Cardenas (D-Van Nuys), whose influence was crucial in securing approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“This is a victory, not just for our students teacher and faculty, not just for the aviation community, but for the San Fernando Valley and the City of Los Angeles,” said Martinez. “The students who we educate here go on to good-paying, middle class jobs, many of which are right here in the San Fernando Valley. I thank our partners at LAWA for recognizing the importance of this program and for moving swiftly to ensure its continued presence at Van Nuys Airport,” continued Martinez.

The Aviation Program at the North Valley Occupational Center occupies roughly 3 acres of land at the Van Nuys Airport, and enrolls approximately 100 adult and high school students every year who go on to seek certification from the Federal Aviation Administration as aircraft engine and airframe mechanics.

Recent budget cuts threatened the program with closure if new terms were not approved at a reduced rate. In December, LAUSD officials proposed a $1-per-year rent for the facility.

“This unique program provides highly specialized training at a reasonable price,” said Cardenas. “Students who attend the Aviation Program train on real aircraft in real world conditions that simply could not be duplicated at another facility. I am gratified that LAWA and LAUSD have come to an agreement to give much needed peace of mind to the faculty and students at the Aviation Center and I will continue to advocate for these students in Washington. This is a victory for jobs, jobs, jobs.”

Since early December, Board Member Martinez and Rep. Cardenas have been urging swift action from partners at LAUSD and LAWA to allow for continued presence at the Van Nuys Airport.

In January, a proposed business plan was submitted to LAWA along with a letter from Board Member Martinez along asking them to act with haste in approving LAUSD to keep the aviation center open.

In early February, Board Member Martinez announced a $100,000 private donation she had secured from aviation entrepreneur, Si Robin, to help keep the Aviation Center open.

On February 13, the FAA provided guidance to LAWA that a below-market lease fell within their guidelines, clearing the way for today’s vote.

School Board Approves New Child Abuse Prevention

lausdpress — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:46:00 -0700

DIRECTS SUPERINTENDENT TO REPORT BACK IN 60 DAYS

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Board of Education today directed Superintendent John Deasy to create a special Personal Safety and Child Abuse Prevention Unit, which would establish centralized protocols, guidelines, tools and resources for best practices in child abuse prevention, intervention and post-intervention at each school through on-going training, education and awareness.

“We must do everything in our power to protect children in the classroom and create safe learning environments by empowering students,” said Board President Mónica García, the author of the resolution. “Declaring May as Student Personal Safety Awareness month is another step in educating and training our students, parents and school staff on the importance of child abuse prevention.”

Board Member Nury Martinez said, “At LAUSD our motto must be education first, safety always. Today’s board action is another step towards advancing our shared goal of keeping our children safe and securing peace of mind for our parents.”

The Superintendent is expected to update the board within 60 days about the status of the new unit, which would function under the District’s Student Health and Human Services division.

The resolution, which passed unanimously, emphasizes the District’s commitment to keeping parents, guardians, families and community stakeholders connected with information and resources needed to support the education, health and well-being of their children.

It also points out that while the School Board “recognizes that the overwhelming majority of District employees are competent and caring professionals committed to the safety and academic success of all students, no accommodation or protection can be extended to any employee who preys on our children and violates the trust between the student and adult.”

Contact: Daryl Strickland, (213) 241-6766

LAUSD PRESS: Statement Of LA School Police Chief Regarding Board of Education Approval of Four Million Dollars To Augment School...

lausdpress — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:53:00 -0700

LAUSD PRESS: Statement Of LA School Police Chief Regarding Board of Education Approval of Four Million Dollars To Augment School...:

lausdpress:

“I am pleased that the Board of Education voted today to support the Superintendent’s request to approve the increase of 4-million dollars for hiring of additional school police officers and police resources”, said Steve Zipperman, Chief of the Los Angeles School Police Department (LASPD). “The…

LAUSD Board of Education voted unanimously to favor the...

lausdpress — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:47:22 -0700

LAUSD Board of Education voted unanimously to favor the continuation of Breakfast in the Classroom.

Korean-Americans and Koreans express their support for naming a...

lausdpress — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:27:51 -0700

Korean-Americans and Koreans express their support for naming a new campus Dr. Sammy Lee Medical and Health Sciences Magnet Elementary School.

Linda Marquez was presented with recognition from Board Member...

lausdpress — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:17:44 -0700

Linda Marquez was presented with recognition from Board Member Bennett Kayser for her efforts and leadership in the community of Huntington Park. LAUSD honors her with the Linda Esperanza Marquez High School.

Students from Granada Hills, El Camino Real and Franklin High...

lausdpress — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:55:35 -0700

Students from Granada Hills, El Camino Real and Franklin High Schools were honored today at the LAUSD Board Meeting for their extraordinary victories during the recent US Academic Decathlon and Academic Decathlon Online Competition.

Singer Lance Bass and Karen Matsuyama of Toyota stopped by 186th...

lausdpress — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:11:00 -0700

Singer Lance Bass and Karen Matsuyama of Toyota stopped by 186th Street School on Monday, May 13th, to give a wonderful donation to the school gardening program. Lance and Karen have teamed up with the Environmental Media Association to support active learning experiences with outdoor education. The Wise Owls are very happy to be the recipients of this special donation to help our children soar environmentally.

Students, parents and community members joined Gardner...

lausdpress — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:03:32 -0700

Students, parents and community members joined Gardner Elementary School Principal Ken Urbina and staff in building their Enrich LA Edible Garden!