Education News Round-Up: September 2011
One of the common themes this month concerning the state of education in California, and specifically in LAUSD, centers around the issue of funding and how best to distribute the dwindling funds during the recession.
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Librarians and library aides have been particularly hard hit through the budget cuts. For example, 227 of 430 elementary school library aides are being let go. For poignant stories about library aides in danger of losing their jobs, read more here. Library aide Mary Bates, pictured to the right, is faced with diminishing hours ( Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times
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Many library staff members are worried about keeping their jobs, and parents and students are deeply concerned about losing these staff members. Some parents are trying to raise money on their own in order to pay the salaries of library aides in danger of receiving pink slips. Sadly, there are further complications. Due to issues of seniority, even if a school can fund these staff members out of parent's pockets, library aides can still be moved to another school. To read more about parents' fundraising efforts to save school library staff, click here.
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Check out this article by L.A Times, which covers the debate over who should control funds that schools could desperately use. These funds are currently controlled by local redevelopment agencies.Mayor Villaraigosa supports entrusting the funds with these agencies, a position the Los Angeles Board of Education opposes. On Tuesday, Sept. 20th school board member Bennett Kayser received approval from the school board to submit an amicus brief (a brief submitted regarding an issue of wide-reaching public interest) with the California Supreme Court.
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The LAUSD school board unanimously passed the "LGBT and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Anti-Bullying Resolution," on Tuesday, September 13th. This will ensure that LGBT students will be protected from bullying. To read more about this resolution, click here.
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Finally, be sure to read President Obama's speech about how states will now be granted great leeway and freedom to deal with provisions in Bush's ‘No Child Left Behind'.
