Los Angeles Unified School District

FUNERAL MARCH FOR LAUSD BY CHOPIN mbed> LAUSD is dying. Will no one shed a tear? For 30 years, the nation's second largest school district with 700,000 ill-served students has suffered a fatal disease but somehow survived against all odds, against all the hopes and efforts of so many to put it out of its misery. Our misery really. But the death vigil has started. Besieged by charter schools in every direction, the district that spent more than $20 billion overbuilding mammoth schools -- one alone that cost more than $400 million -- now knows small schools work better. The district that survived because ... Read Full Story

There is a Churchill quote about when you're marching through hell, just keep marching. Well, that's basically what we're doing. We need to slow this down and get it right. - Charles Burbridge CFO, Los Angeles Unified School District A couple weeks ago, the Los Angeles Unified School District's new computer system incorrectly paid over 32,000 employees. That's almost a third of the district's employees. And the trouble started this past January. Glitches in Los Angeles Payroll System Spark Furor , Education Week L.A. Unified payroll snafu's costs soaring , L.A. Times I've been involved in some software projects with a "hell" phase in ... Read Full Story

Less than a week and it’s done. Man overboard! But not the way the LA Times hoped for. Here are the parting words of the Admiral: Therefore, I have decided to do what I think is in the best interest of the children, to put all of our students first. Although my two years of service as superintendent contain an undeniable record of significant accomplishments, I am asking the Los Angeles School Board to shield our students from this contentious debate and honor the buy-out provisions of my contract. Pay him $500,000 more– in the best interest of the children . Yeah right. School ... Read Full Story

In today’s LA Times , Steve Lopez, who’s awesome at pitbulling (aka tattling out) public officials to make them accountable , wrote a great column describing eating with Brewer at–where else?!–the Pacific Dining Car. $16.95 crab cake appetizers and $28.95 salads later, he requested the Superintendent’s expense accounts. Here’s what happened: When the documents arrived, much of the information had been blacked out. Why? Because several high-level officials use the same credit card account, I was told, and I hadn’t asked for their expenses; only Brewer’s. But there wasn’t much listed for Brewer, other than airfare and hotels, so I asked if perhaps his ... Read Full Story

There is a Churchill quote about when you're marching through hell, just keep marching. Well, that's basically what we're doing. We need to slow this down and get it right. - Charles Burbridge CFO, Los Angeles Unified School District A couple weeks ago, the Los Angeles Unified School District's new computer system incorrectly paid over 32,000 employees. That's almost a third of the district's employees. And the trouble started this past January. Glitches in Los Angeles Payroll System Spark Furor , Education Week L.A. Unified payroll snafu's costs soaring , L.A. Times I've been involved in some software projects with a "hell" phase in ... Read Full Story