Results tagged “schools”

Today, for the most part, is much more peaceful than yesterday's protest about the move to increase tuition at University of California by 32%. Yesterday, when 14 were arrested (up from the 8 we reported) and one reportedly tasered, was a bit more out of control (see some photos)--here is one video showing that at the front lines (man, that one bicycle cop is sure angry).

It's official, protests be damned, the controversial tuition hike has been approved by the Board of UC Regents, according to a live report on KCAL9. The 32% increase, which would begin by Fall, will add $2,500 to tuition, bringing it over $10,000.

In an attempt to attract the thousands of USC students ready to spend money in downtown, AEG is funding a free weekend shuttle between the campus and the entertainment complex.

A press release from the University of California today announced a new revolutionary program wherein tuition will be free. Pretty cool, right? Too bad it's a fake press release from a fake website mocking University President Mark G. Yudof and the Regents. Here's a fun little sample:

UCLA Chancellor Gene D. Block yesterday wrote an open letter to the community in follow up to last week's stabbing incident. Although he offers no specific details on the case, he does explain how the process is supposed to work:

Following a handful of fellows arrested for attempted murder in a September stabbing, another one, likely unrelated, happened this afternoon on campus. At about 12:20 p.m., UCLA police were called about a stabbing on the sixth floor of Young Hall. They responded and have already taken a suspect into custody. So far, a connection between the victim, who was taken to the hospital, and suspect is unknown. Police are asking if you have information regarding this incident contact UCLA PD at (310) 825-9371. [Update: More details are coming out. A male student slashed the throat of a female student, leaving her in critical condition.]

Two of the three UCLA students arrested after an off-campus fraternity party that ended with a fight and multiple injuries were released from jail yesterday. Although police are continuing to investigate them, LA County County District Attorneys decided not to file charges against Justin Kim, 19, of La Crescenta, and Chris Yi, 19, of Huntington Beach. The other arrested student, Isaiah Hee Cho, 19, of Westminster, will remain behind bars, charged with with being an accessory to aggravated mayhem and added a gang enhancement.

Forest Service officials announced tonight that containment of the Sheep Fire reached 30 percent as scorched acreage grew slightly to 7,824 acres.

1,000 more acres have been burned since earlier reports this morning as the Guiberson Fire rages on in Ventura County. As the 600 firefighters on scene upped containment to 20 percent, a number of schools were closed as a precaution as the fire neared Moorpark. Moorpark College, Campus Canyon School and Walnut Canyon School are all closed today, according to the Ventura County Star.

The school year is well underway now, and campuses in the vast LAUSD system are coping with the consequences of this year's massive budget cuts. But in the state as a whole, "the impact of California's budget cuts has varied from school to school. Because of the patchwork of federal and state funding for education, some campuses have felt the pinch far less than others," explains Mitchell Landsberg in yesterday's LA Times.

Possibly adding fuel to the city's grease fire to get rid of illegal street vendors, a Center for Disease Control report released today tells of an April incident in which pot brownies bought from a bogus church fundraiser ended up in a preschool teacher's lounge sickening several teachers.

The Station Fire continues to hold the San Gabriel Mountains under siege as the northeastern flank of the 35,000+ acre blaze rages in the Acton area, continues to burn out of control with dangerous hotspots near homes in neighborhoods of La Crescenta, and could pose a threat to Mount Wilson (where 22 broacast stations have communication towers). The fire remains at around the 5% containment level. Here are some updates and information at this hour:

If it's broke, fix it, right? Only what happens when the people who are supposed to fix it are the ones who broke it in the first place? And they happened to have run out of the money it's going to likely take to do the fixing? Easy solution: Sell management of the school(s) to the highest--well, "superior"--bidder.

Los Angeles' "photo-op" Mayor has spent the past few weeks with the word 'FAILURE' hanging over him, so to speak, thanks to Los Angeles Magazine's recent cover story on Villaraigosa's approaching second term in office. Now it seems that the bulk of his Partnership schools within the LAUSD have also given the Mayor an 'F' in the form of a "thumbs down from teachers," according to the LA Times, adding:

Eight out of 10 schools delivered a "no confidence" vote, and we're talking landslides (84 to 17 at Santee Education Complex, 96 to 13 at Stevenson Middle School, 70 to 13 at Gompers Middle School, 61 to 8 at Markham Middle School and 184 to 15 at Roosevelt High, which the mayor himself once attended).

A teacher hunger strike protesting LAUSD budget cuts officially comes to an end today after 24 days. Nine participated with two making it to the end, according to LA Now. In an open letter on Day 6, Jose Lara, published an open letter to a few key board members about the strike.

Among the arrested LAUSD teachers just a few minutes ago, United Teachers of Los Angeles union leader AJ Duffy has been arrested, according to KNX1070.

As of yesterday morning, only 20 cases of Swine Flu have been reported in the US, with 7 of those cases in California. However, there have been no cases logged in either Los Angeles or Orange counties, and local officials want to get the word out that they are working to prevent the infection from spreading.

It was as close to a split as a panel of 7 can get: In a 4-3 vote, the LAUSD Board of Education voted late yesterday afternoon to approve layoffs that will affect thousands of teachers and other district staff.

How close are you to obesity? If you're a teenager, the answer is in the geography:

Teens who attend classes within one-tenth of a mile of a fast-food outlet are more likely to be obese than peers whose campuses are located farther from the lure of quarter-pound burgers, fries and shakes.

If you've seen random bits of pink clad people today, here's what's going on.

By next Monday, Los Angeles Unified School District will have sent off nearly 9,000 impending layoff notices to teachers and employees as part of a plan to reduce the predicted $718 million budget deficit for the 09/10 fiscal year. That plan's presentation set off a protest at today's school board meeting, but come Friday, or rather Pink Friday, larger protests and rallies are planned across the state by the California Teachers Association regarding similar school budgeting issues.

With off campus partying exasperating Westchester neighbors and garnering the attention of the local news, Loyola Marymount officials have come out with some new "party protocol," as the school's paper puts it. Off-campus students will not only have to register their address, but will be required do an online orientation to learn about city ordinances. This week at a forum for students to ask police and city attorneys questions, the LAPD gave the low-down on how responding officers are allowed to deal with parties "When responding to any party, officers have the discretion to do any of the following: warn and disperse the crowd, cite the responsible party giver for Disturbing the Peace and/or noise violations, file a Disturbing the Peace report with no arrest or citation given or physically arrest and then book the individual at Pacific Division." (photo: pink_fish13)

As Silver Lake residents work out communication problems with their local LAPD division, in Sherman Oaks, Senior Lead Officers (SLO) from Van Nuys Division touch base with the community at least three times a month at various monthly meetings and occasional e-mail blasts. Yesterday afternoon, North Sherman Oaks SLO Justin Bergmann warned residents about a new rash of street robberies:

                     

Taking aim at state politicians and local school administrators, thousands of teachers took to the streets of downtown Los Angeles last night to protest budget cuts and the looming threat of teacher layoffs. For at least three hours, the streets were clad with red shirts, the official color of the United Teachers of Los Angeles union. Here's how it looked...

Watch out, downtown traffic. The United Teacher of Los Angeles will be holding an afternoon protest and march over education budget cuts.

The United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) is calling for a boycott of periodic assessment tests mandated by the LAUSD, and have "directed teachers to refuse to give them to students on the grounds that the tests are costly and counterproductive," according to the LA Times.

"Who in their right mind would pay 125.00/semester to spend hours stalking/fighting for parking spaces when you could arrive 15 minutes early, easily park a few blocks away, and walk?" ~ San Fernando Valley Yelp Review of the Day by Erin H. from the blog News Me Baby.

In what apparently is a student prank at UCLA's Hedrick Summit, a residence building, was cause for alarm when the incident was reported as an explosion followed by a strong smell. "When our resources got on the scene, they found a quart sized soap bottle that appeared to have been tossed from an upper level of the building--based on the splash pattern," d'Lisa Davies of the LA Fire Department explained over the phone.

Back then, he was known as Barry. After graduating high school in Hawaii, Barack Obama headed off to college where he spent two years, from 1979 to 1981, at Occidental College in Eagle Rock. His times there is said to have where his public service mindedness began, especially in his sophomore year, "growing increasingly aware of harsh inequities like apartheid and poverty in the third world." Then he wanted a wider urban experience and applied to Columbia, moving himself East. In this week's TIME magazine, a new and very young-looking photo set from his Oxy years appear. The aspiring photographer, Lisa Jack, had no idea she would be digging those photos up again years later.