L.A. Unified can apply for federal Race to the Top funds

For the first time, the U.S. Department of Education will let districts bypass state officials. L.A. Unified wants funds to alter the teacher evaluation process.

A totally Californian poet laureate

Juan Felipe Herrera, 63, is the son of migrant farmworkers and plugged in to modern culture. He'd like to make the entire state a democratic, virtual poetry workshop.

L.A. Unified a rare haven for health teachers

The school district still has dedicated health classes while many others have ended theirs, largely for fiscal reasons.

Judge calls conservatorships a 'celebration of family'

In a unique collaboration of L.A.-area institutions, 15 families are awarded limited conservatorships for the protection of adult children with disabilities.

Graduating collegians cope with student debt in a weak economy

Students and graduates from several Southland campuses talk of their loans and how paying them off figures into their plans. For some, the path seems secure; for others, uncertainty is the only certainty.

Westside charter school teacher gone after allegations of cheating

Teacher at an Ocean Charter campus was found to have given fourth-graders a chance to correct their mistakes on a state test, risking the school's API rating.

UC regents discuss 6% tuition hike for next fall

They pledge to lobby hard to avoid the increase. The regents also approve the hiring of a new chancellor for UC San Diego at an annual salary of $411,084.

U.S. reaches historic demographic tipping point

Children born to Latino, Asian, African American and mixed-race parents now constitute a majority of all births, the Census Bureau reports.

Lawsuit takes aim at California's legal protections for teachers

A Bay Area nonprofit targets teacher tenure rules, seniority protections and the dismissal process. Foes say it wants to weaken public sector unions.

Students at charter-run Locke do better than nearby peers

Locke students were more likely to graduate and to have taken courses needed for a state college, a study says. Still, overall achievement remains low.

UC Santa Barbara gets $50-million gift from Oracle chairman

The donation from Jeffrey and Judy Henley is the biggest in UC Santa Barbara's history. It will support energy efficiency research and engineering programs.

13% in U.S. foreign-born, a level last seen in 1920

Of 40 million born abroad, the greatest number lives in California, with large populations in New York, Texas and Florida, Census Bureau report says.

USC to award degrees to Japanese interned during WWII

USC is awarding degrees to Japanese students who were forced out during World War II, but some say the school hasn't corrected all past wrongs.

Trustees of all-male college try to block admission of women

Deep Springs College, an all-male school north of Death Valley, plans to admit women next year for the first time in its 95-year history. But two trustees are attempting to block the change.