Welcome to Essential Education, our daily look at education in California and beyond. Here’s the latest:
- A look at what’s new this year in the nation’s second-largest school system.
- New L.A. schools chief Austin Beutner is touring the district all day. He started in the dark, before the first children arrived. He’ll still be at it after the last children have left.
- At UC Santa Cruz, a severe housing crunch pits much-needed beds against a much-loved meadow.
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USC names retired aerospace executive Wanda Austin as acting president, announces Nikias’ departure
USC appointed a retired aerospace executive as interim president and laid out a detailed plan for selecting a permanent leader Tuesday, ending speculation about whether outgoing President C.L. Max Nikias might remain in the post.
Nikias, embattled over his administration’s handling of a campus gynecologist accused of sexually abusing patients, relinquished his duties after a meeting of USC’s board. The trustees tapped one of their own, Wanda Austin, an alumna and former president of the Aerospace Corp., to temporarily run the university.
The trustees also approved the formation of a search committee and the hiring of firm Isaacson, Miller to coordinate the selection of a successor. A second search company, Heidrick & Struggles, will also advise trustees.
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Ex-student sues elite Brentwood School after teacher is charged with sexually abusing him
A former student sued the elite Brentwood School on Monday in the wake of a female teacher being charged with repeatedly having sex with the minor, alleging that other faculty members encouraged the unlawful behavior and failed to report it to authorities.
The lawsuit accuses the private school, whose students include the children of many of Hollywood’s elite and L.A.’s powerful, of acting negligently and allowing Aimee Palmitessa to abuse and batter the teenager sexually.
The suit alleges that the student was abused in summer 2017 after one of the school’s counselors offered words of encouragement to the then-17-year-old, identified in the suit as only John Doe, to engage in an illegal relationship with the teacher.
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Civil jury vindicates fired Montebello school executives in whistleblower case
The Montebello school district is in dire straits — at risk of insolvency and under apparent criminal investigation.
An outside audit in July found some teachers earning more than $200,000 a year, as well as improper raises, excess paid vacation time and inappropriate overtime, sick leave and car allowances.
Fixing the district and pinpointing blame could take time.
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L.A. schools fall short on safety measures, new report warns
After the mass shooting at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February, Los Angeles school officials reassured parents that much had been done to keep local schools safe. California had tougher gun laws, after all, and the school district paid close attention to students’ mental health.
But a new report issued Monday by a panel convened to take a close look offers some cause for concern, flagging inconsistent campus safety measures, thinly spread mental health staff and inadequate coordination between the school district and other public agencies.
“With the stakes this high, we must strive to do better,” said L.A. City Atty. Mike Feuer, who assembled the panel.
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L.A. school district says more are graduating, but rate may not show it
The L.A. Unified School District has hopes of continuing its winning streak this year with another record graduation rate, but the official numbers may not show it.
A senior district administrator warned the board Tuesday that graduation rates were likely to decline 2% to 3% across the state, even though L.A. Unified is likely doing better than ever in producing graduates, he said.
The issue is that the state will now count high school students who transfer to adult school as dropouts, said Oscar Lafarga, who heads the district’s office of data and accountability. Previously, schools treated these students as though they had simply enrolled in another high school, he said.
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Building L.A.’s rail system will create thousands of jobs. Can a transportation boarding school fill them?
Boarding school conjures a certain image: children in preppy blazers, leafy quadrangles in New England and tuition that costs more than many families earn in a year.
That stereotype would not apply if officials carry out their vision for a dusty, trash-strewn lot in South Los Angeles that has sat vacant for more than two decades.
Their pitch? A transportation boarding school, free to its students.
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Betsy DeVos to California: Not so fast on that federal education plan
In April, California’s top education officials breathed a sigh of relief. After months of debate and back-and-forth with Betsy DeVos’ staff, they had finalized a plan to satisfy a major education law that aims to make sure all students get a decent education.
The state focused on aligning its plan to fulfill the requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act with California’s Local Control Funding Formula, which gives extra money to districts to help students who come from low-income families, are in the foster system or are English learners.
But this week, DeVos’ team said not so fast.
Jason Botel, the U.S. Department of Education’s principal deputy assistant secretary, sent California education officials a letter asking for more information in such areas as measuring student progress, graduation rates and English learners.
In an unsigned statement, the California Department of Education declared itself “surprised and disappointed” because officials thought — after a meeting with federal officials in Washington — that they were on the right track to get approval.
Now the Every Student Succeeds Act plan will be up for discussion once again at the July meeting of the State Board of Education.
The U.S. Department of Education has already approved most state plans.
Every Student Succeeds is the Obama administration’s 2015 replacement for the No Child Left Behind Act.
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L.A. school board sets a new goal: prepare every grad to be eligible to apply for Cal State or UC
Last month, Los Angeles’ school board president proposed a spate of highly ambitious mandates aimed at ensuring that every district graduate be eligible to apply to one of the state’s public four-year universities by 2023.
By the time the L.A. Unified school board unanimously approved the resolution Tuesday, the original language had been watered down. The goal is no longer that in five years 100% of students meet the long list of benchmarks, which include not just college eligibility for graduates but first-grade reading proficiency and English fluency by sixth grade for all students who enter the district in kindergarten or first grade speaking another language.
The original college-readiness goal, for example, called for “100% of all high school students” to be eligible to apply to one of the state’s four-year universities. Now the goal seems to offer more wiggle room: “Prepare all high school graduates to be eligible to apply to a California four-year university.”
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‘We have been hurt.’ More women say they were mistreated by USC gynecologist
USC student Anika Narayanan says she vividly recalls her first appointment with Dr. George Tyndall at the campus health center, alleging that he made several explicit comments during an examination she felt was inappropriate and invasive.
When she came back for a second visit in 2016 after a “nonconsensual sexual encounter,” he allegedly chastised her, she said in a civil lawsuit and at a press conference Tuesday. He “asked me if I had ‘forgotten to use a condom again,’ ” said Narayanan, 21.
At one point, she said, Tyndall asked “if I did a lot of ‘doggy style,’ ” she said.
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L.A. Unified gives inspector general brief contract extension
The Los Angeles school board on Tuesday extended the contract of Ken Bramlett, its inspector general, by three months, though his job is far from secure and questions remain about the future direction of his watchdog office.
Board members also unanimously promoted Vivian Ekchian, who had been the runner-up for the superintendent’s job, to deputy superintendent — the district’s No. 2 position.
Both moves had elements of peacemaking between different factions on the board.
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USC’s handling of complaints about campus gynecologist is being investigated by federal government
The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday that it has launched an investigation into how the University of Southern California handled misconduct complaints against a campus gynecologist, the latest fallout in a scandal that has prompted the resignation of USC’s president, two law enforcement investigations and dozens of lawsuits.
In revealing the inquiry by the department’s Office of Civil Rights, officials rebuked USC for what they alleged was improper withholding of information about Dr. George Tyndall during a previous federal investigation.
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who has been criticized for taking a less vigorous approach to examining sexual misconduct than predecessors, called for a “systemic” examination of USC and urged administrators to fully cooperate.
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Sacramento nears budget deal, Parkland students sing, districts seek loan deferment: What’s new in education
Happy summer! As teachers and students take a break, this daily roundup will be on summer hiatus. But please do come back here for education coverage, and if there’s anything you feel we’re missing, let us know.
In and around Southern California:
L.A. Unified’s school board is choosing to not renew the contract of its independent inspector general.
A drug that reverses opioid overdoses is now available in Carlsbad schools.
Around the state:
State legislators and Gov. Jerry Brown are getting closer to reaching a deal on the state’s education budget.
Four financially distressed school districts, including Oakland and Inglewood, have asked the state to defer their loan repayment.
Nationwide:
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students performed “Seasons of Love” at Sunday’s Tony Awards in New York.
How to address suicide when talking to students.
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L.A. Unified’s spending, Tuck and Thurmond to face off, Newsom’s dyslexia: What’s new in education
In and around Southern California:
Why L.A. Unified may face financial crisis even with a large surplus this year.
An outside task force released a report saying that the district’s spending in key areas is out of step with comparable school districts.
L.A.’s school board president wants to have every graduate meeting requirements to enroll in one of the state’s public four-year universities by 2023.
A former vice dean of USC’s Keck School of Medicine testified that he expressed concerns about former dean Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito’s general well-being to the university’s No. 2 administrator before Puliafito abruptly left his job in 2016.
Around the state:
Gubernatorial primary winner Gavin Newsom talks about his struggle with dyslexia.
After this week’s voting, Marshall Tuck and Tony Thurmond — with well-heeled backers from the worlds of charter schools and teachers unions respectively — will face off in November to be state schools chief.
Nationwide:
Speakers urged Betsy DeVos’ school safety commission to focus on mental health, not arming school personnel.
New research has found that the more years you spend in school, the more likely you are to be nearsighted.
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L.A. school board president wants every district graduate to be eligible for a four-year public university by 2023
Former Los Angeles schools Supt. Michelle King made “100% graduation” her central goal for the nation’s second-largest school district. Now the school board president wants to up the ante — and, by 2023, have every student graduate meeting requirements to enroll in one of the state’s public four-year universities.
According to LAUSD board President Monica Garcia’s resolution, titled Realizing the Promise for All: Close the Gap by 2023, just 31.9% of recent graduates meet those requirements. The district currently allows students to graduate with D grades in the required classes instead of the minimum C grades that Cal State and the University of California require.
The board is scheduled to vote on the resolution Tuesday.
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Judge to sentence woman and her boyfriend for the murder of an 8-year-old that led to L.A. child welfare reforms
A woman and her boyfriend are expected to be sentenced Thursday for the torture and murder of an 8-year-old boy whose killing in 2013 provoked public outrage, prompted sweeping reform of Los Angeles County’s child welfare system, and led to unprecedented criminal charges against social workers who handled the child’s case.
Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, 34, faces life in prison without the possibility of parole for her role in the death of her son, Gabriel. A jury decided last year that her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, 37, should be executed.
When paramedics arrived at the boy’s Palmdale home in May 2013, Gabriel had slipped out of consciousness. He had a fractured skull, broken ribs, burned skin, missing teeth and BB pellets embedded in his groin. A paramedic would later testify that every inch of the boy’s small body had been abused.
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L.A. Unified’s spending out of step with similar school systems, task force says
The Los Angeles school district is out of step with similar school systems, spending more on teachers’ pay and health benefits and less on activities that could enhance student learning, according to a new report by an outside task force.
The L.A. Unified School District Advisory Task Force did not make specific recommendations, but instead posed a series of questions it said the district needs to answer to make sure its funding is aimed at providing a full opportunity for all students to succeed.
“What we’re trying to say is: Let’s put the data on the table. Let’s look at the truth. Let’s be transparent and here are the numbers,” said task force member Renata Simril. “This is not to say that … we should cut teachers’ salaries.”
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Top USC medical school official feared dean was ‘doing drugs’ and alerted administration, he testifies
A former vice dean of USC’s Keck School of Medicine testified Tuesday that he feared the school’s then-dean, Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito, “could be doing drugs” and expressed concerns about his general well-being to the university’s No. 2 administrator before Puliafito abruptly left his job in 2016.
Dr. Henri Ford’s testimony at a hearing of the state Medical Board marks the first suggestion that any USC administrator had suspicions about Puliafito’s possible drug use before he stepped down. A Times investigation in 2017 found Puliafito led a secret second life of using illegal drugs with a circle of young criminals and addicts. Puliafito testified about his behavior at the hearing Tuesday, saying he took drugs with one young woman on a weekly basis.
Ford said that he decided to alert USC Provost Michael Quick after receiving reports in early 2016 that Puliafito was partying in hotels with people of “questionable reputation,” and that he came to worry about his mental stability.
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Why L.A. Unified may face financial crisis even with a giant surplus this year
With more than half a billion dollars socked away for next school year, the Los Angeles Unified School District hardly seems just two years from financial ruin. It’s a scenario that is especially tough to swallow if you’re a low-wage worker seeking a raise or a teacher who wants smaller classes.
But budget documents show that today’s $548-million surplus cannot be sustained — and that even basic services face steep, seemingly unavoidable cuts because of massive problems barreling the district’s way.
“There’s a disconnect between the rosy short-term picture and what we know is coming,” said board member Kelly Gonez.
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Patients of former USC gynecologist tell their stories, USC on the defense, a consumer alert for teachers: What’s new in education
In and around Southern California:
Several USC deans have sent out messages trying to reassure students and faculty that the university is committed to changing in light of misconduct allegations against the university’s longtime gynecologist.
These are the stories of the gynecologist’s former patients.
A key moment in the record of former L.A. Mayor — and current gubernatorial candidate — Antonio Villaraigosa came when he tried to take control of L.A. Unified.
Around the state:
California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra issued a consumer alert to tell teachers that some of their federal grants might have been wrongly converted into loans.
How some California students graduated from state colleges in four years.
Nationwide:
Graduation at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School honored the four seniors who died in the school shooting.
In an effort to make the city’s selective public schools more diverse, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio proposed scrapping a specialized admissions test.
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‘We have failed’: Top USC officials try to reassure students amid gynecologist scandal
Top administrators at USC are reaching out to students in the wake of misconduct allegations against the university’s longtime gynecologist, acknowledging failings and vowing reforms as they try to address growing outrage over the revelations.
Several USC deans have sent out messages trying to reassure students and faculty that the university is committed to changing.
“We have failed,” wrote Jack H. Knott, dean of USC’s Sol Price School of Public Policy, in a May 24 letter. “What happened is antithetical to everything we know is right.”
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Caruso becomes chair of USC trustees, learning in higher temps, DeVos’ school safety field trip: What’s new in education
In and around Southern California:
Rick Caruso, owner of the Grove and other prominent shopping centers, has been elected to lead USC’s board of trustees.In his first act as chair, he announced an outside investigation of the conduct of longtime campus gynecologist Dr. George Tyndall and of “reporting failures.”
Around the state:
Higher education advocates want the next governor to push increased funding and engagement with California’s public universities.
Outgoing state schools chief Tom Torlakson announced a plan designed to get students learning more languages.
Nationwide:
New research found that hotter temperatures make it harder for students to learn.
Betsy DeVos’ first trip for her school safety commission focused on behavioral interventions, not guns.
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Rick Caruso is named chair of USC’s trustees, vows swift investigation of gynecologist scandal
The University of Southern California’s board of trustees has elected mall magnate Rick Caruso to be the new chair of the board, giving fresh leadership as the university navigates a widening scandal involving a longtime campus gynecologist.
The move marks the latest effort by USC to address the case, which has sparked a criminal investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and dozens of civil lawsuits. More than 400 people have contacted a hotline that the university established for patients to make reports about their experience with Dr. George Tyndall.
In his first act as chairman, Caruso announced that the white-shoe L.A. law firm O’Melveny & Myers would conduct a “thorough and independent investigation” into the gynecologist’s conduct and “reporting failures” at the clinic. He set an ambitious timeline for the review, pledging it would conclude before students return for the fall semester.
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Inside the state superintendent’s race, UCLA cardiologist’s license suspended, a Berkeley student’s win: What’s new in education
In and around Southern California:
State regulators suspended a UCLA cardiologist’s license, calling him a sexual predator.
Around the state:
The two major players in the state schools chief election are teachers unions and charter schools — and their big spending tends to blur a clear picture of the front-runners.
A UC Berkeley student is behind the push for a new law that loosens some requirements for in-state tuition.
Nationwide:
Cellphone videos surface of the Parkland school shooting suspect announcing his intention to kill students.
A federal magistrate has blocked the U.S. Department of Education from paring back a loan relief program for defrauded students at the failed Corinthian Colleges chain.
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UC Berkeley student’s persistence helps win more liberal rules for in-state tuition
Ifechukwu Okeke thought she’d be a shoo-in for in-state tuition when she was admitted to UC Berkeley for fall 2016.
She had moved to the United States from Nigeria in 2012 to go to Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga. By the time she got her acceptance to transfer to UC to study molecular and cell biology, she had lived in California four years. She had a California driver’s license, bank account and rental records as proof.
UC Berkeley, however, ruled she was a nonresident — which meant she would have to pay nearly $27,000 more.
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State medical board calls former County-USC doctor a ‘sexual predator,’ suspends his license
A UCLA cardiologist has been temporarily stripped of his medical license after state regulators described him as a “sexual predator” who assaulted three female colleagues when he was working and training at L.A. County-USC Medical Center.
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In race for California schools chief, candidates are buoyed by big money from charter supporters and unions
In the race for state superintendent of public instruction, standard party affiliations don’t much matter. The two major players here are teachers unions and charter schools — and their big spending tends to blur a clear picture of the front-runners.
The charter camp supports Marshall Tuck, an education consultant and Democrat who formerly managed turnaround efforts at a group of low-performing Los Angeles public schools. The pick of the teachers unions is state Assemblyman Tony Thurmond, also a Democrat, who represents the Richmond area, north of Oakland.
Spending by outside groups has surpassed $10 million — even though California’s schools mostly are managed by local school boards.
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‘Global California 2030’ aims to get more students learning more languages
Outgoing state Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson on Wednesday announced a new statewide effort to encourage students to learn more languages.
Called Global California 2030, its goal is to help more students become fluent in multiple tongues.
Torlakson said that by 2030, he wants half of the state’s 6.2 million K-12 students to participate in classes or programs that lead to proficiency in two or more languages. By 2040, he wants three out of four students to be proficient enough to earn the State Seal of Biliteracy.
Torlakson announced the initiative at Cahuenga Elementary School, which offers a dual-language immersion program in English and Korean.
California’s public school students speak more than 60 languages at home, and 40% come to school with knowledge of a language other than English.
Torlakson called his plan a “call to action” that invites parents, legislators, educators and community members to pool resources to expand language offerings in schools and get more bilingual teachers trained. He said the state already is working with Mexico and Spain to expand a teacher-exchange program.
Fluency, the plan argues, can help students succeed economically — and language acquisition can help their overall critical thinking.
The initiative builds on Proposition 58, a ballot initiative passed in 2016 that undid an earlier requirement that English learners be taught in English-immersion classes unless their parents signed waivers.
Torlakson recently visited Mexico and met with that country’s education secretary. They later signed a pact to increase collaboration, particularly in language education.
“This [Global California 2030] is great follow-through on Tom’s part and very important,” Patricia Gándara, a UCLA education professor who hosted the Mexico meeting, said in an email. “It hands over a plan to move forward in an area in which California has a unique advantage, but must seize the opportunity.”
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Trouble at L.A.’s school for the deaf, LAPD investigates USC gynecologist, man convicted in UCLA student’s death: What’s new in education
In and around Southern California:
Some parents at L.A.’s only school for the deaf think the school is in crisis and say they are considering withdrawing their children.
The Los Angeles Police Department has launched a sweeping probe into USC’s longtime campus gynecologist, saying it will investigate 52 complaints of misconduct filed by former patients.
A jury found a man guilty of murder in the death of a UCLA student whose body was found inside her burning apartment in 2015.
Around the state:
How California’s gubernatorial candidates responded to a detailed questionnaire about education.
Candidates for governor and for state schools chief — and their supporters — have accelerated their spending as the election nears.
Nationwide:
When a Kentucky Catholic school didn’t let its gay valedictorian speak, he brought a bullhorn. Students, teachers and family members formed a semicircle around him so he could talk.
A video game that simulates being an active shooter was pulled after Parkland parents spoke up.
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Jury convicts man of murder in 2015 slaying of UCLA student found inside her burning apartment
A jury on Tuesday convicted a man in the 2015 slaying of a UCLA student found dead inside her burning apartment — a gruesome stabbing case that led to a fierce rebuke of the police response amid concerns that the killing could have been prevented.
The panel deliberated for about six hours before finding Alberto Medina, 24, guilty of murder, arson, burglary and animal cruelty.
On Sept. 21, 2015, firefighters found the charred body of Andrea DelVesco inside her apartment after responding to the complex a block from campus. The 21-year-old student — an Austin, Texas, native known to her sorority sisters as a “fearless giver” who befriended others with ease — was stabbed at least 19 times, authorities said.
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LAPD begins sweeping criminal probe of former USC gynecologist while urging patients to come forward
The Los Angeles Police Department said Tuesday it is investigating 52 complaints of misconduct filed by former patients of USC’s longtime campus gynecologist as detectives launch a sweeping criminal probe into the scandal that has rocked the university.
LAPD detectives also made an appeal for other patients who feel mistreated to come forward, noting that thousands of students were examined by Dr. George Tyndall during his nearly 30-year career at USC. More than 410 people have contacted a university hotline about the physician since The Times revealed the allegations this month.
Tyndall’s “behavior and practices appear to go beyond the norms of the medical profession and gynecological examinations,” said Asst. Chief Beatrice Girmala. “We sincerely realize that victims may have difficulty recounting such details to investigators. We are empathetic and ready to listen.”
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At L.A.’s only school for the deaf, parents want leaders who speak the same language
Ever since her son was 6 months old, Juliet Hidalgo has been bringing him to the Marlton School, a low-slung building in Baldwin Hills that for generations has been a second home for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Los Angeles.
Marlton staff taught Hidalgo’s brother and sister, both of whom are deaf. The school was where her deaf son learned to make the signs for “milk” and “food.” Hidalgo had planned to enroll her daughter, taking advantage of a popular program that allows hearing children to learn American Sign Language alongside their deaf siblings.
But after more than a decade of involvement, she and other family members are considering withdrawing their children. They are not alone.
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Fueled by unlimited donations, independent groups play their biggest role yet in a California primary for governor
An unprecedented amount of money from wealthy donors, unions and corporations is flowing into the California governor’s race, giving independent groups — unrestricted by contribution limits — a greater say in picking the state’s chief executive than ever before.
The groups have already spent more than $26 million through Thursday, the most ever spent by noncandidate committees in a gubernatorial primary, according to a Times analysis of campaign finance reports.
“California elections have always been expensive, and the future is even more expensive,” said Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College and a former state Republican leader. “The stakes are very real.”
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USC President C.L. Max Nikias to step down
USC President C.L. Max Nikias, whose tenure was marked by a significant boost in the university’s prestige and fundraising prowess but tarnished by a series of damaging scandals, is stepping down from his post, the university’s Board of Trustees announced Friday.
The move comes after more than a week of uproar over the university’s handling of a longtime campus gynecologist accused of misconduct toward female students. More than 300 people, most of them former female patients of Dr. George Tyndall, have since come forward to USC, many with allegations of mistreatment and sexual abuse that date back to the early 1990s.
The revelations published by The Times heightened long-festering concerns about university leaders’ ethics and management style and sparked calls for Nikias to resign.
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The USC gynecologist scandal, unions battle Austin Beutner, a message for Betsy DeVos: What’s new in education
In and around Southern California:
Unions aren’t giving new L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner a honeymoon period. They organized a large rally and job action within his first two weeks on the job.
As more women come forward with complaints about a campus gynecologist’s behavior, the USC Board of Trustees announced it would hire independent attorneys to investigate.
At least 300 people so far have called a USC hotline about the gynecologist, Dr. George Tyndall. The school has begun sharing names of former patients with the Los Angeles Police Department.
The USC Academic Senate called on President C.L. Max Nikias to resign.
Around the state:
California’s public universities are poised to get major funding boosts to help them enroll more students.
UC Regents approved a leaner, more transparent budget for UC President Janet Napolitano.
Black and Latino students have access to fewer advanced math and science courses than their peers, data show.
Nationwide:
A shooting at a suburban Indianapolis middle school Friday appears to have left two people wounded.
The Human Rights Campaign projected a video message onto the U.S. Department of Education building, asking Betsy DeVos how she sleeps at night when so few LGBTQ students feel safe in school.
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2 hurt in Indiana middle school shooting; suspect in custody, authorities say
Authorities say two victims in a shooting at a suburban Indianapolis school are being taken to a hospital and the lone suspect is in custody.
Bryant Orem, a spokesman for the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, said in a news release that the victims in Friday morning’s attack at Noblesville West Middle School are being taken to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis and their families have been notified. He says no other information is available about the victims.
Orem said the suspect is believed to have acted alone and was taken into custody. No additional information about the suspect was made public.
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For new L.A. schools chief Austin Beutner, some key unions are giving no honeymoon period
In the less than two weeks since Austin Beutner took charge of Los Angeles schools, unions representing teachers and administrators have staged a job action and a protest.
They’ve made it clear that they will not give the new superintendent the traditional honeymoon period, and they are bashing him for his wealth and lack of experience running either a school or a school district.
“Beutner is a billionaire investment banker with zero qualifications,” local teachers union President Alex Caputo-Pearl told members in a phone alert urging them to participate in a Thursday afternoon rally in Grand Park. “The board is saying that billionaires who made their money blowing institutions up and making money off it know best — not the education professionals who have dedicated our careers to working with students.”
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Pressure grows on Board of Trustees amid USC gynecologist scandal
USC’s large and powerful Board of Trustees is coming under growing pressure to provide a stronger hand as the university faces a crisis over misconduct allegations against the campus’ longtime gynecologist that has prompted calls for President C.L. Max Nikias to step down.
Allegations that Dr. George Tyndall mistreated students during his nearly 30 years at USC have roiled the campus, with about 300 people coming forward to make reports to the university and the Los Angeles Police Department launching a criminal investigation. USC is already beginning to face what is expected to be costly litigation by women who say they were victimized by the physician.
So far, the trustees to whom Nikias reports have expressed sympathy for the women who have come forward and launched an independent investigation while also publicly backing the president.
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UC regents approve leaner budget for Janet Napolitano
University of California regents on Thursday unanimously approved a leaner, more transparent budget for President Janet Napolitano, moving to address political criticism over the system’s central office operations.
The $876.4-million budget for 2018-19 reflects spending cuts of 2%, including reductions in staffing, travel and such systemwide programs as public service law fellowships, carbon neutrality and food security.
Napolitano shifted $30 million to campuses for housing needs and $10 million to UC Riverside to support its five-year-old medical school. She also permanently redirected $8.5 million annually to help enroll more California students, as required by the state.
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USC’s Academic Senate calls on university president to resign after a series of scandals
The body that represents USC’s faculty called on President C.L. Max Nikias to resign Wednesday in the wake of relevations that the university’s longtime gynecologist faced years of accusations of misconduct by students and colleagues at the campus’ health clinic.
The Academic Senate took the vote late Wednesday afternoon after a fiery town hall meeting attended by more than 100 faculty members, many of whom voiced outrage over Nikias and the Board of Trustees’ leadership. The vote came a day after the trustees’ executive committee stood firmly behind Nikias, saying it has “full confidence” in his leadership, ethics and values.
At the town hall meeting, Senate President Paul Rosenbloom said he did not think Nikias or Provost Michael Quick committed wrongdoing but that the university president deserved criticism for a lack of transparency.
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California’s public universities on the way to getting a big longed-for boost in funding
The University of California and California State University systems are poised to get major funding boosts that will help them enroll thousands of additional state students and eliminate the need for tuition increases in the coming school year.
A key Assembly budget panel on Wednesday approved $117.5 million in new funds for the UC. A Senate panel approved a similar sum last week.
The same committees recently approved even more funding for the Cal State system.
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DeVos’ immigration remark, USC’s leadership under fire, Cal State funding: What’s new in education
In and around Southern California:
Two hundred USC faculty members are demanding that university President C.L. Max Nikias resign.
County prosecutors are reviewing a complaint alleging that the Los Angeles Unified School District violated an open-meeting law during the selection of Supt. Austin Beutner.
Around the state:
The University of California regents, meeting in San Francisco, plan to take a close look at President Janet Napolitano’s budget.
State legislative panels have approved millions more in funding for Cal State. Now they have to negotiate with the governor.
Nationwide:
Civil rights groups called Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos ignorant for saying that schools can decide whether to report undocumented students to immigration officials.
To get away from systemic racism, some black families turn to homeschooling.
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UC regents to scrutinize Janet Napolitano’s office budget in a step toward stronger oversight
University of California regents this week plan to scrutinize the budget of President Janet Napolitano, whose office came under political fire last year for questionable spending and murky accounting.
Regents will vote on the proposed $876.4-million budget for 2018-19 during their two-day meeting, which starts Wednesday, at UC San Francisco. They also will discuss state funding, financial aid, online education and transfer student policies.
Board Chairman George Kieffer said regents are stepping up to exert stronger oversight of the president’s office after a blistering state audit last year found financial problems including an unreported $175 million budget reserve.
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