Mayor Hopes His Partnership for Schools Survives his Exit From Office | Contra Costa Times Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s experiment in managing some of the city’s toughest schools ends its first five-year term next year — just as he leaves office under term limits.  Retirement Costs Will Take a Larger Share of LA Budget, Estimates Show | LA Times Pension and healthcare costs for police and firefighters are projected to rise from $506 million of the general fund budget this year to $789 million by 2016. How the Deferred Action Immigration Program Went From Dream to Reality | Huffington Post LA The White House insists that the deferred action directive is part of a long-running effort to operate an effective and efficient deportation apparatus while Congressional gridlock remains. After establishing deportation priorities and giving immigration enforcement field offices greater discretion about which undocumented immigrants to let go, officials discovered that low-risk undocumented immigrants continued to clog the system. This prompted the Obama team to settle on a temporary, administrative solution, said a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. LAUSD Truancy-Diversion Program Keeps Violators out of Courts | Daily News Chronically truant students will be referred to city-run youth centers rather than funneled into the criminal justice system under a program debuting Monday in Los Angeles Unified. The truancy-diversion program shifts the focus from punishing troubled students to resolving the problems that result in them frequently skipping school. Construction for Expo Line Stretch to Santa Monica Begins Monday | KPCC One of the first major construction projects for the extension of Expo Line tracks to Santa Monica will begin next week, as construction begins on a replacement for a decades-old railroad overpass. Crews will first tear down an old railroad overpass at National Boulevard in Palms. The old Southern Pacific rail bridge is one of two single-track overpasses that must be torn out and replaced with a modern, double-track bridge. 
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Mayor Hopes His Partnership for Schools Survives his Exit From Office | Contra Costa Times

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s experiment in managing some of the city’s toughest schools ends its first five-year term next year — just as he leaves office under term limits. 

Retirement Costs Will Take a Larger Share of LA Budget, Estimates Show | LA Times

Pension and healthcare costs for police and firefighters are projected to rise from $506 million of the general fund budget this year to $789 million by 2016.

How the Deferred Action Immigration Program Went From Dream to Reality | Huffington Post LA

The White House insists that the deferred action directive is part of a long-running effort to operate an effective and efficient deportation apparatus while Congressional gridlock remains. After establishing deportation priorities and giving immigration enforcement field offices greater discretion about which undocumented immigrants to let go, officials discovered that low-risk undocumented immigrants continued to clog the system. This prompted the Obama team to settle on a temporary, administrative solution, said a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

LAUSD Truancy-Diversion Program Keeps Violators out of Courts | Daily News

Chronically truant students will be referred to city-run youth centers rather than funneled into the criminal justice system under a program debuting Monday in Los Angeles Unified. The truancy-diversion program shifts the focus from punishing troubled students to resolving the problems that result in them frequently skipping school.

Construction for Expo Line Stretch to Santa Monica Begins Monday | KPCC

One of the first major construction projects for the extension of Expo Line tracks to Santa Monica will begin next week, as construction begins on a replacement for a decades-old railroad overpass. Crews will first tear down an old railroad overpass at National Boulevard in Palms. The old Southern Pacific rail bridge is one of two single-track overpasses that must be torn out and replaced with a modern, double-track bridge. 

INSIDE THE HALLS — BACK TO SCHOOL…AGAIN There’s nothing quite like the feeling of hoisting up your backpack, walking into your new classroom, and meeting your teacher on the first day of school. It’s a feeling of promise, a sense of excitement about what the year could hold. As we pulled up to Santee Education Complex on Tuesday to join the Mayor in welcoming students back to school, the current of first day sights and sounds rushed to greet us, and we couldn’t help but remember the electric anticipation that we felt when we were students so many years ago.During the first week of the new school year—the last one of Mayor Villlaraigosa’s tenure as mayor—we feel the same nervous excitement as the students. Mayor Villaraigosa is dedicated to working toward a Los Angeles where every child receives a world-class education regardless of income, zip code, or race. On day one of the final school year of his term as Mayor, standards are high and potential abounds.We saw one of the key components of Mayor Villaraigosa’s vision—strong school leadership—during our visit to Santee. The new principal and his administrative team greeted us, enrobed in caps and gowns to set the expectation that 100% of their students will attend and graduate from college. The principal embodies the type of leader that Mayor Villaraigosa believes schools need, bold leaders who unify teachers under an unremitting focus on accelerating student achievement.Later in the day, we visited Hilda Solis Learning Academy, a new school built using funds from the LAUSD School Construction Program, the largest public works project in the nation after the interstate highway system. This new school exemplifies a commitment to the future of this city, a commitment made by Mayor Villaraigosa, District leaders, community partners, and voters when they rallied around and passed $19.5 billion in school bond initiatives. The new schools that have been built—129 of them—have relieved rampant overcrowding, reduced bussing of students to faraway schools, and increased the number of school days for students in the 224 schools that have moved off of a multi-track calendar.Though we have seen inspiring investment in new school construction, state budget cuts have decimated funding for teachers, support staff, the arts, and afterschool and summer programs over the past 4 years. California is 47th in the country in terms of per pupil funding, and without we may sink even lower. As a community, we have the power to change course by re-investing in our schools, and the Mayor is working hard to get this message across loud and clear. In November 2012, Californians will vote on ballot measures that will prevent further reductions to education. Once we protect funding for this year, we will urge our leaders to fix our broken tax system and make a long-term investment in education, and the future success of the state.Given what’s at stake, there is great urgency this school year, and a full agenda on the chalkboard: secure the resources and leadership that our schools need, advocate for academic acceleration, and ensure that our students, teachers, principals and leaders are empowered in their roles and held to high standards. During this last year of Mayor Villaraigosa’s administration, we feel that anticipatory-first-day-of-school-electricity in the air. With Angelenos united to improve schools, anything is possible.By Ryan Cohen and Lauren Chianese Mayor’s Office of Education
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INSIDE THE HALLS — BACK TO SCHOOL…AGAIN

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of hoisting up your backpack, walking into your new classroom, and meeting your teacher on the first day of school. It’s a feeling of promise, a sense of excitement about what the year could hold. As we pulled up to Santee Education Complex on Tuesday to join the Mayor in welcoming students back to school, the current of first day sights and sounds rushed to greet us, and we couldn’t help but remember the electric anticipation that we felt when we were students so many years ago.

During the first week of the new school year—the last one of Mayor Villlaraigosa’s tenure as mayor—we feel the same nervous excitement as the students. Mayor Villaraigosa is dedicated to working toward a Los Angeles where every child receives a world-class education regardless of income, zip code, or race. On day one of the final school year of his term as Mayor, standards are high and potential abounds.

We saw one of the key components of Mayor Villaraigosa’s vision—strong school leadership—during our visit to Santee. The new principal and his administrative team greeted us, enrobed in caps and gowns to set the expectation that 100% of their students will attend and graduate from college. The principal embodies the type of leader that Mayor Villaraigosa believes schools need, bold leaders who unify teachers under an unremitting focus on accelerating student achievement.

Later in the day, we visited Hilda Solis Learning Academy, a new school built using funds from the LAUSD School Construction Program, the largest public works project in the nation after the interstate highway system. This new school exemplifies a commitment to the future of this city, a commitment made by Mayor Villaraigosa, District leaders, community partners, and voters when they rallied around and passed $19.5 billion in school bond initiatives. The new schools that have been built—129 of them—have relieved rampant overcrowding, reduced bussing of students to faraway schools, and increased the number of school days for students in the 224 schools that have moved off of a multi-track calendar.

Though we have seen inspiring investment in new school construction, state budget cuts have decimated funding for teachers, support staff, the arts, and afterschool and summer programs over the past 4 years. California is 47th in the country in terms of per pupil funding, and without we may sink even lower.

As a community, we have the power to change course by re-investing in our schools, and the Mayor is working hard to get this message across loud and clear. In November 2012, Californians will vote on ballot measures that will prevent further reductions to education. Once we protect funding for this year, we will urge our leaders to fix our broken tax system and make a long-term investment in education, and the future success of the state.

Given what’s at stake, there is great urgency this school year, and a full agenda on the chalkboard: secure the resources and leadership that our schools need, advocate for academic acceleration, and ensure that our students, teachers, principals and leaders are empowered in their roles and held to high standards.

During this last year of Mayor Villaraigosa’s administration, we feel that anticipatory-first-day-of-school-electricity in the air. With Angelenos united to improve schools, anything is possible.

By Ryan Cohen and Lauren Chianese

Mayor’s Office of Education

Excited to be out and about for the first day of school! From Sunrise Elementary School, to the Santee Education Complex and the Hilda Solis Learning Academy, it’s great to see students and teachers ready for another great year. For academic calendars, district services and parent resources visit: http://bit.ly/RaqnBN