Third-party investigation planned
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified seeks information after racial incident
In the wake of a finding by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department that there was no probable cause any staff member or employee of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District acted in such a manner that supports an allegation of criminal misconduct during a racial incident in May, the board of education directed that a third-party investigation begin.
The investigation will examine the incident to determine whether existing policies, practices, and procedures were followed immediately following the incident and to make recommendations about changes that should be made. Results of this investigation will be made public upon the investigation’s completion.
The sheriff investigation arose out of claims that school district employees might have intimidated victims and/or witnesses and destroyed evidence in a racial incident where an African American student at Santa Monica High School says he walked into the school’s wrestling room on May 4 and found a brown practice mannequin with a noose tied around its neck. Then, after he proceeded to the locker room to change, two of his wrestling teammates restrained him and used a cable and lock to chain his pants to a locker. The students allegedly made racial remarks as well.
A man hunt for a fired Los Angeles police and reserve naval officer who is suspected of killing an Irvine couple on Sunday, kiling a Riverside police officer this morning and posting a manifesto that threatens high-level LAPD officials and their families, has law enforcement officials on edge in three counties.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The Tavis Smiley Foundation announced today it will host a series of parent education seminars nationwide to give parents tools and information on how they can ensure their child’s success in learning.
The Too Important to Fail Parent Education Summits will kick off in Los Angeles on Saturday, Oct. 29 with six other cities scheduled throughout spring 2012. These include: Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Houston, and Montgomery, Alabama.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa today announced the city will receive at least $10 million in federal funds to help keep chronically absent students in school.
The federal Workforce Investment Grant will be given to the Los Angeles Unified School District to hire full-time staff that will work with students year-round to improve attendance.
The grant could be as high as $13 million. The amount might go up after Congress finalizes its budget, but $10 million is guaranteed.
SANTA CLARITA, Calif.—With a depressed economy, a shortage of educational funds, overcrowded classrooms, and overwhelmed teachers, U.S. educational prospects have never looked bleaker. Add to this a large proportion of students already having trouble staying focused and keeping up, along with the many countries increasingly introducing better-educated, more highly trained, and cheaper workers into the job market. The result is a slowly tipping slide towards disaster.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—UCLA offered admission to 15,560 prospective freshman for fall 2011, out of a record 61,515 applicants, the university announced today.
Of the admitted applicants, 44.9 percent are Asian/Asian-American, 32.1 percent are white, 15.5 percent are Latino/Chicano, 3.4 percent are Black and 0.6 percent are Native American.
The prospective freshmen have an average GPA of 4.3.
