La Jolla schools gain leeway in academics, hiring 

[San Diego Union-Trib, 7/29/14]: 

La Jolla schools have gained flexibility from the San Diego Unified School District under an unusual arrangement approved Tuesday that could lead to changes in hiring, student selection and academics at the elite cluster of campuses. Three years in the making, the agreement could allow schools to fill positions at schools from among all qualified applicants instead of through the traditional “post and bid” process that limits selections to candidates who are the top five most-senior applicants. The teachers union has yet to sign off on the deal. It would represent a major change to union-based hiring protocols.

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/jul/29/la-jolla-schools-flexibility-hiring-curriculum/

Bilingual ed could make a comeback

[EdSource, 7/29/14]:

After nearly two decades, bilingual education in California could be about to stage a resurgence. Since the passage of Proposition 227 in 1998, it has been illegal to teach public school children in a language other than English without express permission from their parents, among other requirements. That could be about to change.

http://edsource.org/2014/bilingual-education-could-make-a-comeback/65474#.U9kXdCuxOAE

Not Teacher Quality, but Quality Teaching

[Education Next, 7/28/14]:

The trouble always starts when teachers are told to put innovative ideas into practice without much guidance on how to do it. In the hands of unprepared teachers, the reforms turn to nonsense, perplexing students more than helping them.

http://educationnext.org/teacher-quality-quality-teaching/