Making a list (of priorities) and checking it twice

Dear friends and partners,

It’s hard to believe how quickly 2019 is coming to a close! Today, I chaired the latest meeting of the district’s first-ever Continuous Improvement Data Committee—and I was thrilled to see the strides we have made to increase transparency, empower school sites, and put kids first since I was first elected to the LA Unified School Board.

The purpose of my committee—much like my goal for LA Unified—is to transform the way we use data to improve outcomes for all kids. That’s why I championed the district’s Open Data portal—which was recently updated to include even more publicly accessible datasets. It’s why I pushed for the Whole Child Integrated Data system to house student data from over 70 disjointed places in one accessible platform for teachers and school staff. And it’s why I co-sponsored a resolution back in 2018 to publish growth data in our schools—when California is one of just two states not to include growth in statewide data (hi there, Kansas).

Which brings us to some more exciting news to wrap up this exciting year: School Information⁺ is now live! Check out the district’s newest tool to understand the impact our schools are having on kids’ academic progress. By including growth data in this platform, we gain a more comprehensive picture of how students are progressing over time.

I believe that empowering parents and democratizing data are key to improving outcomes for all kids across our district—and look forward to continuing that work and building on our progress in the new year.

Onward,

I was honored to join Kenter Canyon ES as the school community thanked the firefighters from Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Station #19 for their heroic efforts during the Getty Fire and presented the station with new gear, a donation effort led by the school’s student council and Helping Hands Leadership Team!

We are wrapping up a busy semester of school visits, parent meetings, and community events, including joining school and community partners for the latest CicLAvia event in the Valley and meeting with parents at Topanga ES to address their school safety concerns.

Congrats to University High Girls' Volleyball team for making it all the way to the Div. V CIF State Championship finals! Our office was proud to help fund their transportation to make sure they made it to the tournament!

Introducing Rachel Sherman, who just joined the Board District 4 team as our new Community Engagement Manager! Rachel is a bilingual first-generation college graduate and Board District 4 resident. She will be addressing school and community needs in BD4's Hollywood, West Hollywood, Fairfax, Larchmont, Northwest San Fernando Valley, and Toluca Lake neighborhoods by engaging parents, community members, principals, teachers, and school support staff. We are thrilled to have her onboard!

Check out School Information+ — our latest platform to understand how schools are performing and use transparent data to drive continuous improvement!

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily updates on L.A. Unified, Board District 4, education news, and much more:

You can also contact my office anytime at (213) 241-6387 or BD4Info@LAUSD.net.

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Thank you!