M.I.A. has digit malfunction, flips off the Super Bowl
Eight years after Janet Jackson's famous wardrobe malfunction, the Super Bowl halftime show has delivered another performance not suitable for broadcast TV. I'm not talking about Madonna's surprisingly inexpert lip-syncing Sunday; I'm referring to M.I.A., the English rapper, extending her... Read more...
Opinion L.A., Yesterday, 8:11pm
A new pro-Romney group: Career politicians for Mitt
Mitt Romney disdains politicians who spend year after year in the public sector, where they're insulated from the problem-solving challenges that arise in the business world. So whose endorsement is the Romney campaign trumpeting? Former California Gov. Pete Wilson's. This... Read more...
Opinion L.A., Yesterday, 5:18pm
Pain at the gas pump: Round up the usual suspects?
$10 billion has been placed in the gasoline futures markets by large hedge funds and commodity pools -- and they're betting that gasoline prices will keep climbing. Read more...
Opinion L.A., Yesterday, 4:50pm
Wait! Isn't that Marge Simpson behind that veil?
D'oh! I shouldn't have sent that Maggie Simpson doll to the orphanage in Tehran! The Associated Press is reporting that the Iranian government is banning the sale in Iran of Homer, Marge, Lisa and Maggie Simpson dolls. An official of... Read more...
Opinion L.A., Yesterday, 4:50pm
Israel misguided on Iran [The conversation]
If Israel really planned on attacking Iran's nuclear facilities, skeptics ask, would it be talking about it so publicly? Still, rumors that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may attack Iran before this summer has opinionators screaming waiiiiiiiiiiiiiit. Waging war would... Read more...
Opinion L.A., Yesterday, 4:46pm
Verdict on a veteran judge, Joan Dempsey Klein -- 'smart, funny, fearless'
Just about everyone knows at least something about the Supreme Court justices, even though they may not be as famous to most Americans as those judges on TV. But there are state benches and state judges as well as federal... Read more...
Opinion L.A., Yesterday, 3:41pm
Cal State Northridge students stress out under tightened enrollment
Thousands remain in limbo as the over-enrolled campus imposes class and credit limits to avoid a $7-million fine.For the last two weeks, Cal State Northridge Associate Dean Maureen Rubin has been troubled by anguished dreams of students unable to find classes — despite her best efforts. Read more...
Los Angeles Times - Education, Yesterday, 12:58am
Settling school disputes before they escalate
At Charles Maclay Middle School in Pacoima, a program funded by the Center for Civic Mediation teaches students how to resolve conflict and learn to coexist peacefully among their classmates.Monica Gonzalez had to persuade her mother to allow her to attend Charles Maclay Middle School, the local junior high just blocks from her Pacoima home. Read more...
Los Angeles Times - Education, Feb 5, 3:00am
Not Just for Kids: 'The Miseducation of Cameron Post'
Emily J. Danforth tells of a 12-year-old Montana girl whose awakening homosexuality gets her in trouble.The Miseducation of Cameron Post Read more...
Los Angeles Times - Education, Feb 5, 3:00am
Who really benefits from putting high-tech gadgets in classrooms?
How much genuine value is there in fancy educational electronics? Don't let companies or politicians fool you.Something sounded familiar last week when I heard U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski make a huge pitch for infusing digital technology into America's classrooms. Read more...
Los Angeles Times - Education, Feb 4, 3:00am
School stunned at arrest of second teacher for alleged lewd acts
Martin Bernard Springer, a second-grade teacher at Miramonte Elementary School in South Los Angeles, allegedly fondled two girls within the last three years. He has taught at the school since 1986.An elementary school in South Los Angeles was left reeling Friday after authorities arrested a second teacher accused of lewd acts with students. Read more...
Los Angeles Times - Education, Feb 4, 3:00am
Claremont McKenna College removed from magazine ranking
Amid scandal over inflated reporting of incoming classes' SAT scores, Kiplinger financial publication has dropped the campus from its list of best values in liberal arts colleges.Claremont McKenna College took another blow Friday as a result of the scandal involving its admissions office exaggerating freshman classes' SAT scores. Kiplinger, the finance magazine, announced that it had dropped the Southern California campus from its list of best values in liberal arts colleges. Read more...
Los Angeles Times - Education, Feb 4, 3:00am
ICANN Seeks Evaluators for the Support Applicant Review Panel (SARP) - Request for Expressions of Interest (EOI)
3 February 2012 Read more...
ICANN New and Noteworthy, Feb 3, 8:40pm
Lalo Alcaraz, master of pochismo
When Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney talks about "self-deportation" as part of immigration reform, he's channeling Daniel D. Portado, a character political cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz crafted back in the 1990s. Alcaraz, the creator of "La Cucaracha," is also a pal... Read more...
Opinion L.A., Feb 3, 8:05pm
Immigration: Feds tweak student visa program
The State Department this week took a small step to fix a controversial visa work travel program created nearly 50 years ago to foster cultural exchanges but that has, in recent years, morphed into little more than a source of... Read more...
Opinion L.A., Feb 3, 7:37pm
Proposition 8 and the unfortunate promise
It would do Californians good to be able to view the videotape of the federal Proposition 8 trial and decide for themselves. There's such instructive material as the supporters of Proposition 8 being unable to articulate any ways in which... Read more...
Opinion L.A., Feb 3, 6:10pm
This time, the limelight for Komen is too hot a pink
The Susan G. Komen for the Cure folks are terrific at publicity. Most of the time, anyway. They have bathed the fight against breast cancer in a pink glow, bringing in loads of positive press for their runs for the... Read more...
Opinion L.A., Feb 3, 6:04pm
Will PETA stop Kansas 'and your little dog too'?
Kansas state Rep. Ed Trimmer wants to make Dorothy's cairn terrier from "The Wizard of Oz" the state's official dog. PETA fears a puppy mill explosion. The solution? Why, the pound, of course! Read more...
Opinion L.A., Feb 3, 4:26pm
College: Just a six-figure day care? [Most commented]
A recent Op-Ed by NYU professor Jonanthan Zimmerman asked: "Are college students learning?" He wrote that "the big open secret in American higher education: Most institutions have no meaningful way to measure the quality of their instruction." Zimmerman's commentary was... Read more...
Opinion L.A., Feb 3, 4:25pm
Super Bowl: The right way to combat big-game pirates
The Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement division continued its crackdown this week on copyright and trademark violators online. But perhaps broadcasters of the big game should follow the lead of those transmitting college basketball, who provide the material online themselves. Provide the real thing. Better. Read more...
Opinion L.A., Feb 3, 1:56pm
Public Comment: Interim Report Significantly Interested Parties
3 February 2012 Read more...
ICANN New and Noteworthy, Feb 3, 12:30pm
Pre-Costa Rica ICANN Policy Update Webinar Invitation
3 February 2012 Read more...
ICANN New and Noteworthy, Feb 3, 11:30am
California lawmakers keep school buses rolling
The California Legislature restores $248 million for home-to-school transportation. Gov. Jerry Brown had eliminated school busing money after state revenues fell short of projections.School buses are likely to keep rolling for now, as the Legislature on Thursday restored $248 million for home-to-school transportation that was particularly crucial for small and rural school districts that need to take students across long distances. Read more...
Los Angeles Times - Education, Feb 3, 3:00am
Accused teacher Mark Berndt was target of investigation in 1994
A female student reported that the Miramonte Elementary teacher had tried to fondle her. Her mother informed school administrators, who notified the Sheriff's Department, but the case was dropped because of insufficient evidence.Mark Berndt, the teacher accused of committing lewd acts against nearly two dozen elementary school children, was the target of a police investigation 18 years ago when a female student reported that he had tried to fondle her, authorities said. Read more...
Los Angeles Times - Education, Feb 3, 3:00am
L.A. Unified seeks dismissal of music teacher in abuse case
Supt. John Deasy is expected to ask for the dismissal of a longtime music teacher at Hamilton High School who allegedly had sexual relationships with students.After this week's arrest of a teacher for alleged lewd conduct with 23 students, Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy is moving swiftly on a separate case, seeking the dismissal of a popular music teacher at Hamilton High School who allegedly had sexual relationships with students. Read more...
Los Angeles Times - Education, Feb 3, 3:00am
Komen controversy: The pink ribbon's ugly new image
In one swift move, the Susan G. Komen For The Cure foundation has undermined its pro-woman, pro-health, pro-solidarity image. Read more...
Opinion L.A., Feb 2, 5:34pm
It's Groundhog Day, for Ben Bernanke and Punxsutawney Phil
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and groundhog Punxsutawney Phil have more in common than you might think. Read more...
Opinion L.A., Feb 2, 3:23pm
The delayed gratification of the Facebook IPO
Now that Facebook has filed the paperwork for its initial public stock offering, it's worth wondering why the company bothered. Its preliminary goal is to raise $5 billion, but its registration statement showed that it's already sitting on nearly $4... Read more...
Opinion L.A., Feb 1, 8:02pm
Facebook IPO: Turn that 'like' thumb upside down [The conversation]
Facebook filed papers for an IPO on Wednesday. Not everyone is celebrating, though. In anticipation of the news, critics began questioning Facebook's direction as a company, raising the following questions. Are IPOs really good for businesses? The IPO has become... Read more...
Opinion L.A., Feb 1, 5:51pm
Who's in charge of the LAPD? [The reply]
My column on Monday looking at a proposed change in the way the Los Angeles Police Department handles cars it seizes from unlicensed drivers drew the predictable response: Scores of readers wrote to complain that this is just another misguided... Read more...
Opinion L.A., Feb 1, 2:56pm
Florida's Burmese pythons: Will they make a meal out of (gulp) us?
A snake that's willing to make a meal out of an alligator probably wouldn't be shy about latching onto Junior, now would it? Read more...
Opinion L.A., Feb 1, 10:35am
Abandoning a state highway; California's electric-car future; saving adult education
End of the road? Read more...
Los Angeles Times - Education, Feb 1, 3:00am
Surprised Pasadena teacher receives national honor
At a student achievement assembly he helped organize at Muir High School, Manuel Rustin is stunned to learn that the Milken Family Foundation chairman had come to present the Milken Educator Award.Manuel Rustin sat among the audience Tuesday in the crowded auditorium at John Muir High School in Pasadena, enjoying the student achievement assembly he helped organize. Read more...
Los Angeles Times - Education, Feb 1, 3:00am
Florida primary: How Mitt Romney won
How did Romney win on Tuesday? The old-fashioned way: Negative advertising. Against an extravagantly vulnerable opponent like Gingrich, it’s hard to blame him. Read more...
Opinion L.A., Feb 1, 12:03am
Copyrights: Legal hurdles to retrieving files from Megaupload
Megaupload users got a temporary reprieve this week when the companies that hosted the site's servers, Carpathia Hosting and Cogent Communications, agreed not to delete any Megaupload data for at least two weeks. But actually enabling users to retrieve their... Read more...
Opinion L.A., Jan 31, 9:12pm
The energy industry's disturbing influence on politics [Ted Rall cartoon]
In a disturbing display of the energy industry's influence on politics, Gov. Jerry Brown fired a top regulator for refusing to loosen environmental regulations on a risky method of oil extraction. ALSO: Photos: Ted Rall cartoons Sarah Palin's attack on... Read more...
Opinion L.A., Jan 31, 8:13pm
Food stamps and the right to make unhealthy decisions
Is it fair to mandate to food stamp recipients what they can and can't eat? Sen. Ronda Storms (R-Fla.) thinks so, which is why she authored a bill that imposes restrictions on what people can buy with federal aid. Times... Read more...
Opinion L.A., Jan 31, 5:55pm
South Pasadena police add armor to their fleet [Poll]
The news that the 35-officer South Pasadena Police Department has acquired an armored vehicle for the sake of conducting SWAT operations is more than a little unnerving. Read more...
Opinion L.A., Jan 31, 2:39pm
Claremont McKenna College inflated freshman SAT scores, probe finds
The SAT scores are used for national school rankings. A senior Claremont McKenna official has taken responsibility and resigned, the campus president announced.Claremont McKenna College exaggerated the collective SAT exam scores of incoming freshman classes for the last six years, boosting statistics used for national school rankings, an internal probe has found. A senior official in the school's admission office has taken responsibility and resigned, according to a campus announcement Monday from the school president. Read more...
Los Angeles Times - Education, Jan 31, 12:53am
Mitt Romney: The Max Headroom candidate
The Screen Actors Guild should have created a "reality television" category this year so the Republican presidential debates could have taken home a prize at Sunday's SAG Awards, jokes David Horsey on Top of the Ticket. Certainly there are enough... Read more...
Opinion L.A., Jan 30, 4:32pm
You can have her Uggs when you pry them from her cold feet
A Pottstown Middle School principal's attempt to ban Uggs to cut down on cellphone smuggling at her school is just silly. Read more...
Opinion L.A., Jan 30, 4:23pm
Sarah Palin's attack on the GOP establishment
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin stirred the pot again in the GOP presidential campaign, using her Facebook account Friday to blast "the Republican establishment" for using "Alinsky tactics" against her favored candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. I'll leave it... Read more...
Opinion L.A., Jan 30, 4:09pm
Would the Romney ad be OK if it featured Ron Burgundy?
As if he didn't have better things to do -- like pandering to Cuban American voters in Florida -- Mitt Romney has agreed to meet with NBC officials to discuss a Romney ad that got the network's knickers in a... Read more...
Opinion L.A., Jan 30, 3:12pm
Newt's swan song in the key of F, as in Florida?
I'm kind of missing Newt Gingrich already. It's pretty obvious that the Republican sachems are putting the citrus state death-squeeze on his choleric, solipsistic, haymaker-swinging, high-concept, low-road, zany Nicolas Cage-style presidential campaign. They even sicced poor old Bob Dole on... Read more...
Opinion L.A., Jan 30, 2:56pm
When college applicants plagiarize, Turnitin can spot them
UCLA's Anderson School of Management and Stanford University are among more than 100 colleges using Turnitin's database to detect plagiarism in application essays.The student's admissions essay for Boston University's MBA program was about persevering in the business world. "I have worked for organizations in which the culture has been open and nurturing, and for others that have been elitist. In the latter case, arrogance becomes pervasive, straining external partnerships." Read more...
Los Angeles Times - Education, Jan 29, 8:34pm
Jesuit college's leader is of a different cloth
David Burcham, president of Loyola Marymount University, isn't a priest. He's not even Catholic. But as the school enters its second century, it's fallen on him — in suit and tie, not cloak and collar — to redefine the meaning of a Jesuit education.David Burcham stood before the altar in Sacred Heart Chapel at Loyola Marymount University. The midday sun beamed through the stained-glass windows and a crucifix loomed over his shoulder as the university president offered a stirring defense of the school's Roman Catholic legacy. Read more...
Los Angeles Times - Education, Jan 29, 8:19pm
How to grade a teacher
United Teachers Los Angeles and the school district should get behind a teacher-led evaluation system.We're teachers who believe that teacher evaluation, including the use of reliable test data, can be good for students and for teachers. Yes, yes, we know we're not supposed to exist. But we do, and there are a lot more of us. Read more...
Los Angeles Times - Education, Jan 29, 3:00am
How to grade a teacher
United Teachers Los Angeles and the school district should get behind a teacher-led evaluation system.We're teachers who believe that teacher evaluation, including the use of reliable test data, can be good for students and for teachers. Yes, yes, we know we're not supposed to exist. But we do, and there are a lot more of us. Read more...
Los Angeles Times - Education, Jan 29, 3:00am
An L.A. teacher reviews her review
Evaluations don't take into account the real world of today's Los Angeles Unified School District classrooms.For the first time this year, LAUSD has prepared reports for teachers that rate their effectiveness. When I received an email saying I could now view my own personal "Average Growth over Time" report, I opened it with a combination of trepidation, resignation and indignation. Read more...
Los Angeles Times - Education, Jan 29, 3:00am
Cal State threatens to withhold $7 million from Northridge campus
Cal State says CSUN must reduce current enrollment to abide by budget-related targets or risk losing the funding.Students and faculty at Cal State Northridge are protesting new budget-related restrictions that are aimed at reducing enrollment and are making it harder to register for classes at the San Fernando Valley campus. Read more...
Los Angeles Times - Education, Jan 28, 3:00am