Stuck in the middle with Brewer
Closing in on his one-year anniversary of replacing Roy Romer, LAUSD Superintendent David Brewer has laid out his plan for improving middle schools -- a diet including more small learning academies (given a fancy renaming as "personalized learning environments") and charter-style strategies such as eight-period days, more elective choices, more attention to learning English and better linkages to college-preparatory graduation requirements.
Time will tell whether he'll gain lasting results improving student achievement in grades six, seven and eight (crucial years in a student's development) and stem the eighth-grade "mental dropouts."
It's the latest plank in his reform strategy. Read Naush Boghossian's story for more.