Topline:
Today was LAUSD’s long-observed, long-reviled tradition, “Norm Day.” And it might have consequences for your child’s classroom as teachers get moved around.
Remind me how it works: School districts need to have enough teachers for their students. But districts don’t always know how many students they’re going to have at each school. So they make estimates ahead of the school year, and use those numbers to assign teachers. When they get actual enrollment data, they shuffle teachers around accordingly. LAUSD typically recalibrates its enrollment across all of its campuses after the fifth Friday of the school year — Norm Day.
What the superintendent says: “I want to be clear about one thing: Norm Day is a necessity,” Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said at Tuesday’s school board meeting.
But parents are frustrated every year: Norm Day can leave students feeling discombobulated after the departure of a beloved teacher.
“I have been told that my school is on the verge of losing two teachers because we are under-enrolled by two students,” said parent Alex Brown at Wednesday’s school board meeting. And Topanga parent Tijana Srdanov wrote here about what her family has experienced this year.
We have the history: Here's why LAUSD's 'Norm Day' scrambles educators, disrupts classes, frustrates parents.