Half of California teachers plan to leave their profession in the next decade

Half of California teachers plan to leave their profession in the next decade

A recent survey from EducationWeek’s annual state of teaching report found that teacher morale dipped slightly across the country. California teachers say they have slightly higher morales compared to their peers in other states but most are planning to leave their profession in the next decade. The findings are similar to a survey earlier this year from the California Teachers Association that found that 40% of educators are considering leaving in the next few years. In Los Angeles, the future of education seems dire with LAUSD budget cuts laying off 657 employees last month. As a teacher, how do you feel about your job? Are you planning to stay in this career long term? Joining us on the show is Holly Kurtz, Director of Education Week Research Center.

What are the unwritten rules of posting on social media?

Social media has its own set of unspoken rules, about authenticity, tone, and how people are expected to present themselves online. When those rules are broken, the internet tends to notice. That’s what happened recently when a promotional video of the McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski, taste-testing the chain’s new “Big Arch” burger went viral. Social media mocked the CEO’s stiff delivery, tiny bite, and even his decision to refer to the burger as a “product.” It sparked memes, parody videos, and even responses from several rival fast-food brands. The moment has called for a broader conversation about social media “etiquette,” the unwritten expectations about authenticity and relatability online, especially for public figures and corporate leaders trying to connect with audiences. Today on AirTalk, we explore what happens when someone doesn’t quite follow those social media norms, and why authenticity has become such a powerful currency on the internet. We are joined by Madison Kircher, an internet culture reporter for the New York Times.

The privacy concerns behind automatic license plate readers

In California, state law prohibits agencies from sharing information gathered by automated license plate readers with out-of-state and federal agencies. Police departments also must keep a record of their queries to the system. Despite this, an Atlanta-based firm known as Flock Safety continues to grow and expand its footprint in the Los Angeles area. Flock has contracts with more than 5,000 law enforcement agencies around the nation that use its cameras and license plate readers. The technology automatically cross-references license plate numbers with law enforcement databases and alerts the police department if it detects a vehicle connected with a criminal investigation, according to the report. Flock's database also allows law enforcement agencies to search the location of vehicles outside of their own city. Flock stores the data for 30 days and then automatically deletes it, although cities can adjust the length of time they retain the data. While law enforcement agencies have hailed the technology for helping them locate suspects and stolen vehicles, there are serious concerns among community members and academics about the privacy concerns surrounding this type of surveillance. Today on AirTalk, we are joined by Laurie L. Levenson, professor of law and chair of ethical advocacy at Loyola Law School, and Libby Rainey, LAist reporter who’s been following this.

With files from LAist. 

We reached out to the LAPD Board of Commissioners and the LAPD. They declined to comment.

Governor candidates propose slashing state gas tax — would that alleviate prices at the pump?

As gas prices in the Golden State, like many states across the country, have risen since the Trump Administration’s war against Iran, there’s been a big question about what ways state officials could address cost concerns from working people. As it stands, Democratic and Republican gubernatorial candidates have shared ideas to address this, with Matt Mahan and Antonio Villaraigosa notably proposing to suspend our current gas tax. Today on the program, we’ll hear about these policy proposals from San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and Antonio Villaraigosa, former mayor of Los Angeles.

Pasadena school closure / LAUSD updates

School districts across LA County are dealing with one battle after another. The federal investigation related to the Los Angeles Unified School District’s superintendent continues, the temporary leader and the elected board are facing key decisions and negotiations with teacher unions who are poised to strike. While Carvalho has declared his innocence and expressed a desire to return to his job, the district says an investigation is ongoing. This is amid the Pasadena Unified dealing with its own considerations, as 9 campuses face closure in the school district, giving families across Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre until tomorrow March 18th, to submit input on a process that could reshape the district by next academic year. Here with us to talk about the latest updates is Howard Blume, LA Times staff writer who covers education and David Wilson, reporter for Pasadena-Star News who is following the latest on Pasadena Unified.