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How To LA: The 'Outrageous' Impact Of LAUSD's 'Norm Day'
Kindergarteners at Toluca Lake Elementary in North Hollywood pair phonics with movement.
(
Mariana Dale
/
LAist
)
Topline:
“Norm Day” often results in the reorganization of classrooms and teacher reassignment five weeks into the school year. How To LA host Brian De Los Santos speaks with LAist K-12 education reporter Mariana Dale about what parents say is the "outrageous" impact of this process and how LA Unified and individual schools are responding.
Why it matters: For over 30 years, Angelenos have been complaining about a student tallying practice called Norm Day that matches the number of students with the district’s allocated resources. If the school has less students than they have money for, they redistribute the students and reassign the teachers, often disrupting the relationships that have been established between students and teachers and routines set in the classroom. Already, LAUSD has been steadily losing students for 20 years. The city is growing more expensive. Families are leaving. People are also having fewer kids.
Why now: Parents at Atwater Elementary school advocated for school leaders to take action this year when some teachers were designated to be reassigned. They have been able to keep teachers by pleading their case, starting a petition, and even emailing journalists like Mariana. Since her story has been published, a district spokesperson said that the district is working on some internal changes for Norm Day and making money available to help schools retain their teachers.
Listen to the episode:
Listen
11:23
The 'Outrageous' Impact Of LAUSD's Process For Counting Students
Go deeper:
- Why A Longstanding LAUSD Student Count Scrambles Educators, Disrupts Classes, Frustrates Parents
- What Happens If LAUSD’s Enrollment Doesn’t Stop Dropping? Two Schools Offer Painful Previews
- LAUSD Enrollment Could Soon Dip Below 400K, New Forecast Says. At Its Height More Than 730K Students Attended
- Missing Students, Emptying Schools: LA Unified Faces A Hard Future. What Leaders Are Doing To Change Course
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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