Lessons Learned About Students And Teachers In 2023 (And Other Headlines)

Every year, the education team reflects on the important stories of the past 12 months and looks ahead to the stories in the new year.

See the full list here.

Impactful education stories of 2023

If you’re short on time, here are some of the must-reads worth bookmarking for later.

• In January 2023, Black mom-to-be April Valentine died during childbirth at Centinela Hospital. State investigators said the hospital failed to take steps that could have prevented her death.
• The strike that shut down Los Angeles Unified schools for three days in March saw so many issues collide — pandemic academic recovery, child care, the needs of the most vulnerable students and, of course, labor.
• Community colleges are also addressing a lot of basic needs for students, like access to food and transportation.
• The California State University campuses are working to give Black students, Latino students, and low-income students greater connection to their schools.

For more education-related content, you can click here to read all the stories.

Have a great Wednesday, friends. There’s more news below - just keep reading.

How To LA

We’re here to help curious Angelenos connect with others, discover the new, navigate the confusing, and even drive some change along the way.

Listen Now

More news

(After you stop hitting snooze)

• Where Does All The Rainwater In LA County Go?
• No Time For Permission: Health experts say overdose prevention centers can save lives, but they’re illegal in most of the U.S. On Los Angeles’ Skid Row, those in need have built their own.
• Did Last Week’s Orca Sightings Give You FOMO? Here’s How To See One For Yourself
• From the archives: Traffic Data Now Supports Our Suspicions. There Are Best And Worst Days To Drive On LA Freeways
• Many California Undocumented Students Are Missing Out On Financial Aid. An Easier, New Application Could Get Them More Money

Wait! One more thing...

Destiny Pena with the giant flower she is decorating for the Rose Parade.

(

Yusra Farzan

/

LAist

)

Rose Parade volunteers

Yesterday, we talked about Rose Parade mules. Today, we are highlighting the volunteers spending hours painstakingly gluing seeds, fruits, vegetables, dried florals and, of course, fresh flowers on the floats for the New Year’s Day event.

My colleague Yusra Farzan visited a warehouse in Irwindale and spoke to some of the volunteers. This one really stood out to me:For the last 36 years, Victoria Boyd has boarded a flight from Illinois to Los Angeles to help out. In her first year volunteering, she worked on a ‘Beam Me Up Scotty’ float, where two little martians came out of the spaceship during the parade. Read about the other volunteers!