Protecting your schools as cyberattacks rise

Think cybersecurity won’t or can’t impact you?

Well, you would be wrong.

The number of cyberattacks only continue to grow. Virtually every business you can think of has been hit–cybercriminals have targeted the pipelines we rely on for oil and gas; the hospitals we turn to in times of need, even the social media companies where we connect.…Read More

Forget flat networks–tighten your security

If you heard about the attack on the Los Angeles Unified School District in early October, you probably heard that 400,000 students’ private data was put at risk and that the hackers demanded a ransom. When speaking about the attack, the police chief made a point of saying that cyberattacks are “the number one threat to our safety” and that everyone is vulnerable. Even so, the education sector seems to have an especially large target on its back, with LAUSD being the 50th education entity to be hit with ransomware in 2022. If you want to avoid being next, there are a few key steps to take – including getting rid of flat networks. The status quo has to go.

Are You Prepared to Pay the Costs of Convenience?

All too often, schools blend their guest and student networks together. Such a move flies in the face of every single, basic security recommendation ever made, so why do they do it? Convenience. Yes, it’s more convenient but that’s because it’s insecure.…Read More

ALAS Congratulates Alberto M. Carvalho on being named the Next Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 13, 2021) – The Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) congratulates Alberto M. Carvalho on being named the next Superintendent of Schools of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).

Carvalho most recently was superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, has served as ALAS’ president and board member for Region 7 Southeast, and is the recipient of the 2021-22 ALAS National Humanitarian Award for his leadership and his stance in support of mandated masks for students despite political opposition.

Carvalho has served as the Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), the fourth largest school district in the country, since 2008 and is recognized by his peers as a national voice for equity in education.…Read More

Hand2Mind Delivers Custom, Screen-Free Solutions to Los Angeles Unified School District to Support At-Home Learning

Hand2mind, a family-owned educational resource company, is delivering custom solutions to help solve the complex challenges faced by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), including a lack of essential learning supplies for Transitional Kindergarten (TK) to grade 6 teachers and students in areas with at-risk populations. hand2mind’s customized assortments will help provide LAUSD with the tools needed to engage students with equitable, screen-free education opportunities despite the remote learning environment.

hand2mind personalized grade-level math and literacy lessons, activities and materials for TK to grade 6 students to meet the district’s specific needs. LAUSD is the nation’s second-largest K–12 district with more than 650,000 students enrolled in over 900 schools and 249 public charter schools. With the student population predominantly Latino (73.4%)—up to 161,484 students are considered English language learners—hand2mind was able to develop and supply additional support materials for teachers and parents. Instructional videos in English and Spanish were developed to explain how to use the manipulatives featured in the kits and how best to facilitate parent engagement while their kids are learning remotely. In addition, hand2mind partnered with LAUSD to provide on-demand training opportunities for 14,000 teachers.

“Delivering resources and curriculum to students across the Los Angeles Unified School District was imperative for student success, and these hand2mind kits are the perfect tools to address students’ needs during the pandemic,” said Sari Winick, SVP of Marketing at hand2mind. “Our mission is to support teachers, inspire students, engage parents, and champion learning by doing, and that’s exactly what we’ve been able to achieve with this partnership. Most importantly, we couldn’t be happier for the students and their families.”…Read More

Learning through gaming

When students are so deeply engaged in a task that they can’t wait to dive in — and at the same time, they’re learning fundamental skills that are critical for their success — it’s a magical combination.

That’s what a lucky group of 20 students at Horace Mann UCLA Community School are about to experience as they take part in an innovative afterschool program. The students will practice and reflect on 21st century skills such as problem solving, communication, and teamwork as they compete against each other in the popular online video game League of Legends.

A partnership between UCLA and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), Mann is a public school serving students in grades 6-12. As director of the UCLA Community Schools Initiative, Dr. Christine Shen serves as a liaison between the school and the university. Her typical day consists of interacting with others and solving problems, and so she knows firsthand the value of these skills.…Read More

ST Math and Los Angeles USD Partner to Bring Math Program District-Wide

MIND Research Institute has announced a partnership with Los Angeles Unified School District to bring ST Math®, MIND’s patented approach to math instruction, to the largest school district in California, and second-largest school district in the nation. The program will impact over 240,000 students and 18,000 teachers across 600 schools.

MIND’s partnership with LAUSD began over 20 years ago when 95th Elementary School implemented ST Math. In 1999, ST Math’s first efficacy studies with that school were published. From there, ST Math expanded to other schools in the district which began to show improvements on California Standards Tests. Through the years, math scores continued to grow and philanthropic partners took notice. More than 30 foundations and companies have provided financial support to bring ST Math to LAUSD students and educators over the history of this partnership.

“MIND Research Institute has truly grown up with LAUSD,” said Brett Woudenberg, CEO of MIND. “LAUSD has partnered with MIND for the twenty-two years that this organization has existed. That is why it is such an honor to see this partnership expand district-wide. This milestone speaks to the exemplary work LAUSD has done in mathematically preparing their students. I want to thank all of the educators, administrators, and donors who have contributed to this great partnership.”…Read More

LAUSD superintendent wants iPad plan postponed

An ambitious plan to equip every student in the Los Angeles Unified School District with an iPad may be postponed, KABC-TV reports. The original plan was to get iPads to all 650,000 students by the end of next year. But LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy wants to delay that to the end of 2015 to give the district time to train staff on the use of the devices. “I am hopeful that this revised plan meets the concerns of board members over how best to provide our students with the technology they need to excel in the classroom and succeed in their careers,” Deasy said in a statement. This comes after 300 students cracked the security codes so they could browse the Internet and play games. The district is spending $1 billion to buy the iPads and wire every school with WiFi. It recently distributed the devices at 47 campuses…

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