The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools has been awarded a $750,000 grant over two years from Carnegie Corporation of New York to expand college and career pathways for students across its network of high schools in Los Angeles. Carnegie Corporation of New York has been a long-time supporter of the Partnership, investing in the organization’s...
This op-ed, published on EdSource and written by our Co-founder Melanie Lundquist, argues that expanding school voucher programs would divert public tax dollars from already underfunded public schools to private institutions that are not held to the same accountability standards. As voucher proposals threaten to drain critical classroom resources, she shares how the Partnership for...
Written by our Co-founder Melanie Lundquist, this op-ed argues that the spread of misinformation and AI-generated content has made it difficult for people to distinguish fact from fiction online. It contends that while philanthropy helps sustain struggling local news organizations, strengthening news literacy education in schools is equally essential so students can verify information and...
The article reports that reading scores in LAUSD are improving, echoing gains seen during the early 2000s. The article highlights how focused curriculum and support can make a difference, references Partnership schools, and shares a video of Superintendent Carvalho speaking highly of the Partnership at a gathering last fall. Since adopting the Amplify Core Knowledge...
This EdSource op-ed by Chief Academic Officer Francisco Villegas explains that many school districts struggle with curriculum adoption, particularly during implementation, when teachers and other stakeholders lack buy-in. Challenges such as insufficient training, limited stakeholder engagement, and weak change-management planning often prevent high-quality instructional materials from improving teaching and student outcomes. Four common mistakes are...
In our recent 2025 annual impact report’s executive summary, we highlight how the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools collaborates with LAUSD schools to improve educational outcomes for historically underserved students. Our work focuses on building capacity, providing instructional coaching, developing strong school leaders, and engaging families and communities to create more equitable learning environments. We...
Weigand Avenue Elementary and 99th Street Elementary were recognized in an analysis by The 74 as “exceptional schools” for their outstanding third-grade reading outcomes. Both schools rank among the top 5% of outperforming schools in California. This honor is part of The 74’s Bright Spots series, which highlights over 2,100 schools across the U.S. that...
This article reports that LAUSD has achieved its highest-ever performance on California state tests, with gains in reading, math, and science seen across all grade levels. District leaders and experts attribute the improvement to several factors, including a more consistent curriculum, teacher training in the science of reading, targeted support for struggling students, and focused...
At a Harvard Kennedy School conference, education leaders grappled with which emerging school models—like microschools and charter schools—can deliver both success and scale amid rising parent demand. Co-founder and Partnership Board Vice-Chair Melanie Lundquist was a panelist and highlighted the work of Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. View the recorded session here.
This report argues that defining high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) for mathematics is a foundational step for districts and school boards to close achievement gaps and ensure all students receive rigorous, standards-aligned instruction. It highlights how strategic adoption and implementation of HQIM—such as through collaboration between the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools and the Los Angeles...
We’re excited to announce that the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools’ board unanimously welcomed four new board members for a three-year term! These new leaders bring invaluable perspectives as parents and educators in the Partnership network, alongside philanthropic leadership, thereby strengthening relationships and expanding opportunities to advance our mission. Our new board members bring an...
We strongly condemn the U.S. Department of Education’s underhanded actions to remove critical learning supports for emergent bilingual (EB) students. The removal of the Department’s 2015 guidance threatens the educational rights of EB students, who comprise 44% of LA Unified’s student body, as well as school districts’ ability to ensure that EB students are properly...
