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LAUSD Board Approves Plan To Fix Jefferson High's Scheduling Problems

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A $1.1 million plan aimed at fixing class-scheduling issues at Jefferson High School has been unanimously approved by the Los Angeles Unified School District board.

The scheduling problems at Jefferson began on the first day of school, leaving some students to attend classes they needed to graduate while others were assigned to classes they had already passed. Tuesday's discussion was prompted by a judge who issued an order, requiring state education officials to intervene in the situation and work with the district to develop an immediate resolution.

The software, named 'My Integrated Student Information System', or MISIS, was meant to make scheduling easier, but prompted chaos throughout the district instead.

Frustrated students took the opportunity to address the issue, pleading with the board on Tuesday to resolve the issue immediately.

"My schedule is all messed up. I didn't have the correct classes I needed to graduate," Jefferson High School student Eduardo Tamayo said. "And the classes I was assigned to, I had either passed or I didn't need them."

The plan will extend Jefferson's school day to 30 minutes for 124 days to help affected students make up for lost learning time, the addition of classes and funding for support services, such as student transportation.

The district also plans to review class schedules for the next semester at the school "to alleviate large class size and expand curriculum offerings by adding courses needed by students."

State Superintendent Tom Torlakson was not present at the meeting, which lasted well over 10 hours, as he is out of the country, touring schools in South Korea.

Under the plan, counselors will meet with each affected student, and the schools will provide additional instruction time to make up for lost learning time, and an additional 30 minutes will be added each day to the school calendar.

"These schools are woefully short, they have historically been short of the necessary teachers and courses," public counselor Mark Rosenbaum said. "(The students) shouldn't be sent home instead of being sent to class."

(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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