Figure 1
Figure 1: LAUSD’s Process for Resolving Allegations of Teacher Misconduct.
This figure describes the process at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) following allegations of misconduct by a teacher.Following the allegation, the teacher is either removed from his or her classroom for an initial period of up to five school days or the teacher remains in the classroom while the issue is investigated and adjudicated. If the teacher is removed from the classroom, the local district administrator of operations (local administrator) informs the teacher about the nature of the allegation. The teacher is either returned to the classroom within the initial five-day period or formally reassigned pending resolution of the case. If the teacher is returned to the classroom within the initial five-day period, the teacher may still face discipline for misconduct. If the teacher is formally reassigned, LAUSD’s Student Safety Investigation Team (Investigation Team) conducts an investigation of the allegations against the teacher, which is to be completed within 90 workdays. The investigation team provides the investigation results to the local administrator, who then has 15 workdays to recommend a disciplinary action.
If local administrator’s recommendation is to return the teacher to work, the Employee Relations Section is required to hold a meeting for review within eight workdays. If the recommendation is to dismiss the teacher, the Staff Relations Section is required to hold a meeting for review within eight workdays. If LAUSD administrators agree to proceed with dismissal, the Office of the General Counsel prepares charges for the LAUSD Board of Education, which votes whether to dismiss teachers.
Figure 2
Figure 2: Number of Reassignments LAUSD Resolved Each Year for Fiscal Years 2011-12 Through 2015-16, and their Median Length When Resolved.
The figure is composed of a bar chart showing the number of reassignments that the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) resolved in each year for fiscal years 2011–12 through June 1, 2016 and a line graph showing the median length of those reassignments when they were resolved. LAUSD’s number of resolved reassignments increased from 131 cases in fiscal year 2011-12 to a peak of 171 in 2013-14, but declined to 126 and 77 cases in fiscal years 2014-15 and 2015-16, respectively. In contrast, the median number of days that it took LAUSD to resolve reassignments steadily increased each year, from 236 days at the beginning of our audit period in fiscal year 2011-12 to 420 days in fiscal year 2015-16.