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| 4LAKids: Sunday, April 26, 2009 |  | | | In This Issue: | | • | L.A. TEACHERS VOTE ON UNION PLAN FOR ONE-DAY STRIKE | | | • | ADMINISTRATORS CHALLENGE L.A. UNIFIED LAYOFF VOTE + ADMINISTRATORS UNION ASKS LAUSD TO RECONSIDER CUTS | | | • | GETTING RID OF `LEMONS' + THE MYTH OF LAZY VETERAN TEACHERS | | | • | MAYOR: DEEP CUTS WILL ‘KILL EDUCATION IN L.A.’ | | | • | HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest of the Stories from Other Sources | | | • | EVENTS: Coming up next week... | | | • | What can YOU do? | |
Featured Links: | | | | "It requires no malice to destroy our children's future." - Dr. Mary Montle Bacon in her keynote at yesterday's LAUSD Parent Summit.
The lack of malice is all around us, as is the destruction. Budget cuts. The economic crisis. Layoffs. Right sizing. Programs eliminated. Talking TO parents and stakeholders (including students) rather than WITH them — sticking that feather in our cap and calling it "COMMUNICATION". The misplaced/mistimed scapegoating and finger pointing at bad teachers and/or bad administrators when bad financial decision making is to blame.
Dr Bacon continued that 25% of the population are children - but they are 100% of the future: "...a message we send to a world we will never see".
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ON MAY 19th WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT ALL THIS - to do something (though nowhere near enough) to steer California Public Education and the state budget away from the rocks. Hopefully later we set a course away from inadequacy through sufficiency to excellence. Achievement and accountability and transparency are part of the PROCESS, the OUTCOME is educated young people. Not a workforce but an informed empowered dynamic citizenry.
● READ Jackie Goldberg's May 19th Ballot Recommendations.
http://4lakidsnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/jackie-goldberg-unsolicited-ballot.html
● READ California State PTAs'.
http://4lakidsnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/official-may-19th-ballot.html
● READ the LA Times': 4LAKids believes they get 1B all wrong …for all the right reasons!
http://4lakidsnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/la-times-yes-on-1a-1c-1d-1e-and-1f-good.html
● NOTE that the LAUSD Board of Ed has withdrawn their resolution on the ballot measures.
● REMEMBER THIS: If students are the first priority then everyone else can't have everything else they want.
● MOSTLY: V*O*T*E ON MAY 19th. Democracy is not a spectator sport. Vote like the future depends on your vote. They do.
¡Onward/Hasta adelante! - smf
L.A. TEACHERS VOTE ON UNION PLAN FOR ONE-DAY STRIKE
by Howard Blume | LA Times/LA Now Blog
April 24, 2009 -- The union representing Los Angeles teachers is organizing for a possible one-day strike next month to protest looming layoffs. The work stoppage would have to be approved by a majority of teachers, who will be able to vote over a several-day period, starting today.
Last week, the Los Angeles Board of Education, by a 4-3 vote, approved a budget package that could result in more than 5,300 job losses, including about 3,500 teachers who lack tenure protection.
"We must act before the layoffs are finalized," states information posted on the web site of United Teachers Los Angeles, which represents teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District. The district "will be making important decisions in the coming weeks as the budget picture becomes more clear. Now is the time to make a strong statement."
The tentative plan would be for teachers to picket outside their schools on the morning of May 15, then meet at one or more central locations for an afternoon rally. Demonstrators would protest against increased class sizes for students as well as the layoffs. Rallies against layoffs--outside of school time--have been taking place across the nation's second-largest school system, including a raucous gathering Thursday night at the Roybal Learning Center, west of downtown.
The union's strategy consciously hearkens back to one-day strikes in 1983 and 1987, which current union leaders credit for helping to win favorable contract terms. Some among UTLA's top echelon, including president A.J. Duffy and vice president Joshua Pechthalt, were notable footsoldiers during an era of activist unionism in the 1980s and early 1990s, which culminated in the teachers strike of 1989.
[see April 12 4LAKids:"Cue the history music please, maestro"]
Regarding this year's layoffs, the union's position is that L.A. Unified still can slash more "fat" from the bureaucracy and also can use more money from arriving federal economic stimulus dollars.
Union leaaders defend a spend-more-now approach by asserting that the money is intended to save jobs and that the current crisis deserves priority.
The district has opted to spread incoming (and temporary) federal aid across two years, because the school system also faces budget woes in 2010-2011. Officials also have taken a more cautious approach in part because the state's fiscal health could continue to deteriorate.
As for the bureaucracy, district officials have so far moved forward with plans to eliminate more than 1,200 positions in the central and regional offices. How much more the district can and should cut remains a subject of debate.
All the key players are working to reduce the number of layoffs, but have different ideas on how to do it. The union has so far rejected district suggestions of wage concessions, but other unions have indicated they might accept unpaid furlough days.
ADMINISTRATORS CHALLENGE L.A. UNIFIED LAYOFF VOTE + ADMINISTRATORS UNION ASKS LAUSD TO RECONSIDER CUTS
● ADMINISTRATORS CHALLENGE L.A. UNIFIED LAYOFF VOTE
Howard Blume |LA Now Blog/LA Times
April 23, 2009 -- Alleging a conflict of interest, the union representing Los Angeles school administrators has demanded a reconsideration of last week's vote approving $596.1 million in budget cuts, The Times has learned. The union, in an April 21 letter from its attorneys, claims that Board of Education member Richard Vladovic improperly voted on the budget plan. Vladovic cast the tie-breaking April 14 vote that approved massive cost-cutting measures by a 4-3 margin.
As a result of the vote, about 3,500 less-experienced, non-tenured teachers could be laid off as well as about 2,000 other employees in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Many others could lose their current, higher-paying jobs in the nation's second-largest school system.
Vladovic voted after recusing himself from deliberating and voting on budget cuts at an earlier meeting because his son, a teacher, was among those facing a possible layoff. But at last week's meeting, Vladovic said he was able to consider the budget package because earlier in the meeting, the school board decided to rescind layoffs notices sent to all tenured teachers, including Vladovic's son. (Vladovic did not participate in the unanimous vote to rescind those layoffs notices.)
But Associated Administrators of Los Angeles contends that Vladovic still should have remained on the sidelines. When Vladovic entered the fray, it created the impression of a "quid pro quo," suggesting that Vladovic's son -- as well as 1,995 other teachers -- were spared at that moment partly to make sure Vladovic would be able to vote on the contentious budget plan. If the motions had been considered in a different order, that is, if the budget package had been considered before the rescinding of layoff notices, Vladovic would not have been able to cast the tie-breaking vote.
Vladovic actually missed the initial roll call. He later explained he was suffering the after-effects of recent food poisoning.
If not for the fact that his vote was needed to break the tie, one union leader later quipped, "Dick would have stayed in the bathroom."
The union declined to release a copy of its letter pending advice from its attorneys, but confirmed its contents this morning. The letter, addressed to L.A. schools Supt. Ramon C. Cortines, threatens legal action if the district does not cancel the earlier vote.
Separately, the teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles, consulted with its attorneys regarding possible legal objections but has opted not to take action. Both unions have denounced the budget package as well as Vladovic's role in its passage. Vladovic's district career includes many years as a teacher and administrator.
Vladovic has insisted throughout that he has simply followed the advice of L.A. Unified attorneys regarding any potential conflict of interest. Before casting his vote, he also asked attorneys whether they could offer legal support for setting aside more funds to prevent layoffs. When they could not, Vladovic cast the tiebreaker.
The employment status of Vladovic's son is complicated.
John Vladovic became a probationary elementary teacher in 2005 and earned his permanent status as an elementary teacher July 1, 2007, according to information provided by the school district. During that period, he taught at City of Angels, an alternative program with many non-traditional locations that serves mostly secondary students. (The younger Vladovic has credentials that allow him to teach both elementary and secondary students, said David Kooper, chief of staff to Richard Vladovic.)
Currently, John Vladovic is taking part in an administrative training program, through which he is serving as an assistant principal at Wilmington Middle School. Richard Vladovic's budget vote in effect demoted many administrators with little seniority, but John Vladovic is classified as an out-of-classroom teacher rather than an administrator despite his current duties.
The elder Vladovic's vote is likely to result in his son returning to the classroom, putting on hold his potential career as a district administrator.
Contacted last week, district general counsel Roberta Fesler declined to state what specific advice board member Vladovic has received. But she added: "I'm confident that there are no legal problems with Dr. Vladovic's actions in abstaining and voting on the matters you reference."
● ADMINISTRATORS UNION ASKS LAUSD TO RECONSIDER CUTS
From staff reports |LA Newspaper Group/Daily Breeze
4/24/09 -- In a letter to the Los Angeles Unified School District this week, an administrators union has asked that the Board of Education reconsider its vote to approve nearly $600 million in cuts.
Associated Administrators of Los Angeles is alleging a conflict of interest on the part of board member Richard Vladovic, who was the swing vote to pass the controversial cuts last week.
Vladovic, a former teacher and administrator who represents the Harbor Area, had recused himself from an earlier vote on sending layoff notices to nearly 2,000 elementary school teachers because his son was among those receiving pink slips.
After the board voted April 14 to rescind those layoff notices, Vladovic was then cleared by district counsel Roberta Fesler to vote the same day on the broader budgetary measures, according to David Kooper, Vladovic's chief of staff.
Along with United Teachers Los Angeles, AALA opposed the board vote, which approved layoff notices for more than 5,000 teachers and administrators. AALA President Michael O'Sullivan said the union believed Vladovic should have remained recused, but stressed there was no effort to embarrass him or his family.
GETTING RID OF `LEMONS' + THE MYTH OF LAZY VETERAN TEACHERS
● GETTING RID OF `LEMONS'
by "Staff Writer" | Daily Breeze
04/25/2009 -- School districts should have power to fire subpar teachers.
No wonder our schools are struggling - you have to rewrite state law just to fire bad teachers.
It's been a sad reality in California's public schools that burned-out, unskilled teachers and administrators stay on the job, or get shuffled from school to school because it's extraordinarily difficult to get rid of them.
In the Los Angeles Unified School District, the shuffling of problem personnel is known around halls and classrooms as the "Dance of the Lemons."
This has always been frustrating for those who want our public schools to succeed. But now, with the pending layoffs of eager, new teachers while poor instructors remain in the classroom, this is just intolerable.
That's why we hope the LAUSD Board of Education moves forward with an effort to change teacher protections in state law so that districts can more easily oust failing teachers.
This week, the board will also consider advocating for changes to legal codes that protect teachers by seniority but give little weight to performance.
"It's about weeding out people who shouldn't be working with our kids," board member Tamar Galatzan told the Los Angeles Daily News.
That makes sense, right? When you lose funding and have to let teachers go, you want to get rid of the worst and keep the best. Yet, current law leaves little room for common sense because it's designed to protect
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teachers above all else.
Certainly, teachers need protection from a bully principal or favoritism and discrimination. But it shouldn't be that hard to craft procedures that protect employees' rights and yet provide administrators a way to fire failing teachers.
Amazingly, school districts do not have the authority to fire a teacher. Instead, teachers targeted for dismissal can take their case to a hearing, where an administrative judge and two school officials make the decision.
That's probably why just 31 teachers in California have been fired in the past five years.
Some 149 LAUSD teachers are awaiting dismissal hearings. In the meantime, they're out of the classroom, but the majority are still getting paid.
How much time and public money is wasted on this long, cumbersome process? We can all agree that teachers have one of the most important jobs in our society. So why are we not more aggressive in removing the bad teachers who diminish the caliber of our schools and make the job more difficult for their colleagues?
Historically, California teachers unions have fought any effort to change teacher protection or seniority laws. They'll probably fight this one, too.
But this is the right time to finally draft a legislative remedy. President Barack Obama has advocated merit pay for teachers, and last month he said that "if a teacher is given a chance, or two chances, or three chances, and still does not improve, there is no excuse for that person to continue teaching."
Likewise, parents of public school children have protested the fact that seniority rules mean new, ambitious probationary teachers are being cut to ensure administrators or less skilled teachers stay on the job.
Perhaps there is finally the public and political will to make these common-sense changes to state law. We shouldn't have to sacrifice good teachers to protect bad ones.
_____________________________
● THE MYTH OF LAZY VETERAN TEACHERS
By Joseph Staub - OpEd in the Daily News
4/26 -- Almost every time the subject of layoffs in the Los Angeles Unified School District comes up, somebody bemoans the idea that enthusiastic, talented young teachers - the "best and the brightest" - are the first to be let go. Meanwhile, lousy, lazy and otherwise unfit teachers stay, protected by their seniority regardless of their ability.
As someone who has served as a master teacher and mentor teacher for California State University, Northridge, Cal State L.A. and Loyola Marymount, I know that perception is largely untrue. It is mostly a fallacy perpetuated by its romantic appeal and political expediency.
When a school district or college officials say they want to attract the "best and brightest," they may be sincere about a sound recruiting policy. However, they're really only talking about the candidates they want. We all know the best candidates don't always make the best teachers.
I have seen dozens of young (and not so young), talented people show up with their shiny new credentials and years of training, only to be dismayed by the difficulty and complexity of a real classroom.
My favorites are the ex-engineers who think because they can build rockets they can teach math and science to a roomful of sixth-graders. Whom do you think reaches out to mentor these new teachers, walking them through their first years, if they last that long? Why, the veteran teachers, of course. You know, those lazy dopes just hanging around until they retire.
This isn't to say there aren't brilliant and dedicated new teachers. There certainly are. But there are also a great many veteran teachers - the 10-, 20-, 30-year types - who are astoundingly good and astonishingly passionate at what they do. New teachers cluster around them - if they're smart - to copy lesson plans, borrow materials, unload stress and soak up knowledge.
But, the argument continues, aren't there also a number of senior teachers who should not be protected by seniority, and who need to be moved out of the profession? Yes, indeed.
And there are mechanisms in place to do just that. It takes a long time, though, I hear some of you saying, shouldn't administrators be able to hire and fire whom they please? Well, perhaps, but consider the assumptions on which this idea is based.
First, it assumes all principals are competent.
Most administrators are talented and committed, in my experience. But in the far too numerous cases where they aren't, do we really want them to have so much influence over the staffing? What kind of teachers do you think an incompetent administrator would hire, or keep?
Second, even when an administrator is competent, it's still a highly political job, especially the principalship.
Too often I have seen a teacher tagged as a "problem" for something completely unrelated to the quality of his or her instruction. Pointing out incompetence, abuse, or fraud, for example, or not being on board with somebody's pet project, or not having their bulletin boards just so.
Third, sometimes you need seniority, and the protection that comes with it, just to do your job.
I know I do. I am a special education teacher, charged with making sure the teaching and other services my students with disabilities receive complies with district policy and state and federal codes.
Many, many times I have had to slug it out with an administrator or other district official (or, to be fair, a parent, or teacher, or bureaucrat, etc.) who just didn't want to go through the time and expense to serve the student in accordance with the law. Now, how could I protect my students if the very people I had to stand up to had complete control over my livelihood? Only tenure allowed me to say and do what was necessary to ensure my students got what they needed and deserved.
Fourth, of course, school districts want young teachers.
They're without the protections mentioned above and cost far less than experienced teachers.
It is no secret that there are many issues to be resolved in the ongoing debates about tenure, layoffs, seniority, and so on. The resolution will be easier if we look past the emotionally charged descriptions of thousands of bright young experts being forced tearfully out of schools, leaving behind only a corps of smug, untalented, unmotivated union hacks.
It just isn't true. It's not even remotely accurate.
Joseph Staub is a teacher and writer in Los Angeles. He may be reached at josephstaub@hotmail.com.
MAYOR: DEEP CUTS WILL ‘KILL EDUCATION IN L.A.’
By George B. Sanchez, Staff Writer | LA Newspaper Group/Daily News
April 22, 2009 - With the leadership of his schools in doubt, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Tuesday sharpened his attack on L.A. Unified plans to layoff nearly 7,000 employees and said the teacher's union needed to make concessions to get the school district through the rough patch.
The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, the 10 LAUSD schools overseen by Villaraigosa and his staff, stands to lose all of its principals and assistant principals - 49 people - as well as 20 percent of its teachers - approximately 200 educators - under the district's cost-cutting plan.
The district faces a deficit expected to reach $1.3 billion over the next three years.
"You cut 4,500 teachers in this town, you're going to kill the reform effort, you're going to kill my Partnership schools and you're going to kill education in L.A.," Villaraigosa told Daily News editors and reporters at an editorial board meeting.
Offering his own solution, Villaraigosa said if district officials implemented a 3 percent district-wide wage cut and further snipped central office staff, it could cover the rest of its massive budget with federal stimulus funds.
The mayor noted that schools in low-income neighborhoods are getting hit especially hard because many of their teachers are new. State seniority laws force teachers with less than two years experience to be dismissed before tenured teachers. As a result, some schools will lose up to 70 percent of their teaching staff, replaced in some cases by administrators or office staff who haven't taught in years.
The disproportionate number of layoffs at poor schools, Villaraigosa suggested, could be grounds for a civil rights lawsuit.
Villaraigosa said it's time to change the law that preserves seniority during layoffs.
"I'm hearing it from teachers everywhere. They're saying `Why should I get thrown under the bus because I'm a new teacher?"'
Renewing his call for shared sacrifice, Villaraigosa said LAUSD's employee unions, particularly United Teachers, Los Angeles, must agree to short-term concessions to get through the current budget crisis.
Villaraigosa insinuated the UTLA leadership is out of touch with its rank and file membership. Stopping short of mentioning UTLA President A.J. Duffy by name, Villaraigosa said teachers union leaders need to end their chest pounding and demagoguery.
Responding to the mayor's call for shared sacrifice, Duffy said teachers sacrifice every day of every week of every year.
"The mayor would serve the community best by pressuring his allies on the board to finally complete the job of cutting all the bureaucratic fat out of the budget," Duffy said.
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest of the Stories from Other Sources
Mammoth CA. Times: ICE CLIMBER HAS FATAL FALL OFF MT. WHITNEY TRAIL.
Friday, April 24, 2009 5:27 PM
Early last Monday morning Dr. Kent Ashcraft, husband of Tenth District PTSA President-elect Ilene Ashcraft - father to Jessica, Matthew, Andrew, Tiffany, Jonathan and Nathaniel Ashcraft - had an accident while climbing with his son Andrew and two friends on the east ice chute of Thor Peak in the Eastern Sierra. Kent was a well known "peak bagger" - a subset of hiking attuned specifically to
May 19th Ballot: NONPARTISAN INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
Thursday, April 23, 2009 9:20 AM
Delaine Eastin: PROPOSITION 1D – THE D STANDS FOR DUMB
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 11:06 PM
By Delaine Eastin – OpEd in the San Francisco Chronicle Wednesday, April 22, 2009 -- The first several generations of Californians were led by visionaries committed to the education of our children. They built the finest public college and university system the world has ever seen, as well as investing generously in K-12 education. California grew rich because the return on our education
LAUSD WANTS TO MAKE FIRING TEACHERS EASIER
Thursday, April 23, 2009 9:22 AM
By George B. Sanchez, Staff Writer | LA Newspaper Group/ Daily News 23 April 2009 -- Embarking on a monumental task that some say is doomed to fail, Los Angeles Unified school officials are taking aim at state laws that make it virtually impossible to fire teachers. Facing unprecedented layoffs, including 3,500 teachers with less than two year's experience, district officials and their allies
FEMALES, MINORITIES FALTER IN CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL EXIT EXAM (CAHSEE) + CALIFORNIA’S EXIT EXAM POLICY; A STUDY IN INEQUITY + more…
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 10:19 PM
THE STUDY: Effects of the California High School Exit Exam on Student Persistence, Achievement, and Graduation Sean F. Reardon, Allison Atteberry, Nicole Arshan - Stanford University, Michal Kurlaender - University of California, Davis April 21st, 2009 The Institute for Research on Education
SCHOOLS LIKE SENDAK FACE UNCERTAINTY
Monday, April 20, 2009 8:59 AM
By Connie Llanos, Staff Writer| los Angeles newspaper Group/daily news April 20, 2009 - NORTH HOLLYWOOD - Four years ago Nancy Oda opened Maurice Sendak Elementary, taking the name of the famed children's author who penned "Where the Wild Things Are," a tale of a rebellious boy with a monstrous imagination. Oda, Sendak's principal, saw the moniker as symbolic of the creative learning
EVENTS: Coming up next week...
►MONDAY, APRIL 27TH, 4:00 p.m: .MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA TOWN HALL MEETING AT WARNER AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AUDITORIUM 615 Holmby Ave, Westwood, CA
Please join the Warner and Westwood Community for a town hall meeting featuring Mayor Villaraigosa who will address the current LAUSD budget crisis and take questions from the audience.
WARNER FAMILY CHILD CARE: The event will be approximately one hour. We prefer children do not attend. There will be 25 spaces graciously donated by STAR for Warner K-1 parents who need this help to attend the event (sign up with icki Feldmar at the Star Office). Further, if required, Warner children in 2nd through 5th grades can play on the playground.
If you have any questions please contact Michael Schlesinger at michael@cambrare.com.
►WEDNESDAY APRIL 29 7PM: MOUNT WASHINGTON PTA BUDGET TOWN HALL WITH LAUSD — with School Boardmember Yolie Flores Aguliar and Chief Financial Officer Megan Riley.
7pm Mount Washington Elementary School
3981 San Rafael Ave, Los Angeles, CA
map/directions to Mt. Washington School: http://4lakidsnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/mount-washington-pta-budget-town-hall.html
►FRIDAY MAY 1: District Meeting: DEMYSTIFYING CHARTER CO-LOCATIONS
This meeting is open to the public to address questions and concerns regarding charter co-locations. Please feel free to forward and invite other school stakeholders.
There will be a panel of District and charter principals sharing their experiences co-locating under Proposition 39.
Friday, May 1, 2009
9‐10:30am
LAUSD Headquarters, Board Room
333 South Beaudry Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Parking is available at the Visconti Lot across from Beaudry. Validations will be provided.
Agenda: http://4lakidsnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/district-meeting-demystifying-charter.html
_____________________________
Thursday Apr 30, 2009
Caroldale Learning Community Library: Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location:
Caroldale Learning Community
22424 Caroldale Ave.
Carson, CA 90745
Thursday Apr 30, 2009
Central Region High School #13 (Taylor Yard): Fun Fence Art Exhibit
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Location:
Central Region High School #13
2050 San Fernando Road
Los Angeles, CA 90065
Thursday Apr 30, 2009
9th Street Elementary School Redevelopment: Community Meeting
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Location:
9th Street Elementary School
820 Towne Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90021
Thursday Apr 30, 2009
South Region Elementary School #9: Pre-Demolition Meeting
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location:
Stanford Elementary School
Multipurpose Room
2833 Illinois Ave.
South Gate, CA 90280
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:
http://www.laschools.org/bond/
Phone: 213-241-5183
____________________________________________________
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:
http://www.laschools.org/happenings/
Phone: 213-893-6800
What can YOU do?
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:
Yolie.Flores.Aguilar@lausd.net • 213-241-6383
Marlene.Canter@lausd.net • 213-241-6387
Tamar.Galatzan@lausd.net • 213-241-6386
Monica.Garcia@lausd.net • 213-241-6180
Julie.Korenstein@lausd.net • 213-241-6388
Marguerite.LaMotte@lausd.net • 213-241-6382
Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net • 213-241-6385
...or your city councilperson, mayor, the governor, member of congress, senator - or the president. Tell them what you really think! • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at mayor@lacity.org • 213.978.0600
• Call or e-mail Governor Schwarzenegger: 213-897-0322 e-mail: http://www.govmail.ca.gov/
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child.
• Register.
• Vote.
| |  |
| Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD. He is immediate past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and represents PTA as Vice-chair on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee. He is a Community Concerns Commissioner, Legislation Team member and a member of the Board of Managers of the California State PTA. He serves on various school district advisory and policy committees and has served a PTA officer and governance council member at three LAUSD schools.
• In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright © 4LAKids.
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
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