In This Issue:  | | • | 14TH ANNUAL PARENT SUMMIT and InfoTECH 2010 | | | • | LOS ANGELES TIMES FESTIVAL OF BOOKS | | | • | ESCALANTE’S SUCCESS LIVES ON: Glimmers of high achievement are still evident on the eastside campus long after the famed math instructor left Garfield | | | • | SPENDING FLEXIBLITY. YES, BUT AT WHOSE EXPENSE? | | | • | 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 is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
– Theodore Roosevelt – from his address “Citizenship in a Republic”, http://bit.ly/9wA10Q delivered in The Sorbonne on April 23, 1910.
The celebrated 'Man in the Arena' passage above calls across the century, a call to arms and an indictment of inaction and a damnation of criticism and cynicism for c+c's sake. Its language is stilted - by not including women it could be labeled misogynistic, sexist or anti-feminist – but to take that path is to wrap oneself in the critic's mantle and slither down the very slippery slope the Roosevelt of 1910 describes!
I recommend reading the speech in it's entirety.http://bit.ly/9wA10Q
It is steeped in what would later be Churchill's 'blood, toil, tears and sweat'– and with plenty of testosterone to boot. In the alchemy of power these elements are best used in moderation – and that may be Roosevelt's subtext. If Kipling realizes/idealizes the fin de siècle Imperial British Democratic Subject, Roosevelt gives us the Franco-American Republican Citizen.
TR touches on many aspects of citizenship in a republic – because I know many 4LAKids readers won't read the suggested assignment entire I'm going to violate the context to touch on the ones about:
PEACE AND WAR: “War is a dreadful thing, and unjust war is a crime against humanity. But it is such a crime because it is unjust, not because it is war.”.
POWER & PROPERTY: “My position as regards the moneyed interests can be put in a few words. In every civilized society property rights must be carefully safeguarded; ordinarily, and in the great majority of cases, human rights and property rights are fundamentally and in the long run identical; but when it clearly appears that there is a real conflict between them, human rights must have the upper hand, for property belongs to man and not man to property.”.
EQUITY & EQUALITY/SOCIALISM & SOCIAL JUSTICE: “But we should not take part in acting a lie any more than in telling a lie. We should not say that men are equal where they are not equal, nor proceed upon the assumption that there is an equality where it does not exist; but we should strive to bring about a measurable equality, at least to the extent of preventing the inequality which is due to force or fraud.” ... “[I]it is foolish to reject a proposal merely because it is advanced by visionaries. If a given scheme is proposed, look at it on its merits, and, in considering it, disregard formulas. It does not matter in the least who proposes it, or why. If it seems good, try it. If it proves good, accept it; otherwise reject it. There are plenty of men calling themselves Socialists with whom, up to a certain point, it is quite possible to work. If the next step is one which both we and they wish to take, why of course take it, without any regard to the fact that our views as to the tenth step may differ. But, on the other hand, keep clearly in mind that, though it has been worth while to take one step, this does not in the least mean that it may not be highly disadvantageous to take the next. It is just as foolish to refuse all progress because people demanding it desire at some points to go to absurd extremes, as it would be to go to these absurd extremes simply because some of the measures advocated by the extremists were wise.”
And the horse we rode in on: EDUCATION: “Let those who have, keep, let those who have not, strive to attain, a high standard of cultivation and scholarship. Yet let us remember that these stand second to certain other things. There is need of a sound body, and even more need of a sound mind. But above mind and above body stands character—the sum of those qualities which we mean when we speak of a man's force and courage, of his good faith and sense of honor. I believe in exercise for the body, always provided that we keep in mind that physical development is a means and not an end. I believe, of course, in giving to all the people a good education. But the education must contain much besides book-learning in order to be really good. We must ever remember that no keenness and subtleness of intellect, no polish, no cleverness, in any way make up for the lack of the great solid qualities. Self-restraint, self-mastery, common sense, the power of accepting individual responsibility and yet of acting in conjunction with others, courage and resolution—these are the qualities which mark a masterful people. Without them no people can control itself, or save itself from being controlled from the outside. I speak to a brilliant assemblage; I speak in a great university which represents the flower of the highest intellectual development; I pay all homage to intellect, and to elaborate and specialized training of the intellect; and yet I know I shall have the assent of all of you present when I add that more important still are the commonplace, every-day qualities and virtues.”
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► This weekend is the LAUSD PARENT SUMMIT: a daylong event on Saturday - April 24th at the Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 South Figueroa, Los Angeles, CA 90015. Schedule an agenda: http://bit.ly/bUP87O
► and the LA TIMES FESTIVAL OF BOOKS; Saturday & Sunday, April 24-25, 2010 at UCLA http://bit.ly/ay2ITD
►Next Week is the CALIFORNIA STATE PTA CONVENTION in Sacramento. http://bit.ly/aA9Vbh
I hope to see everyone at one or the other, A special tip o' th' 4LAKids chapeau (and my heartfelt entreaty to get a life!) to anyone else at all three!
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AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF THE FESTIVAL OF BOOKS let us remember that the current proposed LAUSD budget proposes to eliminate Library Aides in elementary schools ...unless individual schools elect to find the money to keep them! I'm going to go all cynical and call that a cynical attempt to cut the budget in a masquerade of 'local control': “We poor board members & superintendent didn't cut your librarians and close your libraries; you did! We would never do such a thing! Here's not enough money, make it work... but don't fail to meet API/AYP!”
• Sometime really bad ideas - like closing all small schools because thyy're small - just go away; that happened this week.
• The "stop us before we cut again" strategy was used against intermural sports and thye City Section – and the LA sports cartel came together to save those programs this week.
• Who will save libraries and arts programs and music?
There is no more important classroom in a school than the Library. Or the Art Room. Or the Band Room. One must shout 'enough-is-enough' especially when there isn't enough. It's not either/or ...it must be this-and-more.
School libraries are not optional. When we build schools libraries are considered core facilities; to not staff them is as egregious an educational failure as to not put teachers in classrooms.
'Library Aides' is a misnomer; a work-around from previous rounds of sharp-penciled/green eye-shaded contract-compromising, budgeteering and underfunding. Library Aides are nothing less than Elementary School Librarians. They maintain the collections, catalog the books, supervise the library and its budget, work with teachers and children and parents to put books into the hands of young readers. And the content of books into young minds. They are professionals; they teach.
Labor laws are quite explicit – you cannot lay off employees and replace them with 'volunteers' - whether teachers in their 'free time' or parents - no matter how well meaning. The courts will require that back pay be paid to laid off and voluntarily replaced workers. Interest and penalties will be assessed. Libraries without librarians will need to be closed and/or their collections dispersed to classrooms. Large holes will be introduced into the educations of the quite small. Young people will not meet Harry Potter, The Boxcar Children, Henry and Ramona and Beezus; Ishmael and Captains Ahab, Courageous and Underpants. David Copperfield will only be a Vegas magician. The Achievement Gap will widen. The Festival of Books – rather than an Imaginarium of the Possibilities – will become a celebration of another time like the Renaissance Faire.
Gadzooks+Forsooth and Onward/Adelante! -smf
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AccaDeca + CALIFORNIA DISTINGUISHED SCHOOLS: The El Camino Real High School decathletes, representing LAUSD and the State of California is competing in Omaha as this issue goes out. To them we send our high expectations and wishes for good luck and all the right answers.
You are champions.
As are all the California Distinguished School honorees announced this week: Amanecer Primary Center; Antonio Maria Lugo Academy; Arroyo Seco Museum Science Magnet; Camino Nuevo Charter Academy; Celerity Troika Charter; Colfax Avenue Elementary; Crescendo Charter Preparatory West; Franklin Avenue Elementary; Harvard Elementary; Hollywood Primary Center; Kentwood Elementary; Lomita Math/Science Magnet; Madison Elementary; Maywood Elementary; Milagro Charter; Park Western Place Elementary; Plummer Elementary; Reseda Elementary; Robert Hill Lane; Roscomare Road Elementary; Serrania Elementary; Seventh Street Elementary; West Hollywood Elementary; Wonderland Avenue Elementary; Fifty-fourth Street Elementary and 122nd Street Elementary.
14TH ANNUAL PARENT SUMMIT and InfoTECH 2010
This daylong event on April 24th at the Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 South Figueroa, Los Angeles, CA 90015, will serve to engage and inform parents and the community regarding current educational initiatives and programs, family and school partnerships, and District resources. Parents can select from more than 40 different workshops, which will include teaching parents in-home literacy and strategies to support homework, explanations of state and federal legislation, information to assist parents of children with special needs, and information on community resources.
The District's annual InfoTech Conference, showcasing the use of student technology in the classroom, takes place during the morning hours of the Parent Summit. LAUSD teachers throughout the District are expanding student learning with the innovative use of instructional technology. Across subject areas and grade levels, teachers are engaging students with video conferencing, podcasting, interactive white boards, voting devices, animation, web-based applications, and collaborative tools.
Don't miss the opportunity to show your students support. Watch them reveal their enthusiasm for learning.
This year's Parent Summit and InfoTech will also include participation by the Superintendent, members of the Board of Education, and other elected officials.
LOS ANGELES TIMES FESTIVAL OF BOOKS
The annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books will be held Saturday & Sunday, April 24-25, 2010 at UCLA
405 Hilgard Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Map of the Festival: http://bit.ly/bRhahF
Hours
Saturday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books began in 1996 with a simple goal: to bring together the people who create books with the people who love to read them. The festival was an immediate success and has become the largest and most prestigious book festival in the country, attracting more than 130,000 book lovers each year.
WHO ATTENDS THE FESTIVAL? - People of all ages from across Southern California and even other parts of the country. The festival is a free public event, and includes exciting author events, storytelling, cooking demonstrations and poetry readings. The Festival of Books also includes nearly 300 exhibitor booths representing booksellers, publishers, literacy and cultural organizations.
WHO EXHIBITS? - Booksellers, publishers, literacy and cultural organizations sell and promote books and book-related merchandise and distribute related information. Many of the independent booksellers participating in the festival represent the diverse ethnic and cultural communities of Los Angeles and sell books of different languages and genres.
WHO IS SPEAKING AT THE FESTIVAL? - Almost 100 author panels and events planned by the festival programming committee are held indoors in lecture halls. In addition, outdoor readings, storytelling and presentations are held on the Target Children’s Stage, the Los Angeles Times Stage, the Cooking Stage, the Etc. Stage, the YA Stage and the Poetry Stage. Authors’ discussions and readings will cover diverse interests including fiction, science, biography, politics, and more.
HOW CAN I ATTEND AN AUTHOR EVENT? -Please refer to the 2010 Festival of Books program guide, which will be published in The Times on Sunday, April 18, 2010, or click here for more ticketing info.
HOW CAN I ATTEND ONE OF MANY OUTDOOR EVENTS? - These events are free and have open seating, available on first-come, first-served basis.
WILL I HAVE A CHANCE TO HAVE ONE OF MY BOOKS SIGNED? - The festival committee plans almost 100 panel discussions and readings, featuring nearly 450 authors. All Festival of Books authors are asked to remain after their event(s) for at least one hour to sign copies of their books at official festival book-signing areas. The books of each festival author signing in the Los Angeles Times Signing Areas are available for sale at the signing areas, and you may purchase these books while in line to get your books signed.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE FOR CHILDREN? - The outdoor Target Children’s Stage will feature storytelling and readings for children. The YA Stage features panels and talks for teens and tweens. There are dozens of booths featuring children’s books, toys and art. In addition, there will be several activities coordinated by educational and cultural groups and costumed characters on the festival grounds. No tickets are required for these events.
SCHEDULE INFORMATION: SATURDAY
Target's Children Stage
Carl Reiner, author of "Tell Me a Silly Story," at 11 a.m.
Bernadette Peters, author of "Stella Is a Star!," at 12:40 p.m.
Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary fame, author of several books, including "Puff, the Magic Dragon," at 1:25 p.m.; also Sunday at noon
Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver, authors of "Hank Zipzer: A Brand-New Me! No. 17," at 2:40 p.m.
Shawn and Marlon Wayans, authors of "Sneaker Madness" and "The Boo Crew," at 3:25 p.m.
Los Angeles Times Stage
Melissa Rivers, author of "Red Carpet Ready: Secrets for Making the Most of Any Moment You're in the Spotlight," at 10:30 a.m.
Todd Bridges, author of "Killing Willis: From Diff'rent Strokes to the Mean Streets to the Life I Always Wanted," at 11:30 a.m.
Jeff Ross, author of "I Only Roast the Ones I Love," at 2:30 p.m.
Louis Gossett Jr., author of "An Actor and a Gentleman," at 3:30 p.m.
Ackerman Grand Ballroom
Carol Burnett in conversation with The Times' Mary McNamara, at 2:30 p.m.
Cooking Stage
Alicia Silverstone, author of "The Kind Diet," at 3:30 p.m.
Poetry Stage
Amber Tamblyn reads from "Bang Ditto" at noon
SUNDAY
Target Children's Stage
John Carter Cash, author of "Daddy Loves His Little Girl," at 12:35 p.m.
Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete, authors of "My Brother Charlie," at 12:55 p.m.
Los Angeles Times Stage
Buzz Aldrin, author of "Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home From the Moon," at 11 a.m.
Sarah Silverman, author of "The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee," at noon
Daisy Fuentes, author of "Unforgettable You: Master the Elements of Style, Spirituality, and True Beauty," at 1 p.m.
Pam Grier, author of "Foxy: My Life in Three Acts," at 2 p.m.
Victoria Rowell, author of "Secrets of a Soap Opera Diva," at 3 p.m.
Cooking Stage
Trisha Yearwood, singer and author of "Home Cooking With Trisha Yearwood," at 2 p.m.
TICKETS & ADMISSION
General attendance is free!
For information on attending, see our Attendee FAQ. http://bit.ly/cdKNh7
Tickets are required for all Festival of Books indoor panel and speaker sessions. Tickets for the 2010 Festival of Books will become available on Sunday, April 18, 2010, at noon through Ticketmaster.com for a nominal fee of $1 per ticket.
PARKING
Parking on the UCLA campus is $10.
Free shuttle bus services will connect the outlying UCLA parking lots with the main festival entrances. Effective January 1, 2010, visitors to the UCLA campus who use a Department of Motor Vehicles issued disabled person (DP) placard or license plate to park on campus will be required to pay a $3 daily parking permit fee.
ESCALANTE’S SUCCESS LIVES ON: Glimmers of high achievement are still evident on the eastside campus long after the famed math instructor left Garfield
By Paul Aranda Jr., EGP Staff Writer | Eastside Sun / Northeast Sun / Mexican American Sun / Bell Gardens Sun / City Terrace Comet / Commerce Comet / Montebello Comet / Monterey Park Comet / ELA Brooklyn Belvedere Comet / Wyvernwood Chronicle / Vernon Sun
April 22, 2010 -- With the recent passing of Jaime Escalante, Garfield High School paused to honor its past as it finalizes reform efforts to capitalize on the momentum the famed calculus teacher brought to the school decades ago.
Escalante rose to prominence after developing a nationally recognized math department at a school known more for its poverty-riddled community than its academic programs.
The success Garfield once achieved serves as an example of the challenges faced at most inner city high schools, how to translate the accomplishments of a small group of high achievers to the larger student body.
When the Los Angeles Unified School District board voted to adopt a progressive reform initiative late last summer, much of the debate focused on the low scores of those schools on the State’s Annual Performance Index.
Garfield was often at the epicenter of contentious community meetings as the district implemented its Public School Choice initiative. Yolie Flores, Garfield’s board representative and initiative sponsor, received a harsh reception at a campus town hall in August 2009. Opponents of the initiative mislabeled it as a “privatization” of public schools. Flores was accused of being an absentee representative who focused on the school’s negative data to promote the initiative. Partly because its already low API score fell three points to 594 in 2009, Garfield became eligible for outside takeover under the initiative.
On February 23, the board rejected a Montebello Unified School District proposal to take over Garfield. The MUSD proposal was based on the success of its high schools that serve students of similar demographics.
Instead, a Garfield focus team comprised of administrators and faculty was allowed to maintain control of the school although the decision was made with reservations as the plan was returned for further revisions. An application to run a separate Green Architectural Design Academy already on campus was also approved.
Since the February vote, Jose Huerta has taken over as Garfield’s principal after its former top administrator, Michael Summer, resigned around the same time the school’s initial application was made public.
While much of the focus is placed on Garfield’s low API, there are signs of high achievement on campus.
Recent figures show the school’s performance on the Advance Placement exams are within range of the district average. The rate of Garfield students who took and received a passing grade on the AP exams mirrors those of a local school that annually scores much higher on the State’s API. According to State education data, in 2007-2008, the latest figures available, nearly 38 percent of AP exam takers at Garfield received a passing score. Of the 416 AP exams taken, 156 received a score of either a 4 or 5, the highest scores possible.
Those numbers are similar to those of Eagle Rock High School in northeast Los Angeles. With a 2009 API of 717, Eagle Rock is the highest-rated public school in the greater East Los Angeles region. According to the State’s 2007-2008 data, 39 percent of Eagle Rock’s AP exam takers received a passing score. Of the 471 AP exams taken, 186 received a score of either a 4 or 5. The districts passage rate is 44 percent. EGP was unable to find a statistical breakdown on the AP exams of public schools, compared to charter and magnet schools that can generally produce higher scores as a result of their campus enrichment programs.
In another example of success for some Garfield students, the school’s academic decathlon team reached the statewide competition in February for the ninth time in the past 13 years after it finished in a three-way tie for first in the district’s annual academic decathlon tournament. The young team featured only one returning student after seven seniors from the 2009 squad graduated. That team beat-out 47 other California schools to finish 13.
The school’s AP exam passage rates and the annual success of its decathlon team shows Garfield can still produces academic achievement comparable to its once nationally recognized AP Calculus program. Several fundamental changes create the potential to expand that achievement to the rest of the student body. Garfield’s student population is expected to drop from 4,500 in 2009-2010 to approximately 3,000 in 2010-2011 with the opening of the Esteban Torres Learning Center. As a result, Garfield will move from a three-track, year-around schedule to a traditional one-track schedule. Overcrowding has long been an issue of many inner city schools as they struggled to stretch thin resources to all its students. Furthermore, the Garfield reform plan calls for the school to be divided into six small learning centers designed to allow even more focus on individual students.
With changes for its future looming, the Garfield community gathered Saturday to remember its past at the East Los Angeles College football stadium. Hundreds of current students, alumni and school employees gathered to celebrate Escalante’s legacy with a public memorial on April 17. A stable of public officials took turns to not only praise Escalante for his success as a math instructor, but to rally support for all teachers.
Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger called Escalante a personal hero for his ability to inspire students beyond his classroom.
“He did not teach a subject,” Schwarzenegger said. “He made it a gift to create a curiosity to want to learn more.”
County Supervisor Gloria Molina urged all teachers and students to use Escalante’s legacy as motivation to improve the current state of education.
“It is the imprint of Jaime Escalante that we can do better,” Molina said. “We can move up to a standard and then move that standard further.
With so much of the current discussions on education focused on budget cuts and teacher layoffs, at least one former Garfield teacher called it an exciting time for educators. For one year, Norma De La Pena taught at Garfield alongside Escalante. She said the stories on the success of Escalante’s pupils serve as an example for today’s students.
Now a professor at Los Angeles Trade Tech College, De La Pena called the current era a positive one for those teachers motivated to pursue the kind of ideas that she advocated for years ago as a high school instructor.
“It’s a good time in terms of change,” De La Pena said. She called the inclusion of teachers in the School Choice initiative progress from her and Escalante’s era when they were only expected to carry out district-centered curriculums. A retired LAUSD teacher and former UTLA member, she credited the increase in charter schools as another educational option for both students and teachers.
“The charters are encouraging the system to acknowledge the need for change,” she said. With that she added that the district must be cautious as it moves forward on reforms concerning teacher accountability. “As a teacher, sometimes we are placed in a situation where we are limited to what we can do,” she said. “I am not in support of saying it’s just the teacher’s fault. We can’t just blame the teachers.”
For at least one Saturday morning, all teachers, along with Escalante, were publicly celebrated for their efforts to instill knowledge in the next generation.
“What we should do,” Schwarzenegger said, “is reach out and say thank you to any teacher you run into.”
Actor Edward James Olmos who portrayed Escalante in the 1988 film “Stand and Deliver” followed Schwarzenegger’s speech by repeatedly thanking Escalante’s family for their sacrifice. “We need to thank the families of all teachers,” Olmos said.
Prior to the memorial, Olmos told EGP that the young and future teachers should not see their role diminished based on the current education climate.
“Education has always been in turmoil,” Olmos said. “The most important people on this planet are teachers…I don’t know one president, one pope, one basketball player, astronaut or engineer who did it without a teacher.”
SPENDING FLEXIBLITY. YES, BUT AT WHOSE EXPENSE?
by John Fensterwald, The Educated Guess | http://bit.ly/bnn5Md
April 23, 2010 - In slashing education spending over the past two years, Gov. Schwarzenegger and the Legislature have given school districts more authority to choose how to spend their dwindling dollars. Sacramento has untied the strings on many “categorical programs” – those funded for specific purposes, such as buying textbooks and teaching civics education.
But, to an extent, equity has been sacrificed for flexibility: In many districts, programs primarily benefiting low-income, minority students – summer school, high school exit exam tutoring, community day schools – have been sacrificed to prevent further layoffs and keep the lights on for everyone.
Now there’s an opportunity to really get it right.
Democratic co-sponsors Sens. Alan Lowenthal and Gloria Romero are proposing SB 1396, a three-year pilot program to give three districts latitude over most remaining categorical programs, with Lowenthal’s home district, Long Beach Unified, a likely participant. Programs that would be freed up for general use would include home-to-school transportation, foster youth programs, AVID (counseling and activities for college-aspiring low-income students), child nutrition and class-size reduction, which many districts have abandoned already.
Last year, the governor and legislators gave district pretty much free reign when they mixed categoricals with general spending. School boards are supposed to vote on the use of the former categorical money and invite public comment. But the state’s not keeping track on how and for whom the dollars are being spent.
SB 1396 would be an improvement. The three chosen districts would have to show that they have used the money to improve student performance, close the achievement gap and increase college entrance rates and preparation for careers. Half of district teachers and half of parents surveyed would have to approve participating in the program. And some of the money from Economic Impact Aid, one of the categorical programs, would have to be dedicated to helping English learners.
Debate over weighted student spending
But are general promises enough? Two years ago, before the recession hit hard, the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Education Excellence recommended eliminating categorical spending and using the money to move to weighted student funding, a system that appropriates more money for low-income and English learners. That’s what Public Advocates, a nonprofit law firm and advocacy organization, favors for SB 1396. Districts would still have flexibility under Public Advocates’ approach, but they’d have to spend more money on children for whom the categoricals were targeted in the first place.
Public Advocates has a point.
The bill was passed by the Senate Education Committee 7-0 this week but faces opposition from the California Teachers Association, in part because the union wants to see class-size reduction money preserved.
Long Beach Unified is recognized as one of the state’s best run districts, with good data systems to track student progress. But with a severe money crunch, administrators and board trustees will face intense pressure to divert money intended for low-income kids to shore up other programs.
SB 1396 offers the districts the chance to be innovative and free of paperwork and regulations. If the district is committed to closing the achievement gap, then it should be willing to commit freed-up money to the students being left behind.
By John Fensterwald on April 23rd, 2010
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest of the Stories from Other Sources
from The Times: CAPISTRANO TEACHERS STRIKE, COLLEGE DEGREE IN 3 YEARS, UC+CSU SHOULD ADMIT MORE (Not Less) STUDENT... http://bit.ly/bfQ3DT
Report :: HIGHER EDUCATION IN CALIFORNIA: New Goals for the Master Plan: Hans Johnson for the Public Policy Instit... http://bit.ly/9Kas4C
ESCALANTE’S SUCCESS LIVES ON: Glimmers of high achievement are still evident on the eastside campus long after the... http://bit.ly/dmTliu
LAUSD SCHOOL IN JEOPARDY OF NOT BEING ACCREDITED: By Connie Llanos, Staff Writer | LA Daily News April 22 -- Lo... http://bit.ly/bBZkn2
FRANK McCOURT HELPS LAUSD CLOSE SPORTS FUNDING GAP: Dodgers owner is part of a team providing funds to maintain sp... http://bit.ly/d0tNJf 1
ENVIRONMENTAL FIRM ACCUSED OF “EGREGIOUS” OVERCHARGING OF L.A. UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT + smf's 2¢: by Howard Blume... http://bit.ly/bVGor4
LAUSD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AMONG ‘BEST OF THE BEST’: 27 LAUSD Schools Recognized as 2010 California Distinguished S... http://bit.ly/9Tbikg 1
4/21-Today’s News: ADMINISTRATORS APPROVE CONTRACT WITH SHORTENED YEAR, SCHWARZENEGGER ANNOUNCES LEGISLATION LIMIT... http://bit.ly/aG8pOo
TODAY IS DENIM DAY IN LAUSD & THE USA: Wednesday April 21, 2010 - Eighteen years ago a convicted rapist was... http://bit.ly/9Ebz29
SAN DIEGO USD IS A MODEL FOR BREAKFAST FIRST CAMPAIGN: By Maureen Magee, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER Joh... http://bit.ly/cio9RQ
NEEDLE POKE TURNS INTO A BIG PROBLEM AT L.A. CHARTER SCHOOL: Parents of a 6-year-old student at Goethe Internation... http://bit.ly/d0jzO6
LAUSD BOARD MEMBERS AUTHORIZE $200 MILLION FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS: By Connie Llanos Staff Writer | LA Daily News 04... http://bit.ly/9vBYhb
HUNDREDS OF LAUSD TEACHERS NOT FULLY CERTIFIED: David Goldstein CBS2 Reporting -- Is your child's teacher fully... http://bit.ly/d7ONho
from California State PTA: SIGNATURES NEEDED FOR PARCEL TAX INITIATIVE - Only two weeks left to collect signatures... http://bit.ly/bII337 1
WriteGirl – JUMPSTARTING THE MUSE: Helping girls write their way to more positive futures (+ save the date!): From... http://bit.ly/9xgPYN
U.C. BOOSTS OUT-OF-STATE FRESHMAN ADMISSIONS, CUTS RESIDENTS + ESCALANTE MEMORIAL: UC a tougher bet this year for ... http://bit.ly/cuQP2w
EVENTS: Coming up next week...
Save the Dates
WriteGirl FUNDRAISER :: WriteGirl gets Fancifull!
Friday, May 7th, 7:00- 9:00 pm
5617 Melrose Avenue @ Gower St.
Hollywood, CA 90038 | http://bit.ly/bXDMgS
FREE CONCERT: Tonight Show Bandleader Kevin Eubanks and LAUSD student musicians will perform a free concert at 2 p.m. Sunday June 6 at the Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood.
*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: 213-241.8700
What can YOU do?
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:
Yolie.Flores.Aguilar@lausd.net • 213-241-6383
Tamar.Galatzan@lausd.net • 213-241-6386
Monica.Garcia@lausd.net • 213-241-6180
Marguerite.LaMotte@lausd.net • 213-241-6382
Nury.Martinez@lausd.net • 213-241-6388
Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net • 213-241-6385
Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net • 213-241-6387
...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.
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE.
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE.
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT.
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