A budget solution/An inconvenience of Democracy/LACCD/RockOn!

4LAKids: Sunday 27•Feb•2011 In This Issue: • "The petition is materially non-qualifying and …insufficient": COMPTON SCHOOL BOARD REJECTS PARENT TRIGGER EFFORT • ONCE-MIGHTY UTLA LOSES POLITICAL MUSCLE • TAFT HIGH PARENTS OBJECT TO DISTRICT’S OFFER TO SHARE SPACE WITH CHARTER: A school board member suggests residents file suit to block the move • UNIONS AND QUALITY SCHOOLING • 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: • Follow 4 LAKids on Twitter - or get instant updates via text message by texting "Follow 4LAKids" to 40404 • PUBLIC SCHOOLS: an investment we can't afford to cut! - The Education Coalition Website • 4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved! • 4LAKidsNews: a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc. Last week I went off on this - and this week I'm going there again ...but this time I am proposing a solution! There is much talk in-and-outside the District on using school bond funds to infill for the Budget shortfall. The easy+legal answer is you can't. I had a discussion this week on this with folks from the County Office of Education - The law is clear: Using bond funds to pay payroll can't be done. No way, no how. School board member Galatzan in her weekly e-newsletter writes:"As your Board Member, I cannot increase the State's funding for our schools; I cannot single-handedly impose cost-saving measures with our unions OR CHANGE THE LANGUAGE IN THE BOND MEASURES to free up money." http://bit.ly/hPitiH (emphasis added) I responded: "Democracy being democracy, the single handed part is out of your hands. And it isn't the bond language that stops bond funds from being used to fill the General Fund shortfall - but the California Constitution and Government Standard Accounting Practices -. which creates a firewall between operating and capital funding." "There is, however ," I wrote to her, "...a strategy that can work and is all quite legal" I have given some thought to this dilemma over time; I am interested in shoring up the District's general fund finances. I've talked to people who know what they're talking about.. HERE IS WHAT THE BOARD OF ED COULD DO IF IT POSSESSED THE VISION AND POLITICAL WILL: It would require going back to the voters in a two step process. STEP ONE: Measure Q would go back to the voters for reduction from $6 billion to another number - my suggestion would be half: SHALL THE AMOUNT OF THE BONDED INDEBTEDNESS CREATED BY MEASURE Q (2008) BE REDUCED TO $3 BILLION? - This would free up the ability of LAUSD to borrow additional money by reducing the cap caused by the drop in the property tax base and the $6 billion burden imposed by Measure Q. I believe it it would take a 55% vote to make this change.(The board merely promising not to spend the money would not be enough - the obligation and burden would continue to exist unless the reduction is presented-to and approved-by the voters.) STEP TWO: There would appear on the same ballot an ad-valarem property tax to generate temporary emergency operations revenue to support the District's General Fund ...to be implemented only if Part 1 passes. This would require a two-thirds vote. - but could be presented-to and approved-by the voter/taxpayers as a re-purposing of property tax obligations/bonded indebtedness rather than an increase. Part of this is cosmetic, showing good faith by the District to relieve the voter/taxpayer; part of it shows fiscal and political reality in a down economy. It is borrowing from Peter to pay Paul with the mutual concurrence of Peter and Paul. The danger - if it is one - would be that Part One could pass and Part Two fail. Perhaps a clever attorney could write language that inextricably ties the implementation of the two parts together - I'm not sure. THE CAVEAT IS POLITICAL. Raises beyond COLA in anyone's salary should be off the table. Adequate funding for M&O and Safety needs to be guaranteed. - not guaranteeing jobs but guaranteeing adequate maintenance and cleanliness of facilities and the safety of children. There needs to be a separate Independent Oversight Committee for the new operations funding. Support - if any - of charter schools needs to be clear and defined - if they wish to participate they need to be accountable. Benchmarks and accountability and a plan for everyone must be in place. ON FRIDAY LAUSD AND THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS QUIETLY ANNOUNCED THE RESULTS OF THE PARENT/COMMUNITY ADVISORY VOTES ON WHO SHOULD OPERATE THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE SCHOOLS "UP FOR GRABS UNDER PSC 2.0 The results as published by the LWV - and the league's review of the process is here: http://bit.ly/he2t5a. In short the LWV finds voter turn-out disappointing, some flaws in the process - and a little too much electioneering at the polls ...plus a short list of site-specific complaints. The LWV is kind - if one goes back to the LWV report on PSC 1.0 by the [http://scr.bi/gpDX7h] one can compile a long list of recommendations by the league to improve the voting process and not implemented by the not-disinterested PSC folks at LAUSD. Families in Schools, hired by the district and funded by grants from Gates/Broad/etc. to evaluate the process is harsher in their judgment here: http://bit.ly/iavuma - and advises getting rid of the advisory votes on PSC as a failed experiment because of the low turnout and reported irregularities. . Families in Schools mission is purported to be to encourage increased parent involvement - yet they recommend terminating the only parent/community participation in the process - the one place where the parents, community and taxpayers participate in the "choice" of Public School Choice. The advisory votes are also the only "Public" part of the process; all other decision-making being made by various appointed panels, the superintendent and the Board of Ed. When one reviews the vote outcomes over both PSC 1.0 and 2.0 it shows a general (though not universal) rejection by the voters of charter schools - especially corporate ones run by charter management organizations. That is NOT the desired outcome of the Gates/Broad/Villaraigosa sponsors of PSC and FIS. Failure to get out the vote does not prove a failure of the democratic process, but a lack of effort in getting out the word. Democracy is neither convenient nor pretty. Or easy to manage. It's just better than anything else anyone else has come up with. Quoting Churchill quoting someone else: "It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried." The Article: BILLIONS TO SPEND: WASTE THROWS WRENCH INTO LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY COLLEGES’ MASSIVE PROJECT | http://bit.ly/eGCL1d - is part one of a six-part/ week-long series of reports on the LACCD building program in the LA Times.. The articles are too long to place in 4LAKids/4LAKidsNews in their entirety - but are critically important. As I amthe lead plaintiff in a pending lawsuit alleging wrongdoing in the LACCD building program and in the governance of the community college district 4LAKids is not going to opine any further. But it is strongly suggested 4LAKids readers read on and become familiar with this story. Part 1: THE PRICE OF POOR PLANNING, WEAK OVERSIGHT - A pattern of chaotic management, costly blunders and hiring of relatives emerges from interviews and thousands of pages of internal e-mails.| http://bit.ly/eGCL1d Part 2: A FAILING GRADE FOR A NEW SCIENCE COMPLEX - Crooked cabinet doors, faulty plumbing and a lack of temperature controls mar Valley College's health and science complex. Newly opened, it needed extensive repairs.| http://lat.ms/edlshp Coming Thursday - Part 3: NEEDLESS LAYERS ADD MILLIONS TO STAFFING COSTS - Some contractors have been paid generously to serve as "body shops" for staffers supervised by others. The resulting markups have doubled, even tripled, taxpayers' costs. Coming Friday - Part 4: NEW TRACK AND FIELD CAN'T GET TO THE FINISH LINE - City College, with a legacy of excellence in sports, spent millions to replace aging athletic venues. Yet students are still waiting for a new physical education center, track and field. Coming Saturday - Part 5: A FAMILY FIRM GETS ITS SHARE - A Mission College vice president helped oversee the construction program. Among the subcontractors on her campus was a company she owned with her husband. Coming Saturday - Part 6: A COSTLY LESSON IN THE LIMITS OF GREEN ENERGY - The college system would generate all its own electricity through solar panels and other green technology. It was an alluring vision, but gravely flawed. The article CARSON HIGH ACA DECA TAKES HOME THE GOLD from the Carson High Trailblazer brings the excitement and sheer joy of the Academic Decathlon completion to the reader …that is good journalism! Carson didn’t win the city, state or national championship - but they competed and they excelled and they rock! I do not doubt for a second that they well move up in the standings next year – that Carson can again be known for academics + athletics. Rock on! ¡Onward/Adelante! - smf "The petition is materially non-qualifying and …insufficient": COMPTON SCHOOL BOARD REJECTS PARENT TRIGGER EFFORT A UNANIMOUS VOTE BY THE COMPTON SCHOOL BOARD REJECTS MCKINLEY ELEMENTARY PARENTS' PETITION SEEKING TO TURN THE STRUGGLING CAMPUS OVER TO A CHARTER OPERATOR. By Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/h0LdOw McKinley Elementary Children play at McKinley Elementary in Compton, where parents petitioned to turn the school over to a charter operator. The school board has rejected the petition. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times / December 7, 2010) February 23, 2011 -- After two months of controversy, the Compton school board Tuesday rejected a petition by parents aiming to use a groundbreaking state law to turn over their struggling elementary school to a charter operator. Board members with the Compton Unified School District voted unanimously, 7-0, to return the petition to parents at McKinley Elementary , saying it failed to include information required by state regulations. District officials also found that parents cited the wrong education code section and failed to provide evidence that they had selected their desired charter operator, Celerity Educational Group, after a "rigorous review process" as required by state emergency regulations. "The petition is materially non-qualifying and is being returned as insufficient," the board found. McKinley parents, whose school ranks in the bottom 10th among all California elementary schools, expressed outrage over the board action at the packed school board meeting. "I'm very angry and disappointed because they threw away our petitions and destroyed our dreams for a better education for our children," said Marlene Romero, whose third-grade son attends McKinley. But other parents and teacher union representatives spoke out against the petition, saying the school is making progress. The closely watched case represented the first test of a new law giving parents the power to petition for major reforms of low-performing schools, including shutting them down, changing staff and programs, and turning the campus over to a charter operator. Charters are independently run, publicly financed schools. Under the law, valid signatures representing parents of half the school's students are required to trigger the reforms. In Compton, the petition campaign was organized by Parent Revolution, a Los Angeles-based educational reform group and charter school ally. The group said it submitted parent signatures for 275 of 438 McKinley students, or 62%. Ben Austin, executive director of the Parent Revolution, said the group would challenge the action in court and that the board "has decided to throw away the futures of McKinley's children." But the petition campaign was plagued by charges and countercharges of deceit, harassment and lies and created bitter campus divisions. The district drew fire — and a class-action lawsuit — for requiring parents to verify their signatures in person with photo identification. More than 60 parent supporters refused to participate in the process and won a temporary restraining order barring the district from continuing those requirements. It is unclear how the board's decision to reject the petition will affect that legal action. Compton officials reported Tuesday that they were unable to verify parent signatures representing 50% of the 442 students they said were officially enrolled at McKinley at the time the petition was submitted Dec. 7. The district said it could confirm only 250 of the 275 students named on the petition as actually enrolled at the time. Among those students, district officials found potential problems with the parent signatures for more than 70. In 26 cases, the district had no school records to compare the signatures of the petitioner and the parent of record. In 29 cases, the signatures "appear to be inconsistent" with the school file, the district said. In addition, eight signatures belonged to someone other than the student's legal parent or guardian, and 10 parents indicated they would not participate in the district's verification process. ONCE-MIGHTY UTLA LOSES POLITICAL MUSCLE IN A SERIES OF MISSTEPS, THE TEACHERS UNION HAS LOST INFLUENCE IN L.A. UNIFIED ELECTIONS AND IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH BOARD MEMBERS BACKED BY MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA. By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/i0o6Fm February 18, 2011, 9:47 p.m. [Published Feb 20 ]- Critics portray the Los Angeles teachers union as politically all-powerful, able to swing elections and exert control over the Board of Education in the nation's second-largest school system. But in recent years United Teachers Los Angeles hasn't lived up to that reputation. It's been eight years since UTLA backing put a candidate on the Board of Education in a race in which another contender also had strong financial support. And this year, the union has quietly given up on reclaiming a majority of allies on the seven-member Board of Education in the March 8 election. This concession is noteworthy: When union-backed candidates win, especially when they prevail because of union support, UTLA gains a sympathetic ear. And there are implied political consequences for board members who stop listening. But insiders and civic leaders, both pro- and anti-UTLA, describe the union as an organization that has lost clout at the ballot box as well as in the day-to-day proceedings of the backrooms and the board room. "When I read 'the powerful teachers union,' I think: What powerful teachers union?" said Becki Robinson, a UTLA vice president from 1996 to 2002 who remained active in the union until her retirement two years ago. "I don't believe that the current UTLA has any political influence in the district at all. It is completely 180 degrees from what it used to be." Interviews with board members suggest that the empathy and intimidation factor have ebbed. "There's definitely not a majority of the board that puts UTLA in the middle of every conversation or is concerned about needing to consult with them or get their blessing," said a board member who spoke on condition of anonymity, having no desire to offend even a diminished union. "Most of us roll our eyes when things come up with UTLA because they're less and less influential in the conversations we're having." Some civic leaders have countered UTLA's influence by raising massive campaign funds for their own competing slates of candidates. But they could harness only modest grassroots, volunteer help compared to the potential army of ground support from thousands of teachers that UTLA commands. And yet UTLA's opponents have frequently prevailed in the wake of union gaffes and strategic errors. Recently, union officials withdrew support for two candidates after learning about indiscretions in their past that the candidates failed to disclose and that incomplete background checks failed to uncover. Both of them, Jesus Escandon and John Fernandez, still will appear on the ballot, although Escandon has abandoned his campaign. The union remains active in two contests, supporting incumbent Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte and opting this month for retired teacher Bennett Kayser in the race for the one board seat not filled by an incumbent. Union President A.J. Duffy delivered a less than resounding call to arms. "We believe there are some reasonable moderates on the board that quite often hold views that we do, but who feel that there is a board majority that is very powerful," Duffy said. "If we could get some other moderates on the board we could influence the current group of moderates." Barring an upset, the largest bloc on the school board will remain generally allied with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a former UTLA organizer who has become a strong critic of the teachers union. He has backed three candidates — considered to be favorites — and helped raise more than $1.5 million for an independent committee working to elect them. The Villaraigosa-backed board has passed key measures opposed by the teachers union. Early on, it delivered control of Locke High to a charter school organization. Overall, the board has approved dozens of nonunion, startup charters. And last year the school board began allowing outside groups to bid for control of new campuses and low-performing ones as well. The board also has approved a succession of ground-shifting policies affecting teachers' evaluations. And the district recently agreed to weaken long-held "last hired, first fired" safeguards to protect many younger teachers from being laid off due to budget cuts. As in many school systems, the teachers union was, for years, the most influential political force in L.A. Unified. The union's clout has been based on financial strength and sheer, often impassioned numbers; teachers also appealed successfully to public sympathies. In 2003, a union-financed campaign unseated board members Caprice Young and Genethia Hayes. They had been leaders among a board majority endorsed by former Mayor Richard Riordan, billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad and their allies. The new board majority immediately clashed at times with then-Supt. Roy Romer. "I love the people in the union, but I thought they had undue influence," Romer said. "They have influence through the money they contributed in the board races and the organization they had. During board meetings, I had board members in direct phone or e-mail connection with union members in the audience. I remember going to a labor negotiation and there were two board members sitting on the other side with the labor group. Symbolically, it was startling." In 2005, a group of longtime insurgents, allied with Duffy, took charge of the union. They intended to mobilize the political force of the union as never before. It hasn't happened. One embarrassing incident occurred in the 2006 election to fill a vacated seat. The union had endorsed its own youthful staffer, Christopher Arellano, and launched a campaign that spent more than $100,000. The union later learned about two past theft convictions, missed court appearances and the claim of a master's degree that was, in fact, not yet completed. The collapse of his campaign opened the door for Monica Garcia, who became — and remains — the first and tightest ally of Villaraigosa. In 2007, the union reelected LaMotte, but lost three other seats to a Villaraigosa-backed campaign. In that cycle, the union backed one unsuccessful incumbent who was dying of cancer and couldn't mount an energetic campaign. And the leadership resisted efforts to oppose Villaraigosa-financed candidates in two races that political consultants judged winnable. In one of them, the UTLA leadership had helped to nudge a relatively popular incumbent, David Tokofsky, to the sidelines. "They have this reputation of being like Godzilla, but at times, they're really like The Three Stooges," said Tokofsky, who has nonetheless continued to work with the union during a subsequent career as a consultant. Union leaders and their supporters insist that UTLA has made crucial contributions to improving schools and retains valuable political clout. Indeed, no one is ready to write off UTLA's influence. For one thing, key reform initiatives and budget cutting measures must, by law, be negotiated with the union. "The union's power relationship with the board is not what it used to be," board member Yolie Flores said. "But you can't ignore the union or discount the legitimate power of teachers that it represents. And we're obviously conscious that we can't solve any of this by ourselves." Times staff writer Jason Song contributed to this report. TAFT HIGH PARENTS OBJECT TO DISTRICT’S OFFER TO SHARE SPACE WITH CHARTER: A school board member suggests residents file suit to block the move AT A TOWN HALL MEETING, PARENTS SAID THEY HAD NO DESIRE TO SHARE THE SCHOOL'S FACILITIES WITH IVY ACADEMIA. THE DISTRICT HAD OFFERED TO TURN OVER 24 CLASSROOMS TO THE CHARTER By Bob Pool, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/eOS8Qy February 22, 2011 - A District trustee has advised Woodland Hills residents that they may have to sue the school system if they want to block 600 charter school pupils from being sent to Taft High. Board member Steven Zimmer's suggestion came as hundreds of parents and students crowded into Taft's multipurpose room last week to protest the district's offer to turn over 24 of the high school's classrooms to Ivy Academia. Ivy Academia's operators would send pupils in grades 6 through 12 to the west San Fernando Valley high school under the tentative offer. "Ivy believes with an almost religious fervor that they have a right to be on a LAUSD campus," Zimmer told the crowd. "You're going to need to get an injunction — a temporary restraining order — to stop it." Charter schools are guaranteed access to school district classrooms and other facilities under provisions of Proposition 39, approved by voters in 2000. Banners and flyers posted on the Taft campus before Thursday night's 2 1/2-hour town hall organized by parents proclaimed that the high school has "No Vacancy" and no desire to share its gym, athletic fields, cafeteria, library or classrooms with the charter school. Zimmer counseled parents that they would need to argue in court that introduction of the Ivy pupils, "if allowed to go forth, will cause a level of harm" that only a restraining order could stop. A parade of students and parents told Zimmer and a panel of other school district officials that Ivy pupils will cause plenty of pain if they are squeezed into the 2,549-student high school. "There is no room here. Where are they going to go?" asked Camille Saucier, a 16-year-old Taft junior. Tenth-grader Rebekka Boyes, 15, referred to the charter school pupils as "Ivy leaguers." "If they wanted to come to Taft, they should have enrolled at Taft, not Ivy," she said. A representative of the Valley area's Parent Teacher Student Assn. warned that uniform-clad Ivy pupils would be met with hostility from high school students, prompting Zimmer to pledge that "Taft will be a safe school" no matter what happens. Ivy Academia is not the first charter school to bump up against Taft parents and administrators. In 2008, a performing arts charter ran into opposition when district officials considered locating it at Taft. School officials indicated that classroom allocations will be finalized in April. Several other campuses with unused classrooms have also been identified as potential charter school sites. According to the school district, Taft had 18 empty classrooms last fall and an additional 18 rooms used for computer labs, college-information centers and other non-teaching purposes. Last week, however, a Taft administrator said the school has only eight unused classrooms out of a total of about 130. It will be up to Taft's administrators "to figure out" where Ivy pupils are housed if the high school is used by the charter school, Parker Hudnut, executive director of L.A. Unified's innovation and charter schools division, told parents. "This is an implementation nightmare," Hudnut said. Representatives of Ivy Academia did not speak at the meeting, which several parents suggested was a sign of the charter school's "smugness" and an indication that the move-in agreement "is a done deal." Ivy's school sites in nearby Warner Center, Canoga Park, Chatsworth and West Hills were closed for a four-day Presidents Day holiday, and administrators could not be reached for comment. The charter school, which officials say is "educating the next generation of entrepreneurs," is no stranger to controversy, however. Last year the co-founders of the school — Russian immigrants Eugene Selivanov and his wife, Tatyana Berkovich — were charged with stealing more than $200,000 in public funds through embezzlement, money laundering and filing false tax returns. The pair have denied wrong-doing and are no longer affiliated with Ivy Academia. Linda Del Cueto, L.A. Unified's Valley-area superintendent, promised parents and students that their protest message would be delivered to incoming district Supt. John Deasy. "The passion here has certainly shown me your concern," she said. UNIONS AND QUALITY SCHOOLING Themes in the News for the week of Feb. 22-25, 2011 by UCLA IDEA | http://bit.ly/9k0ADx 25 Feb 2011 - We are witnessing a broad-based assault on public employees’ right to engage in collective bargaining (Chicago Tribune, Education Week, New York Times, NPR). This matters for public education in California and we’ll explain that connection below. Union members are mobilizing across the country for their own futures, for their right to participate in workplace and professional decisions, and in solidarity with Wisconsin’s workers (CNN, Boston Globe, Education Week, Education Week, Washington Post). Many states are considering legislation to restrict union rights. Anti-union forces in several other states are waiting for the moment they can assert themselves. In California, Assemblyman Allan Mansoor (R-Costa Mesa) introduced a bill to ban collective bargaining for pensions (Los Angeles Times). There’s nothing new about pitched battles between corporations and political conservatives on the one hand, and unions on the other. But it is extraordinary in America when one side proclaims that it will settle for nothing less than the annihilation of the other. Unions’ strength lies in the historical record that workers are better off when they organize. Employees who negotiate as individuals tend to have less job security, poorer working conditions, lower salaries, and uncertain retirements. But the same features that make unions strong also make them targets for resentment and scapegoating. In the midst of financial crises, well-financed anti-union campaigns have created a popular image of public sector employees as lazy, underperforming, and overpaid. The media love long-running features on “bad examples” of public sector employees. Consider the sensational stories about obscenely large salaries, pensions, or disability benefits paid to a few public employees. Sometimes these lush payments result from a union contract, but more often the recipients are high-level bureaucrats with opaque individual contracts. Unrelenting publicity, often politically motivated, helps transfer that anger to entire categories of Americans. As a result, “union members” are smeared with accusations of sensational benefits and unwarranted political power. In fact, most public sector employees and retirees worry about their livelihoods, retirement, supporting their families, and they are astonished that their fellow Americans think otherwise. Importantly (and annoyingly to anti-union forces,) unions offer protections for activist members who speak out against waste, favoritism, recrimination, parent disenfranchisement, administrative incompetence, and so forth. Of course, some people just don’t like unions of any sort, public or private. It doesn’t matter how “perfectly” run the union is or how exemplary its members. Public employees can’t convince them, and that’s why we are watching these pitched union/anti-union battles. What then would the end of public sector unions mean for public education in California? With no effective counterweight to the interests of the few who are committed to lowering corporate tax rates, we would expect: * Substantially less investment in public schools and larger classrooms with less attention for students (teachers unions have been the only well-funded source of advocacy for more investment in education and reasonable class sizes); * More vulnerable students and parents who lack teacher advocates that can speak up on their behalf without fear of retaliation; * Experienced and effective teachers leaving the profession (and prospective teachers going elsewhere) as the pressure on wages and benefits drives both down and as teachers lose the ability to use their professional discretion to shape student learning. Such a future is untenable. And yet so is a status quo that ensures that California’s highest-need schools are most likely to experience severe shortages of highly qualified teachers. Teachers unions are not the primary cause of this problem, but they need to play a leadership role in its solution. More generally, public support for teachers unions will sag so long as these unions can accurately be portrayed as looking out only for the interests of their members. There is a different way forward, what some term “the new unionism.” This approach, charted, in part, by a new generation of teacher union leadership, recognizes that the future of unions depends on their alliance with the parents and students they serve. It calls for teacher unions to speak with and on behalf of communities as well as members. And it focuses teacher union attention on strategies for making schools better and more equitable. Of course, this “new unionism” echoes an earlier vision. In 1904, Chicago teacher Margaret Haley argued that the primary reason for teachers to organize was to "secure conditions under which [high quality learning] may become possible."1 1 Haley, Margaret (1904). “Why Teachers Should Organize.” Journal of Proceedings and Addresses of the Forty-third Annual Meeting of the National Educational Association, St. Louis, Missouri, June 27-July1. HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest of the Stories from Other Sources Billions to Spend: WASTE THROWS WRENCH INTO LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY COLLEGES’ MASSIVE PROJECT - Poor planning, fri... http://bit.ly/eGCL1d ANOTHER CAMPAIGN FLYER GUFFUFFLE: Why worry about the spelling if the name doesn’t matter.: Thanks to the Street... http://bit.ly/fcUutL Special Interest Campaign Mailers in Board District 5: 2 (or more) REASONS TO WRITE IN SCOTT FOLSOM FOR SCHOOL ... http://bit.ly/i8qpRk CARSON HIGH ACA DECA TAKES HOME THE GOLD: By Deontha Wortham | Carson High School Trailblazer – from My High Jou... http://bit.ly/gD1Ixx Online only!: LAUSD OPENS THE APPLICATION PERIOD FOR INTER-DISTRICT PERMITS + LAUSD Press Release: Written by Inf... http://bit.ly/emPgVR Boardmemeber Galatzan: YOU’RE FRUSTRATED? ME, TOO + smf’s response: from the Galatzan Gazette, the weekly e-news... http://bit.ly/fnexjq LAUSD TO RECOMMEND CLOSING OF CHARTER SCHOOL: by Howard Blume - LA TIMES/LA NOW | http://lat.ms/hoRQhw ... http://bit.ly/gwjLKk TODAY@ 5PM: Community Briefing on Advisory Recommendation Vote Results for Public School Choice 2.0: from LAUSD ... http://bit.ly/ijYCtH MANY HIGH, LOW ACHIEVING CHARTERS: Charter School Association releases two-year research By John Fensterwald - Educated Guess | http://bit.ly/h6bi8E Call2Action: YOU CAN HELP SAVE PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING: The “LET US VOTE!” Campaign: email from educate our sta... http://bit.ly/hn5Mq5 Call2Action from Preschool California: PRESERVE + PROTECT FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, HEAD ST... http://bit.ly/hiXlRW EDITORIAL CARTOON: The La Cañada shakedown +smf’s 2¢: by Ted Rall/LA Times | http://bit.ly/eT1Tqq smf: At a c... http://bit.ly/g49bZc NEW ED TRUST-WEST REPORT SHOWS THE DAMAGING IMPACT OF TEACAHER LAYOFF POLICIES ON CALIFORNIA’S HIGHEST NEEDS SCH... http://bit.ly/gxTTfb RACE TO THE BOTTOM?: Kathy Wylie writes on the Edutopia Facebook page Only 5 states do not have collective barg... http://bit.ly/eHhd5r LAUSD School Board office 5 candidate debate tonight at 6pm. Franklin High School 820 N. Avenue 54 Highland Park Los Angeles, CA -smf "The petition is materially non-qualifying and …insufficient": COMPTON SCHOOL BOARD REJECTS PARENT TRIGGER EFFOR... http://bit.ly/f8Hqv4 GIFTED PROGRAMS GO ON BLOCK AS SCHOOLS MUST DO WITH LESS: By JENNIFER GOLLAN | The Bay Citizen / A version of th... http://bit.ly/fNgJKW CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP WITHOUT WIDENING A RACIAL ONE: By MICHAEL WINERIP - On Education column in the New Y... http://bit.ly/eyYwep Become an especially interested Grass Roots Campaigner + Community Organizer: MAKE COPIES AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE –... http://bit.ly/fTR5UK SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES DEBATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL: Candidates square off as campaign for Di... http://bit.ly/g4eaRp Be there!: SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE DEBATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT 6PM @ FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL: Philip Iglauer of the North... http://bit.ly/dLztJL LAUSD SCHOOLS TAKING CHARTER ROUTE: El Camino Real High School the latest to attempt shift.: By Connie Llanos, S... http://bit.ly/gPeur7 TAFT HIGH PARENTS OBJECT TO DISTRICT’S OFFER TO SHARE SPACE WITH CHARTER: A school board member suggests residen... http://bit.ly/e42Cgp MORE L.A. SCHOOLS CONVERT TO CHARTERS AS FUNDS DIP: By CHRISTINA HOAG, Associated Press from The Miami Herald | ... http://bit.ly/i9chY6 SUPER SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION …or after the football, commercials and the Black Eyed Peas let’s solve the problems... http://bit.ly/g4ESuS ONCE-MIGHTY UTLA LOSES POLITICAL MUSCLE: In a series of missteps, the teachers union has lost influence in L.A. ... http://bit.ly/eYucxT SUNDAY FUNNIES:: classic peanuts for 2/20/2011 from comics .com | http://bit.ly/fFoMFL http://bit.ly/eAk5qX EVENTS: Coming up next week... *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 • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR 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! • Find your state legislator based on your home address. Just go to: http://bit.ly/dqFdq2 • 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. Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them? Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and is Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and represents PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee. He is a Health Commissioner, Legislation Team member and a member of the Board of Managers of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the recipient of the UTLA/AFT 2009 "WHO" Gold Award for his support of education and public schools - an honor he hopes to someday deserve. • 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. • To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: 4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-MAIL smfolsom@aol.com with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you.

DOOMSDAY, ETHICS + GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCPLES

4LAKids: Sun 20•Feb•2011 Presidents' Day Weekend In This Issue: • Connect the Dots/Follow the Money: L.A. UNIFIED OKS 'DOOMSDAY BUDGET' + L.A. MAYOR, UTLA SPEND MOST IN SCHOOL BOARD RACES • CHARTER SCHOOLS RAISE QUESTION OF NEW SEGREGATION • DATA GAMES: WINE SOME, LOSE SOME • EX-PRINCIPAL GETS PRISON IN MOLESTATION OF FOUR GIRLS • 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: • Follow 4 LAKids on Twitter - or get instant updates via text message by texting "Follow 4LAKids" to 40404 • PUBLIC SCHOOLS: an investment we can't afford to cut! - The Education Coalition Website • 4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved! • 4LAKidsNews: a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc. 4LAKids comes out on Sundays, whether that is the cause or the effect of the tendency for your essayist to sermonize eludes even myself. I really want to believe in the righteousness of my fellow men+women - even more so in those who would lead us and teach our children. Sometimes I am brought up short. I give you this quote, buried deep within the article following the headline : 'LA UNIFIED OK’s ‘DOOMSDAY BUDGET'’: "This budget does not support children," board member Yolie Flores said. "It is not only impossible, it is wrong and it is immoral." It doesn't support children and it's impossible, wrong and immoral? Yet she voted for it. 7308 folks will get lay off notices on March 15 because of that vote ....not on a budget, but a budget plan. A draft of a budget. What we have here, ladies and gentlemen, is failure - a total failure by adults to do the right thing for young people. THE DOOMSDAY BUDGET LINE is shudderingly apocalyptic - though the media metaphor in Michigan ("'Atomic Bomb' Budget Cuts to K-12" | http://bit.ly/fSPUPs ) may be worse. The origin of the 'doomsday budget' definition comes from Dennis Meyers, assistant executive director of the California Association of School Business Officials, who, quoted in the San Jose Mercury News last Sunday, laid out these four possible budget scenarios: ● WISHFUL THINKING: Based on the governor's January proposed budget, assumes voters extend temporary taxes -- schools lose $19 per pupil. ● BOY SCOUT: Based on the governor's budget without a tax extension and thus a $2 billion drop to K-12 schools -- schools lose $330 per pupil. ● THE SKY IS FALLING: Based on the tax-extension failure and the Legislature further cutting education -- schools lose $620 per pupil. ● DOOMSDAY: Based on loss of temporary taxes and suspension of the Proposition 98 guarantee of minimal education funding -- schools lose $850 to $1,000 per pupil. [http://bit.ly/gkkEV4] THE SUPERINTENDENTS OF LAUSD PROPOSED THE LAST AS THE ONLY OPTION ...and the Board of Ed voted for it. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE: A particularly distasteful element to the powers-that-be-in-LA in the governor's budget is the elimination of Community Redevelopment Agencies - a traditional cash cow and font of benefices for local politicos and their developer friends; our own Mayor Tony is aghast! ● It was CRA funds that built the usually underutilized L.A. Convention Center - ● and more of them will be needed to tear down the parts of the convention center that need tearing down to build The New Football Stadium! ● CRA funds were manipulated in the mayor's misacquisition of the Van de Kampus of LACC and conversion of that needed and voter-approved/taxpayer-funded community college (which he doesn't run) into a Workforce Development Center (which he does.) Or so the lawsuit alleges. ● A hefty portion of the money CRAs won't get will go to public education ....there is a move afoot (albeit one that doesn't stand much of a chance) to get schools all of it. Which brings us to the LA Times article cited below: L.A. MAYOR, UTLA SPEND MOST IN SCHOOL BOARD RACES - and this bit: "As widely expected, most of the campaign money in the March 8 election for the Los Angeles Board of Education is coming from outsiders and not the candidates themselves. "The biggest player is a committee supported by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Next in line is United Teachers Los Angeles, the teachers union for the nation’s second-largest school system. "The Villaraigosa-backed Coalition for School Reform is supporting incumbents Tamar Galatzan and Richard Vladovic as well as Luis Sanchez, who is running to fill the one open seat among four on the ballot. "The Coalition can't be called the "mayor’s committee" because state law prohibits the mayor, as a political officeholder, from exerting control. But that hasn’t stopped the mayor from fundraising for the effort. And the committee was formed solely to support the candidates he’s backing. All told, the committee has spent $410,696, according to the latest filings. It has more than $1 million still in reserve. "Recent contributors to the committee include $100,000 each from Casey Wasserman of the Wasserman Media Group, Megan Chernin of Chernin Entertainment and Zenith Insurance. "To support Galatzan, the Coalition has spent more than $206,000 -- nearly $121,000 for Vladovic and and more than $83,000 for Sanchez." Lest you missed my and the Times' point, let me give it to you again in capital letters: ●THE COALITION CAN'T BE CALLED THE "MAYOR’S COMMITTEE" BECAUSE STATE LAW PROHIBITS THE MAYOR, AS A POLITICAL OFFICEHOLDER, FROM EXERTING CONTROL. ●BUT THAT HASN’T STOPPED THE MAYOR FROM FUNDRAISING FOR THE EFFORT. ●AND THE COMMITTEE WAS FORMED SOLELY TO SUPPORT THE CANDIDATES HE’S BACKING. What part of 'state law prohibits' is it that's so hard to understand at City Hall and Getty House? Gentle readers, I'm not asking for a higher standard of ethical behavior for public officials ... I'm asking for a standard. Maybe somewhere between Willie Sutton and Bernie Madoff? AS A WRITE IN CANDIDATE FOR SCHOOL BOARD ("Scott Folsom - that's S-C-O-T-T - F-O-L-S-O-M -- It's not multiple choice, it's a written test on March the eighth - and spelling counts!") I have been attending and participating in candidate debates this past week, in South Gate and El Sereno. The four of us candidates are a knowledgeable bunch - filled with and ready-to-share our wealth of good ideas, platitudes and experience. (At one venue the host misidentified us as the Board of Education - I don't doubt we four might do better than the current seven!) I've enjoyed the conversation and dialog, the differences of opinion - and mostly the input and interplay with the audiences and host organizations - Thank you Southeast Schools Coalition, LA42 Neighborhood Council & The Voice Community Newspaper. I particularly enjoy hearing that my thinking makes sense ...thank you! And I appreciate hearing from people about just how well our public education system is doing - and how and where we are being successful . We tend to forget that American Public Education sets out to educate everyone to a pretty high standard - college ready/career prepared. That is not the standard almost anywhere else in the world! Citizen democracy can work and does work; maybe not every time - but over time. My two colleague/adversaries from the teaching profession (and I'm going to violate the first rule of politics in naming them: John Fernandez & Bennett Kayser) are teachers - but defensive of their job as teachers. They shouldn’t have to be - the teaching profession is a noble calling - I am proud of them and they should stand proud. The third of us, Luis Sanchez, claims on the ballot to be an educator but is a political organizer and inside-Beaudry functionary. Luis is chief-of-staff of the board president, supported by the powers that be. [see: Big Bets on LAUSD Board Races] Luis is also the new parent of a one year old - new to the most important and demanding job in the world: Parenthood. I have a sign on my door that says "Old age and trickery will overcome youth and ambition" That, and a couple of thousand write-in votes. Please! IN EL SERENO Sanchez told the good people that if elected he will lead a delegation to Sacramento that will convince the legislature convert the six billion dollars voted under Measure Q for school construction and modernization to support school operations - relieving the District's massive general fund deficit. This is a play directly from from the Mayor Tony playbook - and so patently illegal someone should go down to the patent office and get a number. Just because you write it on a legal pad doesn't make it legal; just because the legislature votes for it doesn't make it constitutional. It says in the state constitution that school construction bonds can only be used for school construction and modernization, ie: Capital Improvement. It says in state and federal statute that the will of the voters cannot be changed by legislative fiat. The Generally Accepted Accounting Principles set by the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board separate Capital Expenditure and Operating Cost with an impenetrable firewall guarded by CPA's with green eye-shades. It is easy to get your attorney to go along with what you'd like to do. The judge is another matter. __________________ ●●from WikiEducator (GAAP from 37,000 feet) http://bit.ly/fvVnWK : ●The term OPERATING COSTS refers to any expenditure on things whose value is used up within the same financial year. Operating costs are sometimes referred to as revenue costs because they are normally met by the income (or revenue) that an [enterprise] earns in the current financial year. Operating costs can either be recurrent, such as staff salaries that must be paid every year, or non-recurrent, such as once-off payments for consultancy services or specialized advice. ●By way of contrast, CAPITAL EXPENDITURE acquires or produces an asset whose value continues to be used (or consumed) over several financial years. __________________ ....And the Measure Q money will not be available until at least 2014 because of the decline in assessed valuation of real estate in LA County. Even if the District should go into receivership the bond funds could not be used to relieve operational default. And so it is, ¡Onward/Adelante! - smf ● The Debates Continue!:THE NORTHEAST LOS ANGELES COALITION INVITES YOU TO JOIN US FOR A LA SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE FORUM AT FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL’S AUDITORIUM AT 6PM ON WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 23. What: LAUSD District 5 Candidate Forum Where: FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM, 820 N AVENUE 54, LOS ANGELES, CA 90042 map: http://bit.ly/e4TeQP When: Wednesday February 23 6PM Who: The candidates are John Fernandez, Scott Folsom, Bennett Kayser, and Luis Sanchez Why: To get informed on who may represent us on the LA Unified School District Board Connect the Dots/Follow the Money: L.A. UNIFIED OKS 'DOOMSDAY BUDGET' + L.A. MAYOR, UTLA SPEND MOST IN SCHOOL BOARD RACES ●L.A. UNIFIED OKS 'DOOMSDAY BUDGET' By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/gVQmnt 'We don't want to do any of the things on there,' a board member says of the worst-case scenario, which would produce thousands of layoffs and bigger classes. February 16, 2011| Thousands of employees would lose jobs, children would face larger classes, and magnet and preschool programs would experience sharp reductions under a worst-case $5-billion budget plan approved Tuesday by the Los Angeles Board of Education. But 45 new and low-performing schools could be spared entirely from teacher layoffs as a result of a recent legal settlement to protect campuses from extreme teacher turnover, overriding traditional teacher seniority protections. "This is our doomsday budget of what might happen," said board member Tamar Galatzan. "We don't want to do any of the things on there, but … our parents need to know what could happen if we don't get more funding.... Our employees need to know that, too." The board tally was 5 to 2, with Steve Zimmer and Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte dissenting. Estimated cuts totaling $408 million would be reduced by more than $180 million if Gov. Jerry Brown succeeds in his plan to extend expiring tax increases. The state's largest district is also urging employee groups to accept "shared sacrifices" at the bargaining table as they have in previous years. That has meant unpaid furlough days — resulting in temporary pay cuts — for employees and two consecutive shortened school years for students. And thousands of teachers and other employees still lost jobs; about 5,000 teachers are at risk this time. Los Angeles Unified is also targeting an estimated $200 million saved through a collaboration with employee unions to reduce health costs. On Tuesday, leaders of United Teachers Los Angeles and the California School Employees Assn., which represents many non-teaching employees, said the savings should remain set aside to defray future benefit costs. In a related development, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan told a conference in Denver that school districts need to find ways to make sure poor children have access to highly effective teachers by rethinking their staffing and layoff measures. Teacher layoffs are typically based solely on seniority. The L.A. Unified budget plan would avoid layoffs at schools with high teacher turnover that have made at least modest academic progress. Ten new schools also at risk of high turnover made the list as well, said Kate Collins, a school district attorney. The union, which is opposing the district approach in court, has defended traditional "last-hired, first-fired" rules, asserting that there are better ways to avoid high teacher turnover. With the litigation unresolved, teachers at these "protected" schools would also receive notices of their potential layoffs, because such notices must be provided by March 15. On Tuesday at least, labor and management united to direct acrimony at the amount of funding for education at the state and federal level and the troubled economy. "This budget does not support children," board member Yolie Flores said. "It is not only impossible, it is wrong and it is immoral." _______________ ● L.A. MAYOR, UTLA SPEND MOST IN SCHOOL BOARD RACES by Howard Blume, LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/gNJ7pN February 16, 2011 | As widely expected, most of the campaign money in the March 8 election for the Los Angeles Board of Education is coming from outsiders and not the candidates themselves. The biggest player is a committee supported by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Next in line is United Teachers Los Angeles, the teachers union for the nation’s second-largest school system. The Villaraigosa-backed Coalition for School Reform is supporting incumbents Tamar Galatzan and Richard Vladovic as well as Luis Sanchez, who is running to fill the one open seat among four on the ballot. The Coalition can't be called the "mayor’s committee" because state law prohibits the mayor, as a political officeholder, from exerting control. But that hasn’t stopped the mayor from fundraising for the effort. And the committee was formed solely to support the candidates he’s backing. All told, the committee has spent $410,696, according to the latest filings. It has more than $1 million still in reserve. Recent contributors to the committee include $100,000 each from Casey Wasserman of the Wasserman Media Group, Megan Chernin of Chernin Entertainment and Zenith Insurance. To support Galatzan, the Coalition has spent more than $206,000 -- nearly $121,000 for Vladovic and and more than $83,000 for Sanchez. Local 99 of the Service Employees International Union has sided with the mayor in supporting Vladovic (more than $90,000) and Sanchez (nearly $83,000). The latest city filings show that United Teachers Los Angeles has spent the most on a single candidate: nearly $270,000 on behalf of two-term incumbent Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte. The union also spent more than $35,000 each on two candidates -- John Fernandez and Jesus Escandon -- from whom it subsequently withdrew support. Both remain on the ballot, although Escandon suspended his campaign. The union and mayor are competing head to head only in the race for the open seat in District 5, which stretches from Silver Lake, Los Feliz and Eagle Rock to cities southeast of downtown L.A., including Huntington Park, South Gate and Bell. There, Sanchez is running against Fernandez -- formerly backed by the union -- and Bennett Kayser, who won the union endorsement last week. The union has not yet reported spending on behalf of Kayser, but it is expected. The California Teachers Assn. has contributed $40,000 so far to the UTLA effort, according to the union. UTLA’s total reported spending is $341,102. Under city law, independent expenditures must be reported within 24 hours. So far, Sanchez is the candidate who has reported raising the most money under his direct control: $85,483. Other candidates on the ballot are: challenger Louis Pugliese, who is running against Galatzan in District 3, the west San Fernando Valley; challenger Roye Love, against Vladovic in District 7, which includes portions of South L.A. and the Harbor area; and challenger Eric Lee, against LaMotte in District 1, which includes portions of south and southwest Los Angeles. CHARTER SCHOOLS RAISE QUESTION OF NEW SEGREGATION By Melody Gutierrez, Sacramento Bee | http://bit.ly/epfMco Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011 - For more than 50 years, the notion that racially mixed schools are in the best interests of all students has been a basic underpinning of America's educational landscape. But increasingly across the nation, publicly funded charter schools are popping up that call out their intent to cater to specific racial or ethnic groups – African American, Latino or Hmong students, for example, who on average have far lower test scores and far higher dropout rates than whites and some other Asian groups. Is it a return to segregation? Is it legal? Those are the questions being debated after Margaret Fortune, a former adviser to two California governors and a leader in education reform circles, successfully petitioned the Sacramento County Board of Education for five publicly funded charter schools aimed at closing the achievement gap for African American students. Fortune said her objective is to serve the lowest-performing student subgroup in the region, and that group happens to be African American. Addressing their needs isn't segregation, she said, because parents can choose whether to send their children to her charter schools. "We aren't shying away from talking about the educational struggle that African American students are having," said Fortune, who runs the Fortune School of Education, a teacher and principal credentialing program. "To fix it, you have to name it. We want to be part of the solution." Both supporters and opponents of Fortune's vision came out in force this month when the county Board of Education debated her petition to open 10 charter schools. After an eight-hour meeting, Fortune was awarded five schools countywide over the next five years, with the possibility for five more. While some critics opposed the proliferation of charters in general, others expressed discomfort at an educational mission defined by race. Board President Harold Fong, the lone trustee to vote against the proposal, said he couldn't get past the feeling that Fortune was essentially creating segregated schools. "To ask us to approve a school that is heavily segregated flies in the face of education policy handed down from the Supreme Court," he said. "To ask us to do this is wrong." CHARTER APPROACH DEFENDED Similar discussions played out last year when the Sacramento City Unified School District approved Yav Pem Suab Academy, a charter that caters to Hmong students, a group that collectively has been among the lowest achieving in the district in recent years. That charter, which opened in August, offers Hmong culture and language instead of the typical foreign languages of Spanish and French. Fortune said her charters will be molded around an educational approach rather than geared toward African American culture. "When we talk about culture, we are talking about a college-going culture and of high expectations," she said. The achievement gap between white and black students in America is not a matter of debate. It has been chronicled in hundreds of research reports and is underscored with each new release of test score data at the local, state and national levels. In Sacramento County last year, African American students in grades 2-8 on average scored 26 percentage points lower than whites on the English language portion of the state achievement test. The gap in math was nearly identical. "The system of education in this country has not worked for African American children for a long time," said Darryl White, chairman of the Black Parallel School Board, a group that advocates for African American students in Sacramento City Unified. For years, it's been common for public school systems to offer charters or academies tailored to specialized academic interests (think technology and health sciences) or educational approaches (Waldorf, for example.) Fortune said her charters aren't really any different. The curriculum will be geared toward helping low-achieving students make the transition to a college-bound track. Fortune said her program will employ strategies known to be effective with struggling students: school uniforms; longer school days, standards-based instruction, extensive professional development for teachers; and ongoing analysis of student data. David DeLuz, president of the Greater Sacramento Urban League, said the charters are about providing options for black students, not segregating them. "We aren't creating black time, and we aren't teaching black math, black English," DeLuz said. "We are teaching them everything to the California standards." RECRUITING MUST BE FAIR By law, public charter schools, like traditional schools, have to be open to all students, regardless of race. As part of the conditions applied to the charter's approval, the County Office of Education is requiring Fortune to recruit a population that mirrors the county. Thirty-six percent of students in Sacramento County are white, 27 percent are Latino and 14 percent African American. Sacramento County schools chief Dave Gordon said reflecting those numbers should be the goal, but it can't be required. "The idea is you can advertise and recruit and who comes is who comes," Gordon said. "Their obligation is to fairly recruit from all over." A key question for critics of the model is whether a school aimed at one race or ethnicity feels accessible to students from other groups. UCLA education professor Gary Orfield contends Fortune's charters and others like it are instituting a new form of segregation. Orfield is co-director of the Civil Rights Project at UCLA, a group that released a study last year showing the levels of racial segregation in charter schools are higher than in traditional schools. He said he would like to see more emphasis on desegregating existing neighborhood schools, rather than further compartmentalizing kids. "To isolate these kids from other races isn't preparing them for the future," Orfield said. "I can understand the frustration that leads to (the creation of these charters). African American kids aren't doing what their parents want them to accomplish. But this doesn't cure that problem." Orfield's argument falls flat with Fortune's supporters, who argue African American students are already isolated at the bottom rungs of American achievement. "I'm of the mind right now that we have to do something to change the trajectory of African American students and their level of achievement," said the Urban League's DeLuz. "This is an opportunity to try something different." DATA GAMES: WINE SOME, LOSE SOME Themes in the News for the week of Feb. 14-18, 2011by UCLA/IDEA | http://bit.ly/fAhAE5 This week, IBM's supercomputer “Watson” won the “man vs. machine” edition of trivia game show Jeopardy! by beating two of the show’s all-time human winners. Unfortunately, Watson’s winnings won’t make up for cancellation of IBM’s hefty contract with the California Department of Education if the company doesn’t meet deadlines to fix the state’s data system (Bloomberg|http://bloom.bg/fAWWFP, Educated Guess|http://bit.ly/fsP6YD). Maybe that’s not so important to IBM, but it’s not a trivial matter for California students. We’ll admit to being excited—even thrilled—by Watson’s sheer computing power. However, that impressive display makes it even more frustrating to witness California’s failure to get a fully functional education data system from IBM. That system should be able to answer fairly straightforward questions, such as: How many students who enter elementary school with limited English skills are still designated as English Language Learners when they arrive in middle school? Do 8th-grade students enrolled in Algebra 1 perform better, on average, if their teacher has a credential in math? Which California high schools graduate the highest proportion of young women who move on to major in computer science in California public universities? The system should be able to follow students from kindergarten through high school graduation and beyond. It can’t. IBM has been beset with delays and technical complications in its contract with the state to create the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System, or CALPADS. The delays led Gov. Schwarzenegger last year to eliminate $6.8 million earmarked for the project (California Watch|http://bit.ly/hBgubx ). Of course, we don’t know IBM’s side. California’s policy environment and historic disinterest in gathering good data might well contribute to delays. But, as we are fond of telling students, “No excuses.” A report out this week on states’ capacity to collect data reveals that California compares poorly to other states. The Data Quality Campaign’s sixth annual report [http://bit.ly/gfnLkL ] reveals that half of the states are collecting the full 10 “essential elements” of data tracking. California was missing the ability to match student K-12 records with higher education. Getting basic data is only an early step in a much longer process. Once CALPADS is in place, there are some difficult learning and political challenges. “States were looking at these 10 elements as a checklist and saying, ‘OK, we can collect these 10 things; we’re done,” said Aimee Guidera, executive director of Data Quality Campaign. “We’re saying, ‘No, you’re just beginning to be able to tap in and leverage the investments you’ve made’ ” (Education Week|http://bit.ly/gmgfiW ). Tapping into the full potential of data systems will require California to move beyond a narrow focus on outcomes data. Improving educational practice demands that we know more about the opportunities present in different schools and neighborhoods that lead to desired outcomes. That additional data must come from new sources, including students and educators, about the conditions that shape teaching and learning in their classrooms. Even when IBM overcomes its technical difficulties for California, our data system will still be no Watson. Yet, just this one prototype machine has a lot to teach our practical-minded policymakers and communities. “The significance of Watson goes beyond public perception… Watson isn't a single computer program, but a very large number of programs running simultaneously on different computers that communicate with each other" (PBS|http://to.pbs.org/gkWC4M ). Watson, in other words, isn’t confined to preset programming of, for example, 10 conditions for this or that solution. To answer its questions, Watson seeks and communicates with new sources, penetrates the nuances of written and spoken language, and uses its power to arrive at trustworthy, best-bet answers. Ultimately, the value of any super machine lies in whether humans can use it as a tool for problem solving and not confuse our basic tools with the solutions we seek. As IBM engineers complete California’s longitudinal data system, California educators and community members need professional development and public engagement to access and reach beyond the technology and arrive at human decisions. EX-PRINCIPAL GETS PRISON IN MOLESTATION OF FOUR GIRLS by smf for 4LAKidsNews 19 February 2011 - Today's LA Times has a story EX-PRINCIPAL GETS PRISON IN MOLESTATION: A former principal at a Lynwood high school who allegedly had a history of inappropriate behavior with young girls was sentenced Friday to eight years in prison for sexually molesting four students. >more | http://lat.ms/hu7s3a> The school is in Lynwood USD; the story gets wide coverage elsewhere | http://bit.ly/g22zpN - it could happen here – and has. The story is a familiar, pathetic and tawdry one - with a backstory of intimidated young women and girls and imitations of coverup and defending the indefensible - some sloppy reporting and recordkeeping - and the truly angering information that the offender had a prior conviction for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. How did such a person get his job or a credential? The answer is well explained in an article from two years ago in the Los Angeles Wave: QUESTIONS RAISED ON SILVERIO’S CREDENTIAL | http://bit.ly/e6fDW5 - a tip o' th' 4LAKids cap to writer Marisela Santana for a excellent piece of journalism. Also see her current story: SILVERIO SENTENCED TO EIGHT YEARS IN PRISON | http://bit.ly/hE4eCe All of this said, there is an important lesson to be learned here - and while the Wave article concludes that the sort of thing that happened here probably can't happen again - it seems obvious to me that the actual thing that happened here: a prior child molester getting a teaching credential after his or her record has been expunged in the past - can happen again. Pleading no contest, serving probation and behaving oneself for a year is not rehabilitation for this offense. Children need more protection than that. The power of a judge to expunge the record of an offender is greater than that of a governor or the president to grant a pardon - and perhaps it should take more than a judge to expunge the records of those who prey on children? _____________________ from WikiPedia | http://bit.ly/dWyzgp: When an expungement is granted, the person whose record is expunged may, for most purposes, treat the event as if it never occurred. A pardon (also called “executive clemency”), on the other hand, does not “erase” the event. Rather, it constitutes forgiveness. In the United States, an expungement can be granted only by a judge, while a pardon can be granted only by a governor (for state law offenses) or the President (for federal offenses). HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest of the Stories from Other Sources THE PROBLEM WITH TFA: By Diane Ravitch | Bridging Differences in EdWeek | http://bit.ly/igL1Yv Bridging Differ... http://bit.ly/gusCv5 US EDUCATION SECRETARY ARE DUNCAN ENCOURAGES LAUSD STUDENTS TO CONSIDER TEACHING AS A PROFESSION: By Connie Llan... http://bit.ly/hFDuWT BIG BETS ON LAUSD BOARD RACES: by Catherine Cloutier | KCET | http://bit.ly/f71X1d February 17, 2011 2:... http://bit.ly/eLx8oz THE WISCONSIN TEACHERS’ CRISIS: WHO’S REALLY TO BLAME?: By Andrew J. Rotherham Time Magazine/School for Thought ... http://bit.ly/fC7R2F Kids & glasses:LAST MINUTE REPRIEVE FOR HEALTHY FAMILIES IN CA SENATE YESTERDAY: 02/18/2011 - Anthony Wright, po... http://bit.ly/evEgTG CSBA v. California: COURT REJECTS REIMBURSEMENT OVER UNFUNDED SCHOOL MANDATES: By Mark Walsh | EdWeek School Law... http://bit.ly/f6S2q0 SCHOOL FUNDING MYTHS & STEPPING OUTSIDE THE “NEW NORMAL”: by schoolfinance 101/Bruce B. Baker | http://bit.ly/hI... http://bit.ly/hHE13U SMART PEOPLE + BIG REPORT = DREAMY NONSENSE: By Jay Mathews | Class Struggle in the Washington Post | http://wap... http://bit.ly/fNimap UNIONS, SCHOOL LEADERS VOW TO COLLABORATE, BUT ACTION UNCERTAIN: By Stephen Sawchuk | EdWeek | http://bit.ly/fI2... http://bit.ly/hGLmqK EDSOURCE FINDS FLAWS IN ALGEBRA I FOR ALL: Districts' placement decisions are critical: By John Fensterwald - Ed... http://bit.ly/hSu6A7 PARENTS ARE AGAINST PLAN @ TAFT HIGH: Proposal would give some of Woodland Hills school's classrooms to charter ... http://bit.ly/eCwMf6 INCOMING LA SUPERINTENDENT ANNOUNCES FOUNDATION: By CHRISTINA HOAG, Seattle Post Intelligencer - from the Associ... http://bit.ly/eG9GuV LOS ANGELES STUDENTS MEET A CIVIL RIGHTS HERO: DESMOND TUTU - Nobel Peace Prize laureate and anti-apartheid acti... http://bit.ly/i5TeBw A MARCH RUNOFF WILL DECIDE WHO RUNS L.A. TEACHERS UNION: Howard Blume – LA Times/LA Now | http://bit.ly/hJoflM U.S. EDUCATION SECRETARY CALLS FOR MORE TEACHER-DISTRICT COOPERATION: Speaking at a two-day conference, Arne Dun... http://bit.ly/e7MnZj LOCAL AND STATE EXPERTS TO ADVISE FEDERAL OFFICIALS ON EDUCATION ACHIEVEMENT GAP + smf’s 2¢: Howard Blume, LA Ti... http://bit.ly/i5lvwq LOG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT COULD LAY OFF NEARLY 800 EMPLOYEES: Howard Blume, LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.... http://bit.ly/edCkuV CHATSWORTH HIGH PRINCIPAL REMOVED AS SCHOOL ACCOUNTS IVESTIGATED: -- Howard Blume, LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.... http://bit.ly/feOKXB L.A. MAYOR, UTLA SPEND MOST IN SCHOOL BOARD RACES: -- Howard Blume, LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/gNJ7pN Fe... http://bit.ly/gG7fcl CANDIDATE FORUM FOR SCHOOL BOARD SEAT #5 + COUNCIL DISTRICT 14: Thursday evening Feb 17 in El Sereno: LA32 Neigh... http://bit.ly/hGLaTU LA UNIFIED OK’s ‘DOOMSDAY BUDGET'’: 'We don't want to do any of the things on there,' a board member says of the... http://bit.ly/ieSKo1 LAUSD OFFICIALS OK SENDING LAYOFF NOTICES TO MORE THAN 7000 EMPLOYEES: By Connie Llanos, Staff Writer /LA Daily ... http://bit.ly/eCLXkL Well, 7308 is more than 5000……: LAUSD Authorizes Layoff Warnings For Thousands Of Workers MyFox Los Angeles - ... http://bit.ly/i18T0g LAUSD PRESS RELEASE ON PLAN TO BALANCE BUDGET, SEND OUT 7, 302 RIF NOTICES: “This needs to be a discussion about... http://bit.ly/eYe0MF smf Debates Candidates for LAUSD Board Seat#5 – Tues Feb 15 5PM @ South Gate City Hall: Candidates Forum for the... http://bit.ly/fpVtOg A DARING BET AT BELMONT: Its ambitious plan to transform classroom instruction seeks to give students skills nee... http://bit.ly/dX7hPo LAUSD CONSIDERS DIALING BACK ON USE OF CELL PHONES: Fiscal hawks join city and state in looking at cuts in gadge... http://bit.ly/fTd8Ja SCHOOLS PREPARE BUDGETS IN THE DARK – AND PREPARE FOR DEEP CUTS: By Sharon Noguchi/ San Jose Mercury News | http... http://bit.ly/eOdtqB SCHOOLS FACE TWO BUDGET OPTIONS: BAD, WORSE: By Marc Benjamin / The Fresno Bee | http://bit.ly/eP4dwx EVENTS: Coming up next week... THE NORTHEAST LOS ANGELES COALITION INVITES YOU TO JOIN US FOR A LA SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE FORUM AT FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL’S AUDITORIUM AT 6PM ON WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 23. What: LAUSD District 5 Candidate Forum Where: FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM, 820 N AVENUE 54, LOS ANGELES, CA 90042 map: http://bit.ly/e4TeQP When: Wednesday February 23 6PM Who: The candidates are John Fernandez, Scott Folsom, Bennett Kayser, and Luis Sanchez Why: To get informed on who may represent us on the LA Unified School District Board *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 • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR 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! • Find your state legislator based on your home address. Just go to: http://bit.ly/dqFdq2 • 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. Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them? Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and is Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and represents PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee. He is a Health Commissioner, Legislation Team member and a member of the Board of Managers of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the recipient of the UTLA/AFT 2009 "WHO" Gold Award for his support of education and public schools - an honor he hopes to someday deserve. • 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. 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