In This Issue:
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GOVERNOR
SIGNS DREAM ACT, VETOES AB165 (No School Fees) – The complete education
legislation scorecard on the 50 bills on the governor's desk. |
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L.A. UNIFIED TO RETAKE CONSIDERABLE CONTROL OF MANUAL ARTS HIGH |
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National Week of Action on School Discipline: ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICIES PUSHING UP SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS, REPORT SAYS + Report |
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BACK
TO SCHOOL NIGHT BLUES: What used to be a time to talk about the value
of learning has morphed into a dull discussion centered on process |
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HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest of the Stories from Other Sources |
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EVENTS: Coming up next week... |
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What can YOU do? |
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Featured Links:
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"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels,
the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who
see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote
them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you
can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the
human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we
see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can
change the world, are the ones who do."
– Steve Jobs (1955-2011)
THIS PAST WEEK WAS NATIONAL WEEK OF ACTION ON SCHOOL DISCIPLINE; there
were lots of articles and studies and proposed policies in the education
media. LAUSD recognized this by presciently scheduling a vote on a
proposed new school discipline and anti-bullying policy at Tuesday's
board meeting. It was a week after the complete breakdown of a the old
flawed policy that became tragically apparent when a student killed his
ex-girlfriend on campus at South East High School. Bulying. Threats.
Dating Violence. Warning signs ignored. Assault. Murder. It was like the
etched warning in the rear view mirror: Things are
closer/more-dangerous/more-urgent than they appear.
Our LAUSD Board of Education – faced with established need and armed
with a well thought-out policy in line with progressive thinking - in a
time when the public is positively engaged - was poised in the moment
that called for action! The timing was exquisite: They were prepared to
be proactive instead of reactive.
Instead, they blinked. They postponed the debate and the vote to this
coming week. when Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will be at the
board and Beaudry will be a media circus.
They behaved exactly like round pegs in round holes.
THE LA TIMES INSISTS THAT PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE NEEDS TO GO BACK TO WHERE IT WAS [http://t.co/GhPabHuK];
4LAKids proposes the entire reform agenda needs another look. Charter
schools are not doing all that well. The Mayor's Partnership is
underperforming. Now the L.A.'s Promise, partnership – which runs Manual
Arts High School is being challenged and Manual Arts is about to be
re-reconstituted. The idea of these partnerships was that they would
bring additional resources to the table – yet LAUSD thinks Manual Arts
needs even more resources – and central direction. And Megan Chernin,
the fundraiser-in-chief for L.A.'s Promise, is also the
fundraiser-in-chief for Superintendent Deasy's special Foundation for LA
Schools. Maybe these- and other dots - are dots that need
disconnecting.
SATURDAY THE GOVERNOR SIGNED OR VETOED 50 different education related
bills. The passage of the California Dream Act is a good thing, The
vetoing of AB165 probably means nothing – other than now the courts
rather than the legislature will set the rules, regulations and policies
about schools charging fees and fundraising. As always, stay tuned.
Onward/Adelante! -smf
GOVERNOR SIGNS DREAM ACT, VETOES AB165 (No School
Fees) – The complete education legislation scorecard on the 50 bills on
the governor's desk.
►GOV. BROWN REJECTS AB165: VETOED BILL WOULD HAVE BANNED 'PAY-TO-PLAY' IN SCHOOLS
Sacramento News Story from the Associated Press - KCRA Sacramento http://bit.ly/nNjIlp
5:45 pm PDT October 8, 2011 - SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Gov. Jerry
Brown has vetoed a bill prohibiting K-12 schools from charging fees for
certain classes, sports and clubs.
In rejecting AB165 on Saturday, Brown said it "goes too far."
The bill, by Democratic Assemblyman Ricardo Lara of Bell Gardens, would
have prevented public schools from charging fees for books, lab
equipment and art supplies. The bill would have also prohibited schools
from making fees a requirement to join teams or clubs.
The bill was based on a lawsuit filed the by the ACLU last September
arguing that the pay-to-play system violated the state Constitution. It
would have mandated that every classroom in the state follow specific
complaint procedures even when there were no complaints.
Brown said the "bill takes the wrong approach" to ensuring that children are guaranteed a free public education.
● also see: AB165 or not AB165: SCHOOLS WAIT FOR WORD ON FUNDING - Bill awaiting Brown’s signature could significantly alter...
►BROWN SIGNS CALIFORNIA DREAM ACT:
THE LAW GRANTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ACCESS TO STATE AID AT PUBLIC
UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES. IT IS ONE OF 50 EDUCATION-RELATED BILLS
WEIGHED BY THE GOVERNOR.
By Patrick McGreevy and Anthony York, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/qUdI7i
October 9, 2011 - Reporting from Sacramento— - Gov. Jerry Brown on
Saturday granted illegal immigrants access to state financial aid at
public universities and community colleges, putting California once
again in the center of the nation's immigration debate.
But he vetoed a measure that would have allowed state universities to
consider applicants' race, gender and income to ensure diversity in
their student populations.
Deciding the fate of 50 education-related bills, the governor also
rejected an effort to make it more difficult to establish charter
schools. But he accepted a move to improve college life for gays,
lesbians and bisexual and transgender people and a measure to restrict
the privatization of libraries.
None of the other proposals, however, has drawn the attention — or
rancor — surrounding the California Dream Act. Most Republican
legislators voted against it, and anti-illegal-immigration groups
denounced it as unfair.
Brown's signature on the bill fulfilled a campaign promise to allow
high-achieving students who want to become citizens the opportunity to
attend college, regardless of their immigration status.
"Going to college is a dream that promises intellectual excitement and
creative thinking," Brown said in a statement. "The Dream Act benefits
us all by giving top students a chance to improve their lives and the
lives of all of us."
Beginning in 2013, illegal immigrants accepted by state universities may
receive assistance from Cal-Grants, a public program that last year
provided aid to more than 370,000 low-income students.
The new law also makes students who are not legally in the country
eligible for institutional grants while attending the University of
California and California State University systems. And it permits them
to obtain fee waivers in the community college system.
Students must graduate from a California high school after attending
school in the state for at least three years and must affirm that they
are in the process of applying to legalize their immigration status.
They also must show financial need and meet academic standards.
The bill was by Assemblyman Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles), who praised Brown for showing courage in signing it.
"After having invested 12 years in the high school education of these
young men and women, who are here through no fault of their own,"
Cedillo said, "it's the smartest thing for us to do to permit these
students to get scholarships and be treated like every other student."
Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant
Rights Los Angeles, said Saturday was "a great day for California, for
education and for immigrant students who have kept their end of the
bargain and continue to give their best to the only nation they know as
their home."
But Republican lawmakers and conservative groups assailed Brown for approving AB 131.
"It's morally wrong," said Assemblyman Tim Donnelly (R-San Bernardino).
"We have just created a new entitlement that is going to cause tens of
thousands of people to come here illegally from all over the world."
Donnelly said he plans a referendum drive to repeal the legislation and
believes the issue will hurt Democrats in next year's elections.
Assemblyman Curt Hagman (R-Chino Hills) said Brown's signature
"absolutely sends the wrong message. It says if you violate the law,
it's OK."
Also opposed is the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a
national group pressing for a crackdown on illegal arrivals. Spokeswoman
Kristen Williamson called the bill "a reckless use of taxpayer money"
at a time when the state is broke, has raised tuition and has cut many
services to legal residents.
Brown downplayed the cost to taxpayers. He said the California
Department of Finance estimates 2,500 additional students will qualify
for Cal-Grants as a result of the Dream Act, at a cost of $14.5 million.
The Cal-Grant program costs $1.4 billion, so about 1% of all Cal-Grant funds could be affected, the governor said.
But the community college fee waivers and institutional grants will
likely increase the price tag. A Senate committee analysis has predicted
that new costs resulting from the legislation would be $40 million a
year, all told.
Brown signed another bill related to undocumented students Saturday, AB
844 by Assemblyman Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens). It allows them to
serve in student government on public campuses and receive grants, fee
waivers and expenses for doing so.
The governor's actions came while Congress is gridlocked over
immigration reform and followed efforts by other states, including
Arizona, Georgia and Alabama, to tighten laws on illegal immigration.
But in 2001, Texas Gov. Rick Perry allowed undocumented students to pay
in-state tuition at public universities. And earlier this year, Illinois
Gov. Pat Quinn approved private financial aid for undocumented students
and allowed them to enroll in state tuition savings programs.
"There's division of opinion among the states about what to do about
immigration," said Kevin Johnson, dean of UC Davis School of Law. "We
will continue to get these types of differences until Congress comes up
with some kind of federal immigration reform and starts to answer some
of those questions in a national, as opposed to a state, way."
In California, the legislation that would have allowed the UC and Cal
State systems to factor race and gender into admissions decisions was
also controversial.
Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina) said he wrote the bill, SB 185, to
avert a clash with a 1996 voter-approved prohibition against
preferential treatment for minorities in public institutions. Brown's
veto statement said he agreed with the goal of the bill and noted that,
as California's attorney general, he had argued that courts should allow
universities to consider race to the extent allowed by the U.S.
Constitution.
But "our constitutional system of separation of powers," he wrote
Saturday, "requires that the courts — not the Legislature — determine
the limits of Proposition 209," the measure voters passed.
The governor also vetoed AB 86, which would have required at least half
of the classified staff at a school to sign petitions for it to become a
charter. Brown, who started two charter schools in Oakland, said in his
veto message to Assemblyman Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) that charter
schools are already hard to establish and even more difficult to
maintain.
Brown signed AB 438, by Assemblyman Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara),
restricting the privatization of public libraries, a growing trend as
municipal governments have fallen on hard times. Those that are
privatized must continue to pay government wages.
The governor also approved a measure by Assemblyman Marty Block (D-San
Diego) that will encourage state university systems to collect data on
students' sexual orientation and encourage the legislative analyst to
use it to recommend improvements in the quality of life for gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender students. That bill is AB 620.
► GOVERNOR BROWN TAKES ACTION TO IMPROVE EDUCATION
from the office of the governor | http://1.usa.gov/pXmfpr
10-8-2011 - SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced today
that he has taken action on legislation to improve education in
California.
THE FOLLOWING BILLS HAVE BEEN SIGNED BY GOVERNOR BROWN:
• AB 124 by Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes (D-Los Angeles) – Academic content standards: English language development standards.
• AB 189 by Assemblymember Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park) – Education funding.
• AB 199 by Assemblymember Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) – School curriculum: social sciences: Filipinos in World War II.
• AB 250 by Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) – Instructional materials: pupil assessment.
• AB 339 by Assemblymember Susan Bonilla (D-Martinez) – Instructional materials: social content reviews: fees.
• AB 387 by Assemblymember Susan Bonilla (D-Martinez) – Pupils: excused absences: military deployment activities.
• AB 438 by Assemblymember Das G. Williams (D-Santa Barbara) – County free libraries: withdrawal: use of private contractors.
• AB 597 by Assemblymember Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park) – California Financial Literacy Fund.
• AB 620 by Assemblymember Marty Block (D-San Diego) – Public
postsecondary education: nondiscrimination and training: sexual
orientation.
• AB 668 by Assemblymember Marty Block (D-San Diego) – California State University: examinations: undue hardship.
• AB 684 by Assemblymember Marty Block (D-San Diego) – Community college districts: trustee elections.
• AB 743 by Assemblymember Marty Block (D-San Diego) – California
Community Colleges: common assessment system. A signing message can be
found here.
• AB 790 by Assemblymember Warren T. Furutani (D-Long Beach) – Career technical education: Linked Learning Pilot Program.
• AB 795 by Assemblymember Marty Block (D-San Diego) – Public postsecondary education: smoke-free campuses.
• AB 815 by Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) – Instructional programs: State Seal of Biliteracy.
• AB 844 by Assemblymember Ricardo Lara (D-South Gate) – Student
government: students qualifying for exemption from nonresident tuition:
California Community Colleges: governing board membership.
• AB 1056 by Assemblymember Paul Fong (D-Mountain View) – Public postsecondary education: community colleges.
• AB 1330 by Assemblymember Warren Furutani (D-Long Beach) – Graduation requirements: career technical education.
• SB 128 by Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) – School facilities funding: high-performance schools.
• SB 140 by Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) – Instructional materials.
• SB 300 by Senator Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) – Pupil instruction: instructional materials: content standards.
• SB 361 by Senator Tom Berryhill (R- Stanislaus) – School funding:
minimum schoolday: Center for Advanced Research and Technology.
• SB 429 by Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) – Before and after
school programs: After School Education and Safety Program: supplemental
grants.
• SB 451 Senator Curren Price (D-Los Angeles) – Student financial aid: Cal Grant C awards.
• SB 461 by Senator Sam Blakeslee (R-San Luis Obispo) – High school equivalency certificates.
• SB 509 by Senator Curren Price (D-Los Angeles) – Instructional materials.
• SB 537 by Senator Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) – California Cadet Corps.
• SB 611 by Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) – Public
postsecondary education: University of California. A signing message can
be found here.
• SB 612 by Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) – Postsecondary
education: instructional strategies. A signing message can be found
here.
• SB 650 by Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) – Postsecondary education: the College Promise Partnership Act.
• SB 753 by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) – Pupils: English learners: assessment.
• SB 821 by Senator Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield) – School district
reorganization: fiscal actions affecting newly organized or reorganized
school districts.
• SB 835 by Senator Lois Wolk (D -Davis) – Public contracts: University of California: pilot program: best value procedures.
THE GOVERNOR ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT HE HAS VETOED THE FOLLOWING BILLS: Links to the veto messages can be found here: http://1.usa.gov/pXmfpr
• AB 47 by Assemblymember Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) – Schools: open enrollment.
• AB 86 by Assemblymember Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) – Charter schools: authorization: petition.
• AB 165 by Assemblymember Ricardo Lara (D-South Gate) – Pupil fees.
• AB 202 by Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) – Local educational agencies: reimbursable state mandates.
• AB 203 by Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) – Public schools: parent empowerment: school intervention.
• AB 288 by Assemblymember Paul Fong (D-Mountain View) – Public postsecondary education: community colleges: expulsion hearing.
• AB 450 by Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) – California State University: food service contracts.
• AB 532 by Assemblymember V. Manuel Pérez (D-Coachella) – Pupil assessments.
• AB 1021 by Assemblymember Richard Gordon (D-Redwood City) – Ballot measures: fiscal analysis.
• AB 1034 by Assemblymember Mike Gatto (D-Burbank) – Charter schools.
• AB 1310 by Assemblymember Warren Furutani (D-Long Beach) – Career technical education and workforce development.
• SB 185 by Senator Ed Hernandez (D-Los Angeles) – Public postsecondary education.
• SB 512 by Senator Curren Price (D-Los Angeles) – Academic Performance Index: pupil subgroups: performance data.
• SB 547 by Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) – Public school performance accountability.
• SB 737 by Senator Mimi Walters (R-Laguna Niguel) – Organized camps.
For full text of the bills, visit: http://leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html.
L.A. UNIFIED TO RETAKE CONSIDERABLE CONTROL OF MANUAL ARTS HIGH
THE CAMPUS IS PLAGUED BY OVERCROWDING AND STARTED THE
SCHOOL YEAR WITH SHORTAGES OF DESKS AND TEXTBOOKS. IT HAS BEEN RUN
SINCE 2008 BY A NONPROFIT THAT LAST MONTH ENDED A YEAR-ROUND SCHEDULE.
By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/oX4Psq
October 7, 2011 - Los Angeles school district officials will retake
substantial control over Manual Arts High, which has been part of a
high-profile reform effort led by an independent nonprofit, officials
announced Thursday.
The campus has been beset by overcrowding and endured a disorderly start
to the school year that saw initial shortages of desks and textbooks
and left some students without class schedules.
The move demonstrates a startling new development in the reform
landscape of the nation's second-largest school system. The Los Angeles
Unified School District, which has received acclaim from some and
derision from others for turning over campuses to others to manage,
signaled this week that it is also prepared to take them back.
Manual Arts High School, south of USC, is one of three public schools
controlled by the locally based L.A.'s Promise, which describes its
mission as neighborhood improvement centered on local schools. The group
took charge of Manual Arts in July 2008.
Top district officials faced a dilemma in dealing with L.A.'s Promise.
They wanted to address the situation at Manual Arts without alienating
the backers of the nonprofit group. Officials did not want to derail a
recently launched, major fundraising initiative led jointly by L.A.
schools Supt. John Deasy and education philanthropist Megan Chernin,
longtime head of the L.A.'s Promise Board of Directors.
L.A.'s Promise endorsed a compromise under which the district "will take
the lead in the daily organizational, managerial, and educational
operations," according to a district statement. The district will also
provide additional resources to the group's efforts at the school.
"It is absolutely crucial that all parties come together," Deasy said in the statement.
The assertion of district authority is intended to placate critics of
L.A.'s Promise, including school board member Marguerite Poindexter
LaMotte, whose district includes the South Los Angeles campus. She has
vehemently objected to handing over schools to outside groups.
Frustrated by their relationship with LaMotte, leaders of L.A.'s Promise
had backed her unsuccessful challenger in last spring's board election.
LaMotte declined to comment.
The nonprofit's once-solid relations with the teachers union reached a
new low in recent months, when the group forced many teachers at Manual
Arts and Muir Middle School — which L.A.'s Promise just took over — to
seek jobs on other campuses. Administrators also put more pressure last
year on Manual Arts teachers with stepped-up classroom observations and
critiques.
The high school faced major logistical challenges this fall.
It reopened last month on a traditional September-to-June schedule,
ending years of a year-round calendar that reduced overcrowding on the
3,200-student campus. But on opening day, scores of students were unable
to get through the lunch line; many also waited hours for class
schedules and as long as three weeks for textbooks.
Ten teachers have no classrooms of their own; instead they share rooms
and switch locations from period to period. A new school is expected to
open nearby next year to relieve overcrowding.
"The primary problem is that the classes have ballooned," said history
and government teacher Daniel Beebe, one of the instructors without a
classroom. "We produced significant improvement last year, but it feels
like this improvement is in jeopardy."
The school, despite significant progress, fell short of academic targets
needed to retain a lucrative state grant that had provided an extra
$1,000 per student.
The funding loss exacerbated the effect of budget cuts that have hurt all L.A. Unified schools.
A teachers union-led demonstration at Manual Arts on Thursday
highlighted problems in the district as a whole as well as those at the
school. Speakers accused the school system of enacting more budget cuts
and layoffs than necessary, which they said imposed unconscionable
conditions on students.
Senior Andrea Leyva complained of 50 students in an art class with no
supplies and of using a 10th-grade textbook in a 12th-grade Advanced
Placement English class.
"My education is at risk," she said. L.A.'s Promise "claim[s] to want to
do a community turnaround. They've definitely done that, but not in a
positive way."
First-year Principal Robert Whitman said desk and textbook shortages, along with other issues, were quickly resolved.
"As soon as we were aware of a problem we took care of it immediately,"
he said. "Manual Arts High School is operating fine. The biggest
hindrance is the focus on political issues and not student achievement
issues — that's my focus."
He also acknowledged, "We could always use more resources."
this just in:
►ARNE DUNCAN ON CALIFORNIA FUND-RAISING SWING - WITH A $2,500-A-PERSON STOP AT PETER & MEGAN CHERNIN'S
By Lynn Sweet in the Chicago Sun Times | http://bit.ly/reBJph
October 6, 2011 3:00 PM - WASHINGTON--Education Secretary Arne Duncan
is the draw at a fund-raiser in Brentwood, traveling to Los Angeles for
the Oct. 11 Obama re-elect team "Speakers Series" event. Mayor Rahm
Emanuel kicked off the national speakers series in New York earlier this
year.
Duncan's ticket price starts at $2,500 through $10,000 for hosts of the
event at the home of Hollywood producer Peter Chernin and wife Megan.
(Hat Tip: Ben Smith of Politico, who had this first.)
below, invitation...
The Obama Victory Fund 2012
invites you to participate in the
Southern California
OBAMA SPEAKER SERIES
INAUGURAL EVENT
Featuring
The Honorable Arne Duncan
Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
Please arrive by 7:30 pm
At the home of Megan and Peter Chernin
Brentwood, CA
Address given upon RSVP
The Obama Speaker Series is an opportunity to hear locally from your
leaders. These sessions will occur on a regular basis and will be
limited in size.
All speakers are subject to availability and scheduling. We cannot guarantee participation for any specific speaker.
For more information please contact Lindsay Rachelefsky at lrachelefsky@barackobama.com
Paid for by Obama Victory Fund 2012, a joint fundraising committee authorized by
Obama for America and the Democratic National Committee.
Yes, I would like to participate in the SoCal Speaker Series! $10,000 -
Event Co-Host (write/raise) 5,000 per person (Speaker Series membership,
6 events) $2,500 per person - Attend Oct. 11th event only
National Week of Action on School Discipline:
ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICIES PUSHING UP SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS, REPORT SAYS +
Report
THE NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY CENTER FINDS THAT
DISTRICTS, INCLUDING L.A. UNIFIED, HAVE INCREASINGLY SUSPENDED MINORITY
STUDENTS, MOSTLY FOR NONVIOLENT OFFENSES, OVER THE LAST DECADE.
By Rick Rojas, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/pe7UdP
October 6, 2011 - In the decade since school districts instituted "zero
tolerance" discipline policies, administrators have increasingly
suspended minority students, predominantly for nonviolent offenses,
according to a report released Wednesday. [NEPC: Discipline Policies,
Successful Schools, and Racial Justice follows]
The National Education Policy Center found that suspensions across the
country are increasing for offenses such as dress code and cellphone
violations. Researchers expressed concerns that the overuse of
suspensions could lead to dropouts and even incarceration.
Suspensions are falling mostly on black students; nearly a third of
black males in middle school have been suspended at least once,
researchers from the University of Colorado-based group found.
In Los Angeles Unified, one of the school systems included in the
report, district figures show a similar situation: Last school year,
nearly 34% of students suspended from middle schools were African
American, while about 11% were Latino, 5% were white and 3% were Asian.
The district, the nation's second largest, had nearly 74% Latino
students, 10% African American, nearly 9% white and nearly 4% Asian.
Yet L.A. Unified, with an overall suspension rate of 6.9%, fell below
the state average of nearly 12%, according to the California Department
of Education.
Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy said his district is examining why
students are suspended and considering alternatives. "It's not violence,
not weapons — it's defiance," Deasy said, referring to the reason most
students are suspended. With issues of defiance, he said, "there are
ways to work with our youth in a restorative way rather than a punitive
way."
State officials this week have urged school districts to change course
in order to keep students on campus. "We need to hold kids accountable
and help them learn from their mistakes, but also keep them in school
and on course to graduate," Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris said in a
statement. The veteran prosecutor said that "out-of-school suspension
for nonviolent offenses can set the stage for the type of chronic
truancy that leads to students dropping out of school and becoming
victims of crime."
Yet Daniel Losen, author of the National Education Policy Center report,
said many districts across the country are "holding onto this idea that
we have to kick these kids out so the good kids can learn."
Districts' zero-tolerance policies — which have relied heavily on
suspensions — mostly began after the deadly Columbine school shootings
in 1999.
As a result, offenses that probably would have once merited a visit to
the principal's office now require suspension. Students who wore gang
colors, carried a cellphone, were truant or persistently tardy were
among those most commonly suspended, Losen found.
Losen, director of the Center for Civil Rights Remedies at UCLA, pointed
to the Baltimore public schools as an example of the type of success
that districts can have when they find alternatives.
Officials in Baltimore have decreased the number of suspensions from
26,000 to 10,000 per year by limiting the number of offenses that
require sending students home, and the district's graduation rate
increased by 20% during that same period.
Those results, Losen and others say, come by way of simple and cheap
alternatives. Schools could institute a peer judicial system and
additional classroom and behavioral management training for teachers.
The objective, they say, should be to keep students in school where they could receive help.
BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT BLUES: What used to be a time to
talk about the value of learning has morphed into a dull discussion
centered on process
TEACHERS USED TO PREVIEW THEIR CURRICULUM FOR PARENTS ON BACK TO SCHOOL
NIGHT. THESE DAYS, THE TALK MORE OFTEN IS DOMINATED BY GRADING RUBRICS,
CLASS RULES, POINT DEDUCTIONS AND PREPARATION FOR THE STATE'S
STANDARDIZED TESTS.
LA Times Editorial by Karin Klein | http://lat.ms/qcjdyO
October 5, 2011 - After 24 years of attending Back to School Night at my
kids' schools, it's taking more self-discipline to show up. The
traditional parents' night has changed over the decades, and not for the
better.
I'm not even sure when I first noticed the shift. But in the earlier
years, teachers spent most of their allotted time — admittedly, in the
upper grades they're given just 10 minutes per subject — previewing a
year of learning. They skimmed the curriculum. Sometimes they lingered
on a favorite topic or an important project. Some spoke lyrically about
their long-term goals for our children — newfound confidence, the
ability to work cooperatively with others, a lifelong love of reading.
These days, however, the talk more often is dominated by grading
rubrics, class rules, point deductions for various classroom
misdemeanors and preparation for the state's standardized tests. At this
year's parent night at my daughter's high-achieving Orange County high
school, there were a couple of presentations so vague on the academics
that it was difficult to know which class was being discussed. The
teachers didn't mention the curriculum or the value of learning the
subject, though one gave a lengthy talk about the dire consequences of
unexcused absences. Another finished early with her spiel about the
number of days students would be given to make up missed work, so she
asked for questions. She then seemed surprised and unprepared when asked
what the students would learn this year.
How much of this is our fault as parents? Teachers weren't the only ones
who changed their focus over the years. If there were a FAQ section at
back-to-school nights over the last 10 years, it surely would have been
headed by "Do you give extra credit?" followed by interrogations about
whether students would be graded on a curve. The state's standardized
tests have added another layer of deadening. At some point, parents
started asking why our high-achieving district has rather low
similar-schools rankings.
Still, there are teachers who take care of the administrative business
and nonetheless manage to remind us that education should be about
awakening the mind and heart. One dispensed with the organizational
details within a minute, gave contact information for parents who might
have more questions and then launched into an enthusiastic pitch about
the value of learning both a foreign language and world culture. The
English teacher handed out an easy-to-parse brochure she'd prepared for
the boring basics — and bless her, it contained a FAQ section — and
devoted most of her 10 minutes to an uplifting review of the wonderful
classical and modern literature the students would read and analyze,
urging parents to immerse themselves in a couple of the books as well. I
think I will.
●● smf's 2cents: this article appeared first in substantially the same
form in the LA Times Opinion blog of Sept 22nd – and has worked itself
into “The Big Paper” – and it’s a good thing that it did.
Parent involvement – even to the most involved parents – has to be MORE
about engaging and partnering with parents in the education of their
children – and LESS about the process of pedagogy, grading rubrics,
standards and standardized testing …and how to read the “Parent Report
Card”. Let's face it, if most parents really cared about the wonky
discussion of policy and pedagogy 4LAKids would have a readership of
millions!
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest of the Stories from Other Sources
THE TROUBLE WITH THE PARENT TRIGGER: Diane Ravitch... bit.ly/qSj7jB
AB165 or not AB165: SCHOOLS WAIT FOR WORD ON FUNDING - Bill awaiting
Brown’s signature could significantly alter... bit.ly/oCK7dR
SCHOOL TO PRISON: Themes in the News for the week of Oct. 3-7, 2011 by UCLA IDEA | bit.ly/pdNHwQ ... bit.ly/qYnUQW
HEADLINES FROM ELSEWHERE: from FCMAT NEWS| Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team Anaheim Union kills col... bit.ly/r9MH7l
DISPARATE DISCIPLINE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Black and Hispanic students more
likely to get kicked out: By Kathryn Ba... bit.ly/n4CIfo
NEARLY 75% OF CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL GRADS GO TO COLLEGE, STATE FINDS;
63% of LAUSD grads attend college or U+ C... bit.ly/pFVfMI
A WATERSHED MOMENT IN SELF-SUFFICIENCY v. PRIVATIZATION: Tuition+Fees
now exceed state funding @ UC system: José... bit.ly/nd4kQA
LAUSD CLASS SIZES PUT ON TRIAL BY TEACHERS UNION: Gracie Zheng |Staff
Reporter – Neon Tommy/the online publicati... bit.ly/p1eMlg
LA Times: “PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE HAD IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME” + smf’s 2¢:
L.A. Unified should go back to the orig... bit.ly/mWtHQc
L.A. UNIFIED TO RETAKE CONSIDERABLE CONTROL OF MANUAL ARTS HIGH: The
campus is plagued by overcrowding and start... bit.ly/mPlB8q
UTLA DEMANDS LAUSD REHIRE LAID-OFF TEACHERS: Aaron Schrank | USC Annenberg School for Communication | http://bit... bit.ly/oXe9Qp
DEAN’S AMATEUR STING AT VALLEY SCHOOL BACKFIRES: Concerned that a student was selling pot at a middle school,... bit.ly/r7zuyg
National Week of Action on School Discipline: ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICIES
PUSHING UP SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS, REPORT SAYS... bit.ly/qknSza
LACCD BUILDING SCANDAL: Community College District halts spending on
construction: Chancellor calls a monthlong ... bit.ly/ooGhUX
ALUMNI WANT NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT FOR HOLLYWOOD HIGH SCHOOL: by Chris Parker, LandUseLA.com | bit.ly/niImsa ... bit.ly/oTBhDo
National Week of Action on School Discipline: WHEN SCHOOLS SUPPORT OUR
KIDS, THEY CAN SUCCEED + HARSH SCHOOL PUN... bit.ly/qByzML
THE 2010-2011 LAUSD CERTIFICATED REDUCTION IN FORCE STATUS REPORT: Report posted on the NBC Website | http://bit... bit.ly/odsmvw
STELLAR MUSIC PROGRAM AT WALTER REED MIDDLE SCHOOL STAYS INTACT: By James Hourani, NBC4 LA | bit.ly/nUpXN... bit.ly/n0HFSa
BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT BLUES: What used to be a time to talk about the
value of learning has morphed into a dull d... bit.ly/og49W5
Tweet: FWD:@DrDeasyLAUSD: RT @arneduncan:Happy World Teachers Day!Take
time today to #ThankATeacher who's inspired you.smf/4LAKids:4 once we
agree!
L.A. SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PROTEST END TO POPULAR NURSING PROGRAM: Nuha
Abujaber | Contributor. Neon Tommy/the o... bit.ly/mPmoo2
LACCD BUILDING SCANDAL- and then the other shoe: E-MAIL FROM THE
CHANCELLOR: LACCD imposes moratorium on new con... bit.ly/pKTa5Y
LACCD BUILDING SCANDAL …one shoe drops: D.A. OPENS INVESTIGATION OF
COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT: At issue are all... bit.ly/pvg4h8
More Arne Duncan news: TOWN HALL MEETING IN PICO RIVERA ON TUES OCT
11th.: All the comments about Arne’s appeara... bit.ly/nBi9tn
SECRETARY OF EDUCATION ARNE DUNCAN TO ADDRESS LAUSD BOARD OF ED MEETING
NEXT TUESDAY, OCT. 11TH – Pass it on!: …... bit.ly/nUYbdy
Cindi Santana 1994-2011– POLICE GAVE SCHOOL NO ALERT: smf: This is too
tragic and too real and too recent a cala... bit.ly/phJkrR
REMEMBERING A SPECIAL TEACHER: Fifty-two years after they left Wilbur
Conover's sixth-grade class at Queen Anne ... bit.ly/qYZwk4
ADMINISTRATORS’ WORKLOAD: Assistant Principals: By Sayne Maza, in the
Associated Administrators of Los Angeles W... bit.ly/nU4aXD
Student Fees: Navigating the New Landscape - COMPLIMENTARY LEGAL
BRIEFING ON PENDING LAWSUITS + THE IMPACT OF AB... bit.ly/qQu5iY
ORGANIZATIONS CALL FOR EASING HARSH DISCIPLINE AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Adolfo Guzman-Lopez | KPCC | http://bit.ly/qDB... bit.ly/pdZitX
Education Reform Done Right: GIVE CALIFORNIA THE NCLB WAIVER: The Education Department should back off from i... bit.ly/o8p0KN
PROSECUTORS SEEK NEW CHARGES AGAINST FORMER BEVERLY HILLS USD CHIEF:
Jeffrey Hubbard of Newport-Mesa Unified in ... bit.ly/oL4ORl
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
What can YOU do?
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:
Tamar.Galatzan@lausd.net • 213-241-6386
Monica.Garcia@lausd.net • 213-241-6180
Bennett.Kayser@lausd.net • 213-241-5555
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 Brown: 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. THEY DO!.
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