In This Issue:
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ARTS EDUCATION—WHERE STUDENTS THRIVE |
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SPATE OF ARRESTS SHOWS RISE IN REPORTING, NOT IN ABUSE, POLICE SAY |
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DISTRICT ATTORNEY HAD CHANCE TO NAB FUGITIVE TEACHER ACCUSED OF SEX CRIMES |
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MUNGER-PTA INITIATIVE HITS THE STREETS: $10B for K-12, early childhood by raising income tax |
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HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but
not neccessariily the best) 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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THIS PAST WEEK THE REDISTRICTING COMMISSIONS for the
school district and the city council played their parts and took the
votes and followed their scripts as last minute maps mysteriously
materialized and were approved in the middle of the night. (There was
childcare – there is no public accommodation quite so tortured as
childcare at 11:30PM on a schoolnight!) Political will and ambition and
the powers-that-be were served; children and communities not so much. http://bit.ly/y9840K | http://t.co/WbNQAaLv
The best that can be said is that none of the incumbent school board
members will have to move if they wish to run again – oddly enough not
an official consideration of redistricting. The strange gerrymander of
District 5 from last time (to create a “Latino District “– and
successful in only 1 of 3 elections) that connects Northeast LA to the
Southeast Cities by a narrow strip was
preserved – but the strip was moved to the west. Board District 2 is now
completely isolated - making the Eastside an island unto herself.
These “final maps” still must be approved by the city council and signed
by the mayor – but the curtain on Act I rings down at midnight on Feb
29th when the redistricting commissions cease to exist. One hopes that
the Fairy Godmother and Prince Charming will be occupied
elsewhere.
Conspiracy theorists and Steve Lopez followers (L.A. SECOND ONLY TO CHICAGO IN SLEAZE http://t.co/r05oCBgi)
can find comfort in the fact that the LAUSD redistricting technical
director could generate amended maps live at the Thursday meeting – and
I’m sure in non-public (“secret” is so pejorative) meetings with
selected commissioners and lobbyists – but was unable to produce copies
for the public at the close of business Friday. And the commission’s
executive director anticipates the City of LA charging LAUSD for at
least some of the “services” of the commission.
I SEE THAT LAUSD HAS A NEW HOMEWORK POLICY – more on that next week.
But I’d like to hear from anyone who attended the Homework Policy
meeting for parents at LACES Thursday night. There will be a second
meeting at Reed Middle School @ 7pm next Friday. Over a million parents?
Two meetings? That should do it for parent engagement!
In a Feb 25th LA Times article GOV. JERRY BROWN TAKES CASE FOR MEDI-CAL CUTS TO WASHINGTON [http://lat.ms/yAW03S] Anthony York writes:
“Brown says the state's schools also need a reprieve — from some of the
sanctions in the federal No Child Left Behind law. The state Department
of Education recently estimated that failure to receive a waiver could
cost California schools more than $200 million in 2014.
“(US Education Secretary) Duncan has given states an opportunity to
apply for exemptions from requirements that all students test at grade
level in math and reading. But state education leaders and Brown have
bristled at some new requirements that Duncan wants to impose on states
that opt out.
“Among the most troubling, Brown has said, is Duncan's demand that
districts use student test scores to evaluate teachers and principals —
something the governor has long opposed.
“In 2009, then-Atty. Gen. Brown penned a tersely worded letter to
Duncan about the secretary's desire to link test scores to teacher
evaluations. "The basic assumption … appears to be that top-down,
Washington-driven standardization is best," Brown wrote. "... I sense a
pervasive technocratic bias and an uncritical faith in the power of
social science."
“Brown admitted that his communication with the education secretary was still evolving.
"’The Duncan [relationship] is a work in progress,’ Brown said. But he
said he hoped the secretary would make room for ‘diversity and
flexibility in what California does, so we don't have a monolithic
approach.’”
Hope is a harsh mistress and a poor hat rack. Or a city in Arkansas. But
Arne Duncan fans can take solace that his basketball skills have not
deteriorated: OBAMA’s EDUCATION SECRETARY DOMINATES NBA ALL-STAR
CELEBRITY GAME | http://t.co/08WTaxgy)
THE PARENT TRIGGER was pulled again, this time Adelanto – it misfired again
AND THE PERVERTS+PEDOPHILES are coming out of the LAUSD woodwork. see:
SPATE OF ARRESTS SHOWS RISE IN REPORTING, NOT IN ABUSE. In a radio
interview the superintendent talks about all the wonderful good
teachers in LAUSD – but in the next breath conflates the difficulty of
removing bad teachers (who don’t teach well) with bad teachers (who
molest children). http://bit.ly/xJlZ4s
One 4LAKids reader emailed me about the
“after-school-on-Tuesday-professional-development” on child abuse
awareness/mandatory child abuse reporting at her school – and described a
principal-led superficial laying-down-of-the law – where the principal
really didn’t understand the law, read from a script and didn’t
understand what some of the terms in the presentation meant. ••smf:
Child Abuse Awareness Training cannot be Open Court Instruction: this
is very critical and sensitive – and uncomfortable - information.
Teachers and school staff are professionals, they deserve professional
development by experts.
Another reader comments on the 4LAKidsNews blog re the allegations of
abuse by a teacher at Roosevelt HS: (2/25) “Yesterday, Friday, a
meeting was held at RHS by LAUSD to inform the parents. However, it was
more like "IT’S NOT OUR FAULT" and statements like “one of over 200
employees was arrested for sexual abuse, the rest are hard working
employees”. One of their employees stood up and blamed the parents for
not knowing about the abuse. The Superintendent was on a short leash, he
announced to a handful of parents vs 3K RHS parents, that his time was
limited and had to leave, after four or five parents asked questions.
Not allowing people to comment after their speech.” ••smf: LAUSD used
to have an excellent program about Child Abuse Awareness for Parents
called Darkness-to-Light – an outgrowth of the Stephen Rooney affair;
gone+forgotten in budget cuts. Now we have less than adequate, poorly
delivered Child Abuse Awareness Training On-The-Cheap. Today we have:
“It’s not
our
fault”.
And the LA Times caught the District Attorney in a bit o’ th’ old
Terminological Inexactitude about
following-through/not-following-through on prosecuting child abuse:
DISTRICT ATTORNEY HAD CHANCE TO NAB FUGITIVE TEACHER ACCUSED OF SEX
CRIMES
As long as prosecutors are preoccupied with the ease, likelihood or cost
of obtaining convictions over keeping children safe - children will not
be safe. There is no justice or safety or morality in allowing a
perpetrator the liberty to do what he does in Mexico rather than
bringing him to trial here – only cost savings. Child abuse is not a
product to be exported like motion pictures and fashion trends.
From another Times article about Miramonte: “…child abuse accusations,
Thomas Lyon, a law professor at USC added, can be difficult to prove in
court. ‘There will be the same proof problems.... Whether these cases
will result in convictions is really unclear,’ he said.
“Lyon said the case against Miramonte's Springer, for example, appears
to hinge on the testimony of a single accuser ‘It's going to be her
word against his,’ Lyon said. ‘That's not a case L.A. prosecutors would
usually take.’
There are worst things than failing to obtain a conviction in court.
Q: “n' how many times must a man turn his head,” the song asks, “Pretending he just doesn't see?”
¡Onward/Adelante! —smf
ARTS EDUCATION—WHERE STUDENTS THRIVE
By Robin Lithgow, Administrative Coordinator, LAUSD Arts Education Branch, from the Feb 27 AALA Update | http://bit.ly/wRBlv7
Students thrive in arts-rich schools.
Since time immemorial, the arts have been lauded for their role in
preparing the mind for learning, for listening, for observing, for
reasoning, for reflecting, for valuing. Today, an ever-growing body of
research confirms the cognitive, social and emotional benefits of a
substantive and sustained arts education. In view of this it seems
shortsighted for LAUSD to cut all funding for its Elementary Arts
Program—its 120-year-old elementary music program and its 12-year-old
dance/theatre/visual arts rotation.
During the decade from 1999 to 2009, the LAUSD Arts Education Branch
built an Elementary Arts Program that was a national model.
Starting with 54 schools and adding as many as 50 each year, equitably
across the District, we supplemented the existing music program with the
arts rotation. The program included capacity building funds that
provided for professional development for classroom teachers and
administrators, textbooks, materials, equipment and residencies from a
vetted Arts Community Partnership Network (ACPN) of over 80 offerings.
By 2009 the program was in every elementary school in LAUSD: one day per
week guaranteed for music, and 2-3 days per week of the arts rotation,
depending on enrollment. The program was on a trajectory that would have
eventually increased the number of elementary arts teachers to 600, to
be more in line with many other urban districts throughout the country
and the world.
Since 2008, the number of centrally funded elementary arts teachers has
dropped from 355 to 233, reducing by 33% student access throughout the
District; and all funds distributed to K-12 school sites for their arts
programs have been cut. The Budget for the Arts Education Branch has
been cut from $47.5 million (including $11 million in state Arts and
Music Bloc Grants now in flexible Tier III and no longer available for
the arts) to $18 million. Any further cut would make it impossible to
field a quality program Districtwide.
We urge the District to consider retaining at minimum the amount of the
state’s annual Tier III ―Arts and Music Bloc Grant‖ (approximately $9
million) to fund a limited number of ―Arts Education Research Sites‖
where we could begin to gather locally based data on the impact of a
quality arts education program on student achievement and school
culture.
Sometimes the solution to a complex problem is in plain sight. The arts
are a solution – for achievement, for attendance, for graduation rates,
for school culture, for student health, for teacher retention and growth
and for virtually every urgent need we face in education. Let us not
completely abandon all the hard work we have done to bring the arts back
into the core of our students’ education.
Below are testimonials from two elementary school principals.
● MARCIA REED, Principal, 186th Street Elementary School: 186th Street
Elementary School is soaring academically, artistically, and peacefully
as a result of the Arts. When our school had the full implementation of
the Stage 5 Arts Program with arts teachers everyday, we moved into the
800 club with our academic performance index (API). With a poverty index
of 86%, our school has an 852 API. The arts have motivated our children
to dream, to thrive, to flourish! As I study schools across the nation
to mirror their best practices, there is one thing they all have in
common...the Arts!!! When our children talk about their fond memories of
being at our school, they always refer to something related to the
arts. Eliminating all the arts in our schools, is not a wise decision.
An artless District would be like a world without the birds, the bees,
the flowers and the trees. Yes, the Arts put the heart in smart, and
they also put a zing in our wings to soar. We can save our
schools with one art lesson at a time. The arts are essential in
education. They bring life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!!!
● BRAD RUMBLE, Principal, Leo Politi Elementary School: At Leo Politi
Elementary, an inner city school in the Pico-Union neighborhood, there
is no doubt that a robust arts program has helped students make
sustained academic gains. Through the Elementary Arts Program, experts
in the fields of music, drama, dance and visual arts deliver
high-caliber, standards-based arts instruction to participating classes.
Through the years, the arts teachers' presence here has informed the
instructional delivery of classroom teachers across the campus who now
employ arts-based strategies to improve student engagement and
horizontally expand lessons. Higher student engagement equals higher
student achievement.
The arts are the cornerstone of Los Angeles' success, and the
professional artists who make their homes here will tell you their
journey began at the elementary level. The students filling our seats at
instrumental and vocal music classes in our schools someday will fill
the seats of the L.A. Philharmonic and the Ahmanson. And those, like me,
who participate in arts instruction while in elementary school but
pursue a different career, still have much to gain from a rich arts
background. These students learn at an early age they can take on an
additional responsibility as long as they manage their time well. This
gives them a head start on the organization of time, which becomes so
important at the secondary level. Their arts instruction informs their
ability to think critically as they learn the language of music. Of
course, a rich arts background adds to the whole individual, one who can
relate to others about the arts, its history and its relevance. Again,
this is a journey
that must begin in elementary
school.
An after-school science illustration visual arts program has bridged
students' love of illustration to new learning in science. Since 2009, a
cadre of upper-elementary students has learned science illustration
from an expert in the field. Native plants, birds, insects and arachnids
all have been studied—not just the physical form but the world they
inhabit. Students' passion for art now has ignited a passion for
science. The school's teachers seize on this interest as they teach
science during the instructional day, and the percentage of Grade 5
students scoring within the Proficient/Advanced range on the CST has
made a two-year leap from 9% to 53%.
________
THIS AFTERNOON SUNDAY FEB 26 Los Angeles Tenth District PTA Celebrates
the greatest Artists in LAUSD - OUR STUDENTS K-12 - in our annual PTA
REFLECTIONS EXHIBIT. ART ● MUSIC COMPOSITION ● LITERATURE ● PHOTOGRAPHY
● FILM+VIDEO ● DANCE
FROM NOON UNTIL ??? 1000 Venice Boulevard @ Toberman.
Come celebrate the arts and congratulate young artists!
SPATE OF ARRESTS SHOWS RISE IN REPORTING, NOT IN ABUSE, POLICE SAY
IN THREE WEEKS, SIX L.A. UNIFIED EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN BOOKED ON SUSPICION
OF SEX-RELATED CRIMES. THE MIRAMONTE EPISODE HAS SPARKED SOME PEOPLE TO
COME FORWARD AND OTHERS TO BE MORE WATCHFUL, POLICE SAY.
By Richard Winton, Howard Blume and Sam Allen, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/wpmWNo
24 Feb 2012 :: Since authorities charged a Miramonte Elementary School
teacher nearly a month ago with committing lewd acts in his classroom,
the Los Angeles Unified School District has seen a flurry of arrests of
school employees accused of inappropriate behavior with children.
Over the last three weeks, six employees have been booked on suspicion
of sex-related crimes, while several others have been pulled from the
classroom amid investigations.
The overwhelming media coverage after the arrest of Miramonte teacher
Mark Berndt for allegedly spoon-feeding his semen to blindfolded
children has intensified discussion among school officials, parents and
children about abuse.
But whether more children are being abused or more abusers are being
caught is difficult to say. Law enforcement officials stressed that they
don't believe that more abuse is occurring. Rather, the Miramonte
episode has sparked some people to come forward and others to be more
watchful, they say.
"As a community, people are coming together and are hyper-vigilant about
any other perpetrators. Everything is now being reported," said Pia
Escudero, who directs L.A. Unified's mental health and crisis counseling
services.
The district has seen an uptick in allegations of adult sexual
misconduct in recent weeks. Counselors have been dispatched to several
campuses — including 45 alone at Miramonte, one for every classroom.
Los Angeles Police Capt. Fabian E. Lizarraga, who oversees child sex
crime investigations, said the department has seen an increase in
allegations of "child annoyance" more than of more serious sexual
misconduct.
"These reports say things like a teacher likes to rub my shoulders and
sometimes their hands drift or he hugs me too long," he said.
But there have been more serious allegations as well. On Thursday,
authorities announced the arrest of a Roosevelt High School Spanish
teacher on suspicion of having sex with two teenage boys. Gabriela
Cortez, 42, was booked on suspicion of unlawful sexual intercourse.
Montebello police alleged that she had lengthy sexual relationships with
the boys between 2008 and 2010. One of the teenagers, now 18, reported
the teacher last week to police in Montebello, where she lives, said
Chief Kevin McClure. After learning of the allegation, school officials
immediately removed her from the classroom.
Berndt has been charged with photographing blindfolded and gagged
students who thought they were taking part in a "tasting game."
Within a week of his arrest, another Miramonte instructor, second-grade
teacher Martin Springer, was charged with lewd acts involving a girl in
his classroom.
Concerned about the effect of a widening investigation, Supt. John Deasy opted to replace the school's entire staff.
That same week, Paul Adame, a Germain Elementary School janitor, was
arrested for alleged lewd acts involving a student at the Chatsworth
campus. A little over a week later, an FBI sex crimes task force
arrested Alain Salas, a coach and teacher's aide at Fremont High School
in South Los Angeles. He has also been charged with lewd acts on a
child.
Counselors had to be dispatched two weeks ago to Telfair Elementary
School in Pacoima after it was revealed that teacher Paul Chapel had
disappeared from the campus because of a molestation investigation. He
was jailed in October.
In the past, district officials would never reveal what happened to a
teacher who was dismissed or removed until they had to — they often
cited the employee's privacy rights and a fear of litigation.
But now, some district officials, including school board member Nury
Martinez, are insisting that parents and campus colleagues have a right
to know what allegedly happened.
School officials confirmed Wednesday that an unidentified teacher had
resigned at Crenshaw High School amid an LAPD investigation into
inappropriate conduct with a minor.
An athletic assistant at Francis Polytechnic High School in Sunland,
Jose Rosario Alvarez, 27, was arrested Wednesday by the LAPD on
suspicion of having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl at
another school.
Thomas Lyon, a law professor at USC, said the string of arrests could be
driven by a combination of greater concern among parents and increased
willingness on the part of law enforcement officials to act on
allegations of abuse.
"When people hear about cases, they ask their child if anything has ever
happened at their school…. And a fair number of children are going to
reveal things because they've never been asked before," he said.
"Another thing is that police might be making arrests because they are
more diligent."
But Lyon said it's also important to keep in mind that the volume of
arrests is irrelevant in individual criminal proceedings — what matters
in each case is the evidence itself. Such child abuse accusations, he
added, can be difficult to prove in court.
"There will be the same proof problems.... Whether these cases will
result in convictions is really unclear," he said. ""What's really the
evidence in all these cases? That's what I'd want to know."
Lyon said the case against Miramonte's Springer, for example, appears to
hinge on the testimony of a single accuser (a second student accused
Springer but later recanted).
"It's going to be her word against his," Lyon said. "That's not a case L.A. prosecutors would usually take."
DISTRICT ATTORNEY HAD CHANCE TO NAB FUGITIVE TEACHER ACCUSED OF SEX CRIMES
by Alan Zarembo and Richard Winton | LA Times/LA NOW | http://lat.ms/xERoWI
February 25, 2012 | 7:56 am :: New questions have emerged over the
Los Angeles County district attorney's office's handling of a substitute
teacher wanted for alleged sex crimes.
The teacher, George Hernandez, was arrested by Huntington Park police in
September 2010 for allegedly exposing himself to a girl outside a
middle school. Detectives who searched his Inglewood apartment
discovered a videotape they say shows Hernandez molesting a
second-grader in a classroom. He was released on bail and fled the
country.
Court records reviewed by The Times show prosecutors chose not to seek
the extradition of Hernandez even when they learned of his whereabouts
in Mexico.
The records contradict statements made this week by a deputy district
attorney, who said the teacher would be extradited as soon as
authorities could locate him.
An investigator working for a bail bonds company found Hernandez early
last year, and Jalisco, Mexico, state police briefly detained him on
Jan. 19, 2011. In a letter faxed nine days later, the company informed
the district attorney that it was continuing to track Hernandez and
could help apprehend him.
But on March 15, Deputy Dist. Atty. Ann Huntsman responded saying prosecutors did not want to bring him back to Los Angeles.
"We have evaluated the case and have determined that we will not seek
the defendant's international extradition from Mexico on this case at
this time," Huntsman wrote. "The case will remain open and the defendant
is still subject to prosecution in this case."
The revelation comes in a case that has focused attention on how schools
can fail to weed out dangerous teachers. Before his arrest, Hernandez
had been investigated three times at three L.A. Unified School District
elementary schools for alleged sexual misconduct. He was never charged
and apparently never reported to the state commission on teacher
credentialing.
Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the district attorney, said the
decision came after consultation with U.S. Justice Department officials,
who said success was far from guaranteed.
Prosecutors also considered the fact that Hernandez, now 45, had no
criminal record and that the charges they had filed against him —
possession of child pornography and indecent exposure — fell short of
child molestation, Gibbons said.
MUNGER-PTA INITIATIVE HITS THE STREETS: $10B for
K-12, early childhood by raising income tax
By John Fensterwald - Educated Guess | http://bit.ly/yeVcEa
Posted on 2/24/12 • Unfazed by disparagement from Gov. Brown’s
politicos, civil rights attorney Molly Munger and her chief ally, the
state PTA, launched a drive Thursday to collect signatures for the
November ballot for a $10 billion tax initiative to benefit K-12 and
early childhood education.
“We would not do signatures if we did not feel confident,” Addisu
Demissie, manager for the Our Children, Our Future Education Initiative
campaign, said in a teleconference. “We know we are on the right track
and are moving forward.” Unless someone blinks, the Munger-PTA
initiative could vie on the ballot with the governor’s temporary tax
initiative and perhaps a third plan, a tax on the income of
millionaires, pushed by the California Federation of Teachers with help
from the California Nurses Association.
Common wisdom in Sacramento is that multiple tax initiatives would doom
all to fail, but Munger, the initiative’s creator and primary financier,
and Demissie weren’t buying that talk. They can also count on the
energy, time, and “pent-up frustration” of PTA parents, hundreds of whom
have been trained in the past several weeks to collect signatures and
make a pitch, said California PTA president Carol Kocivar. It’s unusual
for the state PTA to put its weight behind an initiative so squarely and
so early.
Repeated polling, Munger said, has shown that voters want to invest in
schools. The initiative is “popular for good reason.” The campaign cites
a USC Dornsife College poll which found that two-thirds of registered
voters would pay more taxes to improve school funding, if they are
confident the money would be spent in their own communities.
That’s not what Brown’s chief political aid has been saying. Last
weekend, Steve Glazer let out a memo from Brown pollster Jim Moore, who
concluded from a survey of 500 voters that “the Munger tax measure has
virtually no chance of passage” and that “if multiple tax measures are
on the ballot at the same time, voters will naturally choose one measure
over another, which will make it extremely difficult for any one
measure to receive over 50% of the vote.” Moore said that the Our
Children, Our Future initiative came in last among the three tax
proposals, with only 31 percent support. Munger dismissed the release of
the poll, which she said was “an effort to fog the lens of the press.”
Brown is proposing to rescue the general fund with between $5.5 billion
and $7 billion by raising the sales tax a half-cent and the income tax
on families earning more than $250,00 through 2016. Between 40 percent
and 50 percent would go to K-12 schools and community colleges.
The CFT’s permanent tax – 3 percentage points on those earning $1
million, 5 percent on those earning $2 million or more – would raise up
to $6 billion, with 60 percent going to K-12 and higher education, and
40 percent to counties to shore up roads and social services.
Our Children, Our Future would raise the most money: $10 billion per
year (and growing over its 12-year life), with nearly all dedicated to
K-12 schools (85 percent), and the rest to early childhood education.
The exception would be during the first four years, when, in a nod to
the current state budget deficit, 30 percent (more than $3 billion)
would go to pay off school construction bonds. That would free up money
for non-education purposes in the General Fund.
The education money would go into a trust fund, outside of Proposition
98 and the Legislature’s control, distributed to schools on a per-pupil
basis, with extra dollars to low-income children. (You can calculate how
much would go to every school in the state using a calculator here.)
None of the money can be used to increase salaries and benefits, and no
more than 1 percent for administration. (You can’t accuse Munger of
currying favor of teachers unions or the Association of California
School Administrators.)
Munger said California now lags $2,580 behind the national average in
per-student spending, the biggest gap in 40 years; the initiative would
give schools a jolt of resources they need.
It would do so by raising the income tax 1 percent. Since the income tax
is progressive, that would translate to, AFTER deductions:
0.40 percent or $11 for a couple earning $17,500;
1.10 percent or $428 for a couple earning 75,000;
1.80 percent or $3,266 for a couple earning $250,000;
2.00 percent or $27,266 for a couple earning $2 million;
2.20 percent or $210,266 for a couple earning $10 million.
Kocivar said that in an annual PTA survey, nine out of 10 parents say
that “adequate funding is the most important issue. No one leaves the
room when I mention taxes.”
Comments : mcdez
February 24, 2012 • 2:27 pm
The Molly Munger/PTA initiative is the only one that funnels money
directly to school sites and mandates parent and community input re how
the money should be spent. Local control is the only way to go. Any
initiative that gets money to the schools directly and avoids the black
hole that is Sacramento gets my vote. PTA lobbying for our kids - for
free — for 115 years.
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/24/4287226/poll-finds-majority-support-for.html#mi_rss=Top%20Stories#storylink=cpy
Today, our state ranks 47th nationally in what we invest to educate
each student. We have the largest class sizes in America. Over the last
three years, more than $20 billion has been cut from California schools
and over 40,000 educators have been laid off. We are shortchanging our
early childhood development programs, which are some of the best
educational investments we can make. Our underfunded public preschool
programs serve only 40 percent of eligible 3 and 4 year olds, and only
five percent of very low-income infants and toddlers have access to
early childhood programs.
We can and must do better. Our Children, Our Future asks
Californians to join together to invest in our children and our schools
because we all share in the benefits of better schools and a
better-educated workforce. Our Children, Our Future will also reduce the
cost of education bonds to help end the state deficit and protect our
children and schools from further budget cuts.
$10 Billion in New, Dedicated Funding for Our Children
The measure will raise $10 to $11 billion annually in new revenue
through a sliding scale income tax increase that varies with taxpayers’
ability to pay. For couples, the increases range from 4/10ths of 1% on
incomes after all deductions under $35,000 to 2.2% for couples with
income after all deductions over $5 million. Couples would pay nothing
on the first $15,000 of their income after all deductions, and existing
tax credits will offset increases for most couples with income after all
deductions of $40,000 or less. A couple earning $75,000 in income after
all deductions would pay an additional $428 each year, while a couple
earning $1.5 million after all deductions would pay $27,266 more.
The money will be placed in a separate trust fund that can only be
spent as authorized by the provisions of the Act. The Governor and
Legislature are prohibited from using the money.
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not neccessariily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources
OBAMA’s EDUCATION SECRETARY DOMINATES NBA ALL-STAR
CELEBRITY GAME: by Anthony York , LA Times | lat.ms... bit.ly/yUb0vf
Steve Lopez: L.A. CATCHING UP TO CHICAGO IN SLEAZE: A University of
Illinois study finds that we're the second m... bit.ly/zgJhii2h
LAUSD’s MRS. SHORT RETIRES AFTER 57 YEARS: By Barbara Jones Staff Writer, LA Daily News | bit.ly/z3PKk9 ... bit.ly/zLAqjz
DRAFT LAUSD MAP CREATES 3RD MAJORITY LATINO DISTRICT: By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer LA dAILY NEWS |http://bit.l... bit.ly/yfPIU717h
MUNGER-PTA INITIATIVE HITS THE STREETS: $10B for K-12, early childhood
by raising income tax: By John Fensterwal... bit.ly/ytchtO
NEW YORK CITY SCHOOLS RELEASE (less than 25% of two-year-old) 'VALUE
ADDED' TEACHER RANKINGS + THE NEW YORK EVAL... bit.ly/yUk9xn
DISTRICT ATTORNEY HAD CHANCE TO NAB FUGITIVE TEACHER ACCUSED OF SEX
CRIMES: by Alan Zarembo and Richard Winton |... bit.ly/AovoBc
ADULT ED GETS REPRIEVE: LAUSD Takes Up Vote Again March 13: By Zamná Ávila, Assistant Editor, Random Lengths ... bit.ly/wybTfY
---> 4LAKids Tweets > LAUSD REDISTRICTING DONE! + COMMISSIONER
ASKS: 'Who in the hell has drawn these maps?': By Tami Abdollah |
KP... bit.ly/z3XFdu
---> 4LAKids Tweets > LAUSD REDISTRICTING: Map Cv1 PASSES - The
Tweaked MALDEF map /aka/ "The Mirrored Gerrymander" ...all boardmembers
keep their houses!
---> 4LAKids Tweets > LAUSD REDISTRICTING: The pro+anti Mayor
Tony sides are being formed as the lines are drawn+the dice cast+he who
is first will later be last
---> 4LAKids Tweets > LAUSD REDISTRICTING: "Socially engineering
voter performance..." Is this really a suitable for school board
districts?
---> 4LAKids Tweets > lausd redistricting: "...looking for those elusive black voters with the white last names."
---> 4LAKids Tweets > At LAUSD Redistricting as race rears its
head and staff makes a very unconvincing argument for their
insensitivity to African American data
---> 4LAKids Tweets > The discussion of the maps has begun @ the
final+deciding meeting of the LAUSD redistricting Commission!
LAUSD, 126 OTHER CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS FACING FINANCIAL TROUBLE +
SPI Press Release + list of Negative and... bit.ly/zEuWls
LAUSD RECOMMENDS NEW HOMEWORK POLICY FOR STUDENTS: By Barbara Jones Staff Writer, Daily Breeze | http://bit.... bit.ly/yKg2Ac
AGENDA FOR TONIGHT’S "FINAL MEETING OF THE LAUSD REDISTRICTING
COMMISSION + “FINAL” MAPS + smf’s prediction: e-m... bit.ly/wvF2Lk
I am America: HOLLYWOOD HIGH NOW A DIVERSE HIGH SCHOOL: By Chuck Conder, CNN | bit.ly/AfCdYl February... bit.ly/wf7gXr
COMMISSION ON TEACHER CREDENTIALING LETTER TO SUPT. DEASY RE MANDATORY REPORTING REQUIREMENT: bit.ly/yPn... bit.ly/wvhqSW
L.A. UNIFIED TO REPORT ALL TEACHER MISCONDUCT CASES TO STATE: The
action, aimed at protecting students, covers h... bit.ly/AiOE0b
---> 4LAKids Tweets > NEWT (Cont) "....is more concerned about
protecting bad teachers than they are about the students, you have a
huge crisis."
---> 4LAKids Tweets > NEWT'S CHEAP SHOT AT AZ GOP DEBATE: "As
long as you have places like LA Unified where the teachers' union.....
Report: COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS ESTIMATED COST IS $16 BILLION …FOR
THE STATES: Cost far exceeds sums doled o... bit.ly/zpdcNT
KPCC: Teacher under investigation from Crenshaw HS has resigned.
---> 4LAKids Tweets > DEASY: Doing more with less and less still is the future of Public Education in CA and LAUSD
---> 4LAKids Tweets > DEASY: Conflates low performing teachers
with criminal teachers in requesting relief from Administrative Law
Judge+Teacher Panel Hearings.
---> 4LAKids Tweets > DEASY re ADULT ED: Adult Ed programs take from core K-12 revenue
---> 4LAKids Tweets > DEASY:Questions KPCC Investigation-LAUSD
has still not received the letter from Office of Teacher Credentialing
questioning Berndt removal.
---> 4LAKids Tweets > DEASY: George Hernandez case was then, this
is now. All cases have been re-reported to Credentialing Commission.
---> 4LAKids Tweets > LAUSD supe Deasy is about to be on KPCC call in 89.3 FM
L.A. CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVES CHANGES TO DAYTIME CURFEW LAW: By
Tami Abdollah | KPCC Pass/Fail | http:/... bit.ly/zvILmD
Charter Schools: HARDBOILING THE BOILERPLATE: by smf for 4LAKidsNews 22 Jan 2012 :: My recent perusal of stor... bit.ly/vZejtD
Parent Trigger: CAMPAIGN FOR ADELANTO CHARTER SCHOOL FALLS SHORT: School
officials in the High Desert community ... bit.ly/zRZlS8
LAUSD SUBSTITUTE THRICE ACCUSED OF ABUSE MOVED TO ANOTHER DISTRICT: The
substitute teacher quit after the third ... bit.ly/AmNPBn
TAX PLANS WOULD BOOST SCHOOLS BUT LEAVE SOCIAL SAFETY NET VULNERABLE: By Kevin Yamamura, sACRAMENTO bEE | htt... bit.ly/yW7XFG
---> 4LAKids Tweets > 4LAKids is unfollowing @ParentRevolution.
Followed to keep an eye on 'em - but with their itchy Parent Trigger
finger might get eye put out!
EDUCATE OUR STATE: 'Learn about their new campaign - This Budget Blows'! pingg.com/0BOPj0
From “Bad Teacher” to “Won’t Back Down” to “Vouchers 3-D: The Movie” -
IN REALITY AND FILM, A BATTLE FOR SCHOOLS... bit.ly/wzbBBB
EVENTS: Coming up next week...
THIS AFTERNOON SUNDAY FEB 26 Los Angeles Tenth
District PTA Celebrates the greatest Artists in LAUSD - OUR STUDENTS
K-12 - in our annual PTA REFLECTIONS EXHIBIT. ART ● MUSIC COMPOSITION ●
LITERATURE ● PHOTOGRAPHY ● FILM+VIDEO ● DANCE
FROM NOON UNTIL ??? 1000 Venice Boulevard @ Toberman.
THE FINAL MEETING OF THE LAUSD REDISTRICTING COMMISSION: Leap Day Wed
Feb 29 @ 6PM at the LAUSD Board Room 333 S. Beaudry from 6PM ‘til
midnight – when they will evaporate into thin air!
Snacks, drinks and child care provided
THE PROPOSED NEW LAUSD HOMEWORK POLICY WILL BE UNVEILED AND DISCUSSED
from 6-7 p.m. Thursday March 1 at Reed Middle School, 4525 Irvine Ave.,
North Hollywood.
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:
http://www.laschools.org/bond/
Phone: 213-241-5183
____________________________________________________
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:
http://www.laschools.org/happenings/
Phone: 213-241.8700
What can YOU do?
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:
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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