In This Issue:
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2 from RAND: SHIFTING THE BURDEN OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE: HELPING FAMILIES + IN CONNECTICUT, RECOVERY AND HEALING WILL TAKE TIME |
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AB 51: LAWMAKER’S BILL PUSHES S.T.E.M. COLLEGE DEGREE FOR $10,000. |
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NEW YEAR'S MESSAGES FROM UTLA, AALA + LASPD |
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FRAUD ALLEGATIONS SWIRL AROUND FIRM RUN BY TWO L.A. CANDIDATES |
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HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but
not necessarily 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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When a scholarly article about the mental health of
children opens with a line about “imagining the unimaginable—little
children murdered in the place that is supposed to be their
home-away-from-home” - we gain perspective on the depth and width and
breadth of the crisis.
In Central Park, about a hundred yards from another site of another
unimaginable act - punctuated by other gunfire - there is an eloquent
memorial, formed of those mosaic tiles that ornament NYC subway stations
and visually define New York City. One word: Imagine.
Guns don’t kill people we are told; people kill people. Thankfully
neither kills ideas – but let us quietly throw open Howard Beale’s
metaphorical window and in our anger whisper all together, in unison,
passionately – because passionate+ecstatic whispers move us to the
primal depths of our humanity: Enough.
So we are back to school on Monday; in a new year and in changed times.
Let’s be safe out there.
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf
2 from RAND: SHIFTING THE BURDEN OF MENTAL HEALTH
CARE: HELPING FAMILIES + IN CONNECTICUT, RECOVERY AND HEALING WILL TAKE
TIME
► SHIFTING THE BURDEN OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE: HELPING FAMILIES
By Ramya Chari | The Rand Blog | http://bit.ly/138E9rF
December 21, 2012 :: In the coming weeks and months, we will hear
numerous calls for better mental health programs and policies as a way
to prevent tragedies such as the Newtown, Conn., shooting. As news and
details trickle out, we may or may not emerge with a complete picture of
what led Adam Lanza to take his anger out on his mother and 26 innocent
lives.
The latest reports paint a picture of a mother struggling to care for
her troubled adult son. And as many families can attest, the challenges
of caring for a young or adult child with severe mental illness or
emotional or behavioral disturbance are profound and heartbreaking. In
our national conversation on mental health, we should remember the role
of families when thinking about mental health treatment and ensure that
our policies open up opportunities to support parents, siblings and
relatives, and enhance their capacity for care.
On the surface, Connecticut appears to be strong in terms of its mental
health care system. In its 2009 report on America's mental health
systems, the National Alliance on Mental Illness gave Connecticut a B
while the nation as a whole rated a D (no state received an A grade).
For all its (relative) strengths though, Connecticut's struggles to
deliver care to its constituents illustrates the problems plaguing
mental health systems across the country. Mental health care in the
United States has undergone systemic changes since the 1960s, moving
away from institutionalization of patients and toward community-based
programs and services. Connecticut was no exception. In the mid-1990s,
the state Legislature ordered the closure of two state-run psychiatric
hospitals—one in Newtown (Fairfield Hills) and one in Norwich (Norwich
State Hospital). The two hospitals' patients and services were
consolidated into Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown.
This shift in thinking about how and where mental illness should be
treated was an important development. The negative perceptions of
state-run asylums did little to reduce the stigma of mental illness in
the larger community. Moving treatment into the community, it was hoped,
would ensure an individual was integrated rather than separated from
others, thus improving the chances of recovery and rehabilitation. In
terms of treatment for the patient, the psychiatric hospital was an
anachronism and community-based mental health care was the future.
While the intent may have been sound, the execution has not lived up to
its promise. By shifting to community-based services, we have also
shifted the burden of caregiving from the state onto families. However,
corresponding shifts in resources toward communities and families to
help with care have not been realized. Across the nation, states have
slashed mental health budgets and in the absence of a community-based
safety net, jails and homeless shelters have replaced the psychiatric
hospital as facilities housing the sickest patients.
In Connecticut, the mental health "crisis" was documented by the 2000
Governor's Blue Ribbon Commission on Mental Health as well as the 2004
Lieutenant Governor's Mental Health Cabinet. Both reports described a
struggling community mental health system that was stretched beyond its
capacity and unable to absorb the influx of patients who had been
formerly treated at the closed psychiatric hospitals. In addition,
savings realized from the hospital closures had not been reinvested back
into community-based mental health services. Funding for community
organizations in Connecticut continues to be an issue to this day. The
harsh economic climate of the past five years has translated into
spending freezes for community-based providers at the state level that
have led to cuts to services and to overwhelmed staff.
At the end of the day, the "providers" who are the hardest hit of all
are the families and caregivers who must find a way to navigate through
an underfunded and overburdened patchwork system of mental health care.
In a community-based model, families and caregivers are oftentimes the
first and last lines of support; yet if too many barriers to care exist,
many will just give up. For all its problems, compared to other states,
Connecticut's mental health system is actually strong, and yet it is
still not meeting the needs of its patients and families. So where does
that leave the rest of the nation?
In his remarks on the Sandy Hook shootings, President Obama mourned,
"these children are our children." And in terms of mental health, the
Connecticut story is our national story and its failures will resonate
with families in every state across the nation. So once again, in the
aftermath of a mass shooting we find ourselves revisiting the
circumstances that may have led to the crime and assessing the multiple
points of intervention that might have been possible—counselors,
therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, friends, neighbors, relatives,
siblings, and parents. While the opportunity to intervene may have been
available to many, the perception of responsibility fell onto very few.
If we are serious about improving mental health in our country, we must
deliver resources to families to ensure they can properly care for both
themselves and their loved ones, and to communities so that support
services and treatments are readily available and accessible.
Let us learn our lessons from Newtown. The burden and the challenges
associated with providing care for mentally ill members of society
should not rest on so few shoulders, especially when the consequences of
failure may come to rest on the littlest shoulders of all.
• Ramya Chari is an associate policy researcher at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation.
____________________
► IN CONNECTICUT, RECOVERY AND HEALING WILL TAKE TIME
By Lisa H. Jaycox, The RAND blog | http://bit.ly/UzrFEt
December 20, 2012 :: I've spent much time since Friday imagining the
unimaginable—little children murdered in the place that is supposed to
be their home-away-from-home, their elementary school. The media fed my
curiosity. I could not stay away from checking the news and blogs
hourly, despite my family's pleas to stop reading and my own knowledge
that it can be too much to read so many details, see so many pictures,
grieve from afar.
It's because I want to help. I am a psychologist, and this is why I went
into the profession and made trauma my focus. I know from a vast amount
of research that many of those touched by Friday's shootings will
experience a great deal of distress in the weeks and months ahead. But
they will, somehow, miraculously, find a pathway forward to health and
productivity. And I am reassured that over the past 15 years or so, we
have developed a wide array of practices, procedures, and interventions
that are well-tested and helpful for those children that will take
longer to recover.
Of course we also know that with an event like this, "recovery" doesn't
mean a return to normal, because lives have been permanently altered.
Recovery can only mean finding a new normal, a new path forward. And
schools, those places of safety and healthy development, can help with
that process, by providing a structure and community to support healing.
I've been involved in this type of work for the past decade, and I am
reassured that schools play this role in many ways, from the routine
delivery of hot breakfasts and lunches to children in need, to
sheltering families following disasters, to identification and
intervention for mental health problems. Surely they are well positioned
to help considerably following a shooting. But what happens when the
school building itself was the site of the horror? When the caring
teachers and staff are among the victims? When a school entrance,
classroom cupboard, or bathroom stall becomes a terrifying reminder?
These transformations are part and parcel of traumatic experiences, and
cause us all to rethink our concepts of safety and danger, life and
death, connection and isolation, healthy and sick.
One thing I've learned over the years is that a strong desire to help
does not translate into being allowed to help. Schools and communities
that undergo a horrific event like this one need time to settle,
reconfigure, and find trusted advisors from both within and outside.
Twenty years ago there were few options when a crisis arose—there seldom
were local experts. But over time, with sustained efforts and robust
federal funding, expertise and capacity to handle trauma and grief, even
on a large scale, has grown exponentially. We've come a long, long way
since 2001, when there were few resources and little public recognition
on how children react to trauma and grieve.
Another thing I've learned: patience. It takes some time for a community
to get ready for mental health support. First come the basic needs:
funerals, food, shelter, sleep. These take a while to sort out.
Structure, routine, and caring adults who can listen are the most
important things for a child following trauma. These things can help
restore a sense of safety and allow some processing. These have to come
first. And many people are able to bounce back—the resilience of kids is
incredible. Some will need some support, but we can't know who until
later on.
Assistance we provided in New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina didn't
begin until the 2006 school year, a year following the storm. Work we
are doing in Chardon, Ohio—where three students were fatally shot at a
high school in February—is just getting started. Newtown won't know what
type of help it needs, or whether it wants outside help at all, until
later. So we wait, with confidence that help is available, and can be
successful.
We've learned that specific types of therapies can help those who
continue to experience anxiety or depression months after a traumatic
event. These therapies contain simple techniques like relaxation, to
more complex ones like processing the traumatic event through
imagination, stories, or artwork. They have in common a core set of
concepts that involve processing the traumatic memory, learning skills
to enhance coping, connecting with others, and findings ways to reduce
anxiety and improve mood. There has also been much learned over the
years about what is not helpful, and can impede recovery.
As I wait to see how the story unfolds for Newtown, I look forward to
the stories of heroism, community, and resilience. I look forward to
seeing my colleagues help and even learn from their experience so that
others can be helped in the future. My hope is that these stories of
strength can eventually wash out and replace the ones that are haunting
all of us right now.
• Lisa Jaycox is a senior behavioral scientist and clinical psychologist at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation.
AB 51: LAWMAKER’S BILL PUSHES S.T.E.M. COLLEGE DEGREE FOR $10,000.
By Laurel Rosenhall, Sacramento Bee | http://bit.ly/UJrPKs
Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013 - 10:03 am :: With the cost of going to college
already more than $30,000 a year at many California campuses, is it
possible to earn a bachelor's degree for just $10,000 – total?
Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Marysville, hopes so.>>
Borrowing an idea being promoted by Republican governors in Texas and
Florida, the GOP assemblyman has introduced a bill that would create a
pilot program in California for what he's billing as a $10,000
bachelor's degree.
The degree would be available to students majoring in science, technology, engineering or math disciplines.
Assembly Bill 51 calls for closer coordination between high schools,
community colleges and California State University campuses and targets
three regions for the pilot program: Chico, Long Beach and Turlock.
Participating students would earn some college credit in high school
through Advanced Placement classes and greater access to community
college courses.
The bill calls for participating community college students to go to school full time.
Tuition at CSU right now is $5,472 a year. Books and campus fees cost
another roughly $2,000 annually. A statement from Logue said his
proposed $10,000 degree would include textbooks. It does not cover
living expenses such as room and board.
"I hope my bill will be the beginning of a revolution to the very
pressing issue of the costs of college that students face these days,"
Logue said in a statement. "We cannot expect today's students to have a
higher standard of living than their parents if they continue to leave
college saddled with so much debt."
Even on a topic as politically sympathetic as making college more
affordable, it remains to be seen if the Republican's bill can make any
headway in California's Democratic-controlled Legislature.
Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez has his own plan for lowering the cost of
college – what he calls a "middle-class scholarship" program – and
Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown has said he wants universities to increase
affordability by doing more with online education.
CSU officials have not taken a position on the bill.
Logue's bill builds on efforts already under way in California to better
streamline K-12 schools, community colleges and universities, said Judy
Heiman, a higher education analyst with the nonpartisan Legislative
Analyst's Office.
"The bill also appears to draw on existing regional education
partnerships, an approach we think makes a lot of sense," Heiman wrote
in an email. "In addition, the incentives in the bill for full time
attendance would support current efforts to improve graduation rates."
NEW YEAR'S MESSAGES FROM UTLA, AALA + LASPD
► 2013: A BETTER YEAR FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION BUT IT'S UP TO US TO MAKE IT HAPPEN
By UTLA President Warren Fletcher from UTLA United Teacher | http://bit.ly/Us6keC
“Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” —Sun Tzu
14 December 2012 :: It’s been a long time since the teachers and
health and human services professionals of Los Angeles have been able to
enter a New Year with anything approaching optimism. For at least the
past five years, we, and our fellow educators across California, have
had to endure ballooning class sizes, deteriorating school facilities,
and furlough-driven pay cuts. And, most tragically, since 2008, RIFs
have claimed more than 7,000 of our LAUSD colleagues. These have been
lean budget years for everyone, but public schools (and public school
teachers) have been hit especially hard.
Something needed to be done, and so we went out and did it. Teachers
from throughout the state worked and battled and fought until we got
Proposition 30 adopted. And I’m proud to say that, in that battle,
UTLA’s effort outshined every other union in California. UTLA’s Prop.30
campaigners made a record 567 school site visits. UTLA volunteer phone
bankers made an unbelievable 67,053 documented voter phone contacts.
UTLA precinct walks accounted for thousands more contacts and thousands
more votes.
Defeats for the “reform” agenda The passage of Proposition 30 was the
result of hard work. But Prop. 30 is also the latest piece of evidence
of a slow but welcome trend.
This November, voters across the country made their voices heard in support of public schools and public school teachers.
Here in California, the voters said “enough is enough” to the systematic
defunding of schools. In several other states, voters soundly rejected
punitive, anti-teacher ballot measures. Even in the California courts
(where it seemed like our rights were never safe), things are changing.
In recent rulings on seniority and charter co-locations, state appeals
courts have come out on the side of logic and equity, and against the
full-speedahead, forced implementation of harebrained “reform”
experiments.
The so-called corporate reformers are hitting a wall. Billionaires like
Eli Broad have given them access to nearly unlimited funding. The media
has given them and their ideas adoring and uncritical news coverage.
Nonetheless, the voting public—the people who actually fund public
schools—have started to pay attention, and they can see that, as the
saying goes, the emperor has no clothes.
While we educators have been the main targets of the reform movement’s
scorn, the reform folk have also always shown a certain condescending
contempt for popular opinion. Here’s an example (a magazine quote) of
just how clueless the “reformers” think the voting public is: Jason
Richwine, a senior policy analyst with the conservative Heritage
Foundation, said the challenge . . . is to spread a message that’s
persuasive enough to overcome voters’ deeply ingrained respect for
teachers.
“The trouble is that what is rapidly becoming the consensus among
reformers is still largely unknown to the public,” Richwine said. . . .
“[C]itizens are likely to hold conventional beliefs about education
policy—that more money is always good, that teachers can’t be evaluated
by a computer and so on. The challenge for reformers is to get the facts
about education policy out to the public in a way that can adequately
counteract unions’ appeal to intuitive-but-wrong ideas about how to
reform education.”
(Governing Magazine, 12-3-12)
Or to look at it another way, the public has begun to see the “reform agenda” for the snake oil that it really is.
Extending the winning streak For the first time, literally in years, we
have scored successive wins against the anti-public education forces.
While Prop. 30 was unquestionably our biggest triumph to date, we have
also scored a steady series of less splashy, but no less important
victories: • We scored a major victory on evaluations.
The reform types tried to use the courts to impose a Chicago-style
evaluation system (based on individual VAM scores) on L.A. teachers. But
we beat them at their own game. We out-argued them in court, and then
bargained hard at the negotiating table. We bucked the national trend,
and we gained new protections that bar the use of individual VAM (AGT)
scores in any LAUSD teacher’s final evaluation.
• In Sacramento, we defeated the Padilla Bill (SB 1530), which would
have made it possible, for the first time ever, for a teacher to be
fired based on an unproven accusation, even if a state-appointed judge
had found the accusation to be groundless.
• Most important of all, we secured a full instructional year for our
students (and a full salary year for our members) for the first time
since 2008.
We need to extend this winning streak.
But like all winning streaks, it is fragile. It depends on two things.
First, if we are to keep on winning, we have to continue to make our
voices— the voices of the classroom—heard to the public, as we did so
effectively during the Prop. 30 campaign. Our “reform-”
spouting adversaries will always be able to outspend us, but we will
always have a decisive advantage: the “deeply ingrained respect for
teachers” in the hearts of parents and of the public.
But it is only an advantage if we use it, if we make ourselves heard
over the din of misinformation. Our next great opportunity to be heard,
and to profoundly and positively influence the future direction of
education in L.A., will be during the upcoming School Board elections in
March and May. (As with Prop. 30, it will involve hard work on all of
our parts, and just like Prop. 30, it will be more than worth it.) The
second key to continued success— to continuing the winning streak—is
vigilance. We cannot allow the funds from Prop. 30 to be swallowed up by
the LAUSD bureaucracy. We must fight and battle and pressure the School
Board to keep the promise that we made to the public and to ensure that
all of the Prop. 30 money is put toward the “Big Three” priorities:
• Restoration of the full school year, for 2012 and beyond.
• Class-size reductions and restoration of services (to be achieved by
rehiring previously RIF’d teachers and health and human services
professionals).
• Across-the-board salary increases, to make up for four years of furloughs and six years without a raise.
With discipline and focus, we can make these three priorities a reality
for the students and teachers and health and human services
professionals of LAUSD.
For the first time in many years, the ball is in our court. The opportunity is before us. We must seize it.
►NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
From the Jan 7, 2013 Associated Administrators or Los Angeles Weekly Update | http://bit.ly/VCW8Ro
Jan 3, 2012 :: A new year usually signals optimism and hope for all of
us, individually and collectively. Despite the horrors of the Sandy Hook
massacre, our fears about the impact of the fiscal cliff and continuing
economic uncertainty, we dutifully write annual resolutions to lose
weight, begin that elusive exercise regimen and improve our overall
health. After all, these are things over which we have some control. We
avoid thinking about the things we can’t control.
So many thoughtful and even eloquent articles have been written about
what took place at Sandy Hook School—the heroism of the principal and
teachers, the unimaginable murder of innocent children, the NRA’s absurd
response—that even though the attacks took place less than a month ago,
we tend to push the underlying issues out of our minds. We are all
busy. Yet there is nothing more fundamental for AALA members to be
concerned about than the safety of students and staff members. We know
that when children do not feel safe, they cannot focus on learning. When
staff members do not feel safe, they cannot give 100 percent to
students.
In the spirit of new beginnings, we respectfully suggest that LAUSD
leadership, including Board members, adopt the following three New
Year’s resolutions for 2013:
1. We resolve to increase the number of school-based administrators to improve safety and security at school sites.
2. We resolve to find ways to use remaining bond money to ensure that
all LAUSD schools, particularly older ones, receive needed security
upgrades, including those that are technology based.
3. We resolve to identify and allocate the resources necessary to
provide adequate mental health services and support for students and
their families.
AALA has always maintained excellent communication and an outstanding
relationship with the Los Angeles School Police Department. We thank
LASPD Chief Steven Zipperman for writing the following article.
► A MESSAGE FROM THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE LOS ANGELES SCHOOL POLICE DEPARTMENT
By LASPD Chief Steven Zipperman, from the Jan 7, 2013 Associated Administrators or Los Angeles Weekly Update | http://bit.ly/VCW8Ro
Happy New Year to all LAUSD administrators and staff members and welcome
to the 2013 Spring Semester! The men and women of the LASPD hope that
you had a restful and joyous holiday season. For all of us, the tragic
event that took place on December 14, 2012, at the Sandy Hook Elementary
School in Newtown, Connecticut, certainly took away some of the joy
from this festive season. This horrible tragedy reminds us all of how
precious life is and of our duty, commitment and responsibility to be
the guardians of our most precious commodity, our students. We often see
“heroes” during tragic events, as a person or group of individuals
place their lives on the line to protect others from harm. This could
not have been more pronounced than in the stories of the heroic efforts
that took place when school teachers, administrators and other staff
members, raced toward the sound of gun fire or threw themselves in
harm’s way by acting as shields to protect their “babies” from harm.
They had
neither weapons nor bullet-proof vests, just the courage and
self-sacrifice to protect young lives from evil. These educators did not
die in vain. They died giving their lives for the children for whom
they cared so
deeply.
All too often, the public forgets about those who commit their lives to
the growth and development of future generations. The men and women of
the LASPD salute teachers, administrators and all who sacrifice on a
daily basis to ensure that our students are safe and secure while
providing them a quality education.
As we move forward, the LASPD will remain extra vigilant in our efforts
to maintain a safe and secure learning environment. “Your” School Police
Department remains committed to providing high quality, professional
campus policing and security services. We will be working hand-in-hand
with local law enforcement agencies to ensure that a strong police
presence is maintained. The LASPD will be partnering with campus
administrators to ensure that Safe School Plans are complete and up to
date. We will be evaluating current lockdown procedures and, along with
law enforcement industry experts, examining nationwide best practices in
response to “active shooter” situations. An effective response requires
school-specific planning and coordination based on local school
conditions. The advance development of options for action during the
first few minutes of a crisis will save lives.
FRAUD ALLEGATIONS SWIRL AROUND FIRM RUN BY TWO L.A. CANDIDATES
Election 2013: CLIENTS SAY FIRM RUN BY JAMES T. LAW AND ANALILIA JOYA,
BOTH CANDIDATES FOR CITY OFFICE, BROKE AGREEMENT TO GET ENOUGH
SIGNATURES TO PUT THE CLIENTS ON SCHOOL BOARD BALLOT. LAW DENIES THE
ALLEGATIONS.
By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/ZbfH4g
January 5, 2013, 8:00 p.m. :: Two would-be candidates for the Los
Angeles school board have accused a campaign consulting firm — run by
two contenders for city office — of botching their efforts to get on the
ballot for the March primary election.
One of the school board aspirants, Scott Folsom, filed a complaint with
the district's attorney's office last month alleging fraud and possible
forgery. Franny Parrish, the other would-be candidate, said she would
comply with any probe into the firm, Henry, Law & Associates. The
two say they hired the company to gather the signatures of registered
voters for petitions that would qualify them for the ballot.
James T. Law, a principal in the firm, acknowledged that he accepted
work from Folsom and Parrish. He denied wrongdoing and blamed his
clients for failing to make the ballot. Law is the only challenger
against incumbent Joe Buscaino to represent City Council District 15.
Analilia Joya, who works closely with Law, is one of six candidates for
the open job of city controller. She did not respond to requests for
comment.
Candidates typically hire firms to gather the 500 registered voters'
signatures required for the ballot. Those voters must live in the area a
candidate hopes to represent. It is time-consuming, often difficult
work — it involves knocking on doors and approaching people outside
shopping centers or grocery stores. People sometimes give false
information or refuse to sign.
In a letter to authorities and in interviews, Folsom said he hired the
signature gatherers in response to a solicitation from a man who
identified himself as David Johnson.
Folsom agreed to pay Johnson $2,000 up front and $1,500 plus expenses on
the back end, according to the contract, which Folsom provided to The
Times and included in his letter to the district attorney. Parrish said
she agreed to pay a flat fee of $2,100 for at least 500 valid
signatures, although she also was gathering some signatures herself. She
provided scans of checks made out to Law.
In a series of text messages that Folsom saved, Johnson kept pushing
back delivery and postponing appointments. Folsom saved a telephone
message from Johnson and another from a woman who identified herself as
Joya, about signing a form for the work. Folsom said the woman met him
at a Denny's near the city's election office on the deadline day, Dec.
5, to assure him that her associate was on the way with the petitions.
Johnson was late but did turn over petitions, Folsom said. The city
later determined, however, that of 704 signatures, 289 were not from the
right district, 93 were not of registered voters, 85 had invalid
addresses and 31 had other problems.
According to the contract, Law's company guaranteed between 500 and 1,000 valid signatures; only 206 passed muster.
Several attempts by The Times to reach Law failed, but responses then
came via text message, from the cell number that Johnson had given as
his own to Folsom and Parrish.
In these text messages, someone identifying himself as Law blamed the disappointed candidates.
"The allegations are not true," he wrote. "It's slander and harassment.
My company worked very hard for those two candidates. Out of six
candidates my company helped out, those two are the only one[s] that did
not make the ballot. Mr. Folsom gave us the wrong ZIP Codes and Franny
did not hand me her work until the last four days left."
He wouldn't name the other four candidates, citing "disclosure agreements."
Folsom said he was never asked to provide ZIP Codes.
Law also said that he collected 767 signatures for Parrish and that she failed to meet his worker at an agreed upon location.
Parrish said she waited in vain for Johnson on the deadline day at the
election office, where, she said, he'd promised to show up after
postponing other meetings. Her account was confirmed by Folsom and
another witness, who were with Parrish in the election office when
Johnson allegedly called and texted to say he was on his way. She also
forwarded those text messages to The Times.
Parrish added that she hired Johnson two weeks before the deadline.
Law and Joya gathered enough signatures to qualify themselves for the
ballot — a task that Law allegedly delegated to another signature
contractor, Vernon Van. Van claims Law didn't pay him. Law, in turn,
claims that Van "ripped me off."
The address of Henry, Law & Associates is a private mailbox in
Torrance, rented Oct. 27, according to a manager. The firm made one
monthly payment of $15 and recently lost the box for failing to pay
rent.
Even though both are on the city ballot, neither Law nor Joya is
currently a registered voter in L.A. County, records show. And Law's
listed residence is in Torrance. Either issue would disqualify a
successful candidate from taking office. The Torrance address is
associated with several businesses: Open Door Christian Lifestyle; the
United States of America Kingdom of Tzedakah Charitys; and Titus
Landscaping.
In election filings, Joya describes herself as an employee of Open Door Christian Lifestyle.
The person behind the Torrance business entities appears to be named
Titus Henry. The relationship between Henry, Law and Johnson is unclear.
The former school board candidates and Van said that based on
descriptions they exchanged, they are convinced that at least two of the
three are the same person.
When asked to sort out these identities, Law declined to respond.
The L.A. County district attorney's office would confirm only that "an
allegation of fraud regarding petition signatures" is under review.
Without Folsom and Parrish, the dynamics of two pivotal school board races were altered.
Folsom was among the candidates endorsed by the teachers union in
District 2, where the union hopes to push school board President Monica
Garcia into a runoff. Four challengers remain in that race. Folsom
served for years on an important school bond oversight committee, and
both he and Parrish were longtime PTA leaders.
Parrish had hoped to represent District 4, in which two candidates
remain: incumbent Steve Zimmer and challenger Kate Anderson. Zimmer is
backed by the teachers union. Parrish works as a library aide, advocated
for disabled students and served as a negotiator in her union's
contract negotiations.
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources
‘SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK’ GETS A SINGALONG SALUTE AT THE
KENNEDY CENTER FOR ITS 40th ANNIVERSARY: By Monica Hesse, The ... http://bit.ly/UXQQmq
EDUCATORS, POLITICIANS HAVE STARK REACTION TO GOV. JERRY BROWN’S SCHOOL FUNDING REVAMP
By Barbara Jones and Beau Yarbrough, Staff Writers. LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/VMlnA4
WHY CALIFORNIA MUST LEAD THE WAY IN CLOSING UNDERPERFORMING CHARTER SCHOOLS: By Jed Wallace, Ed Source Today | ... http://bit.ly/Zcg4eU
2 from RAND: SHIFTING THE BURDEN OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE: HELPING FAMILIES + IN CONNECTICUT, RECOVERY AND HEALING ... http://bit.ly/UXzgPm
FRAUD ALLEGATIONS SWIRL AROUND FIRM RUN BY TWO L.A. CANDIDATES: Clients say firm run by James T. Law and Analili... http://bit.ly/UWUAEJ
Anticipated for 3 weeks, the letter finally arrives: FEDERAL OFFICIALS REJECT CALIFORNIA’S NCLB WAIVER REQUEST: ... http://bit.ly/WgQB1u
Apologizing to the boobsgeoisie: THE TROUBLE WITH SATIRE: LA Times Editorial by Sue Horton | no link at this pos... http://bit.ly/XwAaVr
THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS DEEMS RECESS “CRUCIAL AND NECESSARY”: REPORT: The Crucial Role of Recess in S... http://bit.ly/ZpkELu
LAPD, SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES BEGIN PATROLS AT L.A. SCHOOLS ON MONDAY: By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer, LA Daily News ... http://bit.ly/Z5X1mu
L.A. COUNCILMAN GARCETTI WANTS $1 A YEAR RENT TO SAVE VAN NUYS AVIATION SCHOOL: By Rick Orlov, Staff Writer, LA ... http://bit.ly/WtHvit
SANDY HOOK: A picture worth 10,000 words + 1,042 words – The New Yorker and the AALA Update: “We know that when ... http://bit.ly/Z3yQ8e
AB51: CALIFORNIA LAWMAKER’S BILL PUSHES S.T.E.M. COLLEGE DEGREE FOR $10,000.: By Laurel Rosenhall, Sacramento Be... http://bit.ly/VzVwMj
Mercury News editorial: BROWN HAS COMMON SENSE IDEAS FOR SCHOOL FUNDING: smf: Unfortunately common sense outcome... http://bit.ly/W84kaG
LAO Report: CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS FACE RISING SPECIAL ED COSTS: The Associated Press in Ventora County Star | http:... http://bit.ly/XnYCIJ
BABES IN ARMS: By BILL KELLER, Op-Ed Columnist, New York Times | Illustration: Nicholas Blechman Published: ... http://bit.ly/Ze2IDA
Viewpoint: NEW STATE BUDGET SHOULD DELIVER FOR STUDENTS: By Paul Murre, Special to The Sacramento Bee | http://b... http://bit.ly/YSSKmd
BROWN PLANS EXTENSIVE CHANGES FOR SCHOOL FUNDING IN 2013: He says he wants more of the state's dollars to benefi... http://bit.ly/YSSKm7
FIVE FEMALE TEACHERS AMONG SEVEN KILLED BY GUNMEN IN PAKISTAN: By Alex Rodriguez and Zulfiqar Ali, LA Times |htt... http://bit.ly/YSQIT0
KINDERGARTENERS, PACKING HEAT: from the LA Times smf: “Satire,’” Lenny Bruce says, “is tragedy plus time. Y... http://bit.ly/UaRoqr
LAUSD ALL CITY MARCHING BAND MARCHES IN THE 99th ROSE PARADE ON NEW YEARS DAY: photos from LA ALL CIT... http://bit.ly/VZQkzH
Today’s Assignment: THE END OF HOMEWORK: by Louis Menand , The New Yorker | http://nyr.kr/WjBfK2 December 17, 2... http://bit.ly/Vz52yH
LAWNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOOD SERVICES DIRECTOR CHARGED WITH TAKING BRIBES FROM PIZZA VENDOR: By Rob Kuznia, Sta... http://bit.ly/10GMKCk
Retweet :: @LADNschools: Hefty Cuts to K-12 Programs At Stake in Fiscal-Cliff Negotiations http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2012/12/significant_cut_to_federal_k-1.html?cmp=SOC-SHR-TW … via @educationweek
EVENTS: Coming up next week...
LA Phil: SINAISKY CONDUCTS "THE PLANETS"
Walt Disney Concert Hall
• Thu Jan 10 8:00PM
• Fri Jan 11 8:00PM
• Sat Jan 12 8:00PM
ARTISTS
• Los Angeles Philharmonic
• Vassily Sinaisky, conductor
• Leonidas Kavakos, violin
• Women of Pacific Chorale, John Alexander, artistic director
PROGRAM
• Liadov: Eight Russian Folk Songs Program Notes
• Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2 Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2 Program Notes
• Holst: The Planets Holst: The Planets
________________________________________
ABOUT THIS PERFORMANCE: There are reasons why The Planets has influenced
so many composers of science fiction and fantasy film scores. It
explores human consciousness against backdrops of outer space and
ancient myth, with almost alien harmonic and orchestral effects evoking
contemporary primitivism and machine music.
COME FOR: Music to move heaven and earth.
AND MORE: Leonidas Kavakos – The Strad’s “violinist of violinists” – plays Prokofiev’s dazzling concerto.
SPECIAL EXTRA! Telescopes will be provided after each performance, weather permitting, so you can see the planets for yourself!
DETAIL/TICKETS: L.A. Phil: http://bit.ly/VMxSMc
*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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