In This Issue:
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District, State, National three-peat?: GRANADA HILLS CHARTER WINS LAUSD ACADEMIC DECATHLON |
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Food Fight: MILLION$ IN STUDENTS' MEAL MONEY DIVERTED FOR OTHER PURPOSES |
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Follow the Money: BIG HOLLYWOOD DONORS ENTER SCHOOL BOARD RACE FOR FIRST TIME + smf’s 2¢ |
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2 from AALA Update: IS IT TIME TO REVISIT A-G? + RE-REVISITING THE DISCIPLINE POLICY |
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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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Waste, Fraud and Abuse are the holy trinity of
conservative rhetorical rage against liberal fiscal policy. The
left+right wingnuts loosen and words Liberal and Conservative themselves
become weapons. W, F+A are hurled like cobblestones from the Fox News
barricades against the horrors of the MS-NBC agenda: whether the New
Deal, The Great Society or tax+spend social justice. If we would only
eliminate W, F+A there would be enough money to fill the potholes and
pave the streets with gold. Armed with data but lacking context even
social progressives wrapped in fiscal conservatism rap the W, F+A rap.
Look at the current race for mayor.
WASTE: The United Negro College Fund tells us that “A mind is a terrible
thing to waste.” A wasted life is more terrible; young lives
senselessly wasted scream from the page. The twenty in Sandy Hook.
Hadiya Pendleton in Chicago and all the others between those two horrors
….and all the ones before and after. Those who will die today and
tomorrow and those still to bleed out on the pavement or on a gurney.
The collaterally damaged who will live in a chair all their lives. Or on
crutches. Those scarred inside and out. Medical science performs
miracles – but better the miracle of life lived without further miracle.
Hadiya Pendleton performed at President’s Obama inauguration and died in
a Chicago Park, playing after school. One of the highlights of the
inaugural was the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir singing The Battle Hymn of
the Republic. The BTC did a bit of political correction to the lyric:
“As He died to make men holy let us die live to make men free.” In the
context of the civil war anthem this is sacrilege; in the context of
today a prayer of hope.
Bob Dylan asked my generation:
“…how many deaths will it take till he we knows
That too many people children have died ?”
The answer is “Enough.” The new question is “When does it end?”
TWO SUBSTANTIAL CASES OF MAJOR FRAUD CAME TO LIGHT LAST WEEK. Long term
institutional fraud, perpetrated by the bureaucracy upon the
bureaucracy. With children as the victims and taxpayers stuck with the
bill. Twice. Once when the theft occurred; again with the payback.
$1 BILLION OWED SCHOOLS FROM BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION PLAN http://bit.ly/11PZNCi discusses how Special Ed program funding got diverted to something else.
And FOOD FIGHT: MILLION$ IN STUDENTS' MEAL MONEY DIVERTED FOR OTHER PURPOSES http://bit.ly/11PZNCl
discusses how $170 million statewide got “misappropriated” from the
state administered Federal Meals Program by school districts. Ho hum,
one might say – “statewide” sounds like everyone does it. But $158
million of that “skimming” was done by LAUSD – and the money needs to be
paid back. Let’s be clear: $158 million was stolen from money intended
to feed lunch and breakfast to poor and needy children over the past
decade – and that money will have to be repaid from LAUSD’s general fund
– the money that operates classrooms and pays teachers and principals
the superintendent’s driver and school board staff and buys pencils and
books and the flag on the flagpole.
In all likelihood the payback will come from the Prop 30 money – so we
taxpayers will be paying back the money stolen from us and our children.
$158 million could pay for all those tablets that the superintendent
wants to give to all the students in the District three times over
….with $8 million left. Or it would pay the salaries of 189 teachers for
a decade. That’s a whole lot of class size reduction.
The answer is “Enough.” The new question is “When does it end?”
CHILD ABUSE. Much has been written about child abuse in LAUSD since the
onset of Dr. Deasy’s superintendency …and from before. Somehow the
District became embroiled in the Los Angeles Archdioceses’ scandal – at
least twice – with the teacher at Telfair last year and the community
outreach employee this year. There were warning signs; there are copies
of mail between the church and the District. The evidence from De La
Torre Elementary tells us that the superintendent’s policy of mandatory
reporting didn’t and doesn’t work. Removing employees for not following
policy isn’t proof of success, it indicates failure.
A lawsuit filed Jan 29th alleges that this superintendent and LAUSD
superintendents going back 25 years engaged in a pattern and practice of
covering up sexual misconduct
"Teachers who are suspected of child abuse are harbored and they are protected by the superintendent," the suit alleges. http://bit.ly/12EahVv
The answer is “Enough.” The new question is “When does it end?”
I WAS GOING TO WRITE AT LENGTH in this issue how I think 4LAKIds readers
should vote in the March 5th primary and why – and I probably will
expand and expound later. But here is the ‘why’ for the following
recommendations: It is going to take four school board members in one of
the Board of Education’s closed sessions to evaluate the superintendent
and ask for his resignation – beginning what I hope will be a public
process to find his replacement. One that will break the tradition and
the pattern and practice.
• IN BOARD DISTRICT #2: ANYONE EXCEPT Monica Garcia. There are 5
candidates on the ballot – force a runoff. You may have an opportunity
to write in my name – that decision will be made in the next week. Join
me in El Sereno on Monday evening at the only debate where all the
candidates will appear. http://t.co/cx3NTW3o
• IN BOARD DISTRICT #4: STEVE ZIMMER. http://bit.ly/VOcWtP
Zimmer isn’t committed to removing Dr. Deasy – and I wish he was - but
his opponent has little knowledge of LAUSD outside of her Westside
neighborhood and thinks Deasy and charter schools are the greatest thing
since sliced bread. And plenty of bread is coming her way from the
Coalition for School ®eform! In a race with only two candidates on the
ballot a write-in vote is unfortunately wasted.
• IN BOARD DISTRICT #6: MARIA CANO. http://bit.ly/WD2xjk
She knows LAUSD. She knows the Northwest Valley. She knows the Board
District. She understands Beaudry politics. She’s a good person. The
Coalition for School ®eform, Inc. money is going to another candidate.
And, if you have money to support a candidate, please send it to their
campaign ...it is possible for one ‘good’ dollar to undo the effect of
ten ‘bad’ dollars! The limit is $1000. per individual to each candidate
and you can support more than one candidate. If you think I should run
as a write-in, send me a pledge! http://is.gd/Qn4hO7.
If the carpetbagger in you wants to support candidates in races where
you don’t live, your money is welcome! (Mrs. Patricia N. Deasy of
Westchester gave $1000. to Mónica Garcia’s campaign!)
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf
District, State, National three-peat?: GRANADA HILLS CHARTER WINS LAUSD ACADEMIC DECATHLON
• GRANADA HILLS CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL WINS LAUSD'S
ACADEMIC DECATHLON, AGAIN. THE SCHOOL, WHICH HAS WON NATIONAL TITLES IN
THE EVENT, BEATS OUT 57 OTHER DISTRICT SCHOOLS. TEN LAUSD SCHOOLS GO ON
TO STATE COMPETITION.
By Rick Rojas, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/WANMgV
February 9, 2013 :: They won nationals. Then they won it again, setting record scores.
And on Friday, the winning streak in the Los Angeles Unified School
District's Academic Decathlon continued for Granada Hills Charter High
School. The school beat out dozens of Los Angeles campuses in the
district-wide competition, it was announced Friday evening at an awards
ceremony.
In the 10-subject battle of wits, the competitors — from 58 L.A. Unified
schools — faced such subjects as math and science, literature, music
and art, as well as gave speeches and were interviewed by judges. Teams
can receive up to 60,000 points. Granada Hills placed first with over
56,000 points.
But it was a close competition this year. Granada Hills edged out
Marshall High School by fewer than 400 points. Third-place Franklin High
and fourth-place El Camino Real Charter both scored over 55,000 points.
The fifth-place team, Bell High, scored slightly below 48,000.
Those teams, as well as those from Garfield, Hamilton, Narbonne, Francis
Polytechnic and North Hollywood high schools, will continue to the
statewide competition, beginning March 15, in Sacramento.
"I'm amazed!" Granada Hills senior Faria Ghori said, a bounty of medals
hanging from her neck. "But the scores are so close! State is going to
be anyone's game."
The competition — with a highest possible individual score of 10,000
points — is broken into three divisions, for A, B and C students. Marvin
Paparisto of Marshall had the highest score for the A-student honors
division with 9,252.9 points. Kailin Li of Granada Hills topped the
B-level scholastic division with 8,836.4 points. Alex Moreno of Franklin
had the highest score of 8,837.9 points in the C-level varsity
division.
Three other students in the honors division — Hamidah Mahmud and Jae
Kyung Chong of Granada Hills, and Jonathan Yih of El Camino Real —
scored higher than 9,000 points.
Rina Kim, a Granada Hills senior, said her team won't take their success
for granted because other teams are right on their heels. "We have to
be better," she said of the team's motivation for state, "not just be
satisfied with what we have."
GRANADA HILLS CHARTER WINS LAUSD'S ACADEMIC DECATHLON
By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer | LA Daily News http://bit.ly/12i2TdM
02/08/2013 09:07:16 PM PST :: Granada Hills Charter High clinched the
top spot in Los Angeles Unified's Academic Decathlon for the third
straight year, raising hopes for a three-peat by the school at this
year's state and national contests.
The auditorium at Hollywood High echoed with cheers and applause late
Friday as Granada was named the district's top-scoring team, racking up
56,805 out of 66,000 possible points.
Marshall, Franklin and El Camino Real Charter also scored more than
50,000 points, with Bell, Garfield, Hamilton, Narbonne, Francis
Polytechnic and North Hollywood rounding out the top 10.
They'll join Granada Hills in Sacramento next month, competing for the
state title as wild-care entries. The winner of the state competition
will travel to Minneapolis in April to vie for the national title.
Granada Hills captured the state and national championships in 2011, and defended its titles last year.
Cliff Ker, the district's decathlon coordinator for the last 13 years,
said he was astonished by the students' mastery of the people and
culture of Russia, the theme of this year's contest.
"Never in the history of the Academic Decathlon has any team broken
50,000, and we had four of them," said Ker, an unabashed supporter of
the program.
"I had a sense this was going to be a historic season, but I didn't think the teams would be this good."
A national championship title by a Los Angeles Unified team would be the
14th for the district since the contest was launched in 1982.
El Camino Real, which converted to a charter this year, has six national
titles, the most of any school in the nation. Taft has three while
Granada Hills and Marshall have two each.
Moorpark High was crowned national champion four times but didn't have a
team entered this year. Westlake High will represent Ventura County in
the state contest.
Despite its stellar record, Los Angeles Unified's decathlon program was
nearly eliminated this year because of budget cuts. An 11th-hour
decision freed up money to cover the costs of study materials for the
500 students from 58 schools who participate in the extracurricular
program.
Food Fight: MILLION$ IN STUDENTS' MEAL MONEY DIVERTED FOR OTHER PURPOSES
L.A.UNIFIED MISUSED $158 MILLION IN STUDENT MEAL
FUNDS: LAUSD redirected funding for nearly a decade – ignoring reports
from its own inspector general
by Stephen Ceasar, LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/X66Wud
February 6, 2013 | 4:01 pm :: At least eight California school
districts have misappropriated millions of dollars in funding intended
to pay for meals for low-income students — the biggest culprit being the
Los Angeles Unified School District, according to a state Senate
watchdog group.
The California Department of Education has ordered districts to pay back
nearly $170 million in misused funds to their student meal programs,
the California Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes said Wednesday.
L.A. Unified has been forced to pay back more than $158 million in
misappropriations and unallowable charges that the district made over
six years ending in 2011.
State officials suspect the alleged misuse of funds could be more
widespread across California school districts but the system is
overburdened and has only a small team of investigators.
In most cases, school systems attempted to use cafeteria funds to pay
for personnel, utilities and other expenses. Other school districts
named in the report are San Diego, Santa Ana, San Francisco, Baldwin
Park, Centinela Valley and Compton.
L.A. Unified redirected funding for nearly a decade –- ignoring reports
from administrators and its own inspector general –- before an
employee alerted state authorities, the report said. Among other
expenses, the district diverted funding to pay for sprinklers and
salaries of employees at a district television station.
L.A. Unified said in a statement that officials have been working with
the state to ensure compliance and said the district “looks forward to
success with state education officials in this work to find a more
rational approach to accounting and compliance guidelines for all
schools statewide.”
Federal regulations require districts to keep the student meal funding
in an account only to be used for the improvement of food service. Most
districts keep federal, state and other cafeteria revenues in that same
account and all funds must comply with federal regulations, the report
said.
The report, however, found that the system to monitor the spending of
those funds is overloaded and the regulations governing spending are too
complex. School districts, as a result, have repeatedly disregarded the
rules and subsequently contest violations as arguable interpretations
of the law, the report said.
Oversight of these funds is carried out by 60 state examiners who
monitor nearly 3,000 districts. Examiners –- who are nutritionists -–
have not completed all inspections required by law since 2001 and
“rarely take more than a cursory look at the books,” the report said.
The diversion of funds often contributes to conditions that discourage
eligible students from seeking free or reduced-priced meals. To free up
funds, districts have used cost-saving methods of serving processed
rather than fresh foods, shortening lunch periods and cutting on
cafeteria maintenance and staff – all of which discourage student
participation, the report said.
“They are literally taking food out of the mouths of kids,” Richard
Zeiger, chief deputy state superintendent of public instruction, said in
a statement.
From the 2004-2005 school year to the 2010-2011 year, the number of
students eligible for reduced-price or free lunches fell below statewide
averages. During those years, the district averaged between 51% and 60%
of eligible students participating. School districts statewide averaged
between 71% and 74% participation.
Students who are eligible for reduced-priced or free lunches are from low-income and poverty level families.
L.A. Unified has become a leader in providing more healthful meals,
changing offerings to have less sodium and fat and to include more fresh
fruit and vegetables. The district serves 650,000 meals a day.
The state has allowed L.A. Unified to use money from its general fund
that was already going toward food services to “write off” the debt, the
report said. The district has used those funds to pay off about $120
million of the debt.
The California Department of Education said it has begun training the
monitors on how to flag accounting issues and is in the process of
hiring additional monitoring staff.
________________________________________________________________
FROM THE REPORT:
• As financial pressures intensify, some California school districts are
illegally misappropriating millions of dollars from restricted
cafeteria funds intended to feed the state’s poorest children.
• In perhaps the biggest such case in the nation, the Los Angeles
Unified School District recently agreed to repay more than $158 million
that it had charged against its food service program over a six-year
period. The district, the nation’s second largest, continued to assess
unsubstantiated and excessive charges to its cafeteria fund for more
than a decade, despite repeated internal warnings that it was violating
state and federal law.
________________________________________________________________
• Report: K-12 DISTRICTS TAKE KIDS' LUNCH MONEY FOR OTHER PURPOSES
by Kevin Yamamura, The Sacramento Bee | http://bit.ly/YELJH4
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 10:08 AM :: As demand for subsidized
school meals went unfulfilled, K-12 districts diverted food service
money for other purposes such as a new roof and sprinklers, a new state
Senate report finds.
Public schools provide 2.4 million free or reduced-price lunches every
day in a system that serves 6 million schoolchildren in California. The
federal government provides the bulk of funding at $2 billion, with an
additional $145 million annually from the state, the Senate Office of
Oversight and Outcomes report says.
But the federal government relies on California Department of Education
officials to monitor school lunch programs and ensure the money is being
spent appropriately. CDE has required eight districts to repay nearly
$170 million in meal money, but the report says the education department
is ill-equipped to ensure compliance and that districts may be raiding
those funds on a broader scale.
At Los Angeles Unified School District, officials used meal money to pay
for sprinklers and operations at a district television station. The
district redirected funds for at least a decade but was caught after a
whistleblower came forward and is now paying $158 million plus more than
$1 million in interest, the report says. For six years ending in
2010-11, the district provided subsidized meals to 51 percent to 60
percent of children eligible, below the statewide average during that
period.
Elsewhere, Santa Ana Unified ran up a $16 million lunch money surplus
and spent $2.4 million in "disallowed charges" on district employees and
a roof project.
The report recommends several changes, such as reviewing whether CDE has
enough oversight staff and requiring annual audits of cafeteria funds.
Follow the Money: BIG HOLLYWOOD DONORS ENTER SCHOOL BOARD RACE FOR FIRST TIME + smf’s 2¢
by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez | KPCC 89.3 FM | Pass / Fail | http://bit.ly/11I31b3
February 5th, 2013, 6:00am :: Hollywood donates a lot of money to
national political campaigns. Big players in “the industry” have also
donated to Los Angeles City Hall races over the years. But L.A. Unified
school board races have been way off the radars of these big donors.
Until now.
Nearly two-dozen people are campaigning for three L.A. Unified school
board seats. Most of the Hollywood money is going to one candidate:
school board president Monica Garcia. Nearly 10 percent of Garcia’s
donations have come from the entertainment industry.
Wes Craven, director of the "Scream" films, donated $1,000 to Garcia’s
campaign. "The Hangover" screenwriter Scott Moore gave money too. So did
several major, major players, like Lucasfilm president Kathleen
Kennedy. She, along with studio bosses David Geffen and Jeffrey
Katzenberg, and media billionaire Haim Saban also gave Garcia the $1,000
maximum donation.
UCLA management scholar Bill Ouchi, an advisor to LA mayors on education issues for decades, says this is a new development.
“For many, many years our homegrown entertainment industry has not been
actively engaged in the K-12 system, in really any way,” he said.
Ouchi supports Garcia. He donated to her campaign, too.
Why would people with no children in the public schools donate to a campaign for school board?
“We have a message that is strong,” Garcia said. “We absolutely need
help to get our message out and I think it is very appropriate for every
citizen and resident of this city to care who is on the school board."
Garcia said she doesn’t know these big Hollywood players and hasn’t asked them for campaign donations.
“These are people who don’t answer every phone call they get,” longtime
Democratic political strategist Darry Sragow said, “so obviously this
money is being raised because someone they know and trust and who has
access to them has asked them to give.”
The person making “the ask” isn’t a staffer on Garcia’s campaign
committee or a political insider. It’s Megan Chernin - wife of Peter
Chernin, the former president of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. and current
head of a TV and film production company.
She said she got involved because she’s aware that not everyone can
afford to send three kids to LA’s elite Harvard Westlake private school
as she and her husband did.
“I think that education is probably the single most important equalizer
in society today and if I can do anything, that’s all I’m interested in
doing,” Chernin said.
She said Garcia’s defeat on election day would be a big loss for LA.
She’s tapped into her network to make sure that doesn’t happen.
“Do I know--who is it--Wes Craven, David Geffen? Yes I know them," she
said. "I’d be flattered if an email blast that I sent out got people to
pay attention or got people involved in anything around schools, I’d
love to hear that."
Several of Garcia’s big Hollywood donors couldn't be reached. David
Geffen was out of the country. Jeffrey Katzenberg’s people said he’d
“take a pass on this one.” The chair of Fox TV, Dana Walden, said
through a spokesman that she couldn’t make the time to talk.
Teresa Nathanson, wife of former Fox Television president Greg Nathanson, did take the time.
“People need to know how to get involved, they need specific ways to get
involved, they need someone to lead them towards community service,”
she said.
She gave $500 to Garcia’s campaign. She said it hadn’t occurred to her
to contribute to a school board race until she had lunch with Chernin,
who is also raising money for the district’s arts education program.
“She’s so impressive and engaging that I just sat there and listened to
her with my mouth open with all the different things she wanted to
accomplish,” Nathanson said.
Garcia donor Davis Guggenheim has more of a stake in the public school
system. His 2010 documentary, "Waiting for Superman," featured families
in failing schools who saw charters as their last hope. Guggenheim
donated the $1,000 maximum to Garcia—a supporter of charter schools.
The board election is on March 5th. Garcia expects a tough fight
from candidates endorsed by a more veteran player — and spender — in
board elections: United Teachers Los Angeles.
•• smf’s 2¢: As they say on the infomercials: “But wait, there’s more!”
• Megan Chernin has a few other jobs besides being Monica’s BBF and movie mogul Peter Chernin’s wife.
• She is the former CEO and a serving board member of L.A.’s Promise
Partnership Schools – which operates a couple of
continuing-to-low-perform LAUSD schools in cahoots with the District..
• She is the CEO of The LA Fund for Public Education – Dr. Deasy’s
“independent” fundraiser that supports programs of his like Breakfast in
the Classroom and all those lovely Bus Ads and Billboards that promote
Arts Education. Like this one: http://is.gd/F6oOgK
• She is a board member of Southern California Public Radio – which
operates KPCC and employs the author of the excellent article above.
One wonders: How many of the Hollywood Monica Backers live in the
communities of East and Northeast LA, Downtown, Pico Union and Koreatown
environs of Board District 2?
Not that that matters ….is is rumored throughout the district that Monica doesn’t live here either!
Then there’s the matter of other folks who also don’t live in the district that are donating to Monica’s campaign:
• LAUSD Deputy Superintendent for Instruction Jaime Aquino
• and Patricia Deasy, wife of Superintendent John Deasy … who in an
interview with David Lazarus on KPCC stated that it would be totally
inappropriate for him to take sides in a school board contest.
2 from AALA Update: IS IT TIME TO REVISIT A-G? + RE-REVISITING THE DISCIPLINE POLICY
Associated Administrators of Los Angeles Weekly Update | Week of February 11, 2013 |
• IS IT TIME TO REVISIT THE A-G (WITH A ‘C’) GRADUATION REQUIREMENT?
7 February 2013 :: In May 2012, the LAUSD Board of Education voted to
proceed with changing the high school graduation criteria to requiring
the passing of A-G coursework with a minimum grade of C beginning with
the freshman class of 2013-2014. This change was hailed at the time by
Superintendent Deasy as “all about a kid’s civil rights.” Those of us
who came of age during the civil rights era thought it an odd analogy,
since clearly, access to a free, quality education is a civil right; but
passing required college entrance coursework with a C is not a right,
but an expectation or a goal. Dr. Deasy pushed this action based on
glowing reports of the success of other school districts, particularly
San Jose Unified, which had instituted the same requirements. However,
San Jose recently acknowledged that its success rate was not as high as
had been published. Original statistics indicated that nearly two-thirds
of the students passed the classes with a C when, in fact, that
number was about 36%, just slightly higher than it had been before the
A-G requirement was implemented. More than 15% of the San Jose students
transferred to an alternative school which had less stringent
requirements to earn their diploma. Yes, more students took the rigorous
courses, but the numbers who were actually eligible to go to the
university barely
rose.
An editorial in the Los Angeles Times (February 6, 2013) questioned the
wisdom of the Board’s action based on the erroneous data from San Jose
and made some valid points about options for students who are not
successful in the A-G sequence. It mentioned offering a waiver for
students to opt-out of A-G and switch to a more vocationally oriented
curriculum. It would seem appropriate for that to be an option as
“linked learning” does provide for students to earn certificates that
make them immediately employable upon graduation and LAUSD is supposedly
implementing such a program.
To be clear, AALA supports raising expectations, finding it a
commendable and necessary action. Students should take the A-G courses
in order to graduate. However, with this mandate, are we allowing them
to assume that by virtue of meeting the high school graduation
requirement, they will automatically matriculate to UC or CSU? The
reality is that all will not, and cannot, be admitted. This begs the
question, “Why is the District requiring students to earn a C in the A-G
sequence in order to receive a diploma?” A grade of C means average,
and mathematically, to have an average, you must have a high point and a
low point. Even on a level playing field, everyone is not average or
better, much less when there are other factors which affect achievement.
Why should a student be denied a high school diploma because he/she
does not meet the UC entrance requirements?
UCLA professor Gary Orfield, codirector of the Civil Rights Project,
said it well, “…there should be a reasonable chance for students who
pass their courses at any level to get a diploma.” LAUSD has promised
extra support for those students who do not earn a C or better, but
given today’s fiscal constraints, what are the chances of that
happening? And, again, what about the “linked learning” option?
AALA posed several questions when the Board approved these new
requirements and suggested critical issues that needed to be addressed.
Among them were:
• Mechanisms to insure all students are ready for the A-G curriculum when they reach the 9th grade
• Adequate counseling and guidance support for students
• Summer school and adult school opportunities to make up classes or take electives
• Support for English Learners
• Accommodations for individuals with disabilities
• Provision of auxiliary hours to those high schools that need
assistance in providing enough sections of the appropriate courses
• Potential loss of teachers and administrators due to the reduction in credits required for graduation
• Cross level professional development, coaching and mentoring between middle and high school teachers
• Scheduled intervals for evaluation of student progress
• Career options for students who choose not to go to college (everyone
cannot be admitted nor is able to afford the tuition and related costs)
• Strengthening LAUSD relationships with community colleges
• Career/vocational training
• Recruiting of more lab science, foreign language and higher math teachers
• Increased number of specialty classrooms (i.e., science and technology labs)
• Communication vehicle for regular parental notification and involvement
To date, we have seen no evidence of any action on the above items and
realize the tremendous expense involved in doing so. Superintendent and
Board Members, it is time to revisit components of the new graduation
requirements. If not, we fear our students will suffer as the adults
make policy based on public posturing, not sound pedagogy.
• Re-REVISITING THE DISCIPLINE POLICY: A RESPONSE TO PRINCIPALS’ CONCERNS
AALA would like to thank a principal, who wishes to remain anonymous, for submitting this article.
On Friday, February 1, an innocuous e-mail dropped like a bombshell in
the mailboxes of principals in one ESC that caused a firestorm reaction
from principals…The e-mail read:
“We have been charged with completing a School Wide Positive Behavior
Plan Rubric of Implementation (ROI) for each of the schools
Districtwide…Please review the ROI and collect any available
documentation that is requested, such as agendas, sign-in sheets,
assembly notices, etc….I…will be visiting your schools next week…”
The reaction from principals was immediate. Below are some examples.
1. After reviewing the attached ROI, I am not clear as to exactly what
documentation you want to see… I just learned of the upcoming visit this
afternoon and already have several things scheduled for next week,
including the Tuesday you are planning to come out.
2. …I can provide the information you are seeking to you and (name
omitted) via e-mail rather than spending valuable time meeting with the
two of you or you and another coordinator…
3. …My colleagues and I are…working endlessly to meet all deadlines and
demands from both the ESC and Beaudry. Additionally, I, personally have
multiple requests to address from other District personnel (i.e.,
Textbook Roadshow, OCR Proposal, data review, PA participation rates and
results, intervention, etc.)…
As the above reactions indicate, elementary school principals in
particular are overwhelmed…Despite Superintendent Deasy’s tepid attempt
at taming the beastsPDFs, PPTs, Excel Files, Word attachments—that
invade our mailboxes on a daily basis, it’s too little, too late. The
very structure of the ESCs promotes fiefdoms whose chiefs feel equally
compelled to extract useful information they can hang onto the quintuple
METRIC balance…
NOTE: AALA raised these administrators’ concerns with Earl Perkins,
Assistant Superintendent, School Operations, on Monday, February 4,
2013, and he subsequently asked the Operations Administrator in that ESC
to postpone any action based on insufficient notice to principals and
lack of clarity. We certainly appreciate his prompt response. AALA’s
understanding is that the requests for information will be reissued in a
few weeks and new times will be scheduled well in advance, based on
principals’ availability.
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources
A MUZZLED GENERATION: “It is possible to govern
schools from a place of trust and not from a place of fear.” C... http://bit.ly/Xj1TH4
Do charter schools improve with age?: CHARTERS’ SUCCESS OR FAILURE SET EARLY: First year is key predictor of ach... http://bit.ly/UPNILA
Diane Ravitch: WHY YOU SHOULD SUPPORT STEVE ZIMMER FOR L.A. SCHOOL BOARD: by diane ravitch, from her blog | http... http://bit.ly/11YRqEu
Crenshaw High School: SCHOOL TURNAROUNDS PROMPT COMMUNITY BACKLASH: by
Christina Hoag, Associated Press Writer from LA Daily News | ht... http://bit.ly/WLLp9h
Next Monday Feb 11th: APPARENTLY THE ONLY CANDIDATE DEBATE FOR BOARD DISTRICT 2 WHERE ALL THE CANDIDATES WILL AP... http://bit.ly/WDfNm1
LAUSD KNEW EX-PRIEST IT HIRED HAD BEEN ACCUSED OF MOLESTATION + smf’s 2¢: http://bit.ly/1228OUg
LAUSD HIRED OTHER PRIESTS ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ABUSE, DESPITE WARNINGS: Investigation into Archdiocese Priest Abuse... http://bit.ly/11PZNCn
Video: $1 BILLION OWED SCHOOLS FROM BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION PLAN/SPECIAL ED UNDERFUNDING: from CSBA: http://bit.ly/11PZNCi
GIVING KIDS A VIEW TO A BETTER FUTURE: In one year, Vision To Learn, a nonprofit mobile eye lab, has given eye e... http://bit.ly/11PZOGr
Richard II: "For God's sake, let us sit upon the ground And tell sad stories of the death of kings." R3/lost+found | http://nyti.ms/WN4lCu
L.A. ARCHDIOCESE SAYS IT WARNED LAUSD NOT TO HIRE FORMER PRIEST + Document: by Jennifer London, KCET | http://bit.ly/WVA4Ex
PERFORMING WELL AT THIS DECATHLON IS THE SMART THING TO DO: High school students gather at the Roybal Learning C... http://bit.ly/VNjyoI
CAMPUS AIDES—A GOOD START + smf’s 2¢: Associated Administrators of Los Angeles Weekly Update - Week of February ... http://bit.ly/VNjy8t
LAUSD PLAN TO SPLIT BANNING HIGH IN WILMINGTON INTO TWO SCHOOLS ADVANCES DESPITE OBJECTIONS: By Rob Kuznia The D... http://bit.ly/WVA2wj
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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