In This Issue:
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The view from The Times: DEASY, LAUSD AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE |
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The view from the classroom: SCRAP THE iPADS, KEEP THE PIANOS |
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Q&A: LAUSD’s JAIME AQUINO – on iPads, Board Fights, and Stepping Down + someone else’s 2¢ |
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SENATOR RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT PROTECTING STUDENT DATA |
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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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What just happened?
…and what does it mean?
On Thursday evening I was minding my own business, watching the World Series.
Daughter lives in Boston. Family comes from Boston.
But I met Stan Musial once; took him to an expense account lunch. (You
gotta love the advertising business: you take the client and his
celebrity friend to lunch, you make the bartender’s day and you mark up
the tab 30%). Go Cardinals!
TOP OF THE 6TH, ST LOUIS UP 1 to 0.
I’m debating with myself (I always lose) whether to pop some popcorn or start dinner.
John Lackey is pitching for Boston
Beltran flied out to center.
Holliday struck out swinging.
Adams singled to left center.
Molina grounded out to second.
(Somewhere in there my phone makes that beep it makes when it gets a tweet.)
The inning over I head for the kitchen and the popcorn while a
commercial tries to sell me some prescription medicine, describing side
effects – including death - worse than whatever the ailment du jour is
…and be sure to tell my doctor if I have any medical problems or am
allergic to the drug itself. I hope my doctor has been paying
attention; I hope he prescribes the meds I need, not the ones Big Pharma
wants me buy.
I check the phone for the tweet. What could possibly have happened in LAUSD at 6:34 in the evening?
@latimes 24 Oct
L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy to resign in February http://lati.ms/q9Hu6
Say what?
Hit the DETAILS button!
Los Angeles Times
L.A. SCHOOLS SUPT. JOHN DEASY TO RESIGN
Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy has told Board of Education members
that he plans to resign in February, according to high-level district
officials, including some who asked not to be named.
As I fumble trying to figure out who to call: A second tweet.
@UTLAnow: Breaking @latimes reporting @DrDeasyLAUSD@LASchools is
resigning in February. #UTLA will have more on this breaking story
shortly.
I quickly retweet the Times message to the 4LAKids twtter unverse –
knowing full well that the UTLA tweet quoting the Times tweet does NOT
amount to a second source!
UTLA re-retweets the same message.
A reporter calls me. “What do I know?”
Just because I don’t know anything doesn’t mean I don’t pump her for
what she knows. She is getting “no comments” – but no denials either. I
give her a mealy-mouthed statement about how this – if true – will allow
the District to move ahead rather than be submerged in controversy. Not
distracted by iPads or Academic Growth Over Time and whatever other
manufactured controversy is at hand.
Friends and followers and fellow travelers call, one after another,
“Have you heard?”/”I just heard!”/”What do you know?” A verse+chorus of
‘Ding Dong the Witch is Dead’ is sung.
Someone I know who knows someone who knows Deasy calls his home or his
cell phone or his aunt’s next-door-neighbor and gets a “There will be a
statement in the morning” …which sounds as close to a confirmation as
anyone’s going to get as the rumors go Ebola viral.
The breaking news updates on The Times’ website seem to be walking back
from the edge; maybe those highly placed sources and unnamed district
officials weren’t so lofty or official?
At 9:09 UTLA puts out a joyous press release that almost contains the words and music and dance choreography of “Ding Dong….”
And at 9:29 @EdgarZazueta of LAUSD External & Government Affairs
tweets “People on twitter need to calm down and slow it down a little
bit tonight.”
At 9:37 @LADNschools (LA Daily News): “#LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy set to resign http://www.dailynews.com/social-affairs/20131024/lausd-superintendent-john-deasy-set-to-resign … @Playschools @Tulane - citing the LA Times as their source.”
Meanwhile
BOSTON - BOTTOM OF 6TH
Michael Wacha pitching for St. Louis
Victorino grounded out to third.
Pedroia walked.
Ortiz homered to left (375 feet), Pedroia scored. STL 1 - BOS 2
Napoli struck out looking.
Gomes grounded out to third.
ST. LOUIS - TOP OF 7TH
John Lackey pitching for Boston
Craig struck out looking.
Freese walked. 2
Jay singled to right, Freese to second.
Breslow relieved Lackey.
Kozma ran for Freese.
Kozma stole third, Jay stole second.
Descalso walked.
Carpenter hit sacrifice fly to left, Kozma scored, J Jay scored,
Descalso to third on throwing error by pitcher Breslow. STL 3 - BOS 2
Beltran singled to right, Descalso scored. STL 4 - BOS 2
Tazawa relieved Breslow. Holliday grounded out to second.
And that’s how it ended STL 4 - BOS 2
Too late for popcorn. Leftovers, more phone calls, little information. Bedtime.
FRIDAY THE CURIOUSNESS BECAME CURIOUSER.
The superintendent’s office said the resignation, if it was a
resignation, wasn’t in writing. Maybe it was pretend resignation. Or a
misunderstanding.
“I said I was resigned to have a Latte instead d of a Mochachino.”
Perhaps fingers were crossed. Or maybe Thursday was Opposites Day. “Did so!” / “Did not!
Later in the day some boardmembers said they don’t know what’s going on.
As the elected representatives of parents and voters and taxpayers why
should they be any different than the rest of us?
And Dr. Deasy’s office said they would have nothing more to say until
after the Closed Session Board Meeting scheduled for noon Tuesday –
where the superintendent’s annual performance review was on the agenda
The Video Trucks deploy around Beaudry and the Boardroom, raising their masts with the satellite dishes.
The Regular Board meeting scheduled for Tuesday – planned and
anticipated as an in-depth examination of the woebegone iPad program -
is abruptly postponed.
The Times prints the following two articles: The first struggles to
imagine an LAUSD without Deasy. The second describes a classroom where
he has never been.
And so the forces start to gather, surveying the battlefield. UTLA and
organized labor mobilizes; Deasy’s fans in the Education Coalition, the
United Way and CLASS start to mobilize. The media machines gear up for
the blitz.
Stand by.
HOW MUCH OF THIS IS MISDIRECTION AND SLEIGHT OF HAND? During this bogus
crisis we totally lost track of the imposed-from-Beaudry misbegotten
mid-semester reconfiguration of ESL programs – a brief shining moment
when parents were almost heard - and the best interests of children were
almost served! [http://bit.ly/1cPuvOQ / http://bit.ly/1ibFZgf / http://bit.ly/1a9Bu33 ] How much of it is about John Deasy’s future - a man characterized elsewhere as the educational equivalent of Dick Cheney [http://bit.ly/1a7X8X2]
- and how much is about iPads and Apple and Pearson? How much is about
the Billionaire Boys Club and the Educational Industrial Complex and
privatizing public education? How much of it is about Dr. Vladovic's
behavior ten years ago? How much is politics and money?
How little of it is about educating young people?
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf
The view from The Times: DEASY, LAUSD AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE
SPECULATION THAT L.A. UNIFIED SUPT. JOHN DEASY COULD
RESIGN PUTS HIS FUTURE — AND THE DISTRICT'S DIRECTION — IN DOUBT.
By Howard Blume and Teresa Watanabe | http://lat.ms/1aMXOht
October 25, 2013, 6:18 p.m. :: When John Deasy took the helm of Los
Angeles Unified in 2011, he was backed by the school board, mayor and
civic leaders in a bid to transform the nation's second-largest school
district with bold measures to improve student performance.
Now Deasy's future — along with the district's direction — is in doubt
at a critical point. L.A. Unified is facing new academic standards,
major budget decisions and a massive iPad technology project.
On Thursday, just days before his scheduled performance review by a new,
less supportive school board, the school chief told some top officials
that he might step down. That, in turn, provoked strong warnings from
civic leaders Friday to end what one called the "amateur hour" of
political infighting that could endanger progress for students.
"I think the adults at the school district, across the board, need to
remember that there are kids who are the collateral damage to any loss
of leadership, any loss of momentum, and any dysfunction and fighting,"
Mayor Eric Garcetti said.
Garcetti added that the district had moved "in the right direction"
under Deasy by continuing progress in lowering dropout rates, improving
test scores and completing school construction projects.
Deasy, 52, remained tight-lipped Friday, saying he would not comment on
his future until after Tuesday's performance review. He has said he
hoped to stay eight years because continuity was essential for lasting
change. He noted that his evaluation marked a key juncture.
"I am going to do everything in my human power to model dignity," he said. "Kids watch this. That is going to be my guideline."
In recent months, Deasy has struggled with a more combative teachers union and a more challenging school board.
Amid the tension, Deasy's second-in-command, Deputy Supt. Jaime Aquino,
submitted his resignation last month after complaining that the board's
second-guessing and micromanagement made it virtually impossible to
function.
Robert Ross, president of the California Endowment, the state's largest
healthcare foundation, said he was aware of the tensions but was "taken
aback" by news of Deasy's possible resignation. While he said Deasy
needed to work harder to forge more collaborative relationships with the
teachers union and school board, he gave Deasy an "A-plus" for boosting
student achievement and health with efforts to improve school nutrition
and campus safety.
"On behalf of the children, people have to figure out a way to make
things work," Ross said. "We adults need to improve our behavior."
At the same time, however, Deasy fell short — in some cases far short —
of most of this year's performance goals for student achievement in
reading and math.
United Teachers Los Angeles said it welcomed the possibility of new
leadership. In April, 91% percent of 17,500 members polled responded
that they had "no confidence" in Deasy's leadership.
News of Deasy's possible resignation surfaced this week, when some
district insiders said Deasy talked of leaving in February. But Deasy
said he has not submitted a letter of resignation.
What actually transpired between Deasy and other top district officials is still unknown.
Board President Richard Vladovic said he had spoken with Deasy multiple
times over two days. "I think the clouds will clear more on Tuesday once
we all hear the same things," he said.
Deasy's growing frustration has been evident for months. He failed to
win support from the union for his revamped teacher evaluations and had
to settle for a reduced role for the use of test results in the reviews.
His recommendations to use new state education dollars to close a budget
gap and to boost pay based on test scores and other factors met
resistance. Some board members instead are pushing to hire more teachers
and others to restore staffing to pre-recession levels.
And Deasy's $1-billion initiative to equip all students and teachers with iPads has encountered numerous problems.
Board member Steve Zimmer said he believed the iPad deal had serious
flaws but supported the concept and did not see the challenges as
fatally undermining Deasy's position.
"John Deasy has one of the most remarkable work ethics I've ever seen,"
Zimmer said. "And I've seen no fracture in his drive, his urgency."
Board member Bennett Kayser, a frequent Deasy critic, could not be
reached Friday, but his office issued a brief statement that all but
anticipated the superintendent's departure.
"I met with Superintendent Deasy yesterday," the statement said. "I wish
him well in his future ventures. We shall continue to remain focused on
what is best for our students."
One senior official expressed disappointment over Deasy's possible exit but put much responsibility on the superintendent.
"Is he the kind of guy who would up and leave because the iPad program
is under scrutiny? I hope not. When the going gets tough, the tough get
going. I don't think that means out the door," the official said.
"There's a lot of amateur hour stuff going on," said a civic leader who
didn't want to be publicly identified for criticizing the board. "It
seems like a lot of adults are acting like kids."
Elise Buik, president of United Way of Greater Los Angeles, said
community members are expected to pack the board meeting Tuesday to
support Deasy. On Friday, United Way and 10 other organizations issued a
letter to school board members urging them to retain Deasy and accusing
some of "putting your own political agendas ahead of students' needs."
"After all of the progress that has been made, it is simply unacceptable
to turn back to the failed policies of the past," the letter said.
●●smf’s 2¢: Is there a chance the United Way/CLASS letter, referred to
above, should accuse board members of “putting your own political
agendas ahead of our political agendas?" Just a thought.
The view from the classroom: SCRAP THE iPADS, KEEP THE PIANOS
IF YOU WANT A DEVICE THAT CAN INSPIRE, CRITIQUE, COUNSEL AND PUT ON A SHOW, GET A TEACHER.
LA Times Op-Ed By Jeff Lantos | http://lat.ms/HlIDVM
October 25, 2013 :: The Los Angeles Unified School District's plan to
supply every student with an iPad is, to be charitable, not going well.
Before any more school districts decide to spend millions on high-tech
gadgets, let me offer a few words of caution. Why me? Because I was
there in 1986 when Apple computers were first lugged into elementary
classrooms.
This was at the Open Magnet School in West Hollywood, where I and other
teachers first experimented with this new technology. After hours, we
often hung out with Alan Kay, the leather-jacketed genius from Apple who
would drop by to see how things were going. He had done pioneering work
on the graphical user interface and the use of icons, among other
things, while at Xerox Parc in the late-1970s. His informal job title at
Apple was "visionary."
For this initial rollout, Apple provided not only the boxy Mac Classics
but also some nifty glass-topped desks. The computers were tipped onto
their backs and slid onto angled shelves under the glass so students
could either point and click or put the mouse away and lay out books and
papers. Every student had access to a computer. Essentially it was the
one-to-one program being touted today by the U.S. secretary of
Education, school superintendents and Joel Klein, the former chancellor
of the New York City Department of Education and current chief executive
of Amplify, a company that makes digital tablets.
After a month or two it became apparent that computers were to the
writing process what the Cuisinart was to cooking. Every part of that
process — writing, editing, revising, rewriting — was easier. The walls
in my classroom were soon lined with typed essays and stories, many
illustrated with computer-generated stick figures.
Twenty-seven years later, computers and their offspring are still
wonderful tools for word processing. The Internet also made it easier
for students to do research and to communicate with peers and mentors.
And for many teachers, computers have replaced work sheets that
reinforce concepts taught in directed lessons.
Of course, high-tech gizmos can also be used for plenty of other
classroom projects. For instance, my fifth-grade digital natives could
easily spend all day creating Keynote presentations on the Jamestown
Colony or generating book reports that look like Pfizer's annual report.
But is that the best use of precious class time? And is that the best
use of me?
The fact is I'm the last guy you would want overseeing any high-tech
razzle-dazzle in the classroom. But I am your man when it comes to
delivering content, piquing a student's curiosity, helping a hesitant
writer formulate a persuasive essay and encouraging students to make
connections across the curriculum. And unlike a computer, I can inspire,
critique, counsel, model good behavior and put on five shows a week.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan says putting textbooks on Kindles,
iPads (and such) will save districts millions of dollars. I'm not so
sure. I've been using the same math text for 10 years. Why shouldn't I?
My students do well on the state test, and the concepts don't change.
The commutative property is still a+b = b+a. With a $19.95 purchase
price, that comes to less than $2 a year. And textbooks don't crash,
need batteries or break if you drop them. And I've never heard of one
being stolen.
Another argument you'll hear from Duncan, Klein, et al is that our
public schools need a high-tech "disruption," a cyber-shock that will
send students scurrying to their glowing screens where they will absorb
the knowledge that will lift them to ever higher levels of achievement.
I have three responses. First, in my experience, what technology
disrupts is classroom discussion, debate, collaboration, cooperation and
social interaction. Many elementary students are going to spend the
next 60 years primarily dealing with some type of tech tool. Before they
go into those digital cocoons, shouldn't they learn how to relate to,
have empathy for and communicate with classmates? Shouldn't they be
taught how to respectfully disagree, to defend a point of view, to
negotiate and to compromise?
Second, another thing computers disrupt is the desire to get some
exercise. Staring at that screen has a drug-like effect on students.
Many times I've had to tell the boys (yes, it's always the boys) to
close their computers and go to recess. No surprise that one side effect
of excessive computer use is obesity.
Third, if bureaucrats and billionaires really want to "disrupt" the
traditional educational model, they should forget iPads and Androids.
Instead, put a piano in every classroom and make piano lessons part of
teacher training. Imagine an educational model in which music, dance and
drama are part of every lesson. Imagine students singing about math
properties, taking history from the page to the stage, dancing their way
through the Constitutional Convention and the Lewis and Clark
expedition, acting out scenes from novels, borrowing from Tom Lehrer and
singing the periodic table of elements.
Kindergarten teachers have always made good use of music, dance and
drama. Why stop there? Drama helps students develop oral language and
people skills. Dance gets kids off their butts. Music fires up the
neural synapses, improves retention of the material and brings a sense
of joy into the classroom.
I have a piano in my classroom. My students start each school day with
15 minutes of singing and dancing. In January, I conducted an
experiment. I said to my students: "We're facing drastic budget cuts. We
have to get rid of either the 15 laptops or the piano. Which should it
be?" I don't think I have to tell you the response.
Jeff Lantos teaches at Marquez Charter Elementary School in Los Angeles.
●● A longtime 4LAKids reader-and-friend writes: “Jeff is our cousin. He
is exceptional. He has written educational musicals for elem. students
etc.” Marquez Charter is one of the 1:1 pilot schools cited in the
Common Core Technology Project (iPads for All) proposal.
►LETTERS TO LOS ANGELES TIMES
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Re: AN OLD-FASHIONED TEACHER'S WISDOM Re “Scrap the iPads, keep the pianos,” Opinion, Oct. 25
::
Not only does Jeff Lantos speak truth to iPads, he knows that a
classroom is a hollow experience without an effective, creative and
keenly devoted teacher — you know, like Lantos, whose article should be
distributed to all teachers and parents.
I bet they will smile and nod at the mention of dance, drama, art and
music effectively used in the classrooms they may remember.
As a recently retired teacher of 38 years, I am still excited to see the
wondrous things that happen when children are in the classroom of an
exciting educator.
Janice Segall
Pasadena
::
Bravo to Lantos.
I am a retired fifth-grade teacher who understood the pros and cons of
the new technologies infiltrating my classroom. The “educational fun”
and interaction that brought life to the curriculum was being forced
out, and the No Child Left Behind law certainly didn't help.
Let's hope that the powers-that-be will read and digest Lantos' wise thoughts.
David B. Housh
Glendora
::
Lantos is a visionary. The songs he's teaching his students will stay in
their memories and hearts long after the tsoris of dead batteries,
smashed screens and, yes, even theft of high-tech gadgets.
His method — starting each day with 15 minutes of singing and dancing — is the best way to keep the music playing.
Plus, pianos are seldom stolen.
Joan Arndt
North Hollywood
Q&A: LAUSD’s JAIME AQUINO – on iPads, Board
Fights, and Stepping Down + someone else’s 2¢
by Benjamin Herold in Education Week http://bit.ly/1c765PU
Oct 25, 2013 :: For my recent story on the fresh controversies
surrounding the new digital curriculum that is embedded on the iPads
being distributed to tens of thousands of Los Angeles students
[CURRICULUM PROMPTS NEW CONCERNS IN L.A. iPAD PLAN: By Benjamin Herold,
Education Week | http://bit.ly/1eQxl ... http://bit.ly/19FaJ7q]
, I sat down to talk with Jaime Aquino, the deputy superintendent of
instruction for the 651,000-student Los Angeles Unified School District.
Aquino explained how and why the district selected the
brand-new-and-untested-curriculum from education publishing giant
Pearson, and how he thinks it will help the district with its transition
to the Common Core State Standards
He also addressed head-on criticism that his prior employment with
Pearson led the district to make an unsound purchase and called the
ongoing questions over the district's iPad initiative "the icing on the
cake" of his recent decision to step down.
The transcript below has been edited for length and clarity.
●Q: What about this new curriculum has you excited?
●A: I'm excited about the shift to the common core and how those
standards are reflected in the Pearson Common Core System of Courses.
For example, in mathematics, the common core calls for the mathematical
practice that is called mathematical modeling, which means more of the
students' ability to apply their mathematical knowledge to the real
world. If you look at that Pearson Common Core System of Courses, you
see that many of their lessons begin with a video, in terms of having a
problem for students to explore, that is a real-life [problem]. And
students then say, "OK, how would you graph the speed of this student
riding the bike?" That was exciting in terms of how it aligns to the
real world.
Photo of Jaime Aquino, courtesy Los Angeles Unified School District>>
●Q: How did LAUSD select this curriculum?
●A: We knew that there were not a lot of digital materials available
that were aligned to the common core, and we didn't want anything that
was repurposed...When we issued the RFP, we were very clear that we were
using the publishers' criteria that was put out [to guide] the
selection of materials that are aligned to the common core standards.
The committee used that to determine what was there.
●Q: Is the new digital curriculum from Pearson meant to replace the
existing instructional materials for LAUSD, or supplement them?
●A: It's just another tool to teach the common-core standards...Do we
intend it to become what would be considered the core instructional
material? Yes, to be supplemented with many other things, at the
discretion of the teacher.
●Q: There's lot of concern that this product is being rolled out even though it's not finished.
●A: In the RFP, we said that we understand that the common-core
[standards] are new. And because we're asking [publishers] to present
[content] in a digital format, many might not have it completed. In the
RFP, we said [vendors] would have up to the fall of next year in terms
of having it completed and having it approved by the state. But [they]
had to give us a very clear description and a prototype of what [they]
want to accomplish and what it would look like. Because if not, I can
tell you that we were going to be getting something that was repurposed,
and that was not truly aligned to the common core.
●Q: Why not hold off until you could evaluate a completed product?
●A: We knew we were going in phases...It gave us an opportunity to learn
some lessons [and] also to be in the driver's seat, in the sense that
we wanted to also have an opportunity to shape [the curriculum], based
on the lessons learned in [the initial phase of the project] from our
teachers... And we embedded that into our contract negotiations. We were
very clear that if at any point, this did not meet our requirements,
did not meet the publishers' criteria, there was some consequence...It's
a unique opportunity for a school district to have that type of
leverage and input, as opposed to the traditional way that we've done in
education, that the publishers just produce what they want...and we
have to take whatever they do.
●Q: Some experts say that giving out sample lessons in a scattershot way
can actually be disadvantageous to students and teachers.
●A: Right now, there is actually no curriculum out there that I know of,
in print or digital, that is completely aligned to the common core. So
are these experts saying that we should wait and not transition to the
common core until something is produced in its final format, and the
exams are going to be administered in the spring of 2015? Isn't it
better to have our teachers begin to practice with some units? As
professional development, they become familiar, and they inform the
publishers about what the actual field needs.
●Q: What will the process be like for gathering and incorporating that feedback from the field?
●A: We have staff...that are always in the field, they get feedback in
terms of what's working, not working. We collect that. My curriculum
team here, my content area experts, do the same thing. They go and
visit. They look at the curriculum. They have been working with Pearson
in terms of our scope and sequence, which units should be taught
when...We have already provided a lot of the feedback. In addition to
that, at every school, Pearson has assigned [staff], and they go and get
feedback.
●Q: Some school board members say that they were under the impression
before voting that the curriculum was finished and were surprised to
subsequently learn that it was not.
●A: The administration does not control what [board members] read or
don't read...There was constant communication provided to the board. The
board had access to the RFP. Board staff attended the industry forum
where I clarified that we didn't expect anything to be completed...We
provided daily information, and then they act as if they have never
heard any about this.
●Q: You recently announced that you are stepping down at the end of this
year. Was the criticism around the Common Core Technology Project, or
your previous employment at Pearson, part of that decision?
●A: I did not want to leave...As an immigrant and second-language
learner, I'm honored and humbled to be the deputy superintendent of the
second largest district in the nation...That's the dream I have for all
students in this district, particularly those who look like me. Who come
from immigrants, who are Latino, and who speak English as their second
language. And I can tell you they're not going to achieve the American
dream if they don't have access to technology...
The reason I'm leaving is because in this hostile political environment,
I cannot lead a student-centered agenda. This has been a place where I
feel the board has micromanaged. People think I'm leaving because of
this? This was just the icing on the cake...
I came here with an impeccable, unblemished national reputation. In
places where I have left, even my vocal critics would say we disagree
with some of his positions and perspectives, but he was an amazing
leader.* Here, there have been innuendos that this contract was because I
worked for Pearson...First, history. I worked for America's Choice. And
America's Choice was acquired by Pearson around December of 2010. I
left in June of 2011 to come here. Do people wonder if maybe my reason
for leaving Pearson was because I didn't want to work for a big
[corporation]? When I came here and we were going through this, I
disclosed [my work history], I went through legal and procurement [and
asked] should I be involved? They said your cooling period has
sunsetted. You can be involved. But even still, I was not involved in
the process. A committee reviewed all the applicants. The only thing I
did, I said here's the publishers' criteria. I trained them. I was not
[privy] to which were
the applicants, their applications. I came on board at the end when they
had done the screening and said these are the last three. The last
three happened to have Pearson. The others were
discarded.
●Q: Is there anything else you'd like to add about LAUSD's iPad initiative?
●A: The level of excitement in terms of our teachers, our parents, our
students and our principals has been overwhelming. I think the media
coverage on this has been very discouraging and very biased...To call
students hackers was totally inappropriate. [These problems have] been
blown out of proportion by the media.
________
* …and modest! See After Jaime Aquino, what’s next? (EdNews Colorado May 8, 2008) http://bit.ly/1afZup0
●● SOMEONE ELSE’S 2¢: a 4LAKids reader, who shall remain anonymous
writes : “This article is full of lies and I could take pieces of the
RFP, video of board meetings and vendor forums and make that point...but
this thing is so blatantly fixed, I'm not sure why I need to keep
pointing this out!”
- 4LAKids’ anonymous source continues, quoting the anonymous source – and ed-tech insider - who first forwarded the article:
"’The media journalists (and board) do not dig deep enough. The RFP
called for adaptive software, not augmented PDFs. Jaime's former boss at
America's Choice now heads Pearson's Common Core System of Courses.
Perhaps your media friends can start asking. ‘"
SENATOR RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT PROTECTING STUDENT DATA
By NATASHA SINGER, New York Times | http://nyti.ms/Hm8aNF
October 22, 2013, 12:01 pm :: A lawmaker who is a staunch advocate of
children’s privacy is investigating whether the data collection and
analysis practices of the growing education technology industry, a
market estimated at $8 billion, are outstripping federal rules governing
the sharing of students’ personal information.
On Tuesday, Senator Edward J. Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, sent a
letter to Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education, about how K-12
schools are outsourcing management and assessment of student data,
including intimate details like disabilities, to technology vendors. The
letter cited an article in The New York Times this month about concerns
over the proliferation of student data to companies.
“By collecting detailed personal information about students’ test
results and learning abilities, educators may find better ways to
educate their students,” Senator Markey wrote in the letter. “However,
putting the sensitive information of students in private hands raises a
number of important questions about the privacy rights of parents and
their children.”
School districts nationwide are increasingly using digital technologies
that collect and analyze academic and other details about students in an
effort to tailor lessons to the individual child. But privacy law
experts say that many schools are employing student assessment software
and other services without sufficiently restricting the use of
children’s personal data by vendors. Researchers at Fordham University
School of Law in New York, for example, recently found that certain
school districts have signed contracts without clauses to protect
information like children’s contact details, the locations where they
wait for school buses every morning, or the food items they buy in
school cafeterias.
In his letter, Senator Markey asked Mr. Duncan to explain whether the
Department of Education had assessed the types of student information
schools share with private companies; whether the department had issued
federal standards or guidelines that outline the steps schools should
take to protect student data stored and used by private companies; what
kinds of security measures the department requires companies to put in
place to safeguard student data; and whether federal administrators
believe that parents, not schools, should have the right to control
information about their children even if it is housed by private
companies.
“Sensitive information such as students’ behavior and participation
patterns also may be included in files outsourced to third-party data
firms and potentially distributed more widely to additional companies
without parental consent,” Senator Markey wrote. “Such loss of parental
control over their child’s educational records and performance
information could have longstanding consequences for the future
prospects of students.”
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources
Steve Lopez: PLAN TO TRANSFORM BLEAK SCHOOL
PLAYGROUND HITS BIG SNAG: A popular beautification project planned for
Berendo Middle School has one hurdle to clear — the L.A. school
district's can't-do attitude. http://bit.ly/17pT5o
L.A. DAILY NEWS SAYS MAYOR GARCETTI SUPPORTS SUPERINTENDENT DEASY AND QUESTIONS SCHOOL BOARD.: Garcetti: Deasy... http://bit.ly/18Z1JuA
SCRAP THE iPADS, KEEP THE PIANOS: If you want a device that can inspire, critique, counsel and put on a show, ... http://bit.ly/1delRJZ
EDNA KRABAPPEL HAS LEFT THE CLASSROOM: Marcia Wallace (November 1, 1942 – October 25, 2013) has passed away... http://bit.ly/19IjCgA
ELI BROAD, KOCH BROTHERS FUNDED SECRET ANTI PROP 30/ANTI PROP 38 EFFORT IN CALIFORNIA: Bombshell: Eli Broad Se... http://bit.ly/1dbMDCE
L.A. UNIFIED POSTPONES TUESDAY’S SPECIAL BOARD MEETING ABOUT iPADS: L.A. Unified postpones meeting on iPads ov... http://bit.ly/1dbybKV
Q&A: LAUSD’s JAIME AQUINO – on iPads, Board Fights, and Stepping Down + someone else’s 2¢: by Benjamin Herold ... http://bit.ly/1auBCvT
COACHELLA VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT’S iPAD INITIATIVE BRINGS OPTIMISM AND SKEPTICISM: by Eric Westervelt NPR Educ... http://bit.ly/18W3JUl
SENATOR RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT PROTECTING STUDENT DATA: “Putting the sensitive information of students in priv... http://bit.ly/19FoIKG
RUMORS REACH FEVER PITCH – AND VIDEO TRUCKS HOVER – BUT LA SUPERINTENDENT DEASY DENIES HE’S RESIGNED: Annie Gi... http://bit.ly/17jPkBb
JOHN DEASY TO RESIGN FROM LAUSD AFTER ALMOST 3 YEARS AS SUPERINTENDENT: The Huffington Post | By Anna Almend... http://bit.ly/1dtFwZ4
CURRICULUM PROMPTS NEW CONCERNS IN L.A. iPAD PLAN: By Benjamin Herold, Education Week | http://bit.ly/1eQxl ... http://bit.ly/19FaJ7q
AALA: BIG PHILANTHROPY AND EDUCATION: from the AALA Weekly Update for the week of October 28, 2013 | http://bi... http://bit.ly/1dtwGud
UTLA: IT’S TIME. Time for a raise & Time for Deasy to go: utla president’s perspective; by Warren Fletcher fro... http://bit.ly/1d894c4
THE LAUSD iPAD MESS LEADS TO SUPERINTENDENT’S RESIGNATION: Perhaps it’s a generational thing?: By Allison Cohe... http://bit.ly/1ajG66y
LCFF: NEW FUNDING SYSTEM REQUIRES EDUCATION LEADERS TO SHIFT THEIR THINKING: commentary By Ron Bennett, Presid... http://bit.ly/1argxm1
DEASY LEAVING LA UNIFIED? WHO COULD BE SURPRISED + smf’s 2¢: News Analysis by Michael Janofsky, Managing ... http://bit.ly/17jjxAd
TWEET: 'During an early morning event on Thursday in Woodland Hills, Deasy said his next stop was a meeting with Vladovic'. http://bit.ly/auDNT3
LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT JOHN DEASY SET TO RESIGN: By Barbara Jones, Los Angeles Daily News and Rick Orlov, Los An... http://bit.ly/19DJWZ6
Is he or isn’t he?: L.A. SUPERINTENDENT JOHN DEASY SAYS HE’LL TALK MORE AFTER HIS JOB EVALUATION: By Howard Bl... http://bit.ly/1drCtk4
L.A. SCHOOLS SUPT. JOHN DEASY MAY LEAVE IN COMING MONTHS: Superintendent has told some district officials that... http://bit.ly/1aoN4cC
LA Times: L.A. SUPT. JOHN DEASY TO RESIGN: By Howard Blume L.A. Times| http://lat.ms/16wSpiV Los Angeles U... http://bit.ly/1c1TSfr
Breaking: @latimes reporting @DrDeasyLAUSD @LASchools is resigning in February.
DON’T TEACH FOR AMERICA: “Education reform” that helps only your resume: By Sandra Y.L. Korn | Opinion | The H... http://bit.ly/1al9xaj
SEGREGATING ENGLISH LEARNERS IN SCHOOLS: The Los Angeles Unified School District has little choice in the matt... http://bit.ly/1a9Bu33
SCHOOL BOARD, NOT SCHOOLS, GETS FINAL SAY ON HOW LOCAL CONTROL FUNDING FORMULA SPENDING: by LA School Report, ... http://bit.ly/18KQLc5
MORE QUESTIONS ON L.A, UNIFIED’S iPAD PROGRAM, BUT FEW ANSWERS: District officials say they hope promise to p... http://bit.ly/1agvvvf
LA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS NO PLAN B FOR iPAD PROJECT: Annie Gilbertson | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC http://b... http://bit.ly/1cXxcOt
LAUSD iPADS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN FIRST BUDGETED: By Barbara Jones, Los Angeles Daily News | http://... http://bit.ly/1a9vXcI
SCHOOL. LAUSD POLICE HQ EVACUATED DUE TO FOUL ODOR: Incident at the school formerly known as The Belmont Learn... http://bit.ly/1a9ryq9
SCHOOL iPADS TO COST NEARLY $100 MORE EACH, REVISED BUDGET SHOWS: L.A. Unified will spend $770 per iPad, a 14... http://bit.ly/19s4GmA
LAUSD plan for non-English speakers: segregation or solution? Last minute plan separates ESL kids fm native speakers http://bit.ly/1ibFZgf
LA Unified embarks on revamp of devastated adult education program | http://bit.ly/H8wzXi
Curriculum+Instruction, Budget+Facilities & iPads: LA Unified Bd of Ed Set for a Busy Afternoon of Committee Meetings http://wp.me/p2fzpD-49H
Heard on the radio: SHOULD STUDENTS BE SEPARATED BY THEIR ENGLISH PROFICENCY?: AirTalk with Larry Mantle| KPCC... http://bit.ly/1cPuvOQ
CA School Boards Asso. official: VLADOVIC CENSURE WOULD BE ‘EXTREMELY DEVISIVE EPISODE …AND DIFFICULT TO OVERC... http://bit.ly/1dbJ5TC
Developing working class consciousness: REDEFINING AND REBUILDING THE TEACHERS’ UNION: In the post-Occupy Wall... http://bit.ly/1cOCfAO
L.A. teacher writes Diane Ravitch: JOHN DEASY IS THE EDUCATIONAL EQUIVALENT OF DICK CHENEY: By dianerav in Dia... http://bit.ly/1a7X8X2
EVENTS: Coming up next week...
●Tuesday Oct 29, 2013
9th STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location:
9th Street Elementary School
835 Stanford Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90021
●● smf will speak at what may be - for reasons I will attempt to explain - the most important new school LAUSD has built.
●The School Board meeting about iPads on Tuesday Oct 29 has been
POSTPONED - but the board will meet IN CLOSED SESSION at noon to discuss
Deasy's future. There will be public comment, rallies and
demonstrations!
●The Bond Oversight Committee is scheduled to meet on iPads on Wednesday
Oct 30 at 1PM in the Beaudry Boardroom to discuss iPads and other
issues - Call or check the info below for updates to the agenda.
*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
Monica.Ratliff@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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