In This Issue:
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HUGE SETTLEMENT IN SEX ABUSE CASE HAS L.A. UNIFIED RETHINKING REFORMS |
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CORTINES APPROVES NEXT PHASE OF LAUSD iPAD PROGRAM …but returns the armored vehicle |
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“Forced Labor”: REPORT ALLEGES CHARTER PARENTS FORCED TO VOLUNTEER |
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Immigration Reform: THE WHEN IS NOW ...AND IT'S LONG OVERDUE + smf’s 2¢ |
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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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The headlines and the unanticipated budget numbers:
L.A. SCHOOLS WILL PAY VICTIMS IN CHILD ABUSE SCANDAL $139 MILLION – not
including $30 million previously awarded and its own legal costs
LAUSD NEEDS ANOTHER $13 million for testing devices – in addition to $31
million already spent, $9.1 million already allocated but not spent,
and the $114 million already spent on iPads and other devices for the
now-on-hold (…or maybe not) 1:1 computing initiative – the debacle
formally known as the Common Core Technology Project.
THE CURRENT COST OVERRUNS ON MISIS are projected to be about $53 million. Or more.
LAUSD MAY HAVE A GENERAL FUND DEFICIT THIS YEAR OF $300 MILLION – even
though the superintendent proposed and the board approved a budget last
June that was theoretically balanced and there is supposed to be all
this new Prop 30 money rolling in!
(“Oh c’mon Scott,” you say. “…those numbers are so one-superintendent-ago!”)
There is a current backlog of $5.2 billion in unmet maintenance and
repair needs, that number increases about $1.1 billion a year. The
District has the ability to raise about $7 billion over the next decade
in Measure Q bonds – but in reality needs about $30 billion to rebuild
and modernize LAUSD facilities to meet 21st century standards.
The good news is that California schools may get an additional $2
billion next year in general fund increased tax revenue – if projections
are correct. | http://lat.ms/11GmqMb
LAUSD may get as much as 15% of that. The bad news is the previous
sentence contains the modifier “may” twice and “if” once. And LAUSD is
384 miles from Sacramento where decisions really get made – no matter
what we like to believe about Local Control and Subsidiarity.
Those are some big numbers ….but what do they mean? There is more
difference between a million and a billion besides an ‘M’ and a ‘B’. A
billion is a thousand times bigger than a million: A million is to a
billion as a penny is to a ten dollar bill.
• One million seconds would take up 11 days, 13 hours 46 minutes and 40 seconds. A week and a half.
• One billion seconds is a bit over 31 and one-half years.
• One trillion seconds is slightly over 31,688 years.
The LA Times Sunday morning, looking at the Miramonte payout, (follows)
says: “The total of $169 million, plus $11 million in legal fees, would
fund a one-year 7% bonus for teachers. To save that much money, the
district would have to make every employee take 12 unpaid days off.
“L.A. Unified avoided such measures by starting to put aside higher sums
in a self-insurance fund. In 2010-11, before the allegations against
Berndt came to light, the district paid $12.4 million into the fund. In
the ensuing four years, the district set aside $30.7 million, $80.5
million, $37.7 million and $23.3 million.”
LAUSD set aside $172.2 million – and like clockwork – got $169 million
in claims plus legal fees on this case. Funny how that works out.
What the Times doesn’t point out is that under Superintendent Brewer the
District initiated a top-to-bottom/deep+wide Child Abuse Awareness and
Prevention program through an organization called Darkness to Light that
educated staff, students and parents (Parents? What a concept!). D2L
came to LAUSD as a direct result of the Rooney Case described in the
Times article (and in these pages previously [see: http://bit.ly/11LjoFy] and was powerful, well received and very effective.
Even though D2L was probably the most effective tool in the toolbox to
identify “Bad Teachers” it was also the first program cut and
subsequently eliminated in budget cuts.
D2L and other programs that teach bullying prevention and teen dating
violence prevention address socio-emotional problems directly through
education and prevention.
Prevention is proactive; Intervention is reactive.
Prevention always trumps intervention. Even Restorative Justice, the
feel-good flavor of the month for socio-emotional intervention, is
reactive.
Squirreling away money into a self-insurance pool is a Risk Management
Strategy that cynically accepts the inevitability of the problem insured
against.
LAUSD is in the business of Education. Had we invested a small
percentage of the Insurance Pool in Prevention we might’ve empowered
students, staff and parents to stop Mark Berndt and his ilk. Had we
identified Berndt earlier – or prevented his atrocities – we would have
that $172.2 million (less a few million invested in D2L) to invest in
something else. Class Size Reduction? Teacher salaries? iPad curriculum?
And there would be fewer children violated.
As Pete Seeger dared to add to the wisdom of Ecclesiastes: “I swear it’s not too late.”
THURSDAY SAW A WHOLE NEW DAY IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DISTRICT
AND THE BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE – and by extension the voters+taxpayers
the BOC represents.
Superintendent Cortines and his team were transparent and forthright in
their appeal for more funds for Testing Devices and the MiSiS fix.
Assistant Superintendent Ruth Perez described LAUSD as far behind other
districts in deploying testing devices – an about-face from Deasy’s
appeal to be on the cutting edge. Cortines himself was apologetic and
businesslike in his statements on MiSiS – echoing the “Grossly
Inadequate” findings of the Inspector General in the District's previous
efforts: "We don’t know what we don’t know”.
Promises were made and everyone expects them to be kept about the
resolution of the MiSiS Crisis and the expensive road ahead to correct
the situation. Cortines stated unequivocally that he understands that
Bond Funds are Limited and should be for Bricks and Mortar …and that
Safety, Modernization and Repair are jobs 1A, 1B and 1C.
ON FRIDAY – the second day of the bright new wonderful tomorrow - there
was a hiccough – and hopefully this will be explained away next week
while the rest of us are interviewing turkeys, dealing with the kids
underfoot and locating the big salad bowl. Two news stories surfaced
(CORTINES APPROVES NEXT PHASE OF LAUSD iPAD PROGRAM – follows) that
announced the surprise resurrection of Phase 2B of the Common Core
Technology Project (1:1 computing/iPads for All) and stated that “…the
Phase 2B devices will be loaded with instructional software”.
Really? WHAT instructional software? …and paid for by whom?
Superintendent Cortines is on record that he doesn’t consider bond funds appropriate for instructional content [http://bit.ly/1uQvER8
] – but the (‘shut down’/’halted’/’suspended’ but not ‘cancelled’) CCTP
devices+content contract with Apple+Pearson is for the Pearson Common
Core System of Courses exclusively – and is 100% funded by the bonds.
Yes, Dr. Deasy assured us that there would be a new RFP+procurement …but
that never happened.
And so it is.
¡Thankfully Onward/Esperemos Adelante! - smf
PS: I think – but I’m not sure - the big salad bowl is in the garage.
HUGE SETTLEMENT IN SEX ABUSE CASE HAS L.A. UNIFIED RETHINKING REFORMS
“WE STILL HAVE THAT QUESTION OUTSTANDING: WHAT HAPPENED?” - Former state legislator Martha Escutia
By Howard Blume & Stephen Ceasar | LA Times | http://lat.ms/1tp2dQS
23 November 2014 :: Six years ago, the Los Angeles Unified School
District found itself at the center of a high-profile teacher sex abuse
scandal.
The year was 2008, and then-L.A. schools Deputy Supt. Ramon C. Cortines
reacted firmly amid revelations that a school administrator, Steve
Rooney, had sex with an underage student at one campus before being
transferred to another, where he molested two girls.
Cortines oversaw new practices to improve communication with law
enforcement agencies, conduct internal investigations of any employee
under suspicion of wrongdoing and keep accused instructors out of
classrooms until they are cleared.
But in the last couple of years, L.A. Unified found itself dealing with
an even larger scandal. On Friday, the district approved paying the
staggering sum of more than $139 million to alleged victims of former
Miramonte Elementary teacher Mark Berndt.
The settlement has Cortines — the current superintendent — and others
concerned that other earlier reforms didn't work and considering what
needs to be done for the district to better protect students from sexual
misconduct by adults.
Even after the Rooney case, a small number of sexual predators still
worked for L.A. Unified; some had managed to keep their jobs for years
without calling much attention to themselves.
"Some of these people are very smart," said Cortines, "and they have strategies" to avoid being caught.
As with Rooney's case, and other abuse cases before it, the Berndt episode led to aggressive responses.
Former Supt. John Deasy decided to pull employees from their duties the
moment an allegation was made or wrongdoing suspected. The number of
suspended and dismissed employees ballooned, leading some to accuse him
of overreacting.
School board member Tamar Galatzan said the issue was larger than Miramonte.
"There were several situations in the time that I've been on the board
that showed that the district had to step up the investigation, the
reporting and the record keeping. I think we've made necessary steps to
do that," she said.
These measures include a new internal investigative team, a permanent
database on teacher conduct and a pledge to provide more information
both to parents and to the accused.
Critics still question the district's commitment.
Former state legislator Martha Escutia, who was part of the legal team
suing L.A. Unified, said the district never followed through with a
promise to set up a commission to examine what went wrong and what
measures to adopt.
"We still have that question outstanding: What happened?" Escutia said.
Several times after Berndt joined the school system in 1976, some
children complained about bizarre or sexually tinged behavior. In some
instances, the children were doubted. In others, the evidence was
sketchy. The incidents also generally were far apart and not tracked
over time.
"In some cases, adults think that comments by students are not relevant,
but they are," said Cortines, who came out of retirement to take over
the school system last month. "I think we're more aware of that now."
"I don't want to put the children and their families in a scare mode,"
he said, adding that children need to be encouraged to report things
that bother them.
Attorneys for Miramonte students and their families cited the Berndt
case as proof that L.A. Unified has been negligent. The size of the
settlement, said attorney John Manly, is evidence that the district
feared a jury would agree.
The Berndt case was unusual. The third-grade teacher had convinced
students they were playing a tasting game when he allegedly had them eat
cookies tainted with his semen.
This activity, among others, was uncovered when a drugstore employee
alerted law enforcement about bizarre photos of children found on film
Berndt had brought to develop.
Last year, he pleaded no contest to 23 counts of lewd conduct and received a 25-year prison sentence.
Cortines said the district has learned from Miramonte.
"We listen better," he said. "We see better."
He said he's also learned that he can never assume that the problem will be completely addressed.
"You can't predict what is going to happen," he said. "You can't pass
enough rules. You can't institute enough policies. You can't screen
employees in a way that you're going to catch every issue that needs to
be looked at."
In addition to last week's settlement, an additional $30 million was
previously paid out to resolve other cases involving Berndt and another
Miramonte teacher against whom charges were later dropped.
The total of $169 million, plus $11 million in legal fees, would fund a
one-year 7% bonus for teachers. To save that much money, the district
would have to make every employee take 12 unpaid days off.
L.A. Unified avoided such measures by starting to put aside higher sums
in a self-insurance fund. In 2010-11, before the allegations against
Berndt came to light, the district paid $12.4 million into the fund. In
the ensuing four years, the district set aside $30.7 million, $80.5
million, $37.7 million and $23.3 million.
The money was not just for the Berndt case — there were other costly
abuse cases as well — but the Miramonte allegations were the major
driver.
"When we know there is some sort of liability, the accounting rules
require us to do our best estimate and recognize it," said Megan Reilly,
the district's chief financial officer.
Whether L.A. Unified could have anticipated the abuse beforehand would
have been the subject of the trial. That was avoided with Friday's
agreement.
CORTINES APPROVES NEXT PHASE OF LAUSD iPAD PROGRAM …but returns the armored vehicle
►LAUSD TO MOVE FORWARD WITH PHASE 2B OF THE COMMON
CORE TECHNOLOGY PROJECT: A total of 85 schools will be equipped with
devices
LAUSD PRESS RELEASE |http://bit.ly/1Fh3L61
21 Nov. 2014 LOS ANGELES :: Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)
Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines today gave staff the green light to
move forward with Phase 2B of the Common Core Technology Project (CCTP).
Phase 2B will equip teachers and students at an additional 27 schools
with learning devices. In January, the LAUSD Board of Education voted
unanimously to approve up to $114 million in bond funds to continue with
Phase 2 of the project. With this action, 85 schools will be equipped
with devices, and 21 more schools with laptops under the Phase 1L laptop
pilot.
“Our students deserve the best tools available to meet the requirements
to be successful in the 21st century workforce,” Cortines said. “Without
the appropriate tools, they will be disadvantaged compared to their
peers across the entire nation. We also need to keep the dialogue open
with our schools. We want Phase 2B to provide more options than previous
phases so that our students are fully utilizing the most appropriate
and current devices available.”
Principals at these 27 Phase 2B schools will be key in determining which
educational tools are best for their school communities. The CCTP team
is currently looking into options available to facilitate this choice
for schools and will coordinate all logistics needed to make Phase 2B a
success. The full timeline for implementation will be announced in the
coming weeks.
“I am extremely pleased that the superintendent sees the benefit of
moving forward with our technology initiative,” CCTP Director Bernadette
Lucas said. “Access to technology is a necessity for every student, and
is a key part of adopting the Common Core State Standards. This
project is an essential piece of the District’s adoptions of these new
standards, as well as achieving our over-arching vision for all students
to graduate college-prepared and career-ready.”
_____________
►CORTINES APPROVES NEXT PHASE OF LAUSD iPAD PROGRAM
by LA School Report | http://bit.ly/1xD7hHl
November 21, 2014 5:35 pm :: Let the iPads roll. Again.
LA Unified Superintendent Ramon Cortines today approved moving ahead
with the next phase of the district’s iPad program, officially known as
Phase 2B of the Common Core Technology Project.
It’s actually, iPads et. al.
The goal with this action is to complete the second round of buying
digital devices by equipping teachers and students at an additional 27
schools with learning devices. That brings the total to 85 district
schools with iPads or, in the case of the Phase 2B buy, other digital
devices, such as Chromebooks.
The total reflects 47 schools receiving iPads in Phase 1 and 11 in Phase
2A, which was halted by former Superintendent John Deasy after
questions arose about the procurement process.
The cost to date: $114 million, which covers devices, keyboards,
charging carts, testing devices, and the laptop pilot program for 21
high schools.
In this latest phase announced today, each school will have the option
of buying devices that the principal and teachers deem best for their
students. And the district intends to sustain that approach going
forward.
District officials said they expect this latest round of devices to reach students by February.
“Our students deserve the best tools available to meet the requirements
to be successful in the 21st century workforce,” Cortines said in a
statement. “Without the appropriate tools, they will be disadvantaged
compared to their peers across the entire nation. We also need to keep
the dialogue open with our schools. We want Phase 2B to provide more
options than previous phases so that our students are fully utilizing
the most appropriate and current devices available.”
Unlike iPads being purchased under a new request of $13.3 million from
the Bond Oversight Committee for computerized testing at the end of the
academic year, the Phase 2B devices will be loaded with instructional
software.
The list of schools scheduled to receive new devices is here: http://bit.ly/1FgYMSX
______________
►LAUSD SENDING IPADS, LAPTOPS TO 27 MORE SCHOOLS
Annie Gilbertson | KPCC 89.3 | http://bit.ly/1xD8TkC
November 21, 06:51 PM :: Los Angeles school district superintendent
Ramon Cortines is expanding the iPad program to 27 more schools, the
second round of computer purchases announced this week.
Without seeking new bids from tech companies for the latest purchases,
the district may need to rely on a controversial contract with Apple
that former Superintendent John Deasy said would be canceled.
"Our students deserve the best tools available to meet the requirements
to be successful in the 21st century workforce," Cortines said in a
statement on Friday.
Before a bond oversight committee Thursday, Cortines requested $22
million worth of iPads and Google Chromebooks to allow students to take
new digital state tests.
In the latest announcement, the superintendent declared he would tap
into a $114 million fund (allocated in January) to extend the school
technology program to 27 more schools. That would bring the total of
schools outfitted with tablets or laptops to 106 of the district's more
than 800 schools.
Deasy spearheaded the effort to supply all students with a tablet, but
the program stalled after reports of missing iPads, inadequate school
WiFi and a controversial contract with Apple.
KPCC found Deasy had close ties with executives at Apple and Pearson,
the manufacturer of the curriculum software loaded onto many of the
tablets. KPCC reported in August that email conversations between top
district staff and the vendors resembled bidding requirements, calling
into question whether the bidding process was fair.
Deasy canceled the contract three days later, stating the district would reopen the bid. It hasn't.
"There was no need to cancel the contract," said Mark Hovatter, LAUSD
chief facilities executive, on Wednesday. "We believe we got the best
value."
Purchases under the latest two announcements allow for principals to
choose their preferred device for their schools. Shannon Haber, a
district spokeswoman, said the officials were still deciding whether to
expand offerings beyond iPads and Chromebooks.
______________
►LAUSD SCHOOL POLICE RETURN ARMORED MILITARY VEHICLE, WHICH IS NOW IN BARSTOW
By Thomas Himes, Los Angeles Daily News | http://bit.ly/1xDa7w3
Posted: 11/21/14, 5:24 PM PST | Updated: 11/22 :: Los Angeles
Unified’s school police have returned their armored vehicle after
community outcry over a federal program that sent military weapons to
local law enforcement agencies.
That “1033 program” came under scrutiny in the wake of scenes from
Ferguson, Mo., where police confronted protesters with military weapons.
The school police had also accepted battle-ready weapons.
After returning three grenade launchers in September, School Police
Chief Steven Zipperman said Friday he sent back the mine resistant and
ambush proof (MRAP) vehicle his department received in June.
“We’ve decided that particular vehicle, based on its sheer size and
maneuverability and the resources it takes to operate it, wasn’t viable
for us,” Zipperman said.
At nearly 20 feet long, the more than 14-ton vehicle was designed to
keep troops safe during ambushes in which enemies would blow up the lead
vehicle of a convoy, while raining down gunfire on Marines and soldiers
who were trapped.
School police wanted the MRAP to rescue people in the event of a
wide-scale attack that would prevent other law enforcement agencies from
responding to campuses, Zipperman said.
With a value of $733,000, the vehicle seemed a cost-effective
alternative to armor-plated vehicles built for civilian use, which cost
$300,000, Zipperman has said. However, the cost of maintenance and
certifying a driver played a role in Zipperman’s decision to send the
MRAP back to state officials who administer the federal program, he
said.
State officials transferred the MRAP to the Barstow Police Department
last month, said Alex Pal, an attorney in the Governor’s Office of
Emergency Services.
As for a replacement, Zipperman said, the district will consider
obtaining a used armored car and other cost-effective alternatives.
Manuel Criollo of the Community Rights Campaign has been advocating for
LAUSD police to destroy its military arsenal, as part of efforts to
demilitarize law enforcement across the city.
“We’re trying to demilitarize all police in Los Angeles, so clearly it’s
an important breakthrough they’re returning the MRAP vehicle that was
made for Iraq and Afghanistan and had no place on school grounds,”
Criollo said.
Last month his organization sponsored a protest near Manual Arts High
School in Los Angeles. Youths who turned out for the demonstration told
stories of how police patrol their neighborhoods in military gear, he
said.
“It’s a real thing,” Criollo said. “It’s not just that people are
fearing their right to protest and the reaction of police, but we see a
lot of this military equipment in use.”
The Community Rights Campaign has requested an inventory of all weapons possessed by LAUSD.
The school district previously returned three 40mm grenade launchers
that were used for fighting in the jungles of Vietnam — and obtained by
LAUSD in the months following Sept. 11, 2001 — as a means to fire
less-than-lethal rounds that could disperse crowds in civil unrest,
Zipperman has said.
However, LAUSD’s armory still contains M16 rifles received through the
program. The 61 fully automatic rifles were converted to semi-auto and
are used in training by officers seeking credentials to fire assault
rifles, he said.
Zipperman said his department is in the process of providing public
records that will detail the district’s weapon inventory. Once that
happens, Criollo wants the school board to ensure all of the weapons are
either destroyed, disassembled or returned to the Department of
Defense, according to a Nov. 10 letter he sent to board members.
The Community Rights Campaign is also part of a coalition of groups urging the federal government to end its 1033 program.
U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Mark Harnitchek wrote that state agencies decided
how to distribute weapons to local agencies. However, Harnitchek notes
that he fully supports President Barack Obama’s decision to review the
program.
“I have directed my staff to cooperate fully with the review as I
strongly support ensuring transfers of Department of Defense materials
for law enforcement activities strike a proper balance of accountability
and need,” Harnitchek wrote in an Oct. 17 letter.
Since 1993, Southland law enforcement agencies have collected $150
million worth of military gear, according to a database maintained by
the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. More than $4.2 billion in
equipment has been given away nationwide since the 1990s, according to
an Associated Press report that found a disproportionate share went to
police departments in rural areas with few officers and little crime.
While federal authorities previously released a database detailing
equipment giveaways to county law enforcement agencies, a database
detailing equipment collected by local police is expected to be released
any day, Pal said.
As police prepared to react to civil unrest in Ferguson, U.S. Attorney
General Eric Holder on Friday urged officers to show restraint.
“The Justice Department encourages law enforcement officials, in every
jurisdiction, to work with the communities they serve to minimize
needless confrontation,” Holder said.
“Forced Labor”: REPORT ALLEGES CHARTER PARENTS FORCED TO VOLUNTEER
By John Fensterwald | EdSource | http://bit.ly/1Ayu3mf
November 20, 2014 | Dozens and possibly hundreds of the state’s charter
schools have adopted policies that illegally require parents to
volunteer, the nonprofit law firm Public Advocates charged in a report
issued on Thursday.
Some schools give parents the alternative of paying hundreds of dollars
in lieu of volunteering and some charters policies threaten to
dis-enroll children whose parents don’t comply, the Public Advocates
report states (see school by school policies).
Public Advocates examined online documents of 555 of the state’s 1,184
charter schools, including charter petitions, handbooks and letters to
parents. It found that 30 percent – 168 schools – imposed volunteer
quotas. The report did not say how many of the charters had policies
stating students would not be allowed to re-enroll if parents did not
volunteer. An appendix summarizes all of the schools’ requirements and
conditions.
John Affeldt, Public Advocates’ managing partner, said his firm did not
contact any of the schools whose policies were cited to see how the
schools enforced the policies and if they followed through with threats
to prevent re-enrollment, he said. But, he said, the fact that a school
has a policy requiring parents to volunteer is illegal and “discourages
people from enrolling in a school who have a right to go there.”
Jed Wallace, the CEO of the California Charter Schools Association, said
that Public Advocates’ findings may be a case where charters’
“paperwork has not caught up with their actual practice.” The
association has not heard of instances where charters have sanctioned
students for their parents’ failure to volunteer. If it had, the
association would have spoken out about this, he said.
Public Advocates said that the practice of requiring volunteer quotas
violates children’s right under the State Constitution to a “free public
school.” The firm also said it violates a 2012 state law banning public
schools from demanding parents to provide “money or donations or goods
or services.” Such policies discriminate against poor and working
families, the report said, noting, “No public school should ever
penalize or exclude a student because his or her parent or guardian
cannot or chooses not to donate time or labor to the school.”
Wallace agrees. He said Thursday that the association has posted legal
advice on the members’ portion of its website stating that “it is not
legal or appropriate to take actions against students because of the
actions of a parent.” He said that charters should actively encourage
parents to volunteer and be flexible in seeking ways to involve families
but they must not require it.
“No public school should ever penalize or exclude a student because
his or her parent or guardian cannot or chooses not to donate time or
labor to the school,” the report said.
Some of the schools Public Advocates reviewed had ambiguous policies or
did not post policies online, the report stated. Volunteering
requirements ranged from one event per year to one day per week, with 30
hours per year a common amount. Some charters permitted parents to buy
back the hours at $5 to $25 per hour.
Public Advocates’ report calls on charter schools to halt the practice
immediately and for districts to revoke charters of schools that
continue it. Public Advocates also wants the State Board of Education to
adopt regulations and the Legislature to amend charter laws to state
that a forced donation of services constitutes an illegal fee and to
demand that districts and county offices of education monitor for
compliance.
Charters are public schools of choice, open to those who apply, that are
independently managed – most often by nonprofit boards consisting of
educators, parents and community leaders. They are overseen by school
districts but are free from many of the regulations that the state
Education Code imposes on districts. However, they are not exempt from
the prohibition on charging fees and parental volunteer quotas, Public
Advocates said.
James Trombley, Manzanita’s executive director, said the 150-student
middle school relies on parents to be involved in the classroom and to
help with custodial work. The school tries to accommodate scheduling
conflicts and medical needs of its mostly low-income families. Those
families that do not receive a waiver from the volunteer requirement
lose their priority enrollment status but can enter the lottery the next
year for admission, he said.
“We’re a distinguished school recognized for our parent partnerships,” he said.
Some confusion may come from a 2006 memo by Michael Hersher, deputy
general counsel of the state Department of Education. Hersher wrote that
it was his opinion that a charter school proposal “may lawfully include
reasonable admission criteria, including a requirement that parents
agree to do work for the charter school.” Affeldt said the memo is no
longer on the Department of Education website, but at least one law firm
serving charter school clients has posted it on its website. He wants
the Department of Education to disavow it.
In 2010, the American Civil Liberties Union in California sued the state
for permitting dozens of school districts to routinely charge fees,
including charges for textbooks, AP exams, lab materials and gym
uniforms. That led to the passage of AB 1575, which explicitly prohibits
all public schools from charging fees for participating in an
educational activity at the school. Public Advocates argues that forced
volunteering constitutes a fee.
Immigration Reform: THE WHEN IS NOW ...AND IT'S LONG OVERDUE + smf’s 2¢
Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times | http://t.co/kG22VFV70x
22 November 2014 :: Fresh off a victory in which they took control of
both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, the GOP suddenly
finds itself in a jam.
The story of the moment is no longer President Obama's healthcare
program, which Republicans have promised to blow up on the way to the
presidency in 2016.
It's Obama's immigration reform plan, which he delivered Thursday night
in a short speech, laying out the terms by which 5 million or so
immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally will have temporary legal
protection.
"We are in great shape," Eliseo Medina, an immigration reform activist for many years, said to me in an email.
"People now have proof positive that they can make change, and the GOP
is in a box — attack, and make their relations with Latinos worse, or do
their own bill and tick off" the more conservative wing of the party by
compromising.
When I wrote about Medina earlier this year and mentioned his 22-day
fast in Washington, D.C., in 2013, he was optimistic that there'd be
reform this year. I didn't share his enthusiasm, but he said Obama — who
visited him during the fast — struck him as sincerely determined to get
something done.
"I had discussed it with him so many times that I was convinced he was
going to do it. The only question was how far he was willing/able to go
and when."
The when is now.
Advocates didn't get the whole package they wanted, and the scramble to
determine who is eligible for protection and to process applications
could be chaotic for months to come.
But in making a first move toward change, Obama struck a blow to the duplicity and hypocrisy surrounding immigration law.
It has never made sense that children without documents could attend
school legally, but could be deported the moment they leave school. Nor
has it made sense for us to then slam the door on the investment by
refusing immigrants college or jobs in which they'd pay back the
investment through taxes.
It has never been fair to point a finger at those who fled poverty,
crime and corruption for a chance at a better life, when all along,
major U.S. industries have not only embraced them, but profited
handsomely, as have consumers who demand the lowest prices for a head of
lettuce, a restaurant meal, a hotel stay, a nanny, a gardener, a
housekeeper.
What about the rule of law, scream the opponents of immigration reform.
Rule of law?
The wink-and-nod policies of the past were a sham.
A firm set of rules on who gets to stay and who has to leave is long overdue.
______________
●● smf’s 2¢ :: I often get rankled when the knee-jerks' knees jerk –
and the Board of Education passes a resolution is support of social
justice issues outside their jurisdiction or competency. The $15
dollar-an-hour minimum wage for hotel workers comes to mind …especially
when we consider that there are many jobs in LAUSD that don’t pay $15 an
hour. I’m all for social justice and community organizing and
progressive politics … but not on the taxpayer’s dime or the District’s
time.
Immigration Reform is an entirely different matter and the reason is
this: The Presidents Executive Action last Thursday directly impacts 1.1
million parents of California schoolchildren.
A correspondent reminds me and I remind all of us - Steve Lopez and John
Boehner included - as we occupy ourselves with the concept and bluster+
fulminate that we are a Nation of Laws.
We are. But laws are a process.
We aspire to be a Nation of Justice. Justice is an outcome.
EdSource: CHILDREN KEY TO DEPORTATION RELIEF :: California will be the
main beneficiary of President’s historic announcement – in most cases
children will be the key to them taking advantage of it.
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources
SUPERINTENDENT’S WEEKLY MiSiS UPDATE | http://bit.ly/1Fh364z
“Forced Labor”: REPORT ALLEGES CHARTER PARENTS FORCED TO VOLUNTEER | http://bit.ly/1AyxYzr
CORTINES APPROVES NEXT PHASE OF LAUSD iPAD PROGRAM …but returns the armored vehicle | http://bit.ly/1xiva2Y
ALEC: John Oliver explains it all for you | http://bit.ly/1xNWagi
LAUSD WILL PAY MIRAMONTE VICTIMS $139 MILLION—not including $30 million previously awarded and its own legal costs | http://bit.ly/1uLMqzo
LAUSD TEACHERS RALLY FOR PAY RAISES, SMALLER CLASS SIZES | http://bit.ly/1uK0iu1
BREAKING: Miramonte civil lawsuits settle for cumulative $139 million
@4LAKids • Nov 21
LAUSD BOND PANEL OKs ANOTHER $25 MILLION FOR MiSiS, DEVICES + smf’s (very costly) 2¢ | http://bit.ly/1tajaze
CA SCHOOLS + COMMUNINITY COLLEGES COULD GET ANOTHER $2 BILLION Read: http://tl.gd/n_1sij8pl
iPAD CONTRACT RESURRECTED: LAUSD to spend $22 million on devices for tests Read: http://tl.gd/n_1sij8lc
MiSiS: OVERSIGHT OF STUDENT RECORDS SYSTEM "GROSSLY INADEQUATE" Read: http://tl.gd/n_1sij8gd
“Grossly Inadequate”: THE LAUSD INSPECTOR GENERAL’S SPECIAL AUDIT OF MiSiS | http://bit.ly/1uNd24o
Thurs nite at 5PM PST President Obama will address the nation to lay out
the executive actions he’s taking to fix broken immigration system.
FRIEDRICHS v. CTA: Was Labor’s biggest mistake not organizing the Federal Judiciary? | http://bit.ly/1uSQ1Nk
PEARSON FOUNDATION, A NON-PROFIT IN TROUBLE FOR ITS TIES TO THE PARENT PEARSON LLC, WILL CLOSE SHOP BY YEAR’S END | http://bit.ly/11Ch2cZ
Double Standardized Education: HOW STRICT IS TOO STRICT?-The backlash against no-excuses discipline in high school | http://bit.ly/1uELWfS
Double Standardized Education: CALIFORNIA STUDENTS IN HIGH-POVERTY SCHOOLS LOSE LEARNING TIME, STUDY SAYS | http://bit.ly/1oZxLB1
LAUSD/UTLA CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS: "Neither side has reported any agreement on anything" | http://bit.ly/1xkJOup
LAUSD/UTLA CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS: LA Unified guaranteeing teachers the pay raise already offered | http://bit.ly/1xkJOup
2ND ANNUAL LAUSD 5K ‘MOVE IT’ CHALLENGE AND HEALTH FESTIVAL IS SATURDAY AT DODGER STADIUM | http://bit.ly/1xkIhEM
$40 billion of need: LAUSD EYEING MORE BONDS AS FUNDS FOR SCHOOL REPAIRS DWINDLE + smf’s 2¢ | http://bit.ly/11piq1I
Newsfeed: JURY SELECTION BEGINS, SETTLEMENT TALKS CONTINUE IN MIRAMONTE CIVIL TRIAL | http://bit.ly/1vmvmTj
LCFF/LCAP: STATE BOARD APPROVES FINAL LOCAL CONTROL FUNDING FORMULA/LOCAL CONTROL ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN RULES | http://bit.ly/1yPLbzv
UPCOMING MEETINGS THIS WEEK AT LAUSD BEAUDRY Read: http://tl.gd/n_1sih23n
MiSiS, meet ARIS: NEW YORK CITY SCHOOLS DUMPING $95 MILLION COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR TRACKING STUDENT DATA | http://bit.ly/1xfBr3t
Politico AM Ed: LAUSD OFFICIAL WANTS ACTION ON IMMIGRATION: Read: http://tl.gd/n_1sigua5
Politico: FCC TO PITCH $1.5 BILLION E-RATE BOOST: Read: http://tl.gd/n_1sigu24
EVENTS: Coming up next week...
Nada. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
*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
George.McKenna@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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