In This Issue:
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BROAD FOUNDATION DEFENDS CHARTER PLAN AFTER CONCERNS ABOUT PUBLIC SCHOOL IMPACT |
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A YEAR LATER, SECRECY SURROUNDS FBI PROBE OF LAUSD’S iPAD PROGRAM + smf’s 2¢ |
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FEDERAL
LAWSUIT ACCUSES BROOKLYN CHARTER SCHOOL OF FAILING TO PROVIDE SPECIAL
EDUCATION SERVICES + smf’s 2¢ + Randi Weingarten’s 2¢ |
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Pop Quiz: WHAT’S WRONG WITH L.A. UNIFIED’S LEADERSHIP? Answer: JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING |
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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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Third world warriors
Arisen from madrasas
Trained as Taliban
In schools as Orwellian
As they are scholars in Newspeak
informed by enlightened seventh century philosophy
misinterpreted though fourteen hundred years of misconception
bloodbathed in Crusades and Jihad.
A dark poverty of ideas and ruin
Sprayed into the City of Light
By Kalashnikovs and exploding belts.
backwards in time and truth
to the Bhagavad Gita and the Song of (another) God
Now I am become Death, Destroyer of Worlds.
LOTS OF SEEMINGLY BRIGHT FOLKS SAID DUMB THINGS LAST WEEK; probably more
from proximity to a microphone than to superior intellect obtained
through rational thought and/or higher ed:
Republican presidential candidate MARCO RUBIO’S declaration that “We
need more welders, less philosophers” wasn’t the worst – though his
rumination should be sent on to the LAUSD superintendent search team,
especially in light of the almost lively debate earlier on Tuesday at
the Board meeting over whether a Doctorate of Philosophy is a
prerequisite for the LAUSD’s Next Supe.
Of the past four past superintendents only one had his Ph.D. Look how that turned out.
(The other almost lively moment came over a half-baked debate whether
the Teacher Pool [the least impactful cost-saving suggestion from the
Financial Review Task Force] is preferable to a Substitute Pool.)
Avoiding premature Foot-in-Mouth, the District’s bargaining units are
publicly mute on any of the proposed cost-cutting suggestions [LAUSD
unions silent over the financial report, - LA School Report | http://bit.ly/1j0OzW8]
Republican presidential candidate DR. BEN CARSON opined: "The very best
education is homeschool. The next is private school. The next is charter
schools. And the last is public schools." | http://bit.ly/1WYv9OS..
This is particularly interesting in that Carson is the beneficiary of a
great public school education at Southwestern High School in Detroit (a
public school where he was mentored by science teachers who recognized
his intellectual abilities. Other educators helped him to stay focused
when outside influences pulled him off course) and where he participated
in the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC), and reached the
rank of cadet colonel (smf only rose to cadet sergeant major at
Hollywood High in the same time frame!)
Carson did his undergrad studies at Yale University (a private
institution) which he attended on a full scholarship, majoring in
psychology. He received his M.D. from the University of Michigan (a
public university) Medical School in 1977.
IN OTHER NEWS Disney CEO Robert Iger is taking over Carson’s proposal to
locate a football stadium in Carson. ¡It’s a whole other Carson!
Republican Presidential Candidate DONALD TRUMP opened his mouth,
inevitably dumb things were said. On Saturday evening the Democrats will
have their opportunity.
PROBABLY THE DUMBEST THING SAID OR DONE IN LAUSD LAST WEEK was the
agendizing of the proposal to take LAUSD to a wall-to-wall Charter
District at next week’s Budget, Facilities and Audit Committee |”Ratliff
Exploring LAUSD Conversion into a Charter District” | http://bit.ly/1kQNMrV.
It is one thing to wonder “¿What if?” …and even do it publicly. It’s
always a good+wise thing to have legal (or-staff) quietly check it out.
But when the idea proves to be about as dumb as a box of rocks – or a
half-dozen fries short of a happy meal – isn’t it best to just forget
it? Somewhere there may be a perfect-and-well qualified superintendent
candidate – with a real Ph.D. – who is having second thoughts: “¿They
want to do WHAT?”
The BROAD FOUNDATION admitted its half-baked proposal to take over
half-of LAUSD and convert them to charter schools was half-baked …but
they are not giving up.
A cake left out in the rain,
All the sweet green icing flowing down.
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no.
THE REST OF THE NEWS is the connection of education+poverty to the school-to-prison pipeline.
Of iPads and speculatively the Deasy-to-prison pipeline.
And of charters performing inadmirably.
And Steve Lopez’ Pop Quiz: What’s wrong with L.A. Unified’s Leadership?
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf
BROAD FOUNDATION DEFENDS CHARTER PLAN AFTER CONCERNS ABOUT PUBLIC SCHOOL IMPACT
by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez | KPCC | http://bit.ly/1HPA5ik
Audio from this story | 3:19 | Listen: http://bit.ly/1QCsGtJ
November 13, 05:30 AM :: Speaking at an invitation-only panel
discussion, the executive director of the Broad Foundation on Thursday
defended his organization’s plan to lead a doubling of charter schools
in Los Angeles over eight years.
“We’ve got over 50,000 students on wait lists in charters. Why is that?
It’s because parents want different choices, they want something
different,” Broad's Gregory McGinity said, speaking publicly on the plan
for the first time since it was leaked in September.
The education reform advocacy group ABC sponsored the panel discussion
held at the L.A. County-USC Medical Center before a gathering of about
70 invitees.
The event focused almost entirely on the charter expansion plan and
featured a tense discussion with McGinity and Los Angeles Unified School
Board President Steve Zimmer on the proposal's financial impact on the
public schools.
The plan’s stated goal is to increase the charters’ “market share” of
Los Angeles' public education. That approach, Zimmer said, is contrary
to the founding mission of charter schools.
“The idea was to use these networks, these schools, as incubators for
change and then spread that change throughout the system so all kids
could be part of that change,” he said.
Instead, Zimmer said, the plan to enroll 130,000 new students in charter
schools could push LAUSD into bankruptcy because state funding would
follow the students.
McGinity said he doesn't believe that will happen.
“I have a lot of faith in the school board and the team at LAUSD, but we
also know we’ve seen a lot of school districts around the country with a
high percentage of charter schools and they’re thriving,” he said.
The plan proposes spending $490 million to secure school sites around
Los Angels and hire charter school staff. Because many charter schools
are nonunion, the plan is opposed by the UTLA, the teachers union, which
was not invited to the event.
McGinity said the charter school plan is a work in progress and the
Thursday discussion would help shape the final proposal. He didn’t say
when that might be completed.
Just where the charter schools would be located is still up for
discussion. “Is it just a few isolated communities? Is it the broader
city? Is it the greater Los Angeles area as we think about access to
high-quality education for families?” he asked.
After the discussion, McGinity, and the other panelists went table to table, taking questions from participants.
Rob McGowan, an associate director at CADRE, a parent support group,
said what he’s heard so far from the Broad Foundation assumes inner city
kids will enroll in the charters and automatically benefit. But he said
“it takes something more than that, it takes a belief in that black
child, that this black child is a human being and is capable.”
He said his group pushes LAUSD to create disciplinary policies and
instructional approaches that address the learning needs of
African-American children. He said he'd like to see those goals included
in the charter expansion plan.
Support or opposition to Broad’s charter school plan has become a litmus
test in L.A.’s public school community to determine alliances,
according to Claremont Graduate University’s Charles Kerchner.
“Clearly the Broad plan has started something which I call the Charter
School Wars in Los Angeles that’s going to be with us for some time,” he
said.
To bring the battle to a peaceful end, he said a coalition is needed
that includes representatives from City Hall, the school district, the
business community, labor unions and charter supporters. But he added he
didn't think it is likely the groups would sit down together any time
soon.
Also: BROAD CHARTER PLAN COULD RESHAPE LAUSD: Critics warn it could bankrupt the District | LA Times | http://bit.ly/1HMOMmd
A YEAR LATER, SECRECY SURROUNDS FBI PROBE OF LAUSD’S iPAD PROGRAM + smf’s 2¢
Posted on by LA School Report by Craig Clough | http://bit.ly/1NsL4Ab
November 11, 2015 12:54 pm :: On Dec. 1 it will be a year since FBI
agents showed up at LA Unified’s headquarters with a federal grand jury
subpoena and carted off 20 boxes of documents related to the district’s
controversial iPad program.
Since that day little if any new information has been publicly revealed
about the investigation’s status, and that is primarily due to the
secrecy laws that surround federal grand juries. Unless the jury issues
an indictment or an investigative report, the evidence and testimony is
by law to remain forever sealed, and leaks of federal grand jury
evidence are extremely rare.
With almost a year passed since the subpoena, it is possible the grand
jury found no evidence of wrong doing and has dissolved, but James A.
Cohen, an associate law professor at Fordham University, said it’s
unusual — though not impossible — for a grand jury investigation to take
more than a year.
“It’s coming up on a year in December. It’s a long period, no question.
It’s not that unusual, but it is still on the unusual side,” he said.
Cohen helps run Fordham’s Federal Litigation Clinic, which represents
defendants charged with federal crimes; he has also written about and
researched the grand jury system. Cohen pointed out that an LA Unified
school board agenda item from August, as was reported by LA School
Report, indicates that the district’s lawyers might have foreseen
trouble coming from the investigation or a related lawsuit.
The brief item, which simply said the board was going to discuss the
case in a closed session, was listed on the agenda due to a state law
that reads “on the advice of its legal counsel, based on existing facts
and circumstances, there is a significant exposure to litigation against
the local agency.”
Cohen said this is an important indicator.
“I think what it means, what it has to mean, is somebody, a civil lawyer
representing (LA Unified), has gone through the documents that were
sent to the FBI and concluded that there is liability out there,” Cohen
said.
The grand jury subpoena in particular sought information related to the
bidding process for the massive $1.3 billion Common Core Technology
Project. The controversial program, which aimed to give every student
and teacher in LA Unified a computer tablet, was one of the major
initiatives undertaken by former Superintendent John Deasy, who resigned
13 months ago.
Deasy paused the purchase of new iPads under the contract in August of
2014 after emails surfaced showing that he and a deputy, Jamie Aquino,
had a close relationship with Apple and Pearson, a company that provided
educational software for the iPads. Deasy’s successor, Ramon Cortines,
cancelled the contract the day after the FBI seized the documents and
later abandoned the goal of giving every student and teacher a tablet.
The emails showed that both Deasy and Aquino were in close contact with
Pearson and Apple before the contract was awarded. Aquino was a former
employee of a Pearson subsidiary, and to some it looked as if the bid
was rigged in favor of Apple and Pearson. In media interviews, both
Deasy and Aquinio denied any wrong doing. Aquino had already left the
district when the emails were revealed, and Deasy resigned just a few
months later.
While the targets of the FBI investigation are unknown, Cohen said
anyone indicted on charges related to bid rigging would be facing the
potential of serious jail time.
“Mail fraud and wire fraud are favorites of federal prosecutors. You’ve
got all sorts of bribery statutes. Those would be the kind (from bid
rigging). There’s also conspiracy and aiding and abetting,” he said.
While there is supreme secrecy surrounding federal grand juries, an
exception is that anyone called to testify before a grand jury is free
to speak publicly about their own testimony.
“The secrecy for grand juries is very strict. There is an attorney
general in the state of Pennsylvania who is under indictment for leaking
grand jury materials. It’s just a statement for how serious the courts
take it,” Cohen said. “Witnesses are discouraged from (speaking
publicly). So a prosecutor will have a meeting with them, making it
clear that we strongly discourage you from saying anything about your
testimony, and only if asked.”
Both Deasy and Aquinio did not respond to a request to comment on this
story or to discuss any testimony they may have given to the grand jury,
although it is unknown if they were subpoenaed to do so.
If the grand jury were not to issue any indictments, Cohen said there
are only two possible outcomes. One is the jury will dissolve and any
evidence it gathered would be forever sealed, barring a leak. The other
option is for the jury to issue an investigative report, which
essentially means it found no criminal liability on the part of any
individuals but did find problems with how an organization is operating.
“The grand jury may in fact come up with nothing and they may not find
anybody to indict, but the jury might say we find the following flaws in
the bidding process,” Cohen said, adding that investigative reports are
rare.
_____________________
●●smf’s 2¢: It hasn’t been a year, yet! This report was published on Nov 11 and there are thirty days in November!
The U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California is new on
the job, having been confirmed exactly five months ago on June 11th. One
would assume she will be careful in this fraught political+legal
minefield.
If the targets are Drs. Deasy and Aquino and the Los Angeles Unified
School District this might be a simple open+shut case. If the targets
include Pearson, LLC (a huge a multinational corporation headquartered
in London) and/or Apple, Inc. (the biggest+most profitable corporation
in the U.S,) it’s a whole other can o’ worms/kettle o’ fish/argument of
lawyers.
U.S. Attorney District offices are notoriously competitive with each
other. Pearson LLC was a target of the US Attorney in New York and
tax-code violation convictions were obtained and huge fines levied
against the Pearson Foundation for doing things on the East Coast that
are alleged in Pearson’s Palm Springs promotion – at which Deasy and
Aquino were presenters. Pearson's former charitable arm closed shop on
Dec 12 – after the FBI LAUSD records seizure.
Dame Marjorie Scardino, the Pearson CEO at the time of the contract,
seems to be implicated in the Deasy iPad emails. She has since been
moved out of Pearson leadership …but Apple CEO Tim Cook, who also
figures prominently, remains at the helm of Apple.
Bid+contract rigging and mail+wire fraud are one-or-two things,
conspiracy is yet another thing. But because this case involves publicly
traded school construction bonds this case also could very well involve
Securities and Exchange Commission violations.
Stay tuned.
FEDERAL LAWSUIT ACCUSES BROOKLYN CHARTER SCHOOL OF
FAILING TO PROVIDE SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES + smf’s 2¢ + Randi
Weingarten’s 2¢
By Elizabeth A. Harris – New York Times | http://nyti.ms/1NUOrlX
NOV. 5, 2015 :: Special education students at a Brooklyn charter
school did not get mandated services and were punished for behavior that
arose from their disabilities, according to a lawsuit filed in federal
court on Thursday.
The suit, filed on behalf of five students at Achievement First Crown
Heights, described a “systemic failure to provide them a free
appropriate public education, in violation of their rights.” It said
that students did not get physical therapy and other services for weeks
at a time, and that a student with autism was disciplined for not
looking in the direction a teacher instructed or for hiding under his
desk.
In addition to the charter network and the school, the suit also named
the New York City Department of Education and the New York State
Education Department, asserting they failed to make Achievement First, a
network with schools in Connecticut and Rhode Island as well as in New
York City, live up to its responsibilities.
“Kids with special needs not only should be granted accommodations for
their needs, but they must be under federal and state law,” said
Michelle Movahed, a senior staff attorney at New York Legal Assistance
Group, a nonprofit group that is representing the students and their
families. “This is not just a question of doing the right thing.”
Charter schools are publicly financed, but privately run, and they are
required, like regular public schools, to provide individual learning
plans for children with special needs.
The suit comes at a time when charter schools, especially those in the
Success Academy network, have come under scrutiny for their enforcement
of strict behavior codes, suspending even the youngest students. But
advocates and families say that in both charters and traditional public
schools, it can often be a struggle to ensure children with disabilities
receive the services to which they are entitled.
A spokeswoman for Achievement First said on Thursday that the
organization was reviewing the lawsuit. In a statement, she strongly
defended the Crown Heights school’s record with special needs students.
“We serve a substantial number of students with both modest and
significant special education needs, and our school leaders, teachers
and other professionals work tirelessly each day to serve all our
students well,” Leonore Waldrip, a spokeswoman for the charter network,
said in the statement. “Most of our students who receive special
education services are experiencing real growth, and we have high levels
of overall parent satisfaction.
“That said, we constantly strive to improve our program and, in
particular, have made significant improvements in our special education
supports in recent years,” she said.
Dottie Morris, who has two children at Achievement First Crown Heights,
said she had been battling with the school for years on behalf of her
son, a third grader identified in the suit by his initials, D.W., to
protect his privacy.
Ms. Morris said that despite her repeated requests, it took Achievement
First more than two years to provide a paraprofessional to help her son.
This school year, the suit asserts that Achievement First and the
city’s Education Department did not provide D.W. with occupational
therapy for about five weeks and physical therapy for two months, and
that no makeup sessions have been arranged.
Achievement First Crown Heights has also punished D.W., who is autistic,
for “behaviors that are caused by, or have a direct and substantial
relationship to, his disability,” according to the complaint.
D.W. was punished by the school for not looking where he was instructed
to, or for “perceived misbehavior in the noisy, crowded cafeteria, an
environment that can be overstimulating to children with D.W.’s
diagnosis,” the suit said. His punishments have included being sent, as a
third grader, to a second-grade classroom.
The complaint describes this approach as part of Achievement First’s
strict approach to discipline. It quotes the network’s website, which
describes a policy of “sweating the small stuff.”
“In many urban schools, teachers and leaders ‘pick their battles,’ only
addressing egregious instances of poor behavior,” the website goes on,
according to the complaint. “Achievement First, on the other hand, has
adopted sociologist James Q. Wilson’s ‘broken windows’ theory that even
small details can have a significant effect on overall culture, and we
believe that students will rise to the level of expectations placed on
them.”
That approach does not work for her son, Ms. Morris said. “They treat
all the kids the same,” she said. “There’s no differentiation if you
have special needs.”
A spokesman for the state’s Education Department said it did not comment
on pending litigation. A spokesman for the city’s Law Department said
lawyers had not yet seen the suit on Thursday afternoon.
A version of this article appears in print on November 6, 2015, on
page A24 of the New York edition with the headline: Special Education
Students’ Needs Not Met, Lawsuit Says.
●●smf: Certainly the allegations that some charter schools and charter
management organizations are sometimes remiss in providing services to
special needs students is not unique to Brooklyn. The news that some
charters and charter orgs – such as Achievement First and KIPP -
discipline policies are strict is not new – and may even attract some
parents to those programs.
Sociologist James Q. Wilsons’s “Broken Windows’” philosophy [http://bit.ly/1L1Zk0W] is usually applied to no-nonsense/zero-tolerance criminology and law enforcement, not school management.
The interesting point here is that The New City Department of Education
(the school district) and the New York State Education Department are
named as plaintiffs – holding them directly responsible and legally
accountable for enforcing the charter school’s federal+state legal
responsibilities and contractual charter provisions.
____________________
UPDATE NOV 11: FROM AFT PRESIDENT RANDI WEINGARTEN
Imagine a school where the principal keeps a “Got to Go” list of the
kids they plan to push out through harsh discipline or administrative
deception.
According to the New York Times1, that’s exactly what happened at Eva
Moskowitz’s Success Academy Charter Schools in New York City.
Fatima Geidi—a mother who had to remove her child with special needs
from a Success Academy school after repeated suspensions for minor
infractions—has started a petition with our partners at Color of Change,
asking the Department of Education to conduct a civil rights
investigation into Success Academy Charter Schools and to halt federal
funding during the investigation. Sign her petition here! | http://bit.ly/1j0X9Eg
In exchange for taxpayer funding, charter schools are required to serve
all students. But at Success Academy, “zero-tolerance” policies and
draconian rules are used to justify a suspension rate more than seven
times higher than at other city schools2.
Moskowitz claims that the “Got to Go” list was the work of a single,
overzealous principal. But recent reporting on Success Academy’s extreme
discipline policies— including suspending kindergartners for
“infractions” like not sitting still or calling out answers in
class3—make it clear that a broader investigation is needed to ensure
the fair treatment of more than 11,000 students who attend Success
Academy's 34 schools.
Sign Fatima’s petition at Color of Change, and ask the Department of
Education to investigate Success Academy charters and to halt all
federal funding while the investigation is ongoing.
Zero-tolerance policies disproportionately affect students of color and
students with disabilities. Out of school suspensions discourage kids
from returning to school—which is exactly how Success Academy tried to
get rid of the kids placed on their “Got to Go” list.
Many of us—myself included—advocated for zero-tolerance policies,
thinking they would lead to safer schools and better learning
environments.
We were wrong. More than two decades of data show these policies have
failed to improve school safety. As I recently wrote in the New York
Daily News4, we need practices that will help kids learn positive
behaviors, not punishments that push them out of school.
We should not reward schools that use suspensions to intentionally push
kids out of school. Please sign Fatima’s petition, and ask the
Department of Education to hold Eva Moskowitz and Success Academy
accountable.
In unity,
Randi Weingarten
_________________
1: At A Success Academy Charter School, Singling Out Students Who Have 'Got to Go' The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/30/nyregion/at-a-success-academy-charter-school-singling-out-pupils-who-have-got-to-go.html
2: Student Discipline, Race and Eva Moskowitz's Success Academy Charter Schools, The Albert Shanker Institute http://www.shankerinstitute.org/blog/student-discipline-race-and-eva-moskowitz’s-success-academy-charter-schools
3: Is kindergarten too young to suspend a student? PBS NewsHour http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/kindergarten-young-suspend-student/
4: Our school discipline mistake: We should never have imposed zero-tolerance policies on kids, New York Daily News http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/randi-weingarten-school-discipline-mistake-article-1.2426358
Pop Quiz: WHAT’S WRONG WITH L.A. UNIFIED’S LEADERSHIP? Answer: JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING
by Steve Lopez | L.A. Times Columnist | http://lat.ms/1H2yLOd
14 Nov. 2015 | 10:00 AM :: The more you hear about attempts to improve
the nation's schools, the sorrier you have to feel for the kids.
After years of "No Child Left Behind" and "Race to the Top" initiatives,
national test scores dived deeper into failure and mediocrity in the
last reading. In a stunning reversal, the Obama administration, a
tireless champion of more and more testing, is now whistling a different
tune.
There's too much testing going on out there.
Arne Duncan, Obama's education secretary, said his conversations with
countless educators have made him realize "how much time testing and
test prep are taking from instruction."
Translation: Instead of testing, let's try teaching.
It couldn't happen too soon in test-oppressed California, where recent
headlines tell a sobering story about achievement, or lack thereof.
"California test scores in the cellar," said one. "California test scores among worst in U.S.," said another.
Recently released statewide Common Core test results were no better, and
L.A. Unified students scored below California averages in disturbing
fashion. In math, three-fourths of LAUSD students did not meet state
standards. In English, two-thirds were underwater.
So what's wrong in Los Angeles?
The first problem, which never gets enough attention in the
school-reform debate, has nothing to do with schools. LAUSD is a
district made up primarily of poor children, and to be fair to district
administrators and teachers, this presents daily challenges that are
unknown to more affluent districts.
The second problem is that in L.A. Unified, it's rarely clear who's in charge, and that's certainly the case now.
The last superintendent, John Deasy, was shooed out of office in part
because of his own blunders and the unresolved question of who was
captain of the listing ship — Deasy or the school board. And there are
signs that board members, terrorized by Deasy for so long, never
recovered from their PTSDeasy.
The current superintendent, Ramon Cortines, is a temporary fill-in and
lame duck who wants only one thing for Christmas: his retirement papers.
And the search for a replacement is a peculiar and naturally contentious
spectacle, part public but mostly private, involving a private
consulting firm. Because you can never hire too many outsiders while
schoolhouses deteriorate and bean counters warn of a projected
$333-million deficit in a district with a shrinking enrollment.
Complicating the search for a new boss is a lack of consensus as to what kind of superintendent the district should go after.
A visionary?
A crusader?
A baby sitter?
You'd almost have to scratch anybody naive enough to want the job,
especially if a flak jacket and Humvee are not part of the package. The
new superintendent will be rolling straight into the crossfire of a
raging war between charter school champions and charter school foes.
That's not a new conflict, but the stakes got higher when The Times'
Howard Blume broke the story of a massive $490-million plan — mapped out
in secret — by billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad and other
self-anointed saviors of the American way. They'd like to funnel no less
than half of LAUSD's schools into charters, rescuing them from the
rusted machine of district bureaucracy and politics.
The teachers union, which would lose busloads of its members and much of
its clout, is militantly aggrieved and philosophically opposed to what
it calls the corporatization of public schools. The union contends with
reasonable logic that a dramatic multiplication of charters — not all of
which are necessarily a better alternative — would drain money from
non-charters, leaving many of the district's poorest students in the
lurch.
Broad, I should note, isn't the only local billionaire making headlines
for claiming to know what's missing from local school options. David
Geffen, apparently unimpressed with the public and private school
offerings in West L.A., last week pledged $100 million to establish a
private middle and high school on the UCLA campus for the children of
UCLA staff and others, with financial aid for 40% of the students.
It's a lovely gesture but part of a rich-get-richer narrative, if you
ask me. UCLA has a $2.2-billion endowment as it is. Geffen made his
fortune in music and film, and after The Times' recent expose on
devastating reductions in LAUSD arts programs here in the world's
entertainment capital, it would have been nice to see the mogul come to
the rescue. There are school bands without horns and canvases without
paint brushes, and the hardest-hit programs are in the poorest ZIP
Codes.
But it's Geffen's money, just as it's Broad's money, and if one or both
have a lack of faith in L.A. Unified's ability to provide good options
for every student, can you blame them?
Let's not forget that tens of thousands of students are on waiting lists
for charters because they're not wild about the schools they're in.
And what's the school board doing?
It's trying to head those parents off at the pass. Board members are
obsessed with talking about and introducing motions to stall charter
growth. New board member Scott Schmerelson said he opposes the Broad
plan and wants to instead prioritize "access to quality public education
for all students."
Then clam up and get to work on that, already.
Focus on instruction.
Track down, study and clone the best principals.
Find ways to give teachers the gift of smaller classes.
Turn schools into after-hours community centers.
Do some screaming about California's shameful national ranking in student funding.
Celebrate and replicate the district's many strong magnets and other
schools, so parents don't go looking for charter alternatives.
Ban 12-hour board meetings that do nothing but raise the level of noxious gas.
Set coherent policies that serve the interests of students rather than
adults, hire a superintendent to implement them, and get out of the way.
And just as Arne Duncan came to the realization that testing is no
substitute for instruction, keep in mind at all times that
pontificating, grandstanding and politicking are no substitutes for
leading.
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources
CA's ACADEMIC RATINGS TARGETED 4 REPEAL: If the API
is repealed w/o Parent Trigger Gloria ®omero threatens lawsuit
http://bit.ly/1MvAdp0ELI
ELI BROAD’S COVER LETTER TO HIS CHARTER PLAN: Explaining the “Landmark
Opportunity” and how+why “Los Angeles is well-positioned to achieve 50%
charter market-share.”
http://bit.ly/1loEELF
PHILOSOPHERS vs. WELDERS: CAN’T WE HAVE BOTH?
http://bit.ly/1PHk58m
DO SCHOOL FUNDRAISERS VIOLATE THE SPIRIT OF LAUSD’S JUNK FOOD POLICY?
http://bit.ly/1loqrP4
EVEN THE PLANES STOP FLYING FOR SOUTH KOREA'S MULTIPLE CHOICE NATIONAL EXAM DAY ON NOV 12 | http://n.pr/1MOZOIZ
LAUSD UNIONS SILENT OVER FINANCIAL REPORT PREDICTING TROUBLE AHEAD - LA School Report http://bit.ly/1j0OzW8
L.A. UNIFIED WANTS TO KNOW IF STUDENT’S FAMILIES HAVE EVER BEEN IN THE MILITARY
http://bit.ly/1HHa35T
WHY POVERTY AND SEGREGATION (+ the School-to-Prison-Pipeline) MERGE AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
http://bit.ly/1LdTJVp
U*P*D*A*T*E*D :: BROAD CHARTER PLAN COULD RESHAPE LAUSD: Critics warn it could bankrupt the district
Just In: RATLIFF EXPLORING LAUSD CONVERSION INTO A CHARTER DISTRICT
http://bit.ly/1kQNMrV
BROAD OFFICIAL DEFENDS CHARTER SCHOOLS AT INVITATION ONLY FORUM FOLLOWING LEAK OF EXPANSION PLAN
http://bit.ly/1OHcvfn
A YEAR LATER, SECRECY SURROUNDS FBI PROBE OF LAUSD’S iPAD PROGRAM + smf’s 2¢
http://bit.ly/1RQpucl
Waiting for the Übermensch: APPARENTLY ‘VISION’ ISN'T A SUPERPOWER WE ARE WAITING FOR | 2 from The Times+smf’s 2¢
U*P*D*A*T*E*D :: FEDERAL LAWSUIT ACCUSES NYC CHARTER OF FAILING 2 PROVIDE SPECIAL ED SERVICES +smf+Randi Weingarten's 2¢
http://bit.ly/1HirvNV
L.A. Times Editorial Board (bought+paid-for by Eli Broad) whines: “IT’S TIME TO STOP WHINING ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS”
http://bit.ly/1WPqsH5
Sandy Banks: IN LAUSD, RESTORATIVE JUSTICE IS LITTLE MORE THAN A SLOGAN
http://bit.ly/1HF9B2O
EVENTS: Coming up next week...
Tuesday, November 17, 2015 - 9:30 A.M.BUDGET, FACILITIES AND AUDIT COMMITTEE
Tuesday, November 17, 2015 - 1:00 p.m. - REGULAR BOARD MEETING - Including Closed Session Items and Superintendent Search
Tuesday, November 17, 2015 - 4:00 pm - SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL CLIMATE COMMITTEE
*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:
Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net • 213-241-8333
Monica.Garcia@lausd.net • 213-241-6180
Ref.Rodriguez@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, county supervisor, state
legislator, 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 at http://registertovote.ca.gov/
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!
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