tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67226302024-03-12T20:21:26.726-07:004LAKids• an online expansion of the dialog begun in the weekly 4LAKids e-newsletter - for parents, teachers, administrators, public policy makers and community members of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)<br>
• Scott Folsom is a parent and parent leader in LAUSD — he is Past President of Los Angeles 10th District PTSA and represents PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee. <br>
• In this forum the opinions are his own — your opinions and feedback are invited.smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comBlogger616125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-70032848574324057232016-07-10T15:00:00.000-07:002016-07-10T15:00:13.944-07:00
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<span style="color: #e1127d; font: bold 18px Verdana, sans serif;">
4LAKids: Sunday 10•July•2016
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In This Issue:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Deasy-vu? :: SOME VERGARA “FRIENDS” PETITION THE CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> A CODA</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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Featured Links:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatx3Qactbu6aaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">► Friends4smf :: The GoFundMe campaign</a> </td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatx3Qactbu7aaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Follow 4 LAKids on Twitter - or get instant updates via text message by texting</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatx3Qactbu8aaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved!</a> </td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatx3Qactbu9aaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKidsNews:
a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
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<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
We have seen their names in lists.<br />
<br />
“Funding for this program is brought to you through the generous
contributions by the following foundations, corporations and
individuals.”<br />
<br />
There follows a crawl – or series of slides – with the names of the
who’s who of Masters of the Universe of Corporate Philanthropy <br />
<br />
Fords and Rockefellers and Carnegies; Gates and Waltons and Kochs and
Buffetts and their ilk. MacArthurs the Silicon Valley Crowd and
Hamburger Heiresses and the Wall Street Bunch - spreading their wealth
and culture and education and preconceptions and philosophy and good
taste. <br />
<br />
Sometimes there are small little funds – contributed in the name of some worthy worthy of recognition.<br />
<br />
Sometimes there is even actual government money from the National
Endowment for the Humanities or the US Department of Education …funding
Arts and Science and Ken Burns and NPR and PBS.<br />
<br />
Thank God for them and viewers like me who fund this station and this
after-school program at my school and for special coverage of Education
News in my local newspaper.<br />
<br />
It says that the contributors have no editorial control or say in the
content …and they can’t actually write that is if isn’t true.<br />
<br />
Right?<br />
<br />
<br />
BOXERS …OR BREVITY?<br />
<br />
This issue of 4LAKids is necessarily brief; it takes more energy to
assemble this puppy than I seem to possess at the current moment.<br />
<br />
Last week Their Excellences’ the Board of Education of the City of Los
Angeles in their infinite wisdom – reelected Steve Zimmer as their
president.<br />
<br />
Steve is a dear friend – and brevity has never been his strongest point.
Part of the discussion around his reelection was bout starting+ending
meetings in a timely and respectful manner; keeping the proceedings on
agenda+schedule and the chin music to a minimum.<br />
<br />
In the end the meeting collapsed into a deep, robust and verbose discussion about brevity.<br />
<br />
<br />
“We have met the enemy,” the cartoon possum says. “And he is us!”<br />
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
Deasy-vu? :: SOME VERGARA “FRIENDS” PETITION THE CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
by Mercedes Schneider in her blog deutsch29 | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatx3QactbESaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/29Ft7We</a><br />
NOTE: All Links are live at the source site!<br />
<br />
8 July 2016 :: On April 14, 2016, the California appeals court
overturned the June 2014 Vergara ruling by L.A. County Superior Court
Judge Rolf Treu regarding the unconstitutionality of California statutes
governing teacher retention.<br />
<br />
Below is the part of the CA ruling that likely spells doom for
similarly-styled litigation that tries to argue that teacher
evaluation/retention statutes should be overturned because they advance
“disparities in education opportunity”:<br />
<br />
Plaintiffs failed to establish that the challenged statutes violate
equal protection, primarily because they did not show that the statutes
inevitably cause a certain group of students to receive an education
inferior to the education received by other students. Although the
statutes may lead to the hiring and retention of more ineffective
teachers than a hypothetical alternative system would, the statutes do
not address the assignment of teachers; instead, administrators—not the
statutes—ultimately determine where teachers within a district are
assigned to teach. Critically, plaintiffs failed to show that the
statutes themselves make any certain group of students more likely to be
taught by ineffective teachers than any other group of students.<br />
<br />
With no proper showing of a constitutional violation, the court is
without power to strike down the challenged statutes. The court’s job is
merely to determine whether the statutes are constitutional, not if
they are “a good idea.” [Emphasis added.]<br />
<br />
On May 24, 2016, Vergara plaintiffs petitioned the California Supreme
Court to consider reviewing the case. As of July 05, 2016, the
California Supreme Court extended its deadline to make a decision as to
whether or not it would review the case-- that such a decision would be
made up "to and including August 22, 2016, or the date upon which
review is either granted or denied."<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, individuals and organizations are contacting the court and
offering advice ("amici curae", or, as former Supreme Court Justice
William Rehnquist noted, "... a phrase that literally means 'friend of
the court' -- someone who is not a party to the litigation, but who
believes that the court's decision may affect its interest.")<br />
<br />
Among those "friendly" letters to the California Supreme Court is this
one, dated June 13, 2016, from "amici" ("friends") John Deasy, John
White, Hanna Skandera, Steve Canavero, Mark Murphy, Kevin Huffman, Cami
Anderson, Jean-Claude Brizard, and Randolph Ward-- a number of whom are
current members of John White-led Chiefs for Change.<br />
<br />
What is sad is that only 5 of the 10 are currently superintendents-- including the lead dog, John Deasy.<br />
In their bio sketches, this crew paint themselves as successful,
dedicated *educators.* For example, Deasy omits his former Gates
Foundation connection or his current Broad Center employment. And no
mention of his frequent absence from Los Angeles schools at critical
times or of those costly, scandalous iPads. (Read that dose of Deasy
reality here.)<br />
<br />
John White glosses right over the at-best tepid *success* of a state-run
Louisiana Recovery School District (RSD) that is on its way back to
local control without its ever having achieved a single A school and
only a handful of B schools-- and the last ACT composite was either 15.7
or 16.6 (it depends upon which White-promoted number one chooses.)
Instead, White's amici bio highlights his time in New York, where he
purportedly "[led] that city's efforts to turn around failing schools."<br />
<br />
As for Hanna Skandera: No mention of her downplayed role as surprise chair of the dangling PARCC consortium.<br />
<br />
Then there is former Delaware ed superintendent Mark Murphy, who left
that post almost a year ago, in August 2015, to "pursue other
opportunities" but whose Linkedin bio reflects no "other opportunity"
and still has him at the post he resigned.<br />
<br />
Kevin Huffman is also presented as "was a superintendent"; no mention of
his resigning from his position as Tennessee state ed superintendent in
the face of faltering confidence from more than 50 local
superintendents-- coupled with his failure to live up to the
Tennessee-state-run-school goal of raising the bottom 5 percent of
schools to the top 25 percent of schools in 5 years.<br />
<br />
Not even close, as Gary Rubinstein noted in May 2016: "Four years into
the five year experiment, five of the six original schools are in the
bottom 2.5% while one of the six is in the bottom 7%." State-run
Achievement School District (ASD) superintendent Chris Barbic resigned
effective December 2015 for not remotely coming close to that
top-25-percent goal. Still, in Huffman's "amici" bio, Huffman is
portrayed as having "played a central role in devising on-going plans to
move schools rated in the bottom 5% for performance in Tennessee to the
top 25% by 2018."<br />
<br />
Cami Anderson is another has-been whose bio begins in past tense for her
time in Newark but with no mention of where she is now. Described by
the New York Times as a "lightening rod," Anderson resigned from Newark
over a year ago, in June 2015. According to her Linkedin bio, Anderson
is "founder and managing partner of Thirdway Solutions," where she helps
nonprofits and others "forge new paths" and "find new approaches."<br />
<br />
Anderson as Thirdway founder/managing partner is not mentioned in her "amici" bio.<br />
If the purpose of an amicus curae is to convince the court that one has a
vested interest in the outcome of a case, it seems that withholding
one's actual current professional employment in favor of promoting a bio
featuring a has-been role is deceptive on its face.<br />
<br />
So much for being a "friend of the court."<br />
On to the next has-been: Jean-Claude Brizard, who was run out of Chicago
almost four years ago, in October 2012 (and replaced by Barbara Byrd
Bennett, who three years later, in October 2015, plead guilty to a
kickback scheme and is now in prison.) In September 2015, Brizard took a
job as an educational consultant with Cross & Joftus.<br />
<br />
As for the remaining two names: Steve Canavero is a charter promoter
from Nevada, and Randolph Ward, who has been San Diego superintendent
for ten years, since August 2006-- and who is the only *superintendent*
out of all 10 who is actually currently a California superintendent
making this *friendly* appeal to a California court.<br />
<br />
And what, exactly do these folks want?<br />
<br />
Here is a snippet:<br />
<br />
The Court of Appeal's decision, if permitted to stand, will hamstring
the efforts of California's education leaders and practitioners to act
in the best interest of students and will perpetuate the deprivation of
California's low-income and minority students of their fundamental
constitutional right to equal educational opportunity. The future of
California's education system, which educates over 12 percent of the
nation's elementary and secondary public school students, has an impact
far beyond state lines.<br />
If California educates such a large proportion of America's students,
you'd think that there would be more than one current California
superintendent included in the amici list.<br />
<br />
MOVING ON :: THE AMICI CONTINUE:<br />
<br />
As one of the largest in the country, California's education system--
and the laws that regulate that system-- have great influence on the
policies and practices followed in other states. The outcome of this
case, therefore, can be expected to have far-reaching repercussions and
shape the national conversation regarding teacher effectiveness
policies, including in the states in which the education leaders
submitting this brief have been most active.<br />
<br />
I must say, I like how this corporate reform cadre creatively dodges the
glaring fact that half are no longer superintendents-- and not even
employed with school systems.<br />
<br />
After the amici state and restate the influence of California's policies
on the rest of the nation, they state that California is only one of
four states to award tenure in less than three years. So, if California
is so influential, wouldn't this awarding of tenure in less than three
years be actively spreading to other states?<br />
<br />
Perhaps that is one fear of this amici. However, that is not what this
lawsuit is really about. It is about whether "the statutes themselves
make any certain group of students more likely to be taught by
ineffective teachers than any other group of students."<br />
<br />
This crew wants the California Supreme Court to "grant review in the
above-entitled case and protect the students in our country's most
populous state from the dire, long-lasting, and ultimately avoidable
consequences of unequal access to the foundation of a quality education:
effective teachers."<br />
<br />
Again, the problem is that these predominately-used-to-be
superintendents do not address the issue raised by the Court of Appeals:
That the statutes they want overturned do not address the assignment of
teachers. (See bolded text at outset of this post.)<br />
<br />
They want the California Supreme Court to throw out statutes that they
do not like, and they want the Court to require "influential" California
to replace their teacher tenure laws with laws that resemble those in
other states.<br />
<br />
Not enough of those "grossly ineffective" California teachers are
dismissed, and they end up teaching in schools that are predominately
populated with students of color.<br />
<br />
But the statutes themselves do not cause this to happen. Administrators
evaluate teachers, and administrators assign teachers to schools.<br />
<br />
These guys miss it even as they try to argue that they are right. In the
statement below, watch the "and." The amici assume that the "and" is
directly attributable to the statutes, but it is not:<br />
<br />
All evidence points to the fact that it is California's uniquely
quality-blind and prescriptive teacher tenure, dismissal and layoff
statutes that result in the statewide retention of grossly ineffective
teachers and in the cumulative concentration of those teachers in
schools serving low-income and minority students. [Emphasis added.]<br />
<br />
In Vergara vs. California, it does not matter whether California is
overrun by "grossly ineffective teachers." (I know CA isn't overrun by
grossly ineffective teachers, but bear with me.) What matters is that
any distribution of those teachers is not legislatively mandated nor is
it the direct result of application of California's teacher tenure,
dismissal, or layoff statutes.</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead3"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
A CODA </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
●●smf: This came in last week; as nasty a recent week as there has been in terms of bad news. <br />
<br />
Thank you Alan - smf<br />
<br />
<br />
It’s good to know that the first rule of organizing is
memorialized/confirmed by Gloria Steinem in her latest book, My Life on
the Road (page 177) :<br />
<br />
I took a course in geology because I thought it was the easiest way of
fulfilling a science requirement. One day the professor took us out
into the Connecticut River Valley to show us the ”meander curves” of an
old-age river. <br />
<br />
I was paying no attention because I had walked up a dirt path and found a
big turtle, a giant mud turtle about two feet across, on the muddy
embankment of an asphalt road. I was sure it was going to crawl onto
the road and be crushed by a car.<br />
<br />
So with a lot of difficulty, I picked up this huge snapping turtle and slowly carried it down the road to the river,<br />
<br />
Just as I had slipped it into the water and was watching it swim away, my geology professor came up behind me.<br />
<br />
“You know,” he said quietly, “that turtle has probably spent a month
crawling up the dirt path to lay its eggs in the mud on the side of the
road — you have just put it back in the river.”<br />
<br />
I felt terrible. I couldn’t believe what I had done, but it was too late.<br />
<br />
It took me many more years to realize this parable had taught me the first rule of organizing,<br />
<br />
“Always ask the turtle.”<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatx3Qactbvaaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatx3Qactbvbaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatx3Qactbvcaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatx3Qactbvdaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatx3Qactbveaaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatx3Qactbvfaaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatx3Qactbvgaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px Verdana, sans serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
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owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
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and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
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• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-75378344507999711172016-07-03T00:00:00.000-07:002016-07-03T00:00:32.032-07:00Great gnus!
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4LAKids: Sunday 3•July•2016
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<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px Verdana, sans serif;">
In This Issue:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">CHARTER SCHOOL FOUNDER STEVE BARR TO CHALLENGE GARCETTI IN 2017</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">LAUSD BOARD APPROVES MARSHALL HIGH REPAIRS</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">‘SUMMER TERM’ BEGINS FOR 65,000 LAUSD STUDENTS</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but
not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other Sources</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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Featured Links:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatwlYacsY6daaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">► Friends4smf :: The GoFundMe campaign</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatwlYacsY6eaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Follow 4 LAKids on Twitter - or get instant updates via text message by texting</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatwlYacsY6faaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved!</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
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a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
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<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
IN ONCE UPON A TIME long go potentially naughty
children were confronted by parents+teachers with dark figures torn from
current events to keep them in line; child alignment being a constant
goal.<br />
<br />
The most infamous of these is the “Boogieman”, a reverse
anthropomorphism of Napoleon Bonaparte: The Monster Made More Monstrous…
”be afraid, little children: Be very afraid! …He’s comin’ to getcha!”<br />
<br />
Ladies+Gentlemen, Boys+Girls: I give you Steve Barr!<br />
<br />
__________<br />
<br />
Imagine, if you will, my unreserved joy, at being copied on an e-mail earlier this week: <br />
<br />
“Great News: I’m running for Mayor of Los Angeles!”<br />
<br />
Together, we’re going to disrupt the political establishment and turn
our city around. We’re going to build a grassroots movement to rally
around and transform all of L.A.’s schools, end the homeless and
affordability crisis, and fight for a city where every family can
thrive.<br />
<br />
I’m running because I love our city and I know how much it has to offer.
Over the years, I’ve seen how much we can accomplish when we stand
together and fight for what we know is right. That’s why we’re going to
build a fierce grassroots campaign powered by Angelenos to fight for our
city and our people.”<br />
<br />
<br />
…sent by no less than Steve Barr. …because this city and the school system hasn’t had disruption enough!<br />
<br />
(Steve has, in a moment of super genius/brand I.D., has made his campaign logo his name inside a […wait for it…]: GREEN DOT!)<br />
<br />
Barr is, of course, the founder of Green Dot Public Schools – whose employ he left under-a-cloud years ago.<br />
<br />
He was Mayor Tony’s ever-present “bestie” in Antonio’s battle to take
over LAUSD under AB1381 (feel free to sprinkle the adjective
“unconstitutional” freely in this passage) – making the Energizer Bunny
look like a slacker! It was Barr who took the appeal of AB 1381 all
the way to the State Supreme Court. Where it lost, 9-0.<br />
<br />
Since then Barr’s School Reform/Charter School cred has worm rather
thin. He and Green Dot parted ways. He tried to become a “School
Turnaround King” in New Orleans.<br />
<br />
Nada. Zero. Zilch. …but he always looks good doing it.<br />
<br />
1. LA Weekly Profile: “THE SECRET OF HIS SUCCESS”| L.A. Weekly | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatwlYacsY6haaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/298knUb</a><br />
2. <br />
3. New Yorker Profile: INSTIGATOR: A crusaders plan to remake failing schools. <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatwlYacsY6iaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/d0O15Y</a><br />
4. The View from New Orleans: STEVE BARR– WHO DITCHED HIS NEW ORLEANS
SCHOOL RENOVATION COMMITMENT– WANTS TO BECOME MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES |
deutsch29 <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatwlYacsY6jaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/29mLC3a</a><br />
<br />
A mutual acquaintance of Steve’s+mine …and a good friend of LAKids writes:<br />
</span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Jun 28, 2016:<b> BARR JUST CAME OUT WITH HIS PLATFORM:</b></span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
1. No children under 5 yr. old will be allowed to poop in their pants</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
2. All parents must wear their underwear on the outside of their pants</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
3. Schools should be funded by the amount of noise they generate</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
4. The mayor should give up on city streets and just build parking lots on school campuses</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
5. Students should not be taught to read nor write but just to give press conferences</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
<br />
Unfortunately. Gentle reader, our witty colleague is way-too-right …with bullets #3, 4 and 5 not even being exaggerations. <br />
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf<br />
<br />
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY<br />
</span><blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
[BURR]: How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Forgotten spot in the Caribbean by providence</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Impoverished, in squalor</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Grow up to be a hero and a scholar?</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
[LAURENS]: The ten-dollar founding father without a father</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Got a lot farther by working a lot harder</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
By being a lot smarter</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
By being a self-starter</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
By fourteen, they placed him in charge of a</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Trading charter</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
[JEFFERSON]: And every day while slaves were being slaughtered and carted</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Away across the waves, he struggled and kept his guard up</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Inside, he was longing for something to be a part of</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
The brother was ready to beg, steal, borrow, or barter</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
[MADISON]: Then a hurricane came, and devastation reigned</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Our man saw his future drip, dripping down the drain</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Put a pencil to his temple, connected it to his brain</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
And he wrote his first refrain, a testament to his pain…</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
<br />
►CA State Constitution: Article IX § 6: “No school or college or any
other part of the Public School System shall be, directly or indirectly,
transferred from the Public School System or placed under the
jurisdiction of any authority other than one included within the Public
School System.”<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
CHARTER SCHOOL FOUNDER STEVE BARR TO CHALLENGE GARCETTI IN 2017 </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
By Peter Jamison and Howard Blume | LA Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatwlYacsY7Raaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/29aXksP</a><br />
<br />
June 27, 2016 :: Charter school founder Steve Barr on Monday filed
papers to run for Los Angeles mayor, launching a long-shot candidacy
that could reshape the dynamics of incumbent Mayor Eric Garcetti’s
reelection bid by drawing voters’ attention to the city’s struggling
school system.<br />
<br />
Barr, a Silver Lake resident and darling of education-reform advocates
who has not previously held elected office, said he has grown impatient
with what he sees as Garcetti’s passivity in the face of a worsening
public education crisis. He said Garcetti is “a really nice guy” who
lacks “a sense of urgency” about solving the city’s problems, foremost
among them the shortcomings of the nation’s second-largest school
system.<br />
<br />
“The school district – and I’m saying this as a big fan of the school
district, as a parent in the school district – in some ways is a little
bit like an alcoholic who hasn’t bottomed out yet,” Barr said. “It’s
getting better, but we can’t afford as a city to just let this thing
linger out there, because it’s not just affecting them anymore. It’s
affecting our city and it has for a long time.”<br />
<br />
Barr’s entry into the 2017 race comes amid a historic push by local
activists to expand charter schools as an answer to problems in the Los
Angeles Unified School District, and is likely to revive debate around a
recurrent theme in L.A. government: the relationship between LAUSD and
City Hall. L.A.’s mayor, unlike those in Chicago or New York City, has
no formal authority over the school district.<br />
<br />
That hasn’t stopped school quality from periodically dominating city
politics. Former Mayor Richard Riordan campaigned aggressively for
favored Board of Education candidates, incurring the enmity of the local
teachers’ union. Former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa fueled his winning
2005 campaign against incumbent James Hahn with promises to reform
public education. (That goal eluded Villaraigosa once he was in office,
as his bid to take over the school district was defeated in court.)<br />
<br />
In taking on Garcetti, Barr faces long odds against an incumbent who has
built a broad base of political support and an impressive fundraising
machine – and who has made no major missteps during his first three
years in office.<br />
<br />
Jaime Regalado, an emeritus professor of political science at Cal State
L.A., said he thought nothing short of a serious scandal – or perhaps an
abrupt exit by Garcetti to accept an appointment in a Hillary Clinton
White House – would create “any chance at all” for Barr’s success.<br />
<br />
Others cautioned against underestimating Barr’s appeal to an
unpredictable electorate in a city where public school quality still
tops most polls as an issue of voter concern.<br />
<br />
“He’s running as an outsider at a time when voters are powerfully
suspicious of the political establishment, and he’s running on an issue
that’s close to the hearts of most Angelenos,” said Dan Schnur, director
of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at USC. “It will be an
uphill fight for him, but this is something that Garcetti and his team
would be smart to take very seriously.”<br />
<br />
Garcetti campaign manager Bill Carrick said that though the mayor has
not followed in Villaraigosa’s footsteps by trying to gain new formal
powers over the schools, he has implemented a number of programs
benefiting students. He pointed to Garcetti’s expansion of a summer jobs
program and his recently announced commitment to help fund a free year
of community college for every LAUSD student.<br />
<br />
“Mayor Garcetti’s focus is on getting things done and on doing things
that are going to make a difference in the lives of young people across
L.A. and that are real and tangible,” Carrick said.<br />
<br />
He also cautioned against viewing a mayor’s duties wholly through the
prism of education policy, noting that unrelated challenges such as
transportation are also among city officials’ top priorities.<br />
<br />
“It’s one thing to be somebody who is focused on education as their
issue as an education advocate,” Carrick said. “It’s another thing to be
the mayor of a city where you have got a lot of issues.”<br />
<br />
The only other challenger to Garcetti with political or public policy
experience who has entered the race is Mitchell Schwartz, a veteran
political consultant who directed President Obama’s 2008 campaign in
California and was communications director at the U.S. Department of
State under former President Bill Clinton.<br />
<br />
Barr, 56, founded Green Dot Public Schools, a nonprofit chain of charter
schools that began operation in L.A. He oversaw the company’s
contentious takeover of Locke High School, marking the first time one of
L.A. Unified’s schools was turned over to a charter group. Barr stepped
down from Green Dot’s day-to-day leadership in 2009, but has remained
active in education policy at both the state and national level.<br />
<br />
Barr was raised in Monterey and Cupertino by a single mother who worked
as a cocktail waitress and dental assistant. He spent a year in foster
care, went to a community college and joined the Teamsters when he
worked at United Parcel Service while finishing his degree at UC Santa
Barbara. <br />
<br />
It is a background that differs markedly from that of Garcetti, who grew
up in Encino and attended an elite private high school before heading
off to Columbia and, eventually, to Oxford through a Rhodes Scholarship.<br />
<br />
Asked about what some see as the foremost accomplishment of Garcetti’s
first term – his role in raising the city-wide minimum wage to $15 –
Barr demurred.<br />
<br />
“The difference between him and I is I’ve actually lived on minimum
wage,” Barr said. “I understand it’s a great thing to get the minimum
wage up to $15 an hour. That’s fantastic. It’s not even close to
scratching the surface of what this city needs. And it wasn’t an
incredibly controversial stand when he took it.”<br />
<br />
Barr said he doesn’t yet have a full-fledged plan for overhauling the
school district, but that two immediate areas for improvement are the
resources the district as a whole pours into administrative overhead and
the conditions at L.A.’s worst-performing schools.<br />
<br />
He said he would prefer to work cooperatively with school district
officials, but would be willing to pursue changes in city or state law
to expand the mayor’s power were he to find his efforts stymied.<br />
<br />
“The proposition for them is, ‘We’re going to rally around you, but
you’ve got to change. And mediocrity is no longer an option,’” Barr
said.<br />
<br />
The viability of Barr’s campaign could hinge partly on whether he
secures the support of wealthy school-reform advocates in L.A., some of
whom are involved in a plan that could dramatically increase the number
of charter schools operating in the city.<br />
<br />
A confidential draft of the plan obtained last year by The Times
described raising $490 million to move half of the school district’s
enrolled students into charters over the next eight years. Reform
advocates later backed away from the plan, but critics still worry about
a massive charter school expansion that could bankrupt the school
district by drawing away students – and the state funding that
accompanies them.<br />
<br />
Frank Baxter, a businessman and former U.S. ambassador to Uruguay who
has actively supported charter schools, called Barr “one of the pioneers
in the charter movement in Los Angeles.”<br />
<br />
Baxter declined to say whether he would support Barr’s candidacy, though he said Barr had informed him of his decision to run.<br />
<br />
Billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad, another prominent backer of local
school-reform initiatives, was traveling outside the country and could
not be reached for comment.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead3"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
LAUSD BOARD APPROVES MARSHALL HIGH REPAIRS </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
Written by LA Independent Staff | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatwlYacsY8Faaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/29bjLOZ</a><br />
<br />
July 1, 2016 :: LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Unified School District
Board of Education has unanimously approved nearly $11 million in
repairs for the historic tower and the administration building at John
Marshall High School. The board also approved a $160,000 investment to
modernize the school’s auditorium.<br />
<br />
The original project, approved in August 2012, was slated to only repair
the exterior facade of the administration building’s tower. The newly
defined project will include the replacement of the roofing, repairs and
improvements to the historic tower, seismic strengthening and
accessibility upgrades to the entrance of the school.<br />
<br />
The tower repairs were initially triggered by deteriorated and failing
building elements. Further studies were conducted after the initial
project was approved in 2012, and additional deficient building
conditions, such as water intrusion, were discovered in both the
administration building and the tower.<br />
<br />
“I am overjoyed that the board has voted to fund the repairs to this
historic building,” Principal Patricia Heideman said. “The building is
incredibly important to the community around Marshall and the alumni who
have been so supportive of our students. The beautiful structure is
symbolic of the legacy that Marshall has maintained throughout the years
and is very dear to our community.”<br />
<br />
Additionally, the school board approved funding to begin modernizing the
school’s auditorium. That effort was inspired by Heideman and community
members in order to renovate the auditorium to beautify the space and
to increase the auditorium’s sound quality to meet the needs of the
visual and performing arts programs at the school.<br />
<br />
“We know that Marshall High School is extremely special to this
community because of its close ties with the Los Feliz family,” said Ref
Rodriguez, who represents District 5 where Marshall High is located on
the school board. “I appreciate the advocacy of the parents, alumni,
neighbors, and community members that support Marshall High, which is
why my office has chosen to financially support the renovation of the
school’s historic auditorium.”<br />
<br />
Heideman said she welcomes the repair to the auditorium.<br />
<br />
“We are grateful that the board and Dr. Rodriguez, in particular,
recognize and are willing to support the desperately needed improvements
to the auditorium to make it more functional. On behalf of the John
Marshall High School community, I offer my sincere gratitude to the
LAUSD.”<br />
<br />
The construction is scheduled to begin next spring.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead4"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
‘SUMMER TERM’ BEGINS FOR 65,000 LAUSD STUDENTS </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
M. Terry / San Fernando Valley Sun | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatwlYacsY9daaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/29do9il</a><br />
<br />
Thursday, June 30, 2016 7:28 am :: Summer classes have begun at 71 Los
Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) high schools and — for the
first time in several years — the district is offering elective and
enrichment courses, as well as classes in core academic subjects for
students needing to make up credits.<br />
<br />
Approximately 65,000 students are enrolled in more than 2,500 classes
during the most robust summer session since the recession. In addition
to the high school classes, the district is offering a summer “bridge”
program at more than 120 elementary and middle schools, where students
are receiving supplemental instruction in English and math.<br />
<br />
“We are very pleased that we are able to extend summer learning
opportunities to so many students,” said District Superintendent
Michelle King. “By offering a slate of electives, credit-recovery
courses and academic supports, we are reinforcing our commitment to
personalizing the educational experience and helping our students
succeed.”<br />
<br />
Summer classes will run for 24 days, with two periods of 2 1/2 hours
each that will start at 9 a.m. and noon. That’s an hour later than
previous years; officials hope the extra time will improve student
attendance and punctuality.<br />
<br />
The district is also providing counselors to act as “case managers” in
supporting students and helping them overcome hurdles that might
otherwise derail their progress toward graduation.<br />
<br />
In addition, the program is being rebranded as “summer term” so that
students will come to see the classes as simply an extension of the
regular school year.<br />
<br />
“LAUSD is shifting mindsets toward increased excellence with the concept
of ‘summer term’ rather than ‘summer school,’ as we prepare students to
consider ongoing learning,” said Dr. Frances Gipson, chief academic
officer.<br />
<br />
“Our educators have engaged in ‘mastery learning’ professional
development to calibrate and reach high expectations,” she continued.
“These expectations are supported by counselors being present this
summer, alongside teacher leaders, who will guide professional learning
to support the differentiated needs of students — much like a coach.
And, we are proud to bring back enrichment and ‘bridge’ programs for
students.”<br />
<br />
This year’s summer term stands in sharp contrast to those during the
recession, when the district served just 5,000 students at 16 high
schools.<br />
<br />
With an allocation of $2 million for this summer, the district will
offer credit-recovery courses in English, math, science, social science,
world languages, physical education and health.<br />
<br />
In addition, electives are being offered at Hollywood and Los Angeles
High schools, Foshay and International Studies Learning centers, and
Cleveland Charter High School. Courses include graphic design,
photography, stage design, computer science and beginning dance.<br />
<br />
Summer term is administered through the district’s Beyond the Bell Branch. For a complete list of schools, see btb.lausd.net.<br />
<br />
“We’re back on track to being able to offer more than just
credit-recovery courses,” said Alvaro Cortes, executive director of
Beyond the Bell. “It’s great that we finally have the ability to add
expanded programming for our students.”<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
tronc: CAN TECH ENTREPRENEUR MICHAEL FERRO &
LOCAL BILLIONAIRE PATRICK SOON-SHIONG SAVE THE L.A. TIMES? | LA Weekly |
<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatwlYacsZbqaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/29fSeN0</a><br />
<br />
ED REFORM BATTLE IN LOS ANGELES: CONFLICT ESCALATES AS CHARTER SCHOOLS THRIVE: Education Next | <br />
https://t.co/u5lnIoQJl6<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES – Wednesday, July 6, 2016 - 11:00am<br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatwlYacsY6kaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatwlYacsY6laaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatwlYacsY6maaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatwlYacsY6naaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatwlYacsY6oaaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatwlYacsY6paaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatwlYacsY6qaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px Verdana, sans serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-11591121034875210542016-06-26T13:45:00.000-07:002016-06-26T13:45:03.022-07:00They make orange jumpsuits for stuff like this …don’t they?
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<span style="color: #e1127d; font: bold 18px Verdana, sans serif;">
4LAKids: Sunday 26•June•2016
</span>
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<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px Verdana, sans serif;">
In This Issue:
</span>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS MERGE TO EXPAND PROGRAMS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY</span></td>
</tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">FUND SET UP TO RAISE MONEY FOR L.A. UNIFIED MERGES WITH GROUP STARTING TWO CHARTER SCHOOLS</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">UNDER
PRESSURE TO PRODUCE BETTER NUMBERS, SCHOOL OFFICIALS IN CALIFORNIA AND
NATIONWIDE HAVE OFTEN DONE WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET TO THOSE NUMBERS</span></td>
</tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but
not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other Sources</span></td>
</tr>
<tr><td height="10"><img height="10" src="http://app.topica.com/images/pixel.gif" width="1" /></td></tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px Verdana, sans serif;">
Featured Links:
</span>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatuyhacsNmlaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">► Friends4smf :: The GoFundMe campaign</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatuyhacsNmmaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Follow 4 LAKids on Twitter - or get instant updates via text message by texting</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatuyhacsNmnaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved!</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatuyhacsNmoaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKidsNews:
a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
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<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Sometimes it isn’t about what went wrong at LAUSD last week. <br />
<br />
Sometimes [hopefully] it's about what went right/turned out well/shows promise.<br />
<br />
And sometimes it's about what’s been going on, institutionally …or just
in the fringes – not below the radar -but certainly in the chaff.<br />
<br />
This week it’s a homework assignment+research project about two entities:<br />
<br />
<b>THE L.A. FUND FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION.</b> [lafund.org]<br />
and<br />
<b>LA’s PROMISE</b> [laspromise.org]<br />
<br />
FIRST: Read that first two articles (following).<i> Consider the sources.</i><br />
.<br />
Google the two funds. Wikipedia them. Look up their Form 990’s. Copy
your work to Julian Assange & Edward Snowden …though they
undoubtedly already know – a secrets go this one isn't very!<br />
<br />
Add 4LAKids to the search string (…I'm one of my favorite authors on the
subject!) As you dig into the sordid tale you will discover this is
part of the SONY Pictures e-mail hack by North Korean cyber hackers!
LAUSD shenanigans; the international incident!<br />
<br />
<br />
Please do the research. Please do the homework. Please tell me if you don't conclude that: <br />
<br />
1. THE L.A. FUND FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION and L.A.’s PROMISE are and always
have been pretty much the same entity/cast o’ characters/unusual
suspects up to their usual mischief with as little of their own money
and as much as the public’s as possible.<br />
2. and that this “merger” is:<br />
A. a not-clever-enough-by-half way to “repurpose” tax-exempt donated funds intended to assist LAUSD schools+students TO<br />
B. assist charter schools+students …and to perhaps enrich the principals
and further their goals, programs and business enterprises. <br />
<br />
Just sayin’.<br />
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf</span> <br /><br />
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<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS MERGE TO EXPAND PROGRAMS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
By Michael Janofsky | EdSource | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatuyhacsNmMaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/28VnDnQ</a><br />
<br />
June 23, 2016 :: Two nonprofit educational organizations said Thursday
they are merging, with plans to expand their programs that largely
operate in the Los Angeles Unified school district to districts
countywide. <br />
<br />
The two groups, LA’s Promise and the Los Angeles Fund for Public
Education, said the new organization, the LA Promise Fund for Public
Schools, will offer their current programs to the 80 other school
districts within Los Angeles County, the most populous in California.
The aim is to enhance academic and career prospects through enrichment
programs for a greater number of students.<br />
<br />
“Today is day one,” said Veronica Melvin, the CEO of LA’s Promise, who
will lead the new organization. “Our approach will be to engage
one-on-one with superintendents or board members across the county to
let them know how we can help them grow.”<br />
<br />
Thursday’s announcement is the second in recent months by private
organizations embarking on a fundraising drive to help students in and
around Los Angeles. It follows the creation of Great Public Schools Now,
whose goal is to identify successful programs within L.A. Unified, the
second-largest school district in the country, and replicate them
through financial grants in high-poverty neighborhoods within the
district.<br />
<br />
The two efforts are unrelated, but taken together, they reflect a
willingness of outside organizations to aid public school districts at a
time when many of them are pressing to balance a high demand for
quality education with budgetary constraints. The L.A. Unified board
this week approved a $7.6 billion budget for the coming school year, but
district officials have warned of a possible deficit by 2018-2019.<br />
<br />
The new entity will continue to run three schools in south Los Angeles
that have been managed by LA’s Promise since 2006. Those schools are the
result of a negotiated arrangement with the district that
differentiates them from traditional L.A.Unified schools in how they’re
run in an effort to improve academic performance. The schools – two
large South L.A. high schools (Manual Arts and West Adams Prep) and one
middle school (John Muir) – have greater autonomy over budget,
curriculum, instruction, schedule and staffing, but all employees are
members of unions. The L.A. Unified board recently denied the group’s
application to open two charter schools, a middle school for the coming
school year and a high school for the 2017-18 school year, but that
decision was overturned on appeal by the Los Angeles County Board of
Education.<br />
<br />
The LA Fund managed a range of in-school programs throughout Los Angeles
County, including Girls Build LA, an empowerment program that has
reached more than 7,000 girls; The Intern Project, a paid internship
program for high school students at companies like SpaceX and
Participant Media; #ArtsMatter, an advocacy program that integrates arts
and creativity into core curriculum; andGrants HQ, which offers
personalized training and support to thousands of educators seeking
additional classroom resources.<br />
<br />
Melvin said the new LA Promise Fund intends to spend the next three
months identifying specific goals, strategies for implementing them and
fundraising. Each of the merging organizations has an annual budget of
$3 million.<br />
<br />
“Over the past several years, LA’s Promise and the LA Fund have both
compiled impressive track records with programs that empower students
both inside and outside the classroom,” Megan Chernin, who serves on the
boards of both merging organizations, said in a statement. “The new
enterprise formed by the combination of these two extraordinary
organizations will be in a unique position to seed great programs that
can then be developed and rolled out across the county.”<br />
<br />
Without specifically citing the new organization, L.A. unified
Superintendent Michelle King said in a statement, “The District is
always open to new strategies for improving our schools, and we look
forward to discussions that will help us better serve our students.”<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead3"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
FUND SET UP TO RAISE MONEY FOR L.A. UNIFIED MERGES WITH GROUP STARTING TWO CHARTER SCHOOLS </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
by Howard Blume and Zahira Torres | LA Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatuyhacsNmPaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/28WNuLr</a><br />
<br />
June 23, 2016 :: Former L.A. Unified Supt. John Deasy and Hollywood
philanthropist Megan Chernin had ambitious goals in 2011 when they
announced the creation of a nonprofit that in five years would raise
$200 million for district students.<br />
<br />
see: EFFORT LAUNCHED TO RAISE $200 MILLION FOR L.A. PUBLIC SCHOOLS - latimes - <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatuyhacsNmQaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/28XEN8u</a><br />
<br />
They said the Los Angeles Fund for Education, with fundraising prowess
and freedom from bureaucratic constraints, would help revolutionize a
district that had long struggled to educate its children. <br />
<br />
The nonprofit fell far short of that fundraising goal, drawing about $7
million in donations from its inception to 2014, according to the most
recent tax documents available. Now, the LA Fund has announced a merger
that shifts its mission away from an exclusive focus on the district.<br />
<br />
The LA Fund has joined forces with LA’s Promise, a nonprofit that
manages three district schools, to create LA Promise Fund, a new
organization whose goals will include forming charter schools.<br />
<br />
“We were left no other option” but to open charter schools, said
Chernin, who serves on the boards of both groups. “We just want to have a
larger impact and we want to be more efficient about our impact.” <br />
<br />
Chernin said the merger is, in part, a reflection of the groups’ limited
ability to work successfully with L.A. Unified, for which she faults
the school district.<br />
<br />
The new nonprofit’s leaders say the decision also will reduce operating
costs, allowing it to serve more students across the county who live in
poverty.<br />
<br />
But the new direction offers another sign that philanthropists who were
attempting to overhaul the nation’s second-largest school district from
within now are looking for other avenues. <br />
<br />
“We want to create the maximum opportunities for the most
disenfranchised youth of Los Angeles and we realized that together we
could have a great impact,” said Veronica Melvin, the chief executive of
LA’s Promise, who will head the new group.<br />
<br />
The decision comes as Los Angeles Unified contends with another reform
effort, originally spearheaded by the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation,
that sought to more than double the number of charter schools in the
city over eight years, a move that would slash the district’s enrollment
and state funding.<br />
<br />
That proposal evolved into a plan put forward last week by the nonprofit
Great Public Schools Now, which says it wants to hand out grant money
to expand not just charters but any effective schools in L.A.’s
low-income neighborhoods – even potentially expanding good traditional
public schools.<br />
<br />
The LA Promise Fund could be among the organizations that benefit.<br />
<br />
L.A. Unified officials recently rejected a bid by LA’s Promise to start
two charter schools, saying the organization needed to concentrate
instead on improving achievement at the schools it already manages for
the district. The charters later were approved by the county.<br />
<br />
“I hope this new effort is about collaboration and not competition,”
Board President Steve Zimmer said about the merger. “My door, our door,
is always open to collaboration. What we’ve learned is that conflict
and competition does not help kids.”<br />
<br />
Deasy came up with the LA Fund and pursued donors interested in seeing a specific set of reforms at the district. <br />
<br />
But after he resigned under pressure in October 2014, a political shift
in the school board left donors who supported his goals without a
powerful ally to pursue their favored reforms, which included making
test scores a key factor in teacher evaluations and opening more charter
schools.<br />
<br />
Some blamed Deasy’s departure for the LA Fund’s anemic fundraising. But
even while he was in office, the donations didn’t pour in.<br />
<br />
To raise an amount like $200 million, “you have to be responsive, you
have to work very carefully with your donors, you have to listen to your
donors,” said Antonia Hernandez, president and CEO of the California
Community Foundation, who said she applauds Chernin’s efforts and
supports the merger. She added that previously “the conditions were not
ideal for conveying a sense of confidence to the people giving money
that it would be well spent.”<br />
<br />
The LA Fund helped launch Breakfast in the Classroom, a program to
provide food to all students at the start of the school day, which
brought in additional federal funding. Previously students had the
option of arriving before school to receive a free breakfast. <br />
<br />
The fund also paid for an advertising campaign that stressed the
importance of arts education and sponsored teams of girls at 44 schools
that competed to develop solutions to community problems. Another of the
nonprofit’s initiatives linked teachers to classroom grant
opportunities and students to internships.<br />
<br />
Leaders of the newly merged organization say the projects will continue and will be open to schools throughout L.A. County. <br />
<br />
While L.A. Unified students are expected to derive some benefit, the
mega-district now is left without an outside foundation devoted to
supporting the 550,000 students in district-operated schools. By
contrast, the target of the Beverly Hills Education Foundation is to
raise an average of $1,000 per student, or about $4 million annually for
its more than 4,000 students. <br />
<br />
The LA Promise Fund, which will have a budget of about $6 million, hopes
to create a pipeline of schools, extending from kindergarten through
12th grade. <br />
<br />
“We wanted and would still love to do that with LAUSD, but it wasn’t on
the table for us,” Chernin said. “So we figured we could create
charters.”<br />
<br />
Times staff writer Joy Resmovits contributed to this report.<br />
<br />
<br />
►LA TIMES EDITOR'S NOTE: The Times’ Education Matters initiative
receives funding from a number of foundations, including one or more
mentioned in this article. The California Community Foundation and
United Way of Greater Los Angeles administer grants from the Baxter
Family Foundation, the Broad Foundation, the California Endowment and
the Wasserman Foundation. Under terms of the grants, The Times retains
complete control over editorial content.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
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<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
UNDER PRESSURE TO PRODUCE BETTER NUMBERS, SCHOOL
OFFICIALS IN CALIFORNIA AND NATIONWIDE HAVE OFTEN DONE WHATEVER IT TAKES
TO GET TO THOSE NUMBERS </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
Editorial by The LA Times Editorial Board | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatuyhacsNngaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/28WRk7n</a><br />
<br />
26 June 2016 :: In 2014, the Los Angeles Unified School District
announced a spectacular improvement in its graduation rate: Fully 77% of
students who had come in as 9th graders four years earlier were now
going to graduate as seniors. But there was a bit of a trick behind the
number: It included only students who attended what are called
“comprehensive” high schools. Those who had been transferred to
alternative programs — the students most at risk of dropping out —
weren’t counted. If they had been factored in, the rate would have been
67% — still good, but not nearly as flashy a number.<br />
<br />
Here’s another example of a misleading number: In May of this year, the
California Department of Education reported a rise in the statewide
graduation rate, to 82%. But one reason for that was the cancellation of
the high school exit exam, which used to be required for graduation and
which students could pass only if they had attained a modicum of
understanding of algebra and English skills.<br />
<br />
In a time when most middle-class jobs require at least some training
beyond 12th grade, raising the number of high school graduates is
considered essential. Dropouts are not only more likely to be
unemployed, but more likely to be imprisoned. That’s why the newly
passed federal education law, optimistically titled the Every Student
Succeeds Act, requires states to hold high schools accountable for
improving graduation rates.<br />
<br />
The question, though, is whether schools will bring those numbers up the
hard way, by improving the quality of education – or by falling back on
shortcuts and gimmicks. Early indications suggest that they’ll do a
combination of both. States and school districts, not just locally but
across the nation, have already come up with a wide array of ways to
make graduation rates look good on paper:<br />
<br />
-- When large numbers of students across the country failed high school
exit exams over the past decade, states made it easier for them to pass.
California devised a simpler test; in New Jersey, students who failed
were permitted to take a far easier exam that asked them only one
question for each subject area. And if they still failed, they could
appeal by doing an essay or another project. Last year in Camden, N.J.,
after nearly half the students flunked the initial exam, almost all of
them were able to get their diplomas through one of the other routes.<br />
<br />
-- Several states, including California, have eliminated their high
school exit exams altogether. And California was among at least six
states — including Texas and Georgia — to award retroactive diplomas to
students who had failed their exit exams in previous years.<br />
<br />
-- In Chicago, low-performing public school students were counseled to
leave school for job-training or graduate-equivalency programs, and then
counted as transfers rather than dropouts. When an outcry ensued, the
school district lowered its previously inflated graduation rates in
2015.<br />
<br />
--Texas allows schools to count students as “leavers” rather than
dropouts if they say they’re moving elsewhere or doing home-schooling,
without checking into whether those assertions are true.<br />
<br />
-- Perhaps the newest and most widespread method that schools are using
to boost graduation rates are online credit-recovery courses such as the
ones that L.A. Unified offered this academic year when only about 54%
of seniors were on track to graduate. After a hefty dose of online
credit-recovery courses and other efforts, the latest but still
preliminary figure is now reported to be 74%. These courses can be
rigorous and valuable educational tools – but they also sometimes allow
students to too quickly and too easily make up the courses they have
failed.<br />
<br />
Russell Rumberger, director of the California Dropout Research Project
at UC Santa Barbara, is not a fan of measuring a school’s success by its
graduation rate for precisely that reason: Doing so encourages schools
to lower their standards or to use misleading numbers or to find ways to
get failing students out of their schools without having to count them
as dropouts. In any case, he says, “a diploma is a blunt instrument” for
measuring learning; one study found that low-income students need to
show better mastery of the material than merely a pass in order to have a
real shot at reaching the middle class.<br />
<br />
Under pressure to produce better numbers, school officials in California
and nationwide have often done whatever it takes to get to those
numbers.<br />
<br />
Like it or not, Rumberger says, higher standards — such as those in the
Common Core curriculum standards recently adopted in California and most
other states — tend to mean lower graduation rates, and it’s
disingenuous for states to say they can raise both at once, and quickly.<br />
<br />
It’s not that schools, including those at L.A. Unified, haven’t made
some authentic progress in graduating more students. The district
deserves credit for taking steps to follow up on absent students before
they become chronically truant. It has eliminated out-of-school
suspensions for relatively minor misbehavior. (Rumberger was involved in
a recent study showing that suspension increases a student’s risk of
dropping out.) These days, high school staff at many schools seem to be
more personally familiar with students than they used to be, and the
students in turn seem more comfortable interacting with the adults.
Counselors more often take the initiative, sitting students down to talk
about how they will make up missing credits. And the district has been
offering after-school and Saturday makeup classes as well as the online
credit-recovery courses.<br />
<br />
But under pressure to produce better numbers, school officials in
California and nationwide have often done whatever it takes to get to
those numbers, including lowering standards while pretending to raise
them, and reclassifying students instead of educating them. These
students then go on to college or the workplace, mistakenly thinking
they have the skills they’ll need.<br />
<br />
The irony is that the school-reform movement that has been leading the
push for higher graduation rates got its start years ago in a struggle
to raise academic standards. It arose in response to complaints from
employers that a high school diploma hardly meant anything anymore.
School reformers and Chamber of Commerce representatives complained that
high school graduates couldn’t pass the written test to become delivery
drivers or construction apprentices. Standardized tests, including high
school exit exams, were supposed to ensure that students reached at
least a minimal level of proficiency.<br />
<br />
But schools in some areas — Texas and New York City were infamous
examples — started pushing out low-performing students. That led to
greater recognition that schools nationwide were, if not going as far as
Texas by actively discouraging the students who most needed their help,
also not doing much to get them to stay and raise their academic
ambitions.<br />
<br />
The federal No Child Left Behind Act, which never did much to encourage
higher graduation rates, might be dead, but its successor will have
little chance of succeeding if policymakers aren’t realistic about the
work and patience required to raise standards, test scores and
graduation rates. It’s slow, hard, incremental work without magic
solutions, and improved numbers aren’t always evidence of
better-educated students.<br />
<br />
</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatuyhacsNnhaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">This piece is the second in a two-part series. Read part one here.</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
NEW STATE AGENCY GETS INFUSION OF $24 MILLION TO
PROMOTE SCHOOL SUCCESS + LCFF ACCOUNTABILITY | EdSource |
https://t.co/PGjYqhI17f<br />
<br />
PARENTS+PRINCIPALS WILL WEIGH IN ON PROP 39 CHARTER CO-LOCATIONS AT L.A. SCHOOL CAMPUSES | LA Times | https://t.co/jfEsKCIOZx<br />
<br />
Were they ever really two groups?: FUND SET UP TO RAISE $200 MILLION FOR
LAUSD MERGES WITH CHARTER GROUP | LA Times | https://t.co/RcLL7TR2wX<br />
<br />
JUST IN: Teacher jail numbers rise to 181, costing LA Unified $15 million - LA School Report | https://t.co/ewJzuliadE<br />
<br />
FIVE SIGNS OF A PRIVATIZED CHARTER SCHOOL | @TPM | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatuyhacsNm6aaaaaac/">http://talkingpointsmemo.com/fivepoints/five-signs-of-privatized-charter-school</a> | https://t.co/jJCnTYWpgV…<br />
<br />
ROY COHN: WHAT DONALD TRUMP LEARNED FROM JOE McCARTHY'S RIGHT HAND MAN | NY Times | https://t.co/x6giA07F60<br />
<br />
BILL GATES HINTS AT SUPPORT FOR CLINTON | https://t.co/LDV8DV1jMs<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• Tues. June 28, 2016 - 11:00 a.m. SPECIAL BOARD MEETING - - Including Closed Session Items<br />
• Tues. June 28, 2016 - 1:00 P.M. - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE - <br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatuyhacsNmpaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatuyhacsNmqaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatuyhacsNmraaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatuyhacsNmsaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatuyhacsNmtaaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatuyhacsNmuaaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatuyhacsNmvaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px Verdana, sans serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-52357193790545797032016-06-19T16:00:00.000-07:002016-06-19T16:00:08.188-07:00Grieve. Mourn. Repeat.
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4LAKids: Sunday 19•June•2016
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In This Issue:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">WHAT PAMELA ANDERSON’S NIGHT VISIT TO THE LA UNIFIED SCHOOL BOARD WAS ALL ABOUT</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Editorial: WHAT’S REALLY IN LAUSD’S ONLINE CREDIT RECOVERY COURSES?</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maats3GacsDeUaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">► Friends4smf :: The GoFundMe campaign</a> </td>
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<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Orlando.<br />
San Bernardino.<br />
Charlotte.<br />
Sandy Hook.<br />
<br />
REMARKS OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AS DELIVERED IN HIS WEEKLY RADIO ADDRESS
<br />
<br />
The White House | June 18, 2016 :: It’s been less than a week since
the deadliest mass shooting in American history. And foremost in all of
our minds has been the loss and the grief felt by the people of
Orlando, especially our friends who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or
transgender. I visited with the families of many of the victims on
Thursday. And one thing I told them is that they’re not alone. The
American people, and people all over the world, are standing with them –
and we always will.<br />
<br />
The investigation is ongoing, but we know that the killer was an angry
and disturbed individual who took in extremist information and
propaganda over the internet, and became radicalized. During his
killing spree, he pledged allegiance to ISIL, a group that’s called on
people around the world to attack innocent civilians. <br />
<br />
We are and we will keep doing everything in our power to stop these
kinds of attacks, and to ultimately destroy ISIL. The extraordinary
people in our intelligence, military, homeland security, and law
enforcement communities have already prevented many attacks, saved many
lives, and we won’t let up. <br />
<br />
Alongside the stories of bravery and healing and coming together over
the past week, we’ve also seen a renewed focus on reducing gun violence.
As I said a few days ago, being tough on terrorism requires more than
talk. Being tough on terrorism, particularly the sorts of homegrown
terrorism that we’ve seen now in Orlando and San Bernardino, means
making it harder for people who want to kill Americans to get their
hands on assault weapons that are capable of killing dozens of innocents
as quickly as possible. That’s something I’ll continue to talk about
in the weeks ahead.<br />
<br />
It’s also part of something that I’ve been thinking a lot about this
week – and that’s the responsibilities we have to each other. That’s
certainly true with Father’s Day upon us.<br />
<br />
I grew up without my father around. While I wonder what my life would
have been like if he had been a greater presence, I’ve also tried extra
hard to be a good dad for my own daughters. Like all dads, I worry
about my girls’ safety all the time. Especially when we see preventable
violence in places our sons and daughters go every day – their schools
and houses of worship, movie theaters, nightclubs, as they get older.
It’s unconscionable that we allow easy access to weapons of war in these
places – and then, even after we see parents grieve for their children,
the fact that we as a country do nothing to prevent the next heartbreak
makes no sense. <br />
<br />
So this past week, I’ve also thought a lot about dads and moms around
the country who’ve had to explain to their children what happened in
Orlando. Time and again, we’ve observed moments of silence for victims
of terror and gun violence. Too often, those moments have been followed
by months of silence. By inaction that is simply inexcusable. If
we’re going to raise our kids in a safer, more loving world, we need to
speak up for it. We need our kids to hear us speak up about the risks
guns pose to our communities, and against a status quo that doesn’t make
sense. They need to hear us say these things even when those who
disagree are loud and are powerful. We need our kids to hear from us
why tolerance and equality matter – about the times their absence has
scarred our history and how greater understanding will better the future
they will inherit. We need our kids to hear our words – and also see
us live our own lives with love.<br />
<br />
And we can’t forget our responsibility to remind our kids of the role
models whose light shines through in times of darkness. The police and
first responders, the lifesaving bystanders and blood donors. Those who
comfort mourners and visit the wounded. The victims whose last acts on
this earth helped others to safety. They’re not just role models for
our kids – their actions are examples for all of us.<br />
<br />
To be a parent is to come to realize not everything is in our control.
But as parents, we should remember there’s one responsibility that’s
always in our power to fulfill: our obligation to give our children
unconditional love and support; to show them the difference between
right and wrong; to teach them to love, not to hate; and to appreciate
our differences not as something to fear, but as a great gift to
cherish.<br />
<br />
To me, fatherhood means being there. So in the days ahead, let’s be
there for each other. Let’s be there for our families, and for those
that are hurting. Let’s come together in our communities and as a
country. And let’s never forget how much good we can achieve simply by
loving one another.<br />
<br />
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there, and have a great weekend.<br />
<br />
<br />
YOU MAY NOTE THAT THIS WEEK’S 4LAKIDS IS ABRIDGED.<br />
<br />
1. I was writing of the pending District Budget/LCFF/LCAP – saved by a
deus-ex-machina/last-minute-letter from the Superintendent of Public
Instruction <br />
2. …plus Eli Broad’s magical reanimation of his Great Schools Now Plan!<br />
3. I had a well-researched-yet-dripping with-vitriol rant about how the
Beaudry Building is the Most Visitor Unfriendly Building on the Planet!<br />
4. But it is Sunday afternoon and I am feeling unwell …and nothing I
write can compare to the tale of the wonderful+enchanted Tuesday night
visit of Pamela Anderson to the LAUSD Board of Education!<br />
<br />
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
WHAT PAMELA ANDERSON’S NIGHT VISIT TO THE LA UNIFIED SCHOOL BOARD WAS ALL ABOUT </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Posted on LA School Report Mike Szymanski | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maats3GacsDfiaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1UWgtBe</a><br />
<br />
June 17, 2016. 11:16 am. :: Sometimes staying late at the LA Unified
school board meetings has its benefits. Particularly when quirky things
happen in only-in-LA moments.<br />
<br />
About 8:45 p.m. Tuesday late into the meeting, most of the audience
members had cleared out of the school board auditorium and the 200 or so
protesters outside were gone. There were almost as many people up on
the horseshoe dais as there were watching.<br />
<br />
Board President Steve Zimmer kidded about seeming a bit loopy because
his cold medicine was kicking in. Then, the school police officers
stirred, the board members stopped talking and a blur of diverse people
marched down the aisle of the auditorium.<br />
<br />
Up front was blonde bombshell Pamela Anderson, looking as stunning as
she did in her “Baywatch” days two decades ago. In a tight black top and
flowered skirt, she brushed back her characteristic blonde locks and
prepared herself to address the school board for the first time.<br />
<br />
In the pressroom watching on closed-circuit TV, reporters were surprised
and snickering about why she was there. The LA Unified communications
team didn’t have any idea.<br />
<br />
Along with the actress, there were TV journalist Jane Velez-Mitchell and
9-year-old actress Felix Hemstreet, as well as a triathlete, a
cardiologist, a best-selling author, a dietician, a doctor of 40 years
and Torre Washington, who bills himself as “a professional vegan
bodybuilder.”<br />
<br />
The circus of presenters was inspired by 14-year-old Lila Copeland from
Paul Revere Middle School who wants to have a regular vegan option on
the menu in the nation’s second-largest school district. It appeared she
had an impact on the board, and she had already met with Laura
Benavidez, of the district’s Food Services division, who seemed open to
the idea.<br />
<br />
“This school district is at the forefront of offering good nutritious
food for the students, so we just want them to be aware of allowing
vegan options for the students too and helping us have a healthy future
for this planet,” Copeland said. “We want the district to provide a
vegan option.”<br />
<br />
<br />
The experts spewed statistics and anecdotes. They brought up methane
caused by cows, the drought, global warming, childhood obesity and
ethical reasons for being vegan. They talked about how eating meat can
cause heart disease and strokes, they detailed the outmoded federal
nutritional standards and brought in packets of vegan meal samples for
each of the seven school board members prepared by plant-based protein
company Gardein’s chef Jason Stefanko.<br />
<br />
<br />
Anderson spoke for two minutes about milk and water and the United
Nations. She said, “Kids today are appalled to learn that animals killed
for cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets live in crowded dark filthy sheds
by the thousands and are mutilated and slaughtered by having their
throats slit while they’re still conscious.”<br />
<br />
Lila met this week with Zimmer and fellow school board member Ref
Rodriguez as well as with the food services officials. The district
already has a “Meatless Mondays” program and has taken the lead in
requiring antibiotic and hormone-free chicken and turkey and is
considering inexpensive low-fat options created by student chefs. On the
other hand, the most animated part of a school board meeting two weeks
ago centered on bringing back chocolate milk<br />
.<br />
“I’m impressed with what I’ve been told, but maybe I’m too old to
change, maybe I’m not,” said 75-year-old board member George McKenna.
“I’ve learned that everything I eat and love is not supposed to be
healthy.”<br />
<br />
McKenna, who grew up in New Orleans, confessed his love for po’boys and
beignets and said he just ate a ham sandwich. “I’m hooked on meat and
ice cream.” But, he added, “I’m enlightened, and you make the case for
healthy children. At least I’ll think about what I eat. Maybe you’ll
change our behaviors, and maybe mine.”<br />
<br />
Zimmer quipped to his fellow board member, “We’ll go out for a veggie burger soon.”<br />
<br />
It didn’t go unnoticed to the school board that young Lila brought
together a virtual Who’s Who of vegan experts, including vegan
cardiologist Dr. Kim Williams, Dr. Michael Klaper, Kawani Brown, Dr.
Heather Shenkman, Sharon Palmer and others.<br />
<br />
Of course, Anderson was a highlight, and although there wasn’t much of
an audience, the school board meeting will be rebroadcast on Sunday
morning at KLCS Television Channel 58 in between children’s shows such
as “Dora the Explorer.” This time around, the show will feature an
appearance by Pamela Anderson, and also a rant of a student earlier
during Tuesday’s public comments that had a great deal of four-letter
words while he described creating his own barber shop. Anderson’s talk
is toward the end of the broadcast (at the 5:08:48 mark), which is now
available on the LA Unified website.<br />
<br />
“I’ve learned so much from these people,” Anderson told LA School
Report. “These are the experts. This is my first time to speak to the LA
school board, and I think it’s so important to teach children to be
vegan.”<br />
<br />
Anderson’s children went to schools in the Malibu school district, and
she said she allowed her children to make their own choices. “As a
mother, we are always trying to raise healthy kids, and this is one of
the serious environmental problems. I’m here as a mom.”<br />
<br />
Velez-Mitchell said she came as a journalist but felt she had to speak
out about some of the food served at the district. “The food that is
served in this school district causes cancer. Give them an option to
choose foods that will not cause them cancer.”<br />
<br />
Ultimately, the team offered to talk to any of the school board members.
Zimmer quickly said, “I’m always happy to talk. And thank you for the
samples, they were really good.”<br />
<br />
The next step is to get a resolution from the school board, and Lila thinks that will happen.<br />
<br />
Lila concluded: “No animal wants to die to become our food.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
●●smf: Not to argue Lila Copeland's point, but I refer us all to:
Children's Book Review: ARLENE SARDINE Author+Illustrator Chris
Raschka, Scholastic $15.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-531-30111-1 <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maats3GacsDfmaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1PBaFc2</a><br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead3"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
Editorial: WHAT’S REALLY IN LAUSD’S ONLINE CREDIT RECOVERY COURSES? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
By The LA Times Editorial Board | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maats3GacsDfkaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1PBaflZ</a><br />
<br />
19 June 2016 :: Because of new rules designed to raise graduation
standards, officials of the Los Angeles Unified School District woke up
in December to the grim news that only half of its students were on
track to graduate, down from 74% the year before. The problem was that
this was the first year all students had to pass the full range of
college-prep courses — known as the A through G sequence – required by
the University of California and California State University for
admission.<br />
<br />
But just a couple of months later, the situation suddenly, startlingly
improved, with 63% on track to graduate. By the end of March, 68% had
completed their A-G courses, and an additional 15% were close enough
that they might be able to make it. The actual graduation rate will not
be known for several months.<br />
<br />
How did this remarkable turnaround happen, and what does it mean?<br />
<br />
Partly, it was that Michelle King, LA Unified’s new superintendent,
moved swiftly and decisively, plunging the district’s high schools into a
full-bore effort to bring students up to snuff, with extra counseling,
Saturday classes and after-school classes.<br />
<br />
But also, the district relied heavily on what are known as online
credit-recovery classes. These courses, which have helped boost
graduation rates locally and across the country, have grown quickly from
a barely known concept a decade ago to one of the biggest and most
controversial new trends in education.<br />
<br />
This is how they work: Students who flunk a course can make up the
credit by taking classes either in computer-equipped rooms at school, or
at home if they have the equipment and Internet access. Teachers
lecture on videos, the computer displays the readings or practice
problems, and students take tests that are automatically graded. Written
work is supposed to be reviewed by a district teacher. The courses have
certain benefits: Students can replay a lecture for missed material,
something that can’t happen in a regular classroom. When they can’t
concentrate any longer, they can put the course on hold and take a
break.<br />
<br />
But professors and other education experts are concerned that there is
too little quality control to ensure that students have completed the
equivalent of a regular classroom experience.<br />
<br />
Considering all the credit-recovery courses provided by educational
publishers, it’s impossible to say as a rule whether these courses are
sufficiently rigorous. Only one large-scale study has been published:
Researchers reported in April that Chicago students who were randomly
assigned to take an online Algebra I makeup course fared somewhat worse
than those who were assigned to classroom makeup courses, with lower
pass rates and lower scores on an end-of-course assessment. And an
online credit-recovery course observed by Russell Rumberger, director of
the California Dropout Research Project at UC Santa Barbara, required
only 12 hours of computer time and the reading of one book.<br />
<br />
LAUSD maintains that’s not the case with its programs, which it says are rigorous and effective and take about 60 hours of work.<br />
A Los Angeles Times editorial writer arranged to take one of the
courses... The results were at the same time reassuring and potentially
disturbing.<br />
<br />
In order to get a closer look, a Los Angeles Times editorial writer
arranged to take one of the courses offered to students at LAUSD:
English Language Arts 11A, commonly known as the first semester of
junior-year English. The results were at the same time reassuring and
potentially disturbing.<br />
<br />
Any student who actually takes the full course — sits through each
lesson, answers the questions and completes the assignments — gets a
meaningful education. That’s why UC accepts the course, produced by
Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Edgenuity, as a college-prep class. The reading
excerpts come from fine and often challenging literature — “Moby-Dick,”
“The Scarlet Letter,” great poetry and the like. Video lectures give the
background of the works and teach lessons about tone, setting,
vocabulary choice and so forth. There are four writing assignments
during each semester. All in all, it would easily take 50 or 60 hours or
more.<br />
<br />
The catch is that taking the full course isn’t always necessary. Some
students are able to pre-test out of much of the course, including the
writing.<br />
<br />
A 10-question multiple-choice quiz is given at the beginning of each of
the three-dozen units. With a score of 60% or better — six of the
questions — a student passes the unit, without having to go through the
lectures, read the full materials or write the essays. Opening up other
tabs on the computer to search for answers on the Internet is allowed.
That’s not really cheating: The questions aren’t about straightforward
facts. Students must interpret passages, for instance. But there’s
plenty of help online via Sparks notes and other resources, and a full
hour is given to answer the 10 questions.<br />
<br />
A second problem with the course is that no full books are assigned in
the first semester; the second semester requires just one book. That’s
the minimum required by UC, but significantly fewer than most
junior-year classroom-based courses. Carol Alexander, director of
college-prep requirements at LAUSD, said there’s only one book required
because the students have already taken the course in class and read
books there. But if they flunked the course in class, what reason is
there to believe that they did the reading or understood it?<br />
<br />
Frances Gipson, the district’s chief academic officer, said that not all
students get the opportunity to pre-test out of all the units in the
course. Students are not supposed to be allowed to skip sections that
they did poorly on the first time, she said.<br />
<br />
That might be true. But two students at Fremont High School who took the
same junior English course described nearly identical experiences. Both
said they had pre-tested out of most of the units. One said he had been
given only one writing assignment, and the other said he had been given
one or two over both semesters — only a fraction of those the course
supposedly requires.<br />
<br />
L.A. Unified appears to be setting the bar lower than most districts
across the nation. Edgenuity says that of the 1,900 districts using the
company’s credit-recovery courses, most will not allow students in
English classes to pre-test out of units. Districts that do allow
skipping of units through pre-testing often require the students at
least to do the writing assignments, and they monitor the tests so
students can’t search the Internet for clues. And most districts set the
passing grade for the pre-test at 70% or higher in contrast to L.A.
Unified’s 60%.<br />
<br />
The big issue is the lack of accountability... Who checks that students
are getting enough online coursework to receive a meaningful education?<br />
<br />
The big issue is the lack of accountability. The district has a vested
interest in raising graduation rates and making the A-G policy look
good. But who checks that students are getting enough online coursework
to receive a meaningful education? Who sets the standard, if there is
any standard, for the minimum amount of work that must be put into an
online course to receive credit?<br />
<br />
A UC official also was surprised to learn that students might be
pre-testing out of most of the units in any course. Monica Lin,
associate director for undergraduate admissions, said UC doesn’t
supervise how local school districts use their courses and doesn’t have
the time and resources to conduct regular audits even if it wanted to.
She added that the university would reconsider approval if it knew that
large numbers of students were pre-testing their way through most of the
course. <br />
<br />
Her instincts are right. If large numbers of students are indeed testing
out of significant portions of these courses — which is difficult to
ascertain — and if they’re skipping writing assignments on a regular
basis, then those students are being done a serious disservice. If
they’re just reading one book in a year in what’s supposed to be the
equivalent of a junior-year English course, that’s unacceptable too —
and raises worrisome questions about the rest of the credit-recovery
courses being offered as well. <br />
<br />
L.A. Unified deserves credit for its intensive attempt to raise its
graduation rates. Online credit recovery can and should be a helpful
tool, giving students independence, flexibility and a chance to make up
for past mistakes.<br />
<br />
But the district needs to get a handle on these courses. It — along with
UC and the State Board of Education — needs to set minimum standards,
including how much of a course must be completed without pre-testing in
order to earn credit.<br />
<br />
The new federal school-accountability law that replaced the No Child
Left Behind Act places considerable pressure on low-performing high
schools and their districts to raise graduation rates. But that’s a
worthy goal only if students are better educated than they were as
dropouts. <br />
<br />
No one is doing teenagers a favor by sending them to college or into the
work world thinking they have skills that are still lacking.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
COST OF SUSPENSIONS IS HIGH FOR STUDENTS WHO DROP OUT AFTER DISCIPLINE, REPORT FINDS | EdSource <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maats3GacsDfraaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/200VtLf</a><br />
<br />
STATE GIVES LA UNIFIED AN EXTRA YEAR TO ACCOUNT FOR SPENDING ON NEEDY KIDS | 89.3 KPCC <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maats3GacsDfsaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1UIOHFG</a><br />
<br />
JUST IN: GREAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS NOW UNVEILS PLAN TO FUND EXPANSION OF
SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS TO SERVE 160,000 LOW-INCOME LA STUDENTS - LA School
Report <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maats3GacsDftaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/24ZBrll</a><br />
<br />
PHILLY’S SODA TAX MAY BE TURNING POINT <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maats3GacsDfuaaaaaac/">http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/soda-tax-philadelphia-224442</a><br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maats3GacsDeYaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maats3GacsDeZaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maats3GacsDe0aaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maats3GacsDe1aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maats3GacsDe2aaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maats3GacsDe3aaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maats3GacsDe4aaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px Verdana, sans serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-46778852937101814452016-06-12T15:30:00.000-07:002016-06-12T15:30:16.373-07:00On the merit+worthiness of stargazing+strategizing+heavy lifting
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<span style="color: #e1127d; font: bold 18px Verdana, sans serif;">
4LAKids: Sunday 12•June•2016
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<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px Verdana, sans serif;">
In This Issue:
</span>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Op-Ed :: BERNIE LOST. WHAT DO LIBERAL CALIFORNIANS DO NOW?</span></td>
</tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Art+Rhyme & Art+Story: BEFORE BROAD MUSEUM OPENS FOR BUSINESS, L.A. STUDENTS HAVE IT TO THEMSELVES, AND THE POETRY FLOWS</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">WHY SCHOOL START TIMES PLAY A HUGE ROLE IN KIDS’ SUCCESS</span></td>
</tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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Featured Links:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstHTaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">► Friends4smf :: The GoFundMe campaign</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstHUaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Follow 4 LAKids on Twitter - or get instant updates via text message by texting</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstHVaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved!</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstHWaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKidsNews:
a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="322"><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
“Destiny guides our fortunes more favorably than we
could have expected. Look there, Sancho Panza, my friend, and see those
thirty or so wild giants, with whom I intend to do battle and kill each
and all of them, so with their stolen booty we can begin to enrich
ourselves. This is noble, righteous warfare, for it is wonderfully
useful to God to have such an evil race wiped from the face of the
earth."</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
"What giants?" Asked Sancho Panza.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
"The ones you can see over there," answered his master, "with the huge arms, some of which are very nearly two leagues long."</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
"Now look, your grace," said Sancho, "what you see over there aren't
giants, but windmills, and what seems to be arms are just their sails,
that go around in the wind and turn the millstone."</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
"Obviously," replied Don Quijote, "you don't know much about adventures.”</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
</span><br /><div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Don Quixote</span></div>
</div>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
<br />
There is a movement afoot to improve Civics Education in the U.S. | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstIxaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1PQPOGY.</a> …actually there are more than one: www.iCivics.org. <br />
<br />
►<b>ANOTHER HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENT ON THE HORIZON</b><br />
<br />
From the AALA Update/ <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstIyaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1XOxRMg</a> <br />
<br />
Week of 13June | Thirteen states have passed legislation since 2014
that requires students to pass a citizenship test prior to receiving a
diploma. <br />
<br />
The map below [<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstIzaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/24It9yn]</a>
Education Week, June 7, 2016) shows where such legislation is already
in place and where similar requirements are being considered. <br />
<br />
Arizona and North Dakota were the first states to implement this
requirement and are utilizing the same questions that are asked of those
applying for U.S. citizenship. The Civics Education Initiative from the
Joe Foss Institute in Arizona is pushing for this requirement to be in
every state by 2017. A representative from the Institute said that the
goal of the Initiative is to bring attention to a quiet crisis. We see
it as a good first step toward balancing curriculum in [the] classroom
and bringing emphasis to soft disciplines…subjects like social studies
and civics [are] getting short shrift in schools.<br />
<br />
<br />
Improving the nonexistent is always fertile ground for ‘meaningful
change’. One need only invest a little chin music (“Raise the
Standards!!”) with an appropriately furrowed brow to get in on the
Golden Sponsorship Level!<br />
<br />
A nice ball cap might help: “Make American Civics Great Again!
(Embroidered is better than printed, but never underestimate the
marketing potential of an inexpensive baseball cap).<br />
<br />
<b><br />
▲QUIZ: Civics Education In California:: EDUCATION FUNDING</b><br />
<br />
<b>A</b>. In California the K-12 Education Budget is centered on THE
LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. The Governor proposes a State Budget in January and
a Revision in May based on anticipated state revenue and legislative
priorities. The two legislative houses propose, discuss, debate and
amend legislation – The June 15 Budget Bill must be passed by midnight
June 15. The Governor approves, vetoes and line-item-vetoes bills <br />
<b>B</b>. In California the K-12 Education Budget is centered on the LOCAL
SCHOOL DISTRICT; locally elected boards of education control education
expenditures in their own districts, overseen by the State Office of
Education and the County Offices of Ed. - making sure that budgets are
balanced, prudent and comply with state and federal regulations.<br />
<b>C</b>. It’s even more local than that! Gov. Brown’s Prop 30 Educational
Reform Initiative empowered Boards of Ed, Individual Schools and
Elected+Appointed Parent Advisory Councils to
cooperatively+collaboratively write and implement LOCAL CONTROL
ACCOUNTABITY PLANS (Budgets) that put in place THE LOCAL CONTROL FUNDING
FORMULA …which changed California Education Funding forever!<br />
<b>D</b>. Last weekend THE BIG THREE: the Governor, the Speaker of the Assembly
and the President pro Tempore of the Senate got together behind closed
doors and hammered out a budget deal.<br />
<br />
For the answer, let’s turn to an article in the LA Times:<br />
<br />
▲GOV. JERRY BROWN AND LAWMAKERS STRIKE CALIFORNIA BUDGET DEAL THAT ADDS MONEY FOR HOUSING AND CHILD CARE<br />
<br />
By Liam Dillon, Chris Megerian and John Myers | LA Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstIAaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1Un71Il</a><br />
<br />
June 10, 2016 :: Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders reached an
agreement Thursday on a new budget to fund state government, a proposal
highlighted by $400 million in low-income housing subsidies as well as
expanded funding for child care and early learning programs.<br />
<br />
The plan received its first public vetting by the Legislature’s budget
conference committee Thursday evening. A formal vote by both the state
Senate and Assembly would come later, though the timing remains unclear.
California’s new fiscal year begins July 1.<br />
<br />
"We’re on a very good path right now and I think we can all be proud of
what we’re going to be delivering to the people of California," said
state Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco).<br />
<br />
The housing money would come with strings attached, according to
administration officials who had been briefed on the details, and it
could not be spent unless lawmakers loosened regulations on
homebuilders. <br />
<br />
Housing has been one of the most talked about issues during the spring
budget season at the state Capitol, and Brown has urged lawmakers to
streamline the process for building new housing units.<br />
<br />
The agreement comes almost one week before the constitutional deadline
for a new budget, an early compromise that’s likely a sign of just how
few contentious issues there were between Brown and his fellow
Democrats.<br />
<br />
The governor offered a concession to Democrats when revising his budget
last month, agreeing to a $2-billion bond measure aimed at mental health
needs for the homeless. Legislators responded by embracing Brown’s
January proposal to divert an extra $2 billion into the state’s
rainy-day fund, an effort to cushion against any economic downturn that
might be on the horizon. Both of those items are in the final agreement
reached Thursday.<br />
<br />
As part of the budget deal, rates paid to state-subsidized child care
providers are being ramped up to keep pace with California’s increasing
minimum wage. The extra funding is expected to total $500 million
annually starting in 2019.<br />
<br />
News of the expanded effort on child care programs for low-income
families was welcomed by members of the Legislative Women’s Caucus,
which made the issue its top priority.<br />
<br />
“This is going to be the biggest appropriation in a decade,” said
Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), the caucus’ vice
chairwoman. “We’re trying to be progressive and think about the
future.”<br />
<br />
Lawmakers would also repeal a 20-year-old rule known as the maximum
family grant, which prevents mothers from receiving additional welfare
assistance if they have another child.<br />
<br />
“It’s been a long overdue process of eliminating a rule that everyone
knew was unfair,” said Chris Hoene, executive director of the California
Budget & Policy Center, a nonprofit that advocates for programs
aimed at low-income families. “It’s good news that they’re finally doing
that.”<br />
<br />
Under the change, families would receive an extra $136 per month per
child. An estimated 130,000 children in 95,000 families would benefit.<br />
<br />
“It’s the difference between making a rent payment or being put out on
the street,” said Frank Mecca, executive director of the County Welfare
Directors Assn. of California. “For a family living on or below the
edge, it’s going to make a huge difference.”<br />
<br />
The budget agreement boosts funding for both the University of
California and California State University systems if more in-state
students are admitted. UC’s money requires the system to place a new cap
on out-of-state student enrollment.<br />
<br />
On housing, the budget deal represents a promise to address the priorities of both Democratic legislators and Brown.<br />
<br />
Democrats in the Assembly had pushed for the new housing subsidies money
as the state’s affordability crisis has continued to spiral. Brown had
resisted, saying subsidies didn’t deliver enough bang for the buck.
Instead, he proposed clearing some local regulatory hurdles for
developers if they reserved units in their projects for low-income
residents.<br />
<br />
The budget now incorporates both demands, as the new housing money is
contingent on lawmakers approving Brown’s proposal at a later date.<br />
<br />
::<br />
<b><br />
SO LONG …AND THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH!</b>: Maybe you’re working late at
Beaudry or in school office or at home over your part of the Budget –
whether to fill in a blank cell in a spreadsheet or to justify an entire
new program – or continue a successful one; more successfully but with
less money. Whether you are providing a dozen slides of a Board
Informative slide deck or perhaps formulating a Strategic Master Plan
Moving Forward – or even suggesting how get the Parent Advisory
Council’s advice just listened-to: Thanks but no thanks. The deal is
done/The ship, sailed. The strategy is set; it’s all
tactics+operations+logistics from here-on-out. That entrepreneurism
looked good on you; file it in the pantry with the cupcakes.<br />
<br />
<br />
That big budget meeting on Tuesday at the Board of Ed? The Big Vote before the deadline?<br />
<br />
Just like last year and the year before – and all the fat+lean years
before+ since. Exercises in civic theater and non-participatory
democracy.; Come up with new questions for the answers arrived-at last
weekend – and be sure to phase your answer as a question …that way it’s
debate!<br />
<br />
<br />
Thank you for the work; I hope we didn’t get your hopes up too far!<br />
</span><blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Don't you love farce?</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
My fault, I fear.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
I thought that you'd want what I want – sorry, my dear.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
But where are the clowns?</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Quick, send in the clowns.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Don't bother, they're here.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
<br />
<b>SEE Op-Ed: BERNIE LOST. WHAT DO LIBERAL CALIFORNIANS DO NOW?</b><br />
by Harold Meyerson/LA Times| <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstIBaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1S0j7Bk</a><br />
<br />
[Meyerson concludes: ] June 10, 2015 :: Over the past two years, oil
companies and “education reform” billionaires have been funding
campaigns for obliging Democratic candidates running against their more
progressive co-partisans under the state’s “top-two” election process.
In this week’s primary, independent committees spent at least $24
million, with most of that money flowing to Democrats who opposed Gov.
Jerry Brown’s effort to halve motorists’ use of fossil fuels by 2030,
and a substantial sum going to Democrats who support expanding charter
schools. <br />
<br />
Charter School ‘independent’ Political Action Committee money from PAC
going to a single assembly candidate for in AD 43 is a case in point.<br />
<br />
In Assembly District 43 Candidate Ardy Kassakhian is critical of the
more than $1.2 million of independent expenditures spent by the
previously spectacularly egregious “Parent Teacher Alliance”, which is
sponsored by the California Charter Schools Assn. in favor of Laura
Friedman. CANDIDATES CRITICIZE, DEFEND CONTRIBUTIONS IN STATE ASSEMBLY
RACE - Glendale News-Press | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstICaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1XOlQGJ</a><br />
<br />
In the primary Friedman made the runoff, eliminating Kassakhian. They
are both Democrats – though I bet a have five pounds o’ flyers that say
Kassakhian is – once was (or heads a sleeper cell) of Republicans
awaiting the accession of King Donald! <br />
<br />
In “<b>EDUCATION REFORM-BACKED CANDIDATES SWEEP CALIFORNIA PRIMARY ELECTIONS”</b> <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstIDaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Yk0BLk</a>
- the LA School Reports gets some righteous+angry quotes from LAUSD
Board President Zimmer over CCSA’s Big Money PAC …and the the LASR/CCSA
apparent conflict o’ interest (being bought+piad-for with the same
check) is delightfully answered: DISCLOSURE: LA School Report is the
West Coast bureau of The74Million.org, which is funded in part by
foundations whose board members have also contributed to the CCSA
Advocates Independent Expenditure Committee and EdVoice.<br />
<br />
Last election cycle both California State PTA and National PTA sent
‘cease+desist’ letters requesting that the California Charter Schools
Association’s so-called independent Political Action Committee/Bogus PTA
stop violating PTA’s copyright+trademark.<br />
<br />
<i>Crickets.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Sunday Steve Lopez published a column<b> BEFORE BROAD MUSEUM OPENS FOR
BUSINESS, L.A. STUDENTS HAVE IT TO THEMSELVES, AND THE POETRY FLOWS
</b>(follows) <br />
<br />
This gives me permission+opportunity to thank our Ed ®eform
Philanthropists when they do the right things …and also to print two
LAUSD student poets:<br />
<br />
<br />
A student named Astrid took a hard look at Jean-Michel Basquiat’s "suggestive dichotomies” and wrote:<br />
</span><blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Obnoxious liberals</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
You stand in the middle</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Of racial suffrage and rich</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Insufferable men</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Holding hands high</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
While Samson is chained</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Against his will as time</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Passes by.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
<br />
Juleny Duenez, a junior at Animo Leadership High in Inglewood wrote:<br />
</span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
“Weep weep because you aren’t free. Speak speak because you aren’t free.
Pray pray because you aren’t free. Don’t stop don’t stop until you are
free.”</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
Op-Ed :: BERNIE LOST. WHAT DO LIBERAL CALIFORNIANS DO NOW? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
Harold Meyerson | LA Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstIBaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1S0j7Bk</a><br />
<br />
Jun 10, 2016 :: What should California’s Bernie Brigades do now? How
should they proceed with the revolution once the Democratic convention
formally bestows its nomination on Hillary Clinton?<br />
<br />
If Sanders backers (or, for that matter, Clinton supporters) want to
involve themselves in politics, there are a number of elections right
here in California in which a keystone issue of the socialist’s campaign
– breaking the hold that big money has on our system – is effectively
on the ballot.<br />
<br />
For even as Sanders was thundering against the corrosive role of money
in politics and Clinton was condemning the plutocratic consequences of
the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, corporate money was
carving an ever larger role for itself in California politics –
California Democratic politics.<br />
<br />
Over the past two years, oil companies and “education reform”
billionaires have been funding campaigns for obliging Democratic
candidates running against their more progressive co-partisans under the
state’s “top-two” election process. In this week’s primary, independent
committees spent at least $24 million, with most of that money flowing
to Democrats who opposed Gov. Jerry Brown’s effort to halve motorists’
use of fossil fuels by 2030, and a substantial sum going to Democrats
who support expanding charter schools.<br />
<br />
Six years ago, according to the Associated Press, just one legislative
primary race had more than $1 million in outside spending, and four had
more than $500,000. This year, eight races saw more than $1 million in
such spending, and 15 more than $500,000.<br />
<br />
In a heavily Democratic district outside Sacramento, a November state
Senate runoff will pit Democratic Assemblyman Bill Dodd, who opposed
Brown’s legislation, against former Democratic Assemblywoman Mariko
Yamada. Dodd has already benefited from one independent campaign funded
by Chevron and other energy companies to the tune of more than $270,000,
and from an education reform campaign funded by charter school
proponents such as billionaire Eli Broad in the amount of $1.68 million.<br />
The combination of [a] top-two election system with free-flowing outside
spending has given rise to a new birth of corporate power in
Sacramento.<br />
<br />
In a nearby overwhelmingly Democratic assembly district, two Democratic
candidates with strong environmental credentials lost out in this week’s
primary to a Republican and a Democrat who benefited from more than
$1.2 million from charter school advocates and an additional $650,000
from Chevron, Tesoro, Valero and other oil companies.<br />
<br />
A similar dynamic has shaped a San Bernardino Assembly contest in which
Democratic incumbent Cheryl Brown has been bolstered by major oil
company expenditures in her race against Democrat Eloise Reyes.<br />
<br />
These contests reflect the new reality of California politics.
Businesses that previously would have backed Republicans – oil companies
and real estate investors in particular – have responded to the GOP’s
electoral eclipse by shifting their contributions to malleable, more
conservative Democrats. These Democrats would not prevail in a closed
primary system, but have a better chance than Republicans in a general
election because they’re not associated with that toxic – to
Californians – brand. (They appeal to some Democratic voters and to some
Republican ones, who have no better choice.) In this sense, the top-two
system helps corporate interests like Chevron.<br />
<br />
In some races, unions and such wealthy environmentalists as Tom Steyer
have answered the flood of corporate money with a torrent of their own,
but the balance remains heavily weighted toward business.<br />
<br />
The combination of this top-two election system with free-flowing
outside spending has given rise to a new birth of corporate power in
Sacramento, in the form of the self-proclaimed Moderate Caucus of
Democrats. Aligning themselves with their Republican colleagues, caucus
members have blocked a range of environmental and pro-worker reforms.
Late last year, Assemblyman Henry Perea of Fresno, who’d headed the
caucus since 2012, resigned to take a government relations job with
Chevron.<br />
<br />
<br />
So what’s a California Bernie bro – or for that matter, a Hillary sis –
to do? Joining together (because the environmental and liberal groups
that backed Clinton oppose the Moderate Caucus’ handiwork as much as the
Sanderistas do), they should support the progressive legislative
candidates whom the oil companies and charter school advocates seek to
defeat. They should work to repeal the top-two primary, through which
organized money has increased its clout in Sacramento. And they should
work to elect a presidential candidate – her name is Clinton – who will
appoint justices who will overturn Citizens United.<br />
<br />
You say you want a revolution? This would be a good place to start.<br />
<br />
<br />
Harold Meyerson is executive editor of the American Prospect. He is a contributing writer to Opinion.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead3"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
Art+Rhyme & Art+Story: BEFORE BROAD MUSEUM OPENS
FOR BUSINESS, L.A. STUDENTS HAVE IT TO THEMSELVES, AND THE POETRY FLOWS
</span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
Steve Lopez, LA Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstIYaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1Pn7uED</a><br />
<br />
June 12, 2016 :: It’s early in the morning in the house where
Jean-Michel Basquiat lives down the hall from Marlene Dumas and not far
from Ed Ruscha.<br />
<br />
And now some visitors are at the door.<br />
<br />
One group of students is from Belmont High’s Multimedia Academy. Almost three dozen ninth-graders.<br />
<br />
Another group has bused in from Animo Leadership High in Inglewood. More than 60 11th-graders.<br />
<br />
What a deal they’ve got.<br />
<br />
Before the Broad Museum opens for business, this coliseum of creativity
is theirs. No crowds, no lines, no noise but the echoes of their own
voices.<br />
<br />
But the free pass has a few strings attached. The students can’t just
wander off on their own. They have to take seats in front of provocative
paintings, learn something about them, discuss.<br />
<br />
And then write.<br />
<br />
Since the program began in January, 3,200 students have ogled the art
and Picassoed the images into words. The Broad Museum teams with local
schools and 826LA, a nonprofit writing and tutoring center, to tap
creativity that is too often idled by lack of exposure.<br />
<br />
These students have never been to the Broad.<br />
<br />
Many have never been to a museum.<br />
<br />
“I’ve actually been wanting to come here for so long, but I know tickets
are overbooked,” says Juleny Duenez of Animo. “Once I knew we were
having a field trip here, I was ecstatic.”<br />
<br />
When elementary school students visit, they study Jeff Koons’ “Balloon
Dog,” Robert Therrien’s “Under the Table” or Ruscha’s “Norm’s La Cienega
on Fire.”<br />
<br />
Then they write a story.<br />
<br />
The older students study works including Roy Lichtenstein’s “Mirror #1,”
Barbara Kruger’s “(Untitled) Your Body is a Battleground,” Glenn
Ligon’s “Double America 2,” and Basquiat’s “Obnoxious Liberals.”<br />
<br />
Then they write a poem.<br />
<br />
The range in quality is vast; the bar is high.<br />
<br />
On an earlier visit, a student named Astrid took a hard look at Basquiat and wrote:<br />
<br />
Obnoxious liberals<br />
You stand in the middle<br />
Of racial suffrage and rich<br />
Insufferable men<br />
Holding hands high<br />
While Samson is chained<br />
Against his will as time<br />
Passes by.<br />
<br />
Scrawled in the lower center of “Obnoxious Liberals” are the words “Not
For Sale.” Kristin Lorey, an 826LA director who helped design the
program, says one student keyed on that phrase in an earlier visit.<br />
<br />
“It was someone well-versed in art history who knew what it was like for
Basquiat to sell his own artwork, and [the student] talked about
obnoxious liberals as people who might buy artwork and turn it from
something special into something commonplace,” Lorey says.<br />
<br />
“That’s not my take, but what I love about this program is that … there
are no wrong answers. They respond to what they see, their
interpretation of it, and that’s what we want.”<br />
<br />
Art can be intimidating for all of us, especially for youngsters who
don’t frequent museums. Ed Patuto, director of audience engagement at
the Broad, is trying to blot out the fear factor.<br />
<br />
Students are handed prompts to get them thinking and talking. With
Ligon’s “Double America,” in which the word “America” is both upright
and inverted, Patuto says the prompts are along the lines of:<br />
<br />
“Why did the artist make one of them upside down and backwards? What is he saying about America?”<br />
<br />
An Animo student thinks on that for a moment and then volunteers an answer.<br />
<br />
“Maybe,” she says, “America has two faces.”<br />
<br />
A Belmont 9th-grader named Yancey examines Lichtenstein’s “Mirror” and
quickly catches on. It isn’t a mirror, but a set of questions: What do
you see? What do you want to see? What do you not want to see?<br />
<br />
Yancey sees the future.<br />
<br />
“I have my job. I have my family. My hair is curled.”<br />
<br />
Animo teacher Erin Woods brought her history class to the Broad because
“in history we talk about art” as a trip to another time. “I think they
can relate more to a different period if they can hear the music and see
the poetry.”<br />
<br />
Stephanie Lopez, one of her students, sits on the floor in front of
Kruger’s “Untitled (Your Body Is A Battleground).” It depicts a woman’s
face split by positive and negative exposures, and the image was an
emblem in a women’s reproductive rights march on Washington in 1989.<br />
<br />
“We’ve been talking in Miss Woods’ class about civil rights, and this
has a lot to do with the feminist movement,” Stephanie says. “In my
opinion, women should have the right to choose what they do with their
own bodies. There’s society’s expectation that you should be a certain
way or look a certain way. But you should be the things you want to
be.”<br />
<br />
Lopez tells me she wants to study political science in college and run for office.<br />
<br />
Maybe governor, I ask?<br />
<br />
“I want to be president of the United States,” she says. “I tell
everyone that and they say, ‘You’re crazy.’ But I think I have the
potential.”<br />
<br />
At Dumas’ “Wall Weeping,” nine men stand facing a wall, their hands up. Are they praying? Are they under arrest?<br />
<br />
Manny Villanueva guesses this is a scene from Jerusalem because the
blocks of the wall look ancient. Another student knows it’s not in
America because the men don’t have baggy pants. Several students say
they’ve seen similar images in their neighborhoods during arrests.<br />
<br />
“I’m a minority in which being a majority is the big priority,” writes Ismael Rodriguez.<br />
<br />
Juleny Duenez writes:<br />
<br />
“Weep weep because you aren’t free. Speak speak because you aren’t free.
Pray pray because you aren’t free. Don’t stop don’t stop until you are
free.”<br />
<br />
<br />
The Art+Rhyme and Art+Story program is now on summer vacation but will
continue in the fall. To apply, teachers should send an email to <a href="mailto:schoolvisits@thebroad.org">schoolvisits@thebroad.org</a>.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead4"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
WHY SCHOOL START TIMES PLAY A HUGE ROLE IN KIDS’ SUCCESS </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<b>TEENS ARE SEVERELY SLEEP-DEPRIVED. THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE.</b><br />
<br />
Rebecca Klein Editor, HuffPost Education| https://t.co/zInVJoy29W<br />
<br />
<br />
06/09/2016 02:05 pm ET :: Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia
did it. Seattle Public Schools is doing it. Madison School District in
Wisconsin is considering doing it. <br />
<br />
Around the country, more school districts are moving to delay their
start times. Here’s why: Teens currently aren’t getting enough sleep.
And this lack of sleep is having a detrimental effect on their grades
and mental health.<br />
<br />
Terra Ziporyn Snider, co-founder of the nonprofit Start School Later,
has been documenting this problem and advocating changes to fix it since
2011. She started the organization after posting an online petition
asking authorities to establish 8 a.m. as the earliest allowable school
start time. Within a month, she’d received nearly 2,000 signatures from
all over the country. Now, there are close to 75 local chapters of Start
School Later, all educating communities about the importance of making
school hours compatible with teens’ sleep needs.<br />
<br />
“I think educated public opinion is very much in favor of this. Even a
vast majority of people who know anything about the issue, if they’ve
done any homework or read about it, are for later start times, in
theory,” said Snider. “When it comes to specific changes in their school
system, there’s much more debate.”<br />
<br />
A range of small and large school districts in at least 44 states have
taken steps to push back school start times in order to maximize
students’ sleep time. In April, Maryland passed a bill incentivizing
schools to delay school start times, and New Jersey lawmakers are
currently studying the issue.<br />
<br />
Here’s why Snider, pediatricians and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention think more districts and states should follow suit.<br />
<br />
MOST SCHOOLS START REALLY EARLY<br />
<br />
In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a policy statement
recommending that middle and high schools start classes after 8:30 a.m.<br />
<br />
According to Department of Education data from the 2011-2012 school year
analyzed by the CDC, only a small share of districts were doing so.
About 17.7 percent of middle and high schools started after 8:30. The
average start time was 8:03 a.m., with 75 to 100 percent of schools in
42 different states starting classes before 8:30 a.m.<br />
<br />
Early start times like these cause teens to be severely sleep-deprived.
The AAP recommends that teens get 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep a night, but
over 90 percent of of teens are chronically sleep-deprived, according
to a 2014 report.<br />
<br />
SLEEP DEPRIVATION IS BAD FOR LEARNING<br />
<br />
A lack of sleep can have a devastating impact on kids’ futures.
Sleep-deprived students are more likely to be overweight, anxious,
depressed, have suicidal thoughts, perform poorly academically and
engage in risky behaviors, according to the CDC.<br />
<br />
Later school start times are proven to improve academic performance.<br />
<br />
A 2012 study found that students who started school an hour later than
usual saw their math scores on standardized tests increase an average
2.2 percentage points and reading scores increase an average 1.5
percentage points. They also watched less television, spent more time on
homework and had fewer absences, the research found.<br />
<br />
“Start times really do matter,” Finley Edwards, author of the study,
told The Huffington Post in 2012. “We can see clear increases of
academic performance from just starting school later.”<br />
<br />
Snider, who has a Ph.D. in the history of medicine, first learned about
this issue as a medical writer in the 1980s, but it started to hit home
as she raised her three kids.<br />
<br />
She learned that schools didn’t always start so early and that this type of sleep deprivation was a relatively new phenomenon.<br />
<br />
“Nobody is going to tell you it’s good for kids’ health or safety or learning to start class at 7 in the morning,” Snider said.<br />
<br />
THE REASON THERE’S RESISTANCE TO CHANGING THE SYSTEM<br />
<br />
When Snider’s kids were in school, she worked hard to push school times
later, with little success. School start times deeply impact many
aspects of community life and are difficult to change, she learned.<br />
<br />
“School hours affect everybody in the community, whether or not you have
kids. The time the public school runs will affect what time the parks
and recreation department can have after-school classes, what times the
sports leagues can run, what times school athletics can practice, what
time daycare hours are, what time traffic gets bad because of the school
buses, what time local employers can hire kids after school; it affects
the whole town,” she said.<br />
<br />
<br />
“It’s those sorts of interests, which are perfectly understandable, and
fears which lead people to say, ‘Don’t change, because I had to jump
through hoops to make my life work, and now you’re going to change my
life,’” Snider said.<br />
<br />
Still, delaying school start times doesn’t always mean that kids will
get more sleep. Students may just stay up later, according to a study
published this year in the journal Sleep. The efforts can also end up
being costly. In 2015, Fairfax County spent $5 million to delay school
start times nearly an hour, according to the Capital Gazette.<br />
<br />
But advocates argue that the benefits outweigh the costs.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
REGULAR BOARD MEETING - June 14, 2016 - 8:00 a.m. - Including Closed Session Items<br />
AGENDA: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstJaaaaaaac/">http://laschoolboard.org/sites/default/files/%2006-14-16RegBdCSOB-Rev.pdf</a><br />
<br />
REGULAR BOARD MEETING - June 14, 2016 - 1:00 p.m.<br />
AGENDA: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstJbaaaaaac/">http://laschoolboard.org/sites/default/files/06-14-16RegOBpost.pdf</a><br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstHXaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstHYaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstHZaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstH0aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstH1aaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstH2aaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatrJRacstH3aaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px Verdana, sans serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-6765303253640335462016-06-05T15:00:00.000-07:002016-06-05T15:00:26.300-07:00Hero.
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<span style="color: #e1127d; font: bold 18px Verdana, sans serif;">
4LAKids: Sunday 5•June•2016
</span>
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<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px Verdana, sans serif;">
In This Issue:
</span>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">GATES FOUNDATION FAILURES SHOW PHILANTHROPISTS SHOULDN’T BE SETTING AMERICA'S PUBLIC SCHOOL AGENDA</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Local Control Funding Formula: STATE OFFICIALS FIND LA UNIFIED SHORTCHANGED STUDENTS</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">EARLY-ONSET EXISTENTIAL CRISES: Many thanks to the College Board and capitalism</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but
not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other Sources</span></td>
</tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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<br /><br />
<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px Verdana, sans serif;">
Featured Links:
</span>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatqoqacsjRwaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">► Friends4smf :: The GoFundMe campaign</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatqoqacsjRxaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Follow 4 LAKids on Twitter - or get instant updates via text message by texting</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatqoqacsjRyaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved!</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatqoqacsjRzaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKidsNews:
a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
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<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<b>Muhammad Ali<br />
1942 – 2016 </b><br />
<br />
"Muhammad Ali shook up the world," the President and First Lady said in a
statement released by the White House yesterday. "And the world is
better for it.” <br />
<br />
“We are all better for it.”<br />
<br />
<br />
Last Thursday morning LAUSD celebrated itself+its excellence:”
CELEBRATING OUR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT” at special meeting of the
Curriculum, Instruction and Educational Equity Committee. [Video Stream:
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatqoqacsjRAaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Y8eJaO]</a> <br />
<br />
We measure success in myriad ways.<br />
<br />
The program/meeting was a compendium of the things LAUSD has been doing,
is doing and does well/better/best – and it was mostly presented by
kids!<br />
<br />
There were presentations of multicultural/multilingual education:
STUDENT VOICES FROM LANGUAGE PROGRAMS. There was an announcement that
future dual-immersion bilingual programs will include Arabic, Armenian,
and more. We have come a long way from reclassifying English Language
Learners …and we are doing well at doing that!<br />
<br />
There was a presentation on LINKED LEARNING – and how the District is
positively linking learners, programs and outcomes through Project Based
Learning and Pathway Portfolio Defense.<br />
<br />
…followed by a celebration of DISTRICT ARTS PROGRAMS, including a
musical number from the Daniel Webster Middle School Chorus,
Presentations in Visual Arts by two students: Pedro Gomez a 5th grader
from Los Angeles ES and Kathleen Gonzales, a senior from Valley Academy
of Arts+Sciences …plus a showstopper presentation from Kittridge
Elementary’s production of The Lion King!<br />
<br />
The STEM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH) contingent may have
been upstaged ….but were not about to be outdone – with presentations
by three of Millikan Middle School’s robotic teams and a presentation on
Cyber Patriots from North Hollywood High.<br />
<br />
<br />
The committee members left the room humming the same tune: and in the
full realization that it’s not about what the students have learned …but
what they teach us.<br />
<br />
<br />
The Chicago Tribune/L.A. Times – formerly known as Tribune Publishing
has changed its name to “tronc” (always lowercase) in a moment of silly
rebranding unmatched since New Coke. | TRIBUNE PUBLISHING, NOW ‘tronc,’
ISSUES WORST PRESS RELEASE IN THE HISTORY OF JOURNALISM - The Washington
Post <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatqoqacsjRBaaaaaac/">http://wapo.st/1Zn8zlF</a><br />
<br />
“If you wanted to signify the pathetic nasal honks of the last dying
dinosaur, "tronc" would be a pretty good word.” - @qhardy) June 2,
2016<br />
<br />
…and it kinda/sorta rhymes with Trump. In a post-modern way.<br />
<br />
Thursday the LA Times (…or is it the L.A. tronc?) published an editorial
that really needs repeating+reading+rereading: GATES FOUNDATION
FAILURES SHOW PHILANTHROPISTS SHOULDN’T BE SETTING AMERICA'S PUBLIC
SCHOOL AGENDA (follows)<br />
<br />
<br />
And ever-so quietly the State Board of Ed issued a letter that muffled
the sound (“¿¡tronc! ?”) of the other shoe dropping as the state
declined to accept LAUSD’s unique way of computing the Local Control
Funding Formula/Local Control Accountability Plan. The department stated
in a May 27 report that L.A. Unified improperly attributed $450 million
in benefits for special education students as also contributing to
meeting the requirements of the Local Control Funding Formula<br />
<br />
Stay tuned as all sides lawyer-up …what’s half a billion dollars among friends?<br />
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
GATES FOUNDATION FAILURES SHOW PHILANTHROPISTS
SHOULDN’T BE SETTING AMERICA'S PUBLIC SCHOOL AGENDA </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Editorial by The Times Editorial Board | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatqoqacsjS9aaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1TUw3A4</a><br />
<br />
June 1, 2016 :: Tucked away in a letter from the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation last week, along with proud notes about the
foundation’s efforts to fight smoking and tropical diseases and its
other accomplishments, was a section on education. [<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatqoqacsjTaaaaaaac/">http://gates.ly/1TUuTEW]</a><br />
<br />
Its tone was unmistakably chastened.<br />
<br />
“We’re facing the fact that it is a real struggle to make systemwide
change,” wrote the foundation’s CEO, Sue Desmond-Hellman. And a few
lines later: “It is really tough to create more great public schools.”<br />
<br />
The Gates Foundation’s first significant foray into education reform, in
1999, revolved around Bill Gates’ conviction that the big problem with
high schools was their size. Students would be better off in smaller
schools of no more than 500, he believed. The foundation funded the
creation of smaller schools, until its own study found that the size of
the school didn’t make much difference in student performance. When the
foundation moved on, school districts were left with costlier-to-run
small schools.<br />
<br />
Then the foundation set its sights on improving teaching, specifically
through evaluating and rewarding good teaching. But it was not always
successful. In 2009, it pledged a gift of up to $100 million to the
Hillsborough County, Fla., schools to fund bonuses for high-performing
teachers, to revamp teacher evaluations and to fire the
lowest-performing 5%. In return, the school district promised to match
the funds. But, according to reports in the Tampa Bay Times, the Gates
Foundation changed its mind about the value of bonuses and stopped short
of giving the last $20 million; costs ballooned beyond expectations,
the schools were left with too big a tab and the least-experienced
teachers still ended up at low-income schools. The program, evaluation
system and all, was dumped.<br />
<br />
The Gates Foundation strongly supported the proposed Common Core
curriculum standards, helping to bankroll not just their development,
but the political effort to have them quickly adopted and implemented by
states. Here, Desmond-Hellmann wrote in her May letter, the foundation
also stumbled. The too-quick introduction of Common Core, and attempts
in many states to hold schools and teachers immediately accountable for a
very different form of teaching, led to a public backlash.<br />
<br />
“Unfortunately, our foundation underestimated the level of resources and
support required for our public education systems to be well-equipped
to implement the standards,” Desmond-Hellmann wrote. “We missed an early
opportunity to sufficiently engage educators — particularly teachers —
but also parents and communities, so that the benefits of the standards
could take flight from the beginning.<br />
<br />
“This has been a challenging lesson for us to absorb, but we take it to
heart. The mission of improving education in America is both vast and
complicated, and the Gates Foundation doesn’t have all the answers.”<br />
<br />
It was a remarkable admission for a foundation that had often acted as
though it did have all the answers. Today, the Gates Foundation is
clearly rethinking its bust-the-walls-down strategy on education — as it
should. And so should the politicians and policymakers, from the
federal level to the local, who have given the educational wishes of
Bill and Melinda Gates and other well-meaning philanthropists and
foundations too much sway in recent years over how schools are run.<br />
<br />
That’s not to say wealthy reformers have nothing to offer public
schools. They’ve funded some outstanding charter schools for low-income
students. They’ve helped bring healthcare to schools. They’ve funded
arts programs.<br />
<br />
The Gates Foundation, according to Desmond-Hellmann’s letter, is now
working more on providing Common Core-aligned materials to classrooms,
including free digital content that could replace costly textbooks, and a
website where teachers can review educational materials. That’s great:
Financial support for Common Core isn’t a bad thing. When the standards
are implemented well, which isn’t easy, they ought to develop better
reading, writing and thinking skills.<br />
<br />
And foundation money has often been used to fund experimental programs
and pilot projects of the sort that regular school districts might not
have the time or extra funds to put into place. Those can be extremely
informative and even groundbreaking.<br />
<br />
But the Gates Foundation has spent so much money — more than $3 billion
since 1999 — that it took on an unhealthy amount of power in the setting
of education policy. Former foundation staff members ended up in high
positions in the U.S. Department of Education — and, in the case of John
Deasy, at the head of the Los Angeles Unified School District. The
foundation’s teacher-evaluation push led to an overemphasis on counting
student test scores as a major portion of teachers’ performance ratings —
even though Gates himself eventually warned against moving too hastily
or carelessly in that direction. Now several of the states that quickly
embraced that method of evaluating teachers are backing away from it.<br />
<br />
Philanthropists are not generally education experts, and even if they
hire scholars and experts, public officials shouldn’t be allowing them
to set the policy agenda for the nation’s public schools. The Gates
experience teaches once again that educational silver bullets are in
short supply and that some educational trends live only a little longer
than mayflies.</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead3"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
Local Control Funding Formula: STATE OFFICIALS FIND LA UNIFIED SHORTCHANGED STUDENTS </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
By John Fensterwald | EdSource | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatqoqacsjU1aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1PvDoUP</a><br />
<br />
June 1, 2016 |In a ruling with statewide implications and financial
repercussions for the state’s largest school district, the California
Department of Education has determined that Los Angeles Unified has
shortchanged low-income students, English learners and foster children
by hundreds of millions of dollars they should have received through the
state’s new funding system.<br />
<br />
The department stated in a May 27 report that L.A. Unified improperly
attributed $450 million in benefits for special education students as
also contributing to meeting the requirements of the Local Control
Funding Formula, which is weighted to provide additional services for
children in greatest need. The department found that by counting the
same expenditure twice, the district spent less than required on
high-needs students. As a remedy, the state has ordered the district to
revise its 2016-17 spending plan, known as the Local Control
Accountability Plan, or LCAP, to add additional services and programs
for the district’s high-needs students.<br />
<br />
“We applaud the department for issuing its straightforward legal ruling
and ordering L.A. Unified to comply with the law under the Local Control
Funding Formula,” John Affeldt, managing partner of the nonprofit law
firm Public Advocates, said in a statement. “We look forward to seeing
the district halt this illegal practice and invest more fully in its
low-income students, English learners and foster youth.”<br />
<br />
In a statement late this afternoon, L.A. Unified said it intends to
challenge the decision, “which we believe is an incorrect interpretation
of the Local Control Funding Formula. If the decision is allowed to
stand, it would seriously undermine the district’s ability to continue
providing our deserving students with the effective instruction and
support services they need to succeed.“<br />
<br />
“The state put districts in a bind. Funding is not enough for
non-high-need students to receive an adequate education,” said John
Affeldt, managing partner of Public Advocates, which filed the
complaint. “But the answer is not to rob from supplemental and
concentration dollars.”<br />
<br />
Insisting that the district “has long been committed to serving the
needs” of children receiving extra support from the Local Control
Funding Formula, the statement said the state’s decision “would require
L.A. Unified to shift money away from these programs and impair our
ability to best serve our students. To be very clear, the district is
fulfilling its responsibility to provide rigorous and effective
instruction, along with social and emotional services, to the hundreds
of thousands of high-needs students in Los Angeles. The (department’s)
decision runs counter to the intention of LCFF and to our duty to
educate our students.”<br />
<br />
Public Advocates and the ACLU Foundation of Southern California filed a
complaint that led the state education department to investigate the
allegations. Affeldt said he was aware of no other district that had
double-counted special education dollars as L.A. Unified had.<br />
<br />
L.A. Unified is already facing financial pressure as a result of
declining enrollment and rising expenses in pay and pension costs that
could consume hundreds of millions of dollars over the next several
years if state voters do not approve an extension of an increase on
personal income taxes. If the state ruling stands, it could force the
district to shift money in its general fund to services and programs
primarily benefiting high-needs students.<br />
<br />
Public Advocates and the ACLU estimate the total would be $380 million
next year, building to $450 million annually in coming years. That’s on
top of the $690 million that the district estimates it will receive in
additional funding for high-needs students when the Local Control
Funding Formula is fully funded, which the state projects for 2020-21.<br />
<br />
But, the ruling noted, the district could also lower that amount by
documenting that some special education services, such as language
supports for English learners with disabilities, qualified as
appropriate expenditures for high-needs students under the funding
formula. Affeldt expressed doubts that the district could justify
substantially lowering the total.<br />
‘Strained’ legal interpretation<br />
<br />
The funding dispute involves a critical but complex calculation that
districts make to determine how much money they must spend annually on
high-needs students as the Local Control Funding Formula is phased in.
Each year, districts must spend an increasing portion of the difference
between what they were spending on high-needs students before the new
formula was passed in 2013 and the extra money, called “supplemental and
concentration dollars,” that they will receive at full funding. The
more money that districts claimed they spent on high-needs students when
the law was enacted, the less they have to spend moving forward.<br />
L.A. Unified spent about $570 million of its general fund in 2013-14 on
special education services. Because 79 percent of disabled students also
were English learners and low-income children, the district counted
$450 million of that expense as spending for high-needs students,
thereby reducing what the district would have to spend at full funding
of the formula.<br />
<br />
District attorneys, in responding to the complaint, said their
calculation was a legal application of the funding formula statute. But
the Department of Education agreed with Public Advocates and called the
district’s approach a “strained” interpretation of the law. The intent
of the funding formula is to provide additional programs and services
for high-needs students beyond the level provided for all students, the
decision said. Money for special education generally doesn’t meet that
standard, because it’s provided to all students who have a disability,
regardless of their high-needs status under the law, the department
concluded.<br />
<br />
“Thus, dollars spent on special education services are not expenditures
on services targeted for high need students and may not be counted as a
prior year expenditure for high need students,” Public Advocates wrote
in its complaint.<br />
<br />
Public Advocates first questioned the district’s underfunding in 2014
and sued a year later. Last November, it agreed to an intermediate step
of filing a formal complaint with the state. Public Advocates had asked
that the state require the district to retroactively fix the funding
errors that reduced supplemental and concentration dollars by $126
million in 2014-15 and $288 million this year. The state ruled that the
district need only provide additional funding for high-needs students
moving forward.<br />
<br />
L.A. Unified has 35 days to appeal the ruling. Both the district and
Public Advocates can also turn to the courts to resolve the dispute.<br />
<br />
Affeldt said he is sensitive to pressures that districts are facing on
their base-level funding from rising pension and other expenses, but
L.A. Unified “should have been more prudent in approving any new
substantial expense, including pay raises, knowing that the issue of
special education funding had been raised.”<br />
<br />
“The state put districts in a bind. Funding is not enough for
non-high-need students to receive an adequate education,” he said. “But
the answer is not to rob from supplemental and concentration dollars.”<br />
<br />
“We urge LAUSD to move swiftly to adopt the state’s decision, and to
work with the community to consider ways to make up for the last two
years of underfunding of services for those students. LAUSD has already
wasted too much time and money pursuing an interpretation of the law
that shortchanged students who need more, not less, support,” Hector
Villagra, executive director of the ACLU of Southern California, said in
a statement.<br />
<br />
• EdSource reporter Michael Janofsky contributed to this article. <br />
• John Fensterwald covers education policy.<br />
<br />
</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2850505-LAUSD-Investigation-Report-052716.html" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">SB/LAUSD INVESTIGATION REPORT</a> </td>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead5"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EARLY-ONSET EXISTENTIAL CRISES: Many thanks to the College Board and capitalism </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Editorial in the Los Feliz Ledger by Belen Cahill, Polytechnic High School (Pasadena) ‘17 · <br />
<br />
June 2, 2016 :: Describe yourself in 400 words or less:<br />
<br />
I am not a woman. I am not a poet. I am not the daughter of Nancy and
Jason or the granddaughter of Sally and Lisle, Ann and Peter. I am not
Olivia’s best friend. I am not a patient with a neurological condition
and titanium in my heart. I am not someone who had an eating disorder. I
am not a kid who loves their guitar more than most humans. I am not an
activist. I am not sad. I am not a democrat, I am not Irish, I am not
smart.<br />
<br />
I am a B+ average.<br />
<br />
I am not a lover of road trips or Joni Mitchell. I am not fascinated by
manatees. I am not a storyteller. I am not a child. I am not spiritual. I
am not enamored of the ocean. I am not a wonderer. I am not a wanderer.
I am not sensitive. I am not vulnerable. I am not made sublimely happy
by the smell of rain. I am not most at home when engulfed by the stars. I
am not someone who knows every line of Arrested Development. I am not
introverted, I am not naive, I am not afraid.<br />
<br />
I am a 3.5 GPA.<br />
<br />
I am not someone who laughs. I am not someone who screams. I am not
someone who cried ceaselessly as they watched two baby squirrels die on
top of one another; one from puncture wounds, the other from heartbreak.
I am not from a background of suicide and stifled joy. I am not from a
background of alcoholism and dancing on tabletops. I am not obsessed
with Jane Austen. I am not a sucker for boys with kind eyes. I am not an
insomniac, I am not a bad driver, I am not imperfect.<br />
<br />
I am a number. I am a statistic. I am a dot on a scatter plot. I am a
transcript. I am an SAT score. I am a frozen smile on an application. I
am manipulative. I am bitter. I am stagnant. I am self-loathing. I am a
gaping hole of someone else. I remember what it feels like to be a
person, but I forget how.<br />
<br />
In 371 words, that is who I have become. I wrote a speech this past year
on why we should eliminate academic awards at my high school, the
larger themes of which mostly dealt with the depersonalization of
education which, to me, is the single most upsetting aspect of the
contemporary educational experience in America.<br />
<br />
What makes my school and schools similar to it in level of demand feel,
on some days, unbearable, is this survival-of-the-fittest attitude
towards success. There is no time, room, or true empathy for mistakes,
unforeseen obstacles, or exhaustion.<br />
<br />
And so, we are effectively dehumanizing kids during the time of their
lives that is most formative—and that damage, although not irreparable,
is lasting. Maybe adults forget that we are still just kids, and so
perhaps it is hard for them to see that a good part of our childhood is
being drowned by the weight of an educational
system-turned-anxiety-propelled industry that depends directly upon the
dwindling of our sanity not just to function, but to exist.<br />
<br />
As someone who came into high school incredibly confident, passionate
and curious, and as someone who has been reduced to not much more than a
suffocating self doubt, I have no doubt that this dynamic is not
reflective of callow students simply buying into a mindset, but is
instead systemic.<br />
<br />
More harmful than the pressure to take APs, the sheer workload, or the
power of an ACT score is the dark underbelly of it all: the cavernous
absence of forgiveness.<br />
<br />
Some of my teachers harbor much bitterness about, but show little
interest in, my inconsistent presence in class. Few of them know that I
had a disease when I was younger that rendered my immune system scarily
vulnerable, and that I consequently am ill probably more often than not.
Few of them know that I have struggled with depression since my brain
surgery in seventh grade, and that some days I cannot get out of bed.<br />
<br />
We talk a lot about community and there is something undeniably magical
about my school. But we cannot continue to invalidate the very human
experiences students undergo because the reality is that those
experiences are inevitably going to bleed into our school lives and we
aren’t just automatons with an on/off switch.<br />
<br />
This is not about relinquishing student responsibility—it is about
seeing students as multidimensional people, through a lens of genuine
empathy. Because at the end of the day, we are just a bunch of kids
doing our best to keep it together, and the odds are not in our favor.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
BREAKING: UTLA Members vote YES on Tentative
Agreement. The TA will be voted on by the @LAUSD School Board June 14.<br />
<br />
Follow week-long series @CapitalAndMain documenting HOW THE PUSH FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS IMPACTS PUBLIC EDUCATION IN CA. <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatqoqacsj4Naaaaaac/">http://capitalandmain.com/failing-the-test-series/</a> …<br />
<br />
DOES 'CHARTER' MAKE YOU LOOK SMARTER?? Principal of LAUSD's newest affiliated charter says Yes!- LA School Report<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatqoqacsj4Oaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1UkIKhP</a><br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Special Board Meeting - June 7, 2016 - 9:00 a.m. - Including Closed Session Items<br />
Start: 06/07/2016 9:00 am<br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatqoqacsjRCaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatqoqacsjRDaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatqoqacsjREaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatqoqacsjRFaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatqoqacsjRGaaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatqoqacsjRHaaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatqoqacsjRIaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px Verdana, sans serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-70998652597582385762016-05-29T15:00:00.000-07:002016-05-29T15:00:03.876-07:00Auditing foregone conclusions
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4LAKids: Sunday 29•May•2016 Memorial Day W/E
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In This Issue:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">AS LAUSD BATTLES INSURERS, TAXPAYERS LEFT WITH BILL FOR TEACHER SEX ABUSE SETTLEMENTS</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">PLAS v. P-Rev v. LAUSD @ 20th St. Elementary: PARENTS PROTEST POTENTIAL CHANGE IN SCHOOL MANAGEMENT</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">FACING
POTENTIAL ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, LA UNIFIED CONSIDERS FINANCIAL FUTURE +
STILL LISTENING, NO BIG PLAN YET: SUPERINTENDENT KING WRAPS COMMUNITY
TOUR</span></td>
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HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but
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<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
At last Tuesday’s meeting of the Budget, Facilities
and Audit Committee, a minor kerfuffle broke out – maybe it was even a
brouhaha: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maato9AacsaZsaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1TGC4Lh</a> [from appx 1:48 > 2:04]<br />
<br />
This is the season of budgeting+audits. A time of penny-wisdom and pound-foolishness.<br />
<br />
And this issue-of-the-moment is whether LAUSD should undertake an audit
of the District’s fledgling Restorative Justice Initiative.<br />
<br />
Not a ‘gotcha’ backwards-looking audit, like the State Dept. Inspector
General vs. Hillary Clinton seeking Wrongdoing,Waste,Fraud+Abuse …but a
Prospective forwards-looking Analysis: <br />
• What are the goals? <br />
• What are the expectations? <br />
• What are the likelihoods?<br />
<br />
<br />
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE has become the great big fuzzy Golden Retriever
puppy of School District Discipline Policy+Programs nationwide; LAUSD
has become the poster child for RJ. The nation turns its lonely eyes to
us.<br />
<br />
The question is not whether RJ is a good program; but whether it is
being effectively implemented and whether there is room for
further/continuous improvement.<br />
<br />
No less an authority than Superintendent Cortines said the LAUSD RJ
policies, which were pushed through by the Board of Education and former
Supt. John Deasy and which he supports, were poorly executed. He
compared the implementation to the flawed effort to equip students and
teachers with Apple tablets.<br />
<br />
"I will compare it to the iPad," Cortines said. "You cannot piecemeal
this kind of thing and think it is going to have the impact that it
should have. Don't make a political statement and then don't have the
wherewithal to back it up." | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maato9AacsaZtaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1ldDSkH</a><br />
<br />
(It is ironic that Boardmember Ratliff – who probably was the most
instrumental person in the building in drilling down into the iPad
Fiasco – seems intent on ‘not going there’ on RJ.)<br />
smf: Don’t get me wrong - I am a true believer in Restorative Justice –
not in the Harry Potter “Lumos Maxima” magic of the promise – but in the
good hard work that can be accomplished by doing the good hard work. I
helped implement RJ (back when it was called ‘Council’ or ‘Talking
Circles’) a decade ago at Reed Middle School. <br />
<br />
It is a great program and well-done could be the greatest thing since sliced bread. (…and I’m not a big fan of sliced bread!)<br />
<br />
In the interim RJ has become a poster-program for off-the-shelf/brand-name School Discipline Policy ®eform.<br />
1. Forbid suspensions by executive fiat.<br />
2. Implement RJ as identified in the C.O.R.E. CA literature.<br />
3. Check the boxes on the Rubric of Implementation. ¡Mission accomplished!<br />
<br />
Dr. Deasy’s pretend-governmental California Office to Reform Education
(C.O.R.E. CA) built+sold RJ to Arne Duncan and the U.S. Dept. of Ed. as
the key to the CORE CA Waiver to No Child Left Behind …with lots a of
promises of unaccountable unaccountabilities + murky transparency (No
testing = No data. Oh dear!) <br />
<br />
Dr. Deasy is gone. <br />
NCLB is gone. <br />
RJ had lots o’ one-time federal dollars that are soon to go away.<br />
<br />
Whatever data that exists supporting RJ comes from two plus years of
CORE CA’s work since 2013 – hardly an impartial observer. Restorative
Justice in LAUSD moving forward is going to have to be funded by someone
…and that’s the General Fund.<br />
<br />
Restorative Justice focuses on the needs of the Victims and Offenders,
as well as the impacted community; it doesn’t address
Prevention+Pre-identification of Potential Discipline Issues: RJ is
reactive, not proactive. <br />
<br />
What RJ isn’t is a magic bullet that solves all the ills of public
education – or Public Education Districtwide/School-based/or even
Classroom Discipline+Management. Restorative Justice (which is an
outgrowth of criminology) is NOT Restorative Practices (an outgrowth of
Education) – which addresses Prevention+Proactivity …as well
Victims/Offenders/The Community’s rights+responsibilities..<br />
<br />
The conversation around the LAUSD Board of Ed. horseshoe on Tuesday was about:<br />
<br />
1. RJ is so new, it’s too early to audit it.<br />
2. RJ is so wonderful. It’s too wonderful to audit.<br />
3. “We already know…” that any audit will show LAUSD has not invested enough training+professional development in RJ.<br />
<br />
Really?<br />
<br />
A. RJ is a number of years into its implementation. There is a long history - when exactly do we start evaluating programs?<br />
B. RJ IS that wonderful …but LAUSD has the capability of homogenizing
wonderfulness until it is a binder-on-a-shelf or a vague memory of what
could’ve been; if only….<br />
C. If we “already know” we have not committed sufficient
training+resources now when-there-is money maybe this is the moment to
say so – not 2 or 4 or 6 years down the line when the money is gone.<br />
<br />
Questions also arose as to whether the Office of Inspector General is
the right place to look into RJ from? Dr. Vladovic returned to
days-of-yesteryear when the Board of Ed had its own Independent Audit
Unit (IAU). The Board had their own Counsel too – but those days are
gone and the OIG is the entity in LAUSD that undertakes+oversees
audits+investigations.<br />
<br />
Underlying this is the faint whiff of micromanaging the independence of
the OIG by the Board of Ed. by tightening the purse strings. <br />
<br />
THE OIG VISION: To be a proactive agency striving for excellence and
continuous positive change in the management and programs of the Los
Angeles Unified School District.<br />
<br />
THE OIG MISSION: To promote a culture of accountability, transparency,
collaboration and integrity through the performance of audit and
investigative services designed to drive continuous improvement, support
effective decision making and detect and deter waste, fraud and abuse.<br />
<br />
If not them, whom?<br />
<br />
<br />
And, [see: AS LAUSD BATTLES INSURERS, TAXPAYERS LEFT WITH BILL FOR
TEACHER SEX ABUSE SETTLEMENTS] in light of the pending LAUSD budget and
“who’s-going-to-pay-for-it now” element above: Who’s going to pay for
all the sex abuse settlements being made if the District’s insurance
carriers don’t?<br />
<br />
<br />
From the AALA Update: MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL’S ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM
placed first in the U. S. Academic Decathlon’s National Online
Competition (eight events) that occurred simultaneously with the
National Competition.<br />
<br />
Individually, the team members won 68 medals and claimed eight of the
nine top- scoring positions for the Large School Division. Martin
Gonzalez emerged as the top-scoring student in the competition. The team
members are Martin Gonzalez, Manuel Griffin-Espinoza, Robina Hensen,
Abeer Hossain, Tahmin Khan, Giovani Martinez, Arbyn Olarte, Tina Tan,
and Gun- Min Youn. Kudos to the team, their coach, Larry Welch, and
principal, Patricia Heideman. “This, said Cliff Ker, Coordinator for
Academic Events, is the fourth time since 2010 that Marshall has won the
Online Competition,”<br />
<br />
“They worked very hard to earn this honor.” <br />
<br />
Marshall High School won the National Academic Decathlon championship in
1986-87 and 1994-95, and in 2010-11 and 2014-15, the school had repeat
victories as LAUSD Academic Decathlon champs.<br />
<br />
Additionally the Marshall High School iconic tower and main
administration building’s (on the National Registry of Historic Places)
structural+historic preservation was approved by the Bond Oversight
Committee on Thursday – as well as the restoration of the Marshall High
School Auditorium – where smf’s mother once trod the boards as a
student thespian.<br />
<br />
Thought for the day: I really don’t care which restroom you use. Just please: Wash your hands.<br />
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
AS LAUSD BATTLES INSURERS, TAXPAYERS LEFT WITH BILL FOR TEACHER SEX ABUSE SETTLEMENTS </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Kyle Stokes | KPCC 89.3 | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maato9AacsaZAaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Wt7ESE</a><br />
<br />
May 26 2016 :: When the Los Angeles Unified School District reaches a
settlement with victims who experienced sexual abuse in its schools, who
pays? Or, more to the point: who should pay?<br />
<br />
L.A. Unified officials contended their insurance policies should've
covered the $200 million it cost to settle abuse cases from Miramonte
Elementary School in 2014. Last year, the district sued 27 insurance
companies that L.A. Unified believes "abandoned the school district,
forcing it to defend itself and utilize its own much needed resources"
to mount a defense and settle the cases.<br />
<br />
Now, on the heels of another $88 million settlement with victims from De
La Torre and Telfair elementary schools, district officials said they
have gotten no indication that their insurers intend to participate in
those settlements either — meaning, once again, taxpayers could end up
on the hook.<br />
<br />
"We’re asking [LAUSD's insurers] to participate in the eventual payout
for those settlements," said Greg McNair, chief business and compliance
counsel for L.A. Unified. "They have not agreed to do so as of yet. If
they don’t soon agree to do so, we will file lawsuits against those
insurers, just like we filed lawsuits against the insurers for the
Miramonte lawsuit."<br />
<br />
But in their own court filings related to the Miramonte case, one of the
district's insurers argued it's not clear the policies they sold to
L.A. Unified cover the district's settlement costs.<br />
<br />
In their own 2013 lawsuit, Everest National Insurance Company questioned
whether the costs L.A. Unified incurred in settling the Miramonte cases
exceeded their "self insured retention" — roughly analogous to the
deductible on an auto or homeowner's policy — of $5 million. (Exceeding
that "deductible" through either defending or settling the case, McNair
said, triggers the insurance coverage.)<br />
<br />
L.A. Unified asserted that it exceeded that amount in 2012 by replacing
all faculty and staff at Miramonte following the two suspected abusers'
arrests. But Everest attorneys dispute this, writing in their court
filing that L.A. Unified never provided sufficient clarification to make
it clear they had exceeded the self insured retention amount.<br />
<br />
As the insurance company's attorneys wrote, Everest "disputes that there
is any coverage under the Everest policies for the underlying claims"
in the Miramonte case.<br />
<br />
With the legal dispute dragging on — the next court date isn't until
August — the district has had to pay Miramonte settlements out of its
general fund.<br />
<br />
"The insurance companies have deprived the district of its ability to
use this money in the classroom by their failure to live up to their
obligation to provide insurance for these incidences," McNair said.<br />
<br />
Settlements in abuse cases are generally paid out in a lump sum, McNair
said; if the victim is young, the settlement typically covers the cost
of an annuity. In the most recent high-profile cases, the district has
paid out into a qualified settlement fund for victims, he said. A
retired judge then oversees the disbursement of money from that fund.<br />
<br />
For decades, the district has had several layers of insurance coverage
that would handle liability claims, with each policy generally covering a
one-year timespan. In a sexual abuse case, the year in which the abuse
occurred determines which policy would, in theory, cover the claim.<br />
<br />
L.A. Unified paid roughly $5.4 million in premiums on insurance that would cover abuse cases during the 2015-16 school year.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead3"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
PLAS v. P-Rev v. LAUSD @ 20th St. Elementary: PARENTS
PROTEST POTENTIAL CHANGE IN SCHOOL MANAGEMENT </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<b>WHILE SOME PARENTS ARGUE THAT LOS ANGELES' 20TH
STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SHOULD BE PUT UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP, OTHERS
CONTEND THEY LIKE THE SCHOOL JUST THE WAY IT IS. </b><br />
<br />
By Sonali Kohli | LA Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maato9AacsaZIaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/20Q76ER</a><br />
<br />
May 27, 2016 :: 2:05 PM :: Not every parent at 20th Street Elementary School wants new leadership for their kids’ school. <br />
<br />
About 30 mothers gathered in front of the Los Angeles campus Friday
morning with signs in English and Spanish, protesting a potential
agreement that would give some control of school operations to the
Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, a nonprofit that specializes in
improving low-performing schools, often in under-resourced
neighborhoods.<br />
<br />
A different group of parents threatened to sue the Los Angeles Unified
School District in March, after the district rejected a petition that
58% of parents at the school signed to invoke the state's “parent
trigger law,” which allows parents to take control of low-performing
schools. <br />
<br />
To avoid a lawsuit, the district may agree to allow the partnership to
take over school operations, which L.A. School Report first reported on
Wednesday. The partnership runs 17 schools in L.A. Unified, including
Roosevelt High School and Dolores Huerta Elementary.<br />
<br />
Unlike an independent charter school, though, partnership schools are
still Los Angeles Unified district schools, meaning the teachers are
unionized and the district receives state money allocated for each
student. Beyond the district resources, the partnership says it can
fundraise for programs, enhancements and technology. <br />
<br />
“We are not as bad as other schools that have gotten this
partnership,”said Karla Vilchis, a 20th Street parent with one daughter
in transitional kindergarten and another who finished fifth grade at the
school in 2013. Changes, she said, should come from “working together
instead of attacking each other."<br />
<br />
She and other parents at the protest Friday morning were mostly silent.
They didn’t want to disrupt classes or fight, but they did want to show
other parents that not everyone wants the school to change hands,
Vilchis said. They held signs with phrases like “No to PLAS” (an acronym
for the partnership), “We are improving” and “Padres que apoyan Calle
20.”<br />
<br />
The parents pushing for a change in leadership complain about low
academic scores and a lack of resources at their school. Last year, they
launched the first petition to transform 20th Street into a pilot
school, a district-run school with more freedom than a traditional
school. At the end of the 2014-15 school year, the district agreed to
make improvements.<br />
<br />
But the district didn’t follow through on those promises, like having
more coordinators to help students prepare for junior high school and
teaching more rigorous classes, said Omar Calvillo, one of the parents
leading the trigger actions. So the group launched another petition,
this time to take full control of the school.<br />
<br />
Some teachers and parents at 20th Street argue that the school has
improved. The playground is open on Saturdays, there are more
opportunities for parents to be involved and a program focused on
reclassifying English-learner students began this year, said Javier
Cruz, a third-grade teacher and the school’s United Teachers Los Angeles
chapter chairman.<br />
<br />
A district spokeswoman declined to comment Thursday on the status of
20th Street. “We are still in negotiations regarding this issue and have
no further comment,” Shannon Haber said in an email.<br />
<br />
When the 20th Street parents union submitted its petition in February,
it also put out a request for proposals for charter school operators who
would be able to run the school, said Gabe Rose, chief strategy officer
for Parent Revolution, the group helping 20th Street parents invoke the
trigger law. The partnership, though not a charter, submitted a
proposal. <br />
<br />
The parents’ group will accept only an agreement that allows the
partnership full autonomy over the school, Calvillo said. Otherwise, it
is prepared to sue the district for full control.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead4"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
FACING POTENTIAL ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, LA UNIFIED
CONSIDERS FINANCIAL FUTURE + STILL LISTENING, NO BIG PLAN YET:
SUPERINTENDENT KING WRAPS COMMUNITY TOUR </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
► <b>FACING POTENTIAL ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, LA UNIFIED CONSIDERS FINANCIAL FUTURE</b><br />
By Michael Janofsky | EdSource | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maato9AacsaZOaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1sW33w9</a><br />
<br />
May 26, 2016 :: Members of the Los Angeles Unified school board got a
sobering economic report this week as finance experts warned that a
slowing state economy and failure of a November ballot measure to extend
an increase in personal income taxes could cost the district hundreds
of millions of dollars.<br />
<br />
It was neither a message they didn’t know nor one aimed solely at L.A.
Unified, the largest school district in the state – all of California’s
1,200 school districts would be affected by economic developments beyond
their control.<br />
<br />
But with more than 1,200 schools and 550,000 students, L.A. Unified
would face the most drastic change in operations, leading to probable
cutbacks in personnel, programs and school improvements. Listening to
the possibilities, board President Steve Zimmer suggested the district’s
future could be “fairly apocalyptic.”<br />
<br />
The cause for alarm involves two factors beyond the control of
policymakers, in Los Angeles, Sacramento or anywhere else in the state.<br />
<br />
One is the ballot measure, which would continue a tax on high-income
earners created by Proposition 30, which was approved by voters in 2012
and scheduled to end in 2018. No effort is underway to extend the sales
tax increase that is part of the proposition, which ends this year.<br />
<br />
The new ballot initiative – the Children’s Education and Health Care
Protection Act of 2016 – remains in the signature-gathering phase to get
it on the November ballot. It would extend by 12 years personal income
tax increases on earnings over $250,000, generating a projected $5
billion or more annually, with $2 billion a year earmarked for
children’s health programs. Of the rest, 89 percent would go to K-12
schools and 11 percent to California Community Colleges.<br />
<br />
Over the last four years, Prop. 30 income tax revenue has accounted for
about 13 percent of the district’s Local Control Funding Formula
revenue, and the loss of the income tax extension would cost about $600
million in future revenue, according to a report presented to board
members by district finance experts.<br />
<br />
The other factor prompting concern is the uncertainty of California’s
economic growth. According to the May revision of Gov. Jerry Brown’s
budget for the next fiscal year, the state budget for the next two years
will remain balanced. But state financial experts are predicting a $4
billion deficit by 2019-20, an amount that could only be offset by an
improving economy, which is uncertain, or passage of the Prop. 30
extension.<br />
<br />
An economic slowdown, combined with the failure of the tax extension, would hit every school district in the state.<br />
<br />
In a colloquy at the board meeting with Dale Shimasaki, CEO of Strategic
Education Services, a Sacramento-based education consulting and
lobbying firm that works with school districts, Zimmer asked, “On a
scale of 1 to 10, where would you put, with 1 being the least and 10 the
most, how important is (extending) Prop. 30?”<br />
<br />
“Oh, 10. It’s the most important,” Shimasaki responded.<br />
<br />
Zimmer went on, explaining the district’s mission to maintain an “equity
agenda” for all the children in the district in the face of potential
economic distress and a need to develop a strategy to stem an enrollment
decline of 3 percent annually that has been underway for more than a
decade and has cost L.A. Unified nearly a billion dollars in lost state
revenue.<br />
<br />
He asked Shimasaki where the balance is between policy decisions based on further investment or program cutbacks.<br />
<br />
“You’re not the only (district) now going through that,” Shimasaki said.
“But I’m not sure where you go between those two things.”<br />
<br />
But he then agreed with Zimmer, who said, “So investing, for example, in
growing enrollment is something you would strategically recommend,
whatever that pathway might be that we determine.”<br />
<br />
“Right,” Shimasaki said, agreeing again with Zimmer’s assertion: “Even
though the (economic) picture is bleaker in the future, not investing
could be even more dangerous.”<br />
<br />
______________<br />
<br />
<br />
►<b>STILL LISTENING, NO BIG PLAN YET: LAUSD CHIEF MICHELLE KING WRAPS UP COMMUNITY TOUR FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR</b><br />
Posted on LA School Report by Sarah Favot | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maato9AacsaZPaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1sFXWzt</a><br />
<br />
Posted on May 26, 2016 4:29 pm :: As Michelle King wrapped up her
“listen and learn” tour in her first semester as LA Unified
superintendent, she said she still has more listening to do before
announcing her priorities, a strategy that some experts said could make
her more successful than her predecessors.<br />
<br />
Many people have been asking her about her plans, but “It’s not going to
be a Michelle plan,” she said. “The Board of Education and I, we have
said, it’s going to be an LAUSD plan. It’s going to be built from the
ground up.”<br />
<br />
Tuesday’s 8 a.m. town hall at Nightingale Middle School in Cypress Park
was the last of three large forums on her tour before the end of the
school year and attracted a little more than 100 people. The first, in
March at Pacoima Middle School, drew about 700 people, while about 500
attended one earlier this month at Gage Middle School in Huntington
Park.<br />
<br />
Antonio Plascencia Jr., who leads King’s transition team, said that the
superintendent has held about 20 other meetings of various sizes with
audiences from high school students to school facilities managers and
members of community groups.<br />
<br />
Plascencia said the qualitative data collected at the meetings will be used to develop King’s strategic plan.<br />
<br />
Some parents said Tuesday it was the first time they had ever seen an LA Unified superintendent at their neighborhood school.<br />
<br />
District officials said they believe King is the first superintendent to
have an organized series of forums to meet with parents and the
community.<br />
<br />
“No previous superintendent has ever done that. I think that’s a good start,” said parent Courtney Everts Mykytyn.<br />
<br />
ASSESSING THE STRATEGY<br />
<br />
Experts said that King’s approach of meeting with parents and community members before revealing her priorities is wise.<br />
<br />
Pedro Garcia, a professor of clinical education at USC’s Rossier School
of Education, said King’s leadership style is to build relationships and
a support team that will help to carry out the vision.<br />
<br />
“She knows the system. She has a much better perspective than the
previous superintendent,” said Garcia, a former schools superintendent
in Nashville, Tenn., and in districts in California.<br />
<br />
“When she comes up with a vision, I think it will be very clear, very
direct and accurate, instead of pie in the sky. I wouldn’t worry about
the fact that she hasn’t verbalized a vision yet.”<br />
<br />
Pedro Noguera, distinguished professor of education at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education and Information Sciences, agreed.<br />
<br />
He said around the country he’s seen some new superintendents
immediately take charge with big ideas, while others take a long time to
come up with a strategic plan. He said he’s rarely seen superintendents
with the former approach become successful.<br />
<br />
He said King’s strategy is somewhere in the middle.<br />
<br />
“I think it’s a smart approach, and the reason why is I think that is
part of what she’s got to do is demonstrate that the district is going
to be responsive to the concerns and the aspirations of the community
and take that into consideration,” Noguera said.<br />
<br />
“She’s got to start to rebuild a sense of confidence in the school
system, and you can’t do that by just putting out your own ideas, you
have to engage in a dialogue,” he added.<br />
<br />
Noguera also said that King has to make sure the school board is
informed about the challenges — particularly financial ones — facing
the district before she announces her priorities because her plans must
address those issues.<br />
<br />
“If they don’t fully understand what the challenge is then how are they
going to agree to any plan to address them,” said Noguera, who has been
hired by the district to facilitate board retreats.<br />
<br />
The plan that King comes up with must also address the issues that have been raised in these community town halls, Noguera said.<br />
<br />
Both Garcia and Noguera expect that King will announce her plans by the beginning of the fall.<br />
<br />
Calling herself an LAUSD “lifer,” King told the audience Tuesday about
herself from her experience in the district as a student to a teacher to
an administrator. She said she still considers herself a teacher.<br />
<br />
WHAT STUDENTS, PARENTS WANT<br />
<br />
King gave an overview of the feedback that she’s heard so far from
parents and students on her listening tours throughout the district. She
said she’s “still on the road.”<br />
<br />
She said students of all ages in the district told her in various ways
they want their teachers to have high expectations of them. She said
students also want to have electives at their schools, so they can
choose classes like music or art in addition to required courses.
Students also want to have a safe environment at their schools. Older
students spoke about wanting their schools to implement restorative
justice practices.<br />
<br />
She said she’s heard from parents that they want teachers to teach
rigorous curriculum, so that their kids are prepared to go to college or
into a career. King also said parents want the district to offer
continuous pathways so that if a child is enrolled in a dual language
immersion program in elementary school, there is an option to continue
that program in middle school and high school. She said the district
will expand its offering of dual language programs to include Arabic and
French next year.<br />
<br />
The audience applauded when King mentioned her plans to expand popular magnet school programs.<br />
<br />
King said she also wanted to expand the district’s teaching of computer science and coding skills.<br />
<br />
King said her biggest goal is to raise graduation rates and ensure that students are prepared to go to college.<br />
<br />
She stressed her belief in school choice and that not “one size fits
all,” pointing to the experience she had with her three daughters.<br />
<br />
“All three of them were different and really had different interests and
different needs and so that really became a part of me and my
philosophy about making sure that we design, cultivate based on the
school’s needs, on a community’s needs,” King said.<br />
<br />
For Lisette Duarte, who was sitting in the front row of the auditorium,
that message hit home. Duarte has a son in the 10th grade who is
attending a Partnerships to Uplift Communities charter school on the
Sotomayor Learning Academies campus. Her daughter is in 5th grade at
Monte Vista Elementary School, a traditional school.<br />
<br />
“It’s not a one size fits all, she really gets that,” Duarte said
afterward. “I love that she was kind of bridging that divide. We need to
lift those failing or struggling schools and we need to share best
practices.”<br />
<br />
Duarte said she appreciated that King came to the community to hear from
parents, rather than the superintendent saying this is what the
community needs.<br />
<br />
“The community came because they have questions, concerns or comments,”
she said. “This is a great first step. I want to see more of it.”<br />
<br />
LOOKING FOR ANSWERS<br />
<br />
Tuesday’s event was described as a “conversation.” During the hour-long
town hall, King spoke and then was interviewed by school board member
Ref Rodriguez, who represents District 5 in east and northeast Los
Angeles. Rodriguez asked some of his own questions and then asked about
six or seven questions submitted from the audience.<br />
<br />
Some parents said they wished they could have asked their own questions.<br />
<br />
Rodriguez said he decided to have audience members submit their
questions in writing, so that all of the questions could be addressed
even if they ran out of time during the forum.<br />
<br />
Rodriguez said at another event, parents came up to microphones to ask
their questions, and some stood in line at the microphone for 40 minutes
and weren’t able to ask their questions.<br />
<br />
About 45 people submitted questions.<br />
<br />
Plascencia said the district plans to follow up with people who
submitted questions. If the question deals with a school-specific issue,
he said, the question will be forwarded to local administrators, and
the superintendent’s office would ensure there is follow-up.<br />
<br />
King said she believed local superintendents and school administrators should be able to address school-specific concerns.<br />
<br />
Some parents came to the town hall looking for answers about problems at their child’s school.<br />
<br />
Zaira Cervantes brought her 2-year-old son to the town hall. She said
she wanted to tell the superintendent about an issue she has at the
Olympic Primary Center, where one of her daughters attends.<br />
<br />
“I think it’s good to have this meeting, She’s the only one that can help us,” Cervantes said.<br />
<br />
“She seems that she cares about our kids.”<br />
<br />
Cervantes didn’t get the answers she was looking for Tuesday but hoped the superintendent would respond.<br />
<br />
Another parent, Rosaura Roa, came with a group of parents from Arroyo
Seco Museum Science Magnet School. She said she was hoping to speak with
the superintendent herself. She spoke with Plascencia after the forum.<br />
<br />
“I hope she will have answers,” Roa said.<br />
<br />
Everts Mykytyn said she thought the town hall forum wasn’t the place to
talk about an individual issue with her child. She said she submitted a
question about how the superintendent would ensure that the push for
school choice doesn’t segregate schools.<br />
<br />
“I’ll be interested to see who and if anyone gets back to me on that question,” she said.<br />
<br />
Plascencia said the “listen and learn” tour won’t end with the wrap-up
of the school year. He said the superintendent plans to have a
“back-to-school” series in the new school year.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead5"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
HOUSE AND SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN: ESSA
ACCOUNTABILITY REGULATIONS NEED CLOSE REVIEW </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<b>CHAIRMEN SAY IF REGULATION DOESN'T FOLLOW LAW, THEY WILL SEEK TO OVERTURN IT THROUGH CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW ACT</b><br />
<br />
From FitzWire :: By email<br />
<br />
May 27, 2016 :: House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman
John Kline (R-MN) and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) released the following
statements after the Department of Education released its proposed
regulation implementing "accountability" provisions in the Every Student
Succeeds Act. This proposed regulation is the first step of the
regulatory process. The public will have 60 days to comment on the
proposal.<br />
<br />
CONGRESSMAN KLINE SAID: "Congress worked on a bipartisan basis to move
the country away from the prescriptive federal mandates and requirements
of No Child Left Behind. We replaced that failed law with a
fundamentally different approach that empowers state and local leaders
to determine what's best for their schools and students. I am deeply
concerned the department is trying to take us back to the days when
Washington dictated national education policy. I will fully review this
proposed rule and intend to hold a hearing on it in the coming weeks. If
this proposal results in a rule that does not reflect the letter and
intent of the law, then we will use every available tool to ensure this
bipartisan law is implemented as Congress intended."<br />
<br />
SENATOR ALEXANDER SAID: "I will review this proposed regulation to make
sure that it reflects the decision of Congress last year to reverse the
trend toward a national school board and restore responsibility to
states, school districts, and teachers to design their own
accountability systems. The law fixing No Child Left Behind was passed
with large bipartisan majorities in both the House and the Senate. I am
disappointed that the draft regulation seems to include provisions that
the Congress considered-and expressly rejected. If the final regulation
does not implement the law the way Congress wrote it, I will introduce a
resolution under the Congressional Review Act to overturn it."<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
AB 934: A LEGISLATIVE FIX FOR VERGARA? <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maato9AacsaZXaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1U87r0P</a> <br />
<br />
¿HOW MUCH DO CHARTER SCHOOLS COST LA UNIFIED? :: Fact-checking the teachers union's estimate | 89.3 KPCC<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maato9AacsaZYaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1XSRZeP</a><br />
<br />
Putting Parents First: POLICYMAKERS MUST DO MORE TO ENSURE EDUCATION LAWS DON'T OVERLOOK PARENTS. | US News Opinion<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maato9AacsaZZaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1s8hz3e</a><br />
<br />
LEAKED QUESTIONS REKINDLE DEBATE OVER COMMON CORE TESTS - The New York Times<br />
https://t.co/2VHIGPKk3q<br />
<br />
PROPOSED TEXAS TEXTBOOK SAYS SOME MEXICAN AMERICANS ‘WANTED TO DESTROY’ U.S. SOCIETY - The Washington Post<br />
https://t.co/9t1l5xefvK<br />
<br />
Gun Violence Brought Home: A DRUMBEAT OF MULTIPLE SHOOTINGS ...BUT AMERICA ISN’T LISTENING<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maato9AacsaZ0aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1s5R8uY</a> <br />
<br />
Special Report: LA CHARTER SCHOOL UNDER REVIEW AFTER HIGHLY-PAID PRINCIPAL CHARGES $100K ON CREDIT CARD<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maato9AacsaZ1aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1TsxXYt</a><br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
MONDAY MAY 30<br />
MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY<br />
NO SCHOOL<br />
<br />
TUESDAY MAY 31: <br />
SPECIAL BOARD MEETING - May 31, 2016 - 9:00 a.m. - Including Closed Session Items<br />
Start: 05/31/2016 9:00 am<br />
CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND EDUCATIONAL EQUITY COMMITTEE MEETING - May
31, 2016 - 10:00 a.m. POSTPONED TO THURSDAY, JUNE 2 AT 10:00 A.M.<br />
SPECIAL BOARD MEETING - May 31, 2016 - Time Change to 10:00 a.m.<br />
Start: 05/31/2016 10:00 am<br />
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND PARENT ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE - May 31, 2016 - 2:00 p.m. POSTPONED TO THURSDAY, JUNE 2 AT 1:00 P.M.<br />
<br />
THURSDAY JUNE 2: <br />
CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND EDUCATIONAL EQUITY COMMITTEE MEETING - THURSDAY, JUNE 2 - 10:00 A.M. Postponed from May 31, 2016<br />
Start: 06/02/2016 10:00 am<br />
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND PARENT ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE -Thursday, June 2, 2016 - 1:00 p.m. - Rescheduled from May 31, 2016<br />
Start: 06/02/2016 1:00 pm<br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maato9AacsaY5aaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maato9AacsaY6aaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maato9AacsaY7aaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maato9AacsaY8aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maato9AacsaY9aaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maato9AacsaZaaaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maato9AacsaZbaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px Verdana, sans serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-5223285559469163842016-05-22T11:30:00.000-07:002016-05-22T11:30:01.009-07:00On a scale of 1-to-10 - ten being mad-as-hell and one being not-outraged-at-all…
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4LAKids: Sunday 22•May•2016
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In This Issue:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">L.A. SCHOOL DISTRICT REACHES $88-MILLION SETTLEMENT IN SEX MISCONDUCT CASES AT TWO CAMPUSES</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">PEARSON CEO FALLON TALKS COMMON CORE, RISE OF ‘OPEN’ RESOURCES, DEFENDS ROLE IN LAUSD iPAD FIASCO + smf's 2¢</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">YET
ANOTHER POOR SCORECARD FOR CALIFORNIA'S PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS: State spent
$45 million more on early education ...and only enrolled 298 more kids</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">CALIFORNIA IMMIGRANT KIDS GAIN STATE-FUNDED HEALTH CARE REGARDLESS OF LEGAL STATUS</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Contract Reopener: STUDENT-FOCUSED TENTATIVE AGREEMENT REACHED BETWEEN UTLA AND LAUSD</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYsdaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKidsNews:
a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
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<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
“NOLAND, MARY ANNE ALFRIEND. 17 May 2016 :: Faced
with the prospect of voting for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton,
Mary Anne Noland of Richmond chose, instead, to pass into the eternal
love of God on Sunday, May 15, 2016, at the age of 68.” - Richmond (VA)
Times-Dispatch/Obituaries & In Memoriam | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYsFaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Tv1m17</a><br />
<br />
Godspeed Mary Anne!<br />
<br />
________<br />
<br />
CAPT. CHESLEY "SULLY" SULLENBERGER, said Sunday people should not jump
to conclusions about what happened to EgyptAir flight 804. "In many
walks of life it's just human nature to shoot from the hip or jump to
conclusions, but in safety-critical domains like aviation ... it's the
evidence, facts, that we must rely on," Sullenberger said in an
interview on CBS' "Face the Nation." | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYsGaaaaaac/">http://cbsn.ws/20mRCYD</a><br />
<br />
________<br />
<br />
@REALDONALDTRUMP | “Looks like yet another terrorist attack. Airplane
departed from Paris. When will we get tough, smart and vigilant? Great
hate and sickness! 3:27 AM - 19 May 2016 | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYsHaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Xq3xFO</a><br />
<br />
________<br />
<br />
LAST WEEK I wrote that these pages don’t usually repeat those news
stories about Race Riots at High Schools and/or horror stories about
lead or other toxic heavy metals in the municipal water supply.<br />
<br />
[I can’t help but note that the mayor of Chicago is investigating school
water supplies in his city as a cause of trouble there. | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYsIaaaaaac/">http://trib.in/1WIfWWz</a> | Hint to Rahm: Investigate the man in the mirror!]<br />
<br />
<br />
These pages don't usually waste a lot of pixels+outrage over LAUSD’s
handing of child abuse settlements either – after all this IS the
district that: <br />
1. returned Steve Thomas Rooney to the schoolsite to molest again. And again.| <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYsJaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1qBPYpW,</a> <br />
2. hired child-abusing/defrocked-priest Paul Chapel III to teach in our schools | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYsKaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/25fxdvz</a> | and <br />
3. retained+fired+re-retained an attorney to claim a 14-year-old-was legally capable of consent to sex with her teacher | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYsLaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1yCxsMo</a> .<br />
<br />
History, Marx tells us, repeats itself. First as Tragedy, Second as
Farce. He doesn’t go on to describe the third, fourth and fifth ordinals
– but 24/7 Cable News and Reality TV must be in there somewhere! Maybe
there’s School Board Meetings?<br />
<br />
Down at the courthouse LAUSD might as well have a target painted on their litigation cases.<br />
<br />
LAUSD has made itself a target for attorneys who would go after the district’s deep pockets.<br />
<br />
They are a brand …we see them on the nightly news nightly. They have
created a whole new category of tort law 1(800)SueLAUSD – preying on
the voters and taxpayers and the District’s operating budget. It was the
students who were the victims when the wrongdoing was about a
sad+pathetic sickness ….and ultimately when the payout is about attorney
fees the kids and taxpayers lose again.<br />
<br />
Read L.A. SCHOOL DISTRICT REACHES $88-MILLION SETTLEMENT IN SEX
MISCONDUCT CASES AT TWO CAMPUSES (following). It is populated by a lot
people I know to be good and the recounted history shows how No Good
Deed Goes Unpunished in a Gilbert+Sullivan musical-chairs bureaucracy
both petty+political. (NOTE: Remember that whenever+wherever a dispute
was between Dr. Deasy and Dr. Vladovic the politics WAS personal!)<br />
<br />
<br />
At one time LAUSD had a Child Abuse Awareness Policy about Prevention,
Identification and Reporting – with modules for Educators, Classified
Staff and Parents. <br />
<br />
It was implemented and it worked. <br />
<br />
It was Called Darkness to Light.| <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYsMaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/27NX2S5</a> <br />
<br />
And then it was cut. And cut. And eliminated. We saved that money and
paid it out in settlements and attorney’s fees. Over and over again.<br />
<br />
LAST WEEK A REPORTER CALLED ME and asked my opinion about the $88 million settlement.<br />
<br />
• Nice round number: $88 million. <br />
• Eighty-eight keys on a piano keyboard. <br />
• The number of constellations in the sky as defined by the International Astronomical Union.<br />
• Eighty-eight symbolizes fortune and good luck in Chinese culture. <br />
• White Supremacists claim it means ‘Heil Hitler!’ to them. <br />
I told him I was outraged – but I doubt if I raised my voice; I’ve
seen+felt a lot of outrage. And the morphine pain-moderation medication
moderates my outrage.<br />
<br />
Outrage as a Vital Sign: “On a scale of 1-to-10 - ten being mad-as-hell
and 1 being not-outraged-at-all - how do you rate your outrage, Mr.
Folsom?”<br />
<br />
And then he shared his righteous outrage about the answers to the
questions he was asking as a reporter …and not getting answers to:<br />
<br />
“On Monday the LAUSD agreed to an 88-million dollar settlement with
scores of parents whose students were victims of two pedophile teachers.
The district has absolutely refused any comment what steps they will
take moving forward to correct this, ensure it doesn't happen again, or
hold anybody other than the two predators accountable. I am looking to
speak with someone who’ll comment on the district's reckless and
arrogant unapproachable stance whether the district as a whole will be
held accountable and responsible for protecting LA's children.”<br />
<br />
The settlements were of civil lawsuits; the pedophile perpetrators were
removed from classrooms, fired, convicted+imprisoned under criminal
statutes long ago. I spoke with the reporter later and the questions he
was unable to get answers to are ones that shouldn’t+can’t remain
unanswered – including nagging ones like “Can-or-do these teachers
collect their pensions?”<br />
<br />
What is LAUSD’s policy+strategy moving forward for dealing with Child
Abuse Awareness and Prevention, Identification and Reporting? – and
will there by programs for Educators, Classified Staff and Parents?<br />
<br />
or do we just continue to agree to some acceptable level of abused
children as Collateral Damage and pay out settlements to the Disputation
of Attorneys at 1(800)SueLAUSD?<br />
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
L.A. SCHOOL DISTRICT REACHES $88-MILLION SETTLEMENT
IN SEX MISCONDUCT CASES AT TWO CAMPUSES </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Richard Winton and Howard Blume | LA Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYsOaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1NEp8bS</a><br />
<br />
May 16, 20`6 | 7:04PM :: The Los Angeles school district will pay $88
million to settle sexual abuse cases at two elementary schools where
complaints about the teachers behavior had surfaced long before their
arrest, officials confirmed Monday. <br />
<br />
The settlement with 30 children and their families, finalized over the
weekend, is the second largest in district history, and brings a dark
chapter to an apparent close.<br />
<br />
The cases at De La Torre Elementary in Wilmington and Telfair Avenue
Elementary in Pacoima, emerged in the aftermath of better-known sexual
misconduct at Miramonte Elementary, south of downtown. Altogether, a
spate of prosecutions and lawsuits led to huge settlements and spurred
the district to announce a raft of reforms at the nation's
second-largest school system.<br />
<br />
"We’re glad that we’re able to resolve both of these cases so we can
avoid potentially painful litigation and put these cases behind us,"
said Gregory McNair, a senior attorney with L.A. Unified. "We’re turning
a corner here because we’ve resolved the last two very large cases that
were involving the district." <br />
<br />
The abuse scandals prompted the school system to better document and retain allegations against employees.<br />
<br />
The district also focused on better training on recognizing and reporting abuse and set up a special investigations unit. <br />
<br />
Attorneys representing the students said the change was long overdue and they remain concerned.<br />
<br />
Plaintiffs' attorney John Manly likened the district's handling of these
cases to the Catholic Church's failure to halt abuse by priests. <br />
<br />
“We feel this is an ongoing problem in L.A. Unified and we hope this
amount of money will promote a change of heart and change of attitude
when it comes to victims," said Manly, who represents many of the
students and families.<br />
<br />
The De La Torre litigation encompassed 18 children and 19 of their
parents (who sued separately). The Telfair settlement involved 12
minors. The agreement provides for a process to distribute the money
fairly, but the average payout will be about $3 million per family,
including sums that two of the Telfair students won through a jury
verdict last year.<br />
<br />
The two schools are at opposite ends of the sprawling school system —
Telfair in the north, De La Torre in the south. And Miramonte was miles
from both. All three schools served predominantly low-income communities
and involved veteran teachers who had been relatively popular, but
whose conduct had raised questions in the past.<br />
<br />
Miramonte teacher Mark Berndt attracted the most media attention after
his 2012 arrest because of the bizarre forms of abuse into which he
lured dozens of students. The payouts eventually totaled $175 million.
Berndt is serving a 25-year sentence for committing lewd acts.<br />
<br />
“We feel this is an ongoing problem in L.A. Unified and we hope this
amount of money will promote a change of heart and change of attitude
when it comes to victims.” — John Manly, plaintiffs' attorney<br />
<br />
The district's reputation continued to be battered as details emerged
about other accused predators. At the time, Telfair teacher Paul Chapel
III already was facing sex abuse charges.<br />
<br />
L.A. Unified had no record that it ever conducted an internal
investigation about him despite his dismissal from a previous job at a
private school and his later trial — Chapel was not convicted — on
allegations that he abused a boy. District officials said that the
earlier incidents did not involve conduct at an L.A. Unified school,
which may have limited their attention to the matter at the time.<br />
<br />
But court documents allege that there also were concerns at his L.A.
Unified workplace. Teachers at his first district school, Andasol
Elementary in Northridge, warned that Chapel was placing children in his
lap, attempting to take them on unauthorized field trips and closing
his classroom door with students inside during lunch and recess.<br />
<br />
In March 2011, a parent complained to an administrator that Chapel would
kiss boys and girls in class. Several children confirmed the
allegations, but even at that point, Chapel remained in the classroom
for six more weeks, according to court documents.<br />
<br />
Questions about Chapel's subsequent quiet removal led to a specific
change in district policy: Families are now supposed to be notified when
an investigation of a teacher involves alleged sexual misconduct.<br />
<br />
In all, Chapel sexually abused a dozen students over a decade, including
acts such as kissing boys on their genitals. He is serving a 25-year
sentence after a no-contest plea. <br />
<br />
Robert Pimentel's case also involves a long chain of accusations that
led to little or no action, according to court documents filed by the
plaintiffs.<br />
<br />
Former district Principal Irene Hinojosa fielded complaints about
Pimentel's aggressive affection for children as early as 2002, when she
documented a conference with Pimentel about touching and slapping young
girls' buttocks and touching their calves. <br />
<br />
The teacher admitted the conduct, according to the document, with the
excuse that he was on medication, which increased his sex hormones.
Three years later, Hinojosa received a search warrant requesting “Mr.
Pimentel’s employment and personnel files” because of an investigation
into Pimentel's alleged abuse of a minor who was related to him. <br />
<br />
In 2009, senior administrators learned of accusations against Pimentel
from a report by social worker Holly Priebe-Diaz, who talked to a group
of about 40 parents demonstrating against the principal.<br />
<br />
An internal district memo, marked confidential, said soon after that
“the district guidelines regarding reporting cases of child endangerment
may not have been followed.”<br />
<br />
Allegations about Pimentel filtered up through administrators Valerie
Moses and Mike Romero — all the way to senior regional administrator
Linda Del Cueto. The complaints, although not lurid, provided more than
enough grounds to launch a full investigation, plaintiff attorneys said.<br />
<br />
About a dozen students complained about sexual misconduct by Pimentel
that occurred after the 2009 allegations. In abuse cases, liability is
not established by the acts themselves, but by whether a school system
could have or should have known about a potential problem, according to
experts.<br />
<br />
The district administrators accused of inaction repeatedly denied wrongdoing or declined to comment.<br />
<br />
Del Cueto, reached at the district on Monday, said that at this point she is unwilling to discuss the case.<br />
<br />
Then-Supt. John Deasy removed Hinojosa as principal and she subsequently
left the district for another job, according to state records.<br />
<br />
Deasy suspended the three other administrators, along with current
Principal David Kooper. Kooper was, for a time, an aide to school board
member Richard Vladovic, who represents that area. Investigators
apparently found nothing incriminating against either Vladovic or
Kooper. Deasy demoted Romero and Del Cueto.<br />
<br />
Deasy's successor, Ramon Cortines, restored them to more senior positions. Moses has retired, according to district records.<br />
<br />
"The LAUSD is more interested in protecting teachers and administrators
than in protecting the children within the LAUSD," said plaintiffs'
attorney Luis Carrillo.<br />
<br />
Pimentel pleaded no contest to sexually assaulting four girls, including a relative, and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead3"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
PEARSON CEO FALLON TALKS COMMON CORE, RISE OF ‘OPEN’
RESOURCES, DEFENDS ROLE IN LAUSD iPAD FIASCO + smf's 2¢
</span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
by Sean Cavanagh Senior Editor | EducationWeek Marketplace K-12 | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYsTaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1TI0Av9</a><br />
<br />
May 16, 2016 :: Few corporate brand names in education are as
recognizable, and as polarizing, as Pearson, the giant education
provider whose reach extends to virtual schools, testing, language
training and an array of other areas.<br />
<br />
Many educators these days see Pearson as the embodiment of commercial
businesses’ continued push to turn profits from public schools. Pearson
has been criticized for everything from its deployment of curriculum in
districts’ 1-to-1 technology programs to the prominent role it plays in
high-stakes testing.<br />
<br />
Yet by its financial measures—including its $7 billion in annual
revenues—Pearson is clearly providing products and services that are in
demand in many schools, districts, and states, and among individual
parents.<br />
<br />
Pearson CEO John Fallon recently met with a group of reporters at
Education Week’s offices and spoke about his company’s business
strategies and record, and offered a defense against some of its
detractors’ claims. He also talked about how he thinks policy shifts
like the implementation of the common-core standards and the adoption of
“open” educational resources are likely to affect the K-12 market, and
his company’s work.<br />
<br />
Here are takeaways from Fallon’s remarks in response to questions from a group of reporters, edited for brevity and clarity.<br />
<br />
Pearson officials have been talking about shifting away from being
identified as simply a publishing company for years now. Fallon
described the scope of the company’s reach in different areas of K-12,
higher education, and professional training.<br />
<br />
Pearson’s annual revenues stand at about $7 billion, of which 50 percent
come from courseware/content, in K-12, higher education, and across the
professional space, Fallon said. Those resources are increasingly
delivered in digital form. Thirty percent of the company’s revenues come
from assessments of one kind or another, which includes professional
certification and apprenticeship programs, as well as summative exams.<br />
<br />
High-stakes testing, specifically, produces “less than 10 percent of our
revenues, but feels sometimes like it generates 150 percent of the news
flow,” quipped Fallon. <br />
<br />
The remaining 20 percent come from services provided to schools and
colleges, including virtual schools, [and] online program management at
universities, he said. A Pearson business motto is “content plus
assessment, powered by technology, equalizes effective learning at
scale,” Fallon said, and after years of striving for that goal, “we only
feel that it’s really now starting to come together.”<br />
<br />
The company’s approach is to “define what we do by the outcome, not by
where it happens physically,” he said. Pearson will continue to support
“some pure online programs,” Fallon added, and “online program
management and virtual schooling are two of the biggest areas of growth
for the company. The weight of the activity will be in blended learning,
and how you combine the benefits of face-to-face with purely online
approaches.”<br />
<br />
Pearson is a major player in virtual schooling, through its operation of
Connections Academy and other programs. Recent studies, including one
by Stanford’s CREDO project, have shown virtual schools producing poor
results. Fallon was asked why parents and others should have confidence
in Pearson’s online schools, despite the negative findings for virtual
education.<br />
<br />
“It’s important to speak in specific rather than general terms…It’s not
always the case, but it’s fair to say there’s a disproportionate number
of students in virtual schooling who are there because physical schools
have failed them in some form or another. So it’s going to be important
that we track value-added, or progress-added.<br />
<br />
“We see technology as the means by which I can apply the benefits of
teaching to far more people, and you can help free teachers up to spend
more time with students, engaging students, learning from each other.
Technology is not a panacea, it’s just a tool, and its primary value is
in enhancing the power of teaching to reach more people.<br />
<br />
“We publish studies that show the value that these programs do add. I
think on the whole, the results are pretty good….But we are not
complacent or satisfied, and all the time we’re looking to improve the
value that is added. If you look at Connections Academy, the schools are
incredibly popular with parents…[We measure the extent to which parents
recommended our online programs among each other] and it receives an
incredibly high rating.”<br />
<br />
Many critics accuse publishers, including Pearson, of making exaggerated
claims of having aligned academic materials to the Common Core State
Standards, while having only made superficial changes.<br />
<br />
Fallon was asked by EdWeek reporters about a review of a Pearson
curriculum by the organization EdReports that gave one of the company’s
curricula a poor rating for common-core alignment. Fallon official
pointed a response by the company that argued that the EdReports
analysis was flawed, and he said Pearson’s overall record in aligning
its materials to the common core is “very good,” overall.<br />
<br />
“We’re very confident that our products are aligned to the common core.
The principles of the [standards] are hugely empowering and inspiring
for teachers and publishers as well. It moves us from a world under No
Child Left Behind where we were essentially teaching and assessing a
child’s mastery of mathematical formulas and equations to a world where
we’re teaching and assessing a child’s ability to solve real world
problems, and more sophisticated problems.”<br />
<br />
[O]ne of the mistakes that were made around the implementation of
the common core was to think you could switch from No Child Left Behind,
that you could click your fingers and it would happen in one fell
swoop. It will take the better part of a generation for the benefits to
flow through.John Fallon CEO, Pearson<br />
<br />
But he said the implementation of the common-core is a massive task, and
that support for educators and schools in making a transition to the
standards has been lacking—one of the factors that has fueled mistrust
in the K-12 community. <br />
<br />
“You have to work with the gray—that is the day-to-day reality of the
classroom. We [made] probably the biggest single investment [in the
Pearson System of Courses, which] completely rethinks the way that
numeracy and literacy are taught in the classroom. It would be the
absolute poster child for the common core, and the new way of
teaching…in the long run, it will prove incredibly liberating for the
profession. But it is not a simple, straightforward thing to implement a
program like that. It will take years, it will require very significant
amounts of professional development. It will require you to rethink how
the working day in the school operates. Those things take time.<br />
<br />
“In hindsight, one of the mistakes that were made around the
implementation of the common core was to think you could switch from No
Child Left Behind, that you could click your fingers and it would happen
in one fell swoop. It will take the better part of a generation for the
benefits to flow through, because it’s such a fundamental step change.
Frankly, where a lot of support from the teaching profession for the
common core tipped over into antagonism, and concern, was because of the
way the assessments were introduced. For example, there wasn’t an
understanding in terms of tracking and measuring teacher performance
against those standards; you needed to give a significant amount of time
for it to bed down. Now, the reality is that it happened in the end,
but it was done slightly late in the day, and almost grudgingly. It
would have been so much better if everyone had been more open and honest
about that much earlier in the process.<br />
<br />
Big changes were required, yes, of publishers, but also huge changes in
the way that schools were administered and led, and in the training of
teachers. It’s a big, big change….You have to deal with the reality of
life in schools…it varies by district, [there’s] variation by state, and
not every school can move straight to a very different style of
curriculum. It will take time.”<br />
<br />
Fallon sees major educational benefits in the types of summative tests
delivered today by Pearson and others, despite criticism of high-stakes
exams, and despite frustration caused by testing breakdowns. [Pearson
was recently faulted by New Jersey state officials for a disruption of
that state’s assessments.]<br />
<br />
“The move toward a world of fewer, better, smarter assessments that
provide more actionable data more quickly to teachers and parents is
important. We would say that an assessment should be only one measure of
progress. It should be part of a richer dashboard, a more holistic
view.<br />
“We’ve been talking for 20 years about the convergence of formative and
summative assessment, something the Every Students Succeeds Act makes
more valid…that is something in our sights, something that is possible,
in psychometric terms, in terms of technology—fewer, better, smarter
assessments, and quicker, better feedback for teachers, parents, and
students.”<br />
<br />
McGraw-Hill Education got out of high-stakes testing entirely last year.
Given the continued controversy around summative exams, and periodic
problems associated with giving them, could you see a day where Pearson
says goodbye to high-stakes testing entirely?<br />
<br />
“Just to put it in context, Pearson successfully conducted 15 million
on-screen tests last year. We did, as you know, have a problem in New
Jersey, and we’re sorry about that. But the tests resumed the next day,
and have been very effective since then. Our onscreen testing is very
reliable, secure, it works, and we can provide much richer data, and we
can provide useful information back to teachers and parents. And it’s
what enables formative and summative assessment to converge. It’s much
harder to see that if we go back to the world of paper and pencil,
bubble tests….they’re not fit for what we need to prepare young
people….to apply things to the real world.<br />
<br />
“I can’t speak for other companies, but I have a lot of confidence in
the reliability of our online assessments. Secondary, they will enable
what most people in the education world want to see happen.”<br />
<br />
Pearson was one of the companies, along with Apple, that was faulted as
the Los Angeles Unified school district’s 1-to-1 iPad program, faced
technical breakdowns and backlash. Pearson’s common-core aligned
curriculum was supposed to come pre-loaded on iPads, and the company was
criticized by those who said it wasn’t ready. The company recently
agreed to pay more than $6 million to the district.<br />
<br />
Fallon would not comment on the specifics of the settlement, but said
this when asked about what lessons the company learned in L.A.:<br />
<br />
“Moving to 1-to-1 learning, to where the role of the teacher becomes
much more one of coach and [providing] support to children, where you’re
trying to introduce more peer-to-peer learning…and do so in a
technology delivered-world, that is a very different world than the
reality that exists in many schools today. And it takes time. And the
lessons to be learned, not just from there but around the country, are
that there is still a lot of work to be done, to get really good,
high-quality…e-commerce-grade tech infrastructure and experience in
schools for students. That’s not to say there has been a lot
progress—there has…But I think that is a prerequisite over time to
giving teachers competent ways to deploy technology effectively in
schools.<br />
<br />
“And where you call it common core, or career-and college-ready
standards, the ambition to the new higher standards, one that is much
more around applied knowledge, is another very ambitious thing to do.
You’ve got a lot going on, all at once. How you manage systemic change
in those circumstances is not something you should underestimate. It
will take a lot of time to do. It’s a real focus on technology
infrastructure, a real focus on PD for teachers.”<br />
<br />
And about the specific accusation that Pearson’s curriculum was not ready in time for LAUSD?<br />
<br />
“That program has continued to be used in a number of school districts
around the country, which are running pilots on it. The curriculum on it
is fantastic. And if there’s any program that really did try to fully
embrace the common core—and wasn’t just compliant, but went beyond—that
was it.”<br />
<br />
Many districts have embraced open educational resources—free materials
created on licenses that allow their distribution, re-use, and
repurposing. Fallon argued—as many providers of commercial materials
have—that OER can provide benefits to some schools, but that commercial
resources will continue to have value because of the tech-based
enhancements, in analytics and adaptive learning and other areas, that
they offer beyond academic content.<br />
<br />
Open resources are “an important part of the landscape…Quite often,
they’re used as supplements to a core teaching program. If you think
about what the next generation of technology will look like, it’s a
really immersive learning experience, that will provide learning
analytics that enable teachers to have more actionable diagnostics that
give them more personalized information around each student and creates
much more personalized learning for students.<br />
<br />
“That’s not something that can be done without continuous and sustained
investment, and that investment has to funded from somewhere.
Ultimately, it has to be paid for somewhere in the system. That’s why I
think there will be a diversity and range of [materials]…I think there
will continue to be a market for a long time to come for high-quality
courseware, pedagogically sound, fantastic content, developed in a way
for teachers that is an inspiration for them to teach and for students
to learn, and [which is] providing much more adaptive learning and
learning analytics. But it will be paid for if it demonstrates real
value [in]…helping more students to be successful and make progress. If
it doesn’t, it won’t, and it won’t deserve to.<br />
<br />
“If [the education community goes] that [open] route, it’s not a free
route. They will have to find a way to fund and sustain that approach.
They might be able to fund it over time with voluntary labor extended
over time from the teaching profession. But there’s a consequence for
that; there’s only so many hours in the day, in the system…If you talk
about ‘free’ in any other sector, [the resources] may be free at the
point of use, but they’re being funded and paid for somewhere else. So
ultimately, quality has to be paid for somewhere else.”<br />
<br />
<br />
●●smf’s 2¢: EdWeek is a advertiser supported trade publication. If
Pearson isn't their biggest advertiser; that potential exists. Cavanagh
is their Marketplace editor - we shouldn't be expecting any heavy
hitting from them! <br />
<br />
<br />
When he thinks the "Pearson System of Courses" works, Fallon is
supportive: "the absolute poster child for the common core," ....when it
didn't (It was the vaporware on LAUSD's iPads) then: "that program has
continued to be used in a number of school districts around the country,
which are running pilots on it." <br />
<br />
Pilots? Seriously??<br />
<br />
▲Sean Cavanagh is Senior Editor of EdWeek Market Brief. He is also a
reporter and editor for Education Week, where he has covered a variety
of beats since 2002. His primary focus is on business and technology
issues in K-12 education. Previously he covered math and science
education, charter schools and school choice, and federal policy. Before
joining Education Week, he was a reporter for daily newspapers in
Tennessee and Florida.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead4"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
YET ANOTHER POOR SCORECARD FOR CALIFORNIA'S PRESCHOOL
PROGRAMS: State spent $45 million more on early education ...and only
enrolled 298 more kids </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
A NEW REPORT FINDS CALIFORNIA IS FAILING IT'S LOW INCOME FOUR-YEAR-OLDS IN THE STATE PRESCHOOL PROGRAM.<br />
<br />
Deepa Fernandes | KPCC / 89.3 FM |<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYtCaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1sznOhc</a><br />
<br />
May 12 2016 :: Even though California spent $45 million more on early
education last year than it did the year before, the state only managed
to enroll 298 more kids in preschool.<br />
<br />
That's one of the findings that led the National Institute for Early
Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University to rate the state 28th
for early education in its latest annual report.<br />
<br />
The annual report is a national snapshot of how states are doing with
preschool access and quality. For California it examined the state
preschool program, which is available only to low-income children. (The
California Department of Education does not count any four-year-old
enrolled in Transitional Kindergarten (TK) in its preschool category, as
it sees this as the first of a two-year kindergarten program, so TK
students were not included in this report.)<br />
<br />
California does best when it comes to the number of 3-year-olds in early
education, ranking ninth in the nation. But it’s downhill from there.<br />
<br />
The state not only hovers in the bottom half of all states for
4-year-old access, it also does poorly when held to scrutiny against a
range of quality standard benchmarks. Every year NIEER evaluates
preschool quality through a set of general benchmark standards. These
include teacher qualification level and access to in-service training,
class size, staff to child ratios, and systems in place to monitor and
oversee quality.<br />
<br />
Of the 10 quality benchmarks, California only met four in 2015: The
state does have comprehensive early learning standards in place; its
teachers do have access to at least 15 hours per year of in-service
training; teachers are required to have an early education
specialization training; and the state’s programs meet the one teacher
to ten child ratio.<br />
<br />
However, there are six more areas where the state fails to meet high
quality standards, from unregulated class sizes, to low teacher
qualification expectations, to not providing screening for support
services children may need. The state preschool programs do not all
provide meals to children in the program, and the program does not have
comprehensive program monitoring in place.<br />
<br />
California has never met more than four standards in all the years NIEER has done this study, going back to 2003.<br />
<br />
In the 2015 report, neighboring states do better: Oregon meets nine out ten benchmarks and Nevada meets seven out of ten.<br />
<br />
The California Department of Education did not respond to KPCC’s request
for comment regarding why the state fails to implement stand quality
benchmarks before publication.<br />
For 2015, the model preschool states were New York, New Jersey,
Washington D.C., Oklahoma and West Virginia, according to the report's
authors. These states have highly qualified teachers, strong curriculum
and high expectations of children and teachers.<br />
<br />
They also demonstrate a “continuous improvement of the system,” said
NIEER’s director, Steve Barnett, as well as “how to rapidly increase
quality and access at the same time.”<br />
<br />
One area that the report focuses on is teacher pay. California’s
preschool teachers are not expected to have the same credential – a
bachelor's degree – as elementary teachers and are not paid on par with
their public school counterparts. In five states, including Missouri,
Oklahoma and Tennessee, preschool teachers are paid the same as
elementary teachers.<br />
<br />
California does slightly better by its non-English speaking
preschoolers. It allocates extra dollars and requires an in-home
assessment in the child’s home language. Yet that’s not enough, Barnett
said.<br />
<br />
“Given California’s large Hispanic population, it’s crucial that the
state put a strong dual language learner policy in place,” he said.<br />
<br />
While NIEER reports have consistently found the state's preschool
program to be wanting, previous studies have also criticized the state
for its quality and access.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYtDaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) Report</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead5"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
CALIFORNIA IMMIGRANT KIDS GAIN STATE-FUNDED HEALTH CARE REGARDLESS OF LEGAL STATUS </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
by Jonathan J. Cooper | AP from KPCC / 89.3FM | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYtVaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1rUuTbw</a><br />
<br />
May 16 2016 :: Children and teens brought illegally to the United
States gained access to publicly funded health care Monday as California
began allowing young people to sign up for the state's health care
program for the poor without regard to their immigration status.<br />
<br />
State officials expect as many as 185,000 children under age 19 to join
Medi-Cal in the first year — about three-quarters of the estimated
250,000 eligible youth. About 121,000 will be automatically transferred
from a limited version of the program that provides only emergency care,
giving them the full range of medical, dental, vision and mental health
coverage available for little or no cost with full-scope coverage.<br />
<br />
In a rally outside the state Capitol, health care and immigrant rights
advocates celebrating the expansion turned their attention to their next
goals. They want Medi-Cal — the state's version of Medicaid — to cover
income-eligible adults who migrated illegally and are pushing to allow
those who make too much money to buy private coverage through the
state's insurance exchange, Covered California.<br />
<br />
"While Congress remains gridlocked with stereotypes and hateful
rhetoric, California remains as a hopeful beacon that tells people,
'Immigrants, you matter. Immigrants, you contribute to our economy.
Immigrants, you are people that deserve to have health care,'" said Sen.
Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, who wrote the legislation authorizing the
expanded coverage.<br />
<br />
Critics question why California lawmakers are spending time and money to
help people who immigrated illegally when there are American citizens
in need.<br />
<br />
"This acts as a magnet to the world — bring your children, bring your
families to California illegally and you will get free health care,"
said Robin Hvidston, executive director of the activist group We the
People Rising.<br />
<br />
In his revised budget proposal published last week, Democratic Gov.
Jerry Brown included $188.2 million to cover the children and teens
expected to get full-scope Medi-Cal coverage. While the federal
government pays about half the cost of providing Medi-Cal benefits to
citizens and legal immigrants, the state is covering the entire price
tag for those who immigrated illegally.<br />
<br />
More than 13 million Californians are enrolled in Medi-Cal, about a
third of the state's population. The total state share of Medi-Cal
funding is about $17.7 billion<br />
<br />
Joe Mangia, president and CEO of St. John's Well Child & Family
Center in Los Angeles, said the center has about 2,500 kids who will be
eligible for the expanded coverage, and expects about 1,000 already have
emergency Medi-Cal.<br />
<br />
He said they've been reaching out to families to tell them about the
option and set up appointments starting on Monday for people to come in
and enroll. Health promoters have also gone out into the community to
tell people about the program, he said.<br />
<br />
Until now, St. John's has treated the kids but now they'll get much better and expanded care.<br />
<br />
"Before, if there was a specialty need, we'd refer to the county, maybe they'd get seen in six to nine months," he said.<br />
<br />
State officials have been working to make the transition smooth and will
be watching for any implementation problems they need to address,
Department of Health Care Services Director Jennifer Kent said in a
statement last week.<br />
<br />
"We're delighted at this chance to expand comprehensive health coverage to reach thousands more California children," Kent said.</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
Contract Reopener: STUDENT-FOCUSED TENTATIVE AGREEMENT REACHED BETWEEN UTLA AND LAUSD </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
By OW Staff Writer | From Our Weekly | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYuUaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Ri0kku</a><br />
<br />
5/19/2016, midnight :: After eight weeks of bargaining on two reopener
issues, United Teachers Los Angeles and Los Angeles Unified School
District this week reached an agreement, pending a ratification vote by
members.<br />
<br />
This cycle of bargaining had a limited focus on two key issues: class size and educator development and support.<br />
<br />
“It is rare for this much progress to be made in contract reopeners,”
said UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl. “We made significant strides for
students and our classrooms, and set a foundation for more improvements
to public education in Los Angeles. We are proud that this agreement
addresses equity for our highest-needs students.”<br />
<br />
Key improvements to class size include:<br />
<br />
• One additional full-time teacher at every secondary school for a new
elective class or to reduce the class size of existing electives, such
as visual and performing arts and ethnic studies.<br />
<br />
• One additional full-time teacher for high-needs elementary schools to
be used for class-size reduction in grades 4, 5 (or 6 if applicable), as
ranked by the LAUSD student equity index.<br />
<br />
• A cap of 55 students in PE classes for secondary schools<br />
<br />
• District response time shortened from 30 to 15 days when caseloads are too large in Special Education.<br />
<br />
• At secondary schools that have already have a Pupil Services and
Attendance counselor or a Psychiatric Social Worker counselor in their
local budget, the district will pay for an additional 17 days of work
time.<br />
<br />
Key improvements to educator development and support include a quicker
turnaround from observation to feedback to educators in the classroom.
It also includes continuing the work of the joint LAUSD and UTLA's
Educator Development and Support Committee, working collaboratively on
professional development and career-long growth.<br />
<br />
The reopeners are part of the current 2014-17 contract, which last year
included a 10 percent salary increase and set the stage for a successful
agreement this year.<br />
<br />
A member ratification vote will take place at school sites over a
three-day period between June 1 and June 3. Votes will be counted on
Saturday, June 4. The agreement is also pending a vote by the School
Board<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
TUES MAY 24, 2016<br />
May 24, 2016 - 10:00 - BUDGET, FACILITIES AND AUDIT COMMITTEE - Rescheduled from May 17<br />
May 24, 2016 - 2:00 P.M. - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE <br />
<br />
THURS MAY 26, 2016 10AM<br />
SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND CITIZENS’ OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE | Agenda: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYvaaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1XKuWTh</a><br />
<br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYseaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYsfaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYsgaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYshaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYsiaaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYsjaaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatnr6acrYskaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px Verdana, sans serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-40196132147879718912016-05-15T07:15:00.000-07:002016-05-15T07:15:08.493-07:00The return of Suzy Creamcheese
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4LAKids: Sunday 15•May•2016
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In This Issue:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">LADWP CREWS TEST FOR WATER CONTAMINATION IN SOUTH LA</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">UTLA-COMMISSIONED REPORT SAYS CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE BLEEDING MONEY FROM TRADITIONAL ONES + Report + Policy Brief + smf's 2¢</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">The MGA Report: SEPARATING THE WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">JERRY
BROWN SEES BUDGET TROUBLE FOR CALIFORNIA, WANTS TO HOLD LINE +
RESPONSES TO EARLY EDUCATION SPENDING CUTS IN MAY REVISE BUDGET</span></td>
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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</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO1waaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">► Friends4smf :: The GoFundMe campaign</a> </td>
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These pages don’t usually repeat those news stories
about Race Riots at High Schools and/or horror stories about lead or
other toxic heavy metals in the municipal water supply. The Godzilla
Creation Myth is all around us, told+retold.<br />
<br />
<br />
My reasoning is quite simple: Those stories are usually thin on news and fat on headlines.<br />
<br />
When I was a senior at a famous LAUSD high school – back when dinosaurs
ruled the earth – a bunch of us young people gathered on the lawn and
expressed our disinterest in returning to class during a
triple-digit-heatwave. There may have been clapping+chanting in unison.<br />
<br />
Clap-Clap, ClapClapClap<br />
ClapClapClapClap: Too Hot!<br />
<br />
The page one/Eight-column-wide headline in the next day’s Herald-Sensationalist: RIOT AT HOLLYWOOD HIGH!<br />
<br />
<br />
THE DWP (a huge-and-sometimes-unaccountable bureaucracy not to be
confused with the LAUSD) had a problem with some contamination in their
water pipes in South Central back on Jan 15th. All the proper
procedures were followed, tests were run, community meetings were held,
and minor politicians wrung their hands. Notices were posted. [It is
interesting to note that the DWP PR machine somehow spun the problem as
partially LAUSD’s]<br />
<br />
Two months later – in an abundance of caution – a school principal shut
down some drinking fountains and brought in some bottled water.<br />
<br />
Headline: LADWP CREWS TEST FOR WATER CONTAMINATION IN SOUTH LA<br />
<br />
Ladies+gentlemen, boys+girls: Green Meadows is NOT the second coming of Flint, Michigan!<br />
<br />
And the metaphor and Dr. King’s Dream notwithstanding, Los Angeles is a lousy melting pot. <br />
<br />
<br />
We toss odd bottles of discolored water and good intentions and an
invite to the prom into the stew and it simmers+splatters as the
Scottish Play’s dark sisters would have it do: “Double double,
toil+trouble…” Keep an eye on that pot on the back burner; our
concoctions are often explosive than not: The Chinatown Massacre, Watts,
Rodney King. This is the sad+oft-repeated history of race in our City
of Angels.<br />
<br />
Headline: <b>PARENTS, LEADERS OUTRAGED BY BRAWL AT SYLMAR HIGH SCHOOL</b><br />
<br />
At Sylmar High School – responsible adults – with all the right
Restorative Justice tools+training in their toolbox – and with a strong
School Wide Positive Behavior Support Plan in place – ignored the
history+training+warning signs+rubrics-of-implementataion and let the
trouble boil over. <br />
<br />
Trouble at the prom on Friday = Big trouble at school on Monday.<br />
<br />
• A dozen police officers. <br />
• Forty students involved. <br />
• A set piece “rumble” at noon in the quad? Really? A meme (/ˈmiːm/
meem) is "an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person
within a culture" Isn’t this one of those?<br />
• All parents and guardians have been notified about the incident, and “appropriate disciplinary action is being taken.”<br />
• None of that sounds like much of an enlightened intervention.<br />
<br />
School officials have not commented on what caused the fight and how
many students received punishment, citing privacy laws. King wished any
students who were injured a speedy recovery.<br />
<br />
The police officers could be seen trying to separate students as they fought in cellphone footage that surfaced online Monday.<br />
</span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Bow tie daddy dontcha blow your top</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Everything's under control</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Bow tie daddy dontcha blow your top</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
'cause you think you're gettin' too old</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Don't try to do no thinkin'</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Just go on with your drinkin'</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Just have your fun, you old son of a gun</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Then drive home in your Lincoln.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
<br />
THE GOVERNOR, in his May Revise to the State Budget, thinks it’s time
for a bit of the old austerity. Starting with eliminating Transitional
Kindergarten.<br />
<br />
<br />
And UTLA has commissioned a study by MGT of America, Inc. on the fiscal
impact of all these charter schools on LAUSD’s fiscal future. While not
exactly nonpartisan – or even ‘fair+balanced’ – it paints a dire
picture: see: UTLA-COMMISSIONED REPORT SAYS CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE BLEEDING
MONEY FROM TRADITIONAL ONES + Report + Policy Brief + smf's 2¢<br />
<br />
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
LADWP CREWS TEST FOR WATER CONTAMINATION IN SOUTH LA </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
From CBS2/KCOP9 News | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO1Uaaaaaac/">http://cbsloc.al/229h719</a><br />
<br />
May 11, 2016 :: WATTS (CBSLA.com) — Los Angeles Department of Water
and Power crews Wednesday tested for water contamination within
neighborhoods and schools in South Los Angeles.<br />
<br />
According to the Los Angeles Unified School District, the cloudy water
recently appeared at Flournoy Elementary, Compton Avenue Elementary,
96th Street Elementary, Grape Street Elementary and Florence
Griffith-Joyner Elementary.<br />
<br />
Students at Grape Elementary School were subsequently told to stay away
from water fountains. They were instead given bottles of water to drink
from.<br />
<br />
No other school is using bottled water and water service to the schools has not been disrupted.<br />
<br />
“The safety of our students is always the district’s top priority,” OEHS
Director Robert Laughton said in a written statement. “We will continue
to monitor this situation to ensure the highest quality of water is
supplied to our schools.”<br />
<br />
LADWP crews tested the drinking water on Friday and found that it was safe to drink even though it looked unappetizing.<br />
<br />
In fact, crews report that pipes in the South Los Angeles area are much newer than those in other parts of town.<br />
<br />
It is possible, however, that the murky water appeared because of sediment shifting in the pipes.<br />
<br />
LADWP has agreed to replace all water bottles being used in response to the incident.<br />
<br />
On Jan. 15, a chlorine pump at the 99th Street Wells Water Treatment
Facility malfunctioned. For six hours, residents living in the
neighborhoods of Green Meadows and Watts were exposed to water that was
not fully disinfected.<br />
<br />
LADWP crews insist the recent cases of cloudy water is unrelated to the water treatment failure.<br />
<br />
Pipe-flushing tests will continue throughout the month.<br />
<br />
The Los Angeles City Council has scheduled a hearing for late June to receive more answers.</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead3"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
UTLA-COMMISSIONED REPORT SAYS CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE
BLEEDING MONEY FROM TRADITIONAL ONES + Report + Policy Brief + smf's 2¢
</span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
by Howard Blume, L.A. Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO11aaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1T3TEbM</a><br />
<br />
May 10, 2016 2 AM :: A teachers union-funded report on charter
schools concludes that these largely nonunion campuses are costing
traditional schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District millions
of dollars in tax money.<br />
<br />
The report, which is certain to be viewed with skepticism by charter
supporters, focused on direct and indirect costs related to enrollment,
oversight, services to disabled students and other activities on which
the district spends money.<br />
<br />
L.A. Unified has the most charters — 221 — and the highest number of
charter students — more than 100,000 — of any school system in the
nation. Charter students make up about 16% of the district's total
enrollment.<br />
<br />
The union gave The Times the study in advance of its scheduled
presentation at Tuesday's Board of Education meeting, with the
stipulation that the report not be distributed to outside parties.<br />
<br />
[smf: The Report and the Policy Brief Follows]<br />
<br />
The study calculates that services to charters encroach on tax money the
district intended to use for traditional schools, adding up to at least
$18.1 million a year and growing.<br />
<br />
The biggest financial problem for the district, however, is that money
follows students and a huge number of students have enrolled in charters
instead of traditional district schools. With more education tax
dollars going directly to charters, the result is a decline of more than
$500 million a year — about 7% — in the district's core budget, the
researchers say.<br />
<br />
The effects of this drop are difficult to quantify because fewer
students in traditional schools also means a reduced need for teachers
and other personnel.<br />
<br />
But even with reduced staffing, the district faces a net loss of about
$4,957 per student, the study says. That amount accounts for fixed
costs, such as maintaining buildings.<br />
<br />
Whatever the exact amount, the district has less money to spend with the
flexibility its leaders would prefer or to offset legacy costs that
include aging school buildings and retiree health benefits.<br />
L.A. Unified magnets accepted less than half of applicants this year<br />
<br />
“The findings in the report paint a picture of a system that prioritizes
the growth opportunities for charter school operators,” according to a
separate policy brief co-written by the union.<br />
<br />
Charter supporters take a different view, seeing the district as the fundamental problem and charters as an important solution.<br />
<br />
“Like all businesses, the district has to compete for its customers,”
said Eric Hanushek, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at
Stanford University.<br />
<br />
“The growth of charters is putting pressure on the district. The
district can't do what it did in the past and come out ahead,” added
Hanushek, who hadn't seen the report. “They can try to compete for the
students or sell off the buildings. But the point is: Charters look
attractive to parents, which means that the district is not attractive.”<br />
<br />
Prompted in part by concern about the district's judgment in how it
spends money, a group of philanthropists and foundations has bet big on
charters in Los Angeles, subsidizing their growth over the last two
decades. Last year, local philanthropist Eli Broad spearheaded a
proposal to more than double the number of charters over the next eight
years, hoping to reel in half of district students.<br />
About six months ago, a group formed to develop Broad's vision for new, high-quality schools.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, both the district and employee unions have been trying to
develop counter-strategies. From the district, the push is to increase
enrollment, to compete with charters more aggressively and possibly to
limit their growth. Until now, the union has been most visible at the
bully pulpit, speaking at gatherings and leading demonstrations.<br />
<br />
The new report is from Florida company MGT of America. It builds on the
work of an earlier, independent district advisory panel, which concluded
that charter growth is one of several factors threatening the solvency
of L.A. Unified.<br />
<br />
This latest analysis was reviewed by pro-labor Washington group In the
Public Interest, which prepared the separate policy brief with the
union.<br />
<br />
“Unmitigated charter school growth limits educational opportunities for
the more than 542,000 students who continue to attend schools run by the
district, and … further imperils the financial stability of LAUSD as an
institution,” the brief states.<br />
<br />
Charters pay 1% of the tax money they receive from the state to the
district for oversight through its charter division, but this isn't
enough, according to the report. The charter division monitors academic
progress at charters and reviews their financial health and management
practices.<br />
<br />
The division spends about $2.9 million more than the available funding, which is limited by state law.<br />
The report also tallies an additional $13.8 million in annual
administrative costs related to charters, and $1.4 million more for work
by the district's inspector general and special education division.<br />
The full effect on services to the disabled is actually much higher but difficult to nail down, according to the researchers.<br />
The federal government mandates that every disabled student should
receive a free and appropriate education, but does not fully pay for it.
The state, in turn, spreads out this funding equally between students,
regardless of their disability. L.A. Unified enrolls a much higher
percentage of the disabled students who cost more to educate.<br />
<br />
“A student with a need for speech therapy might need only monthly
support/monitoring that might cost the district $3,000 per year,” the
report states. “A student with emotional/behavioral or health
impairments with significant needs might need residential placement or
daily feeding or medical monitoring and might cost the district upward
of $120,000 per year.”<br />
<br />
Schools and districts pool their resources — and share the expense — of
serving disabled students, but L.A. charters don't have to partner with
L.A. Unified. Some have cut costs by affiliating with another district.
To keep other charters in the fold, L.A. Unified provides a special deal
that essentially shortchanges the district, the report concludes.<br />
Another indirect cost of charters relates to audits and investigations
conducted by the district's inspector general. A routine audit takes
three to six months and costs about $70,000. More extensive reviews cost
at least twice as much.<br />
<br />
The California Charter Schools Assn. has challenged the need for much of
this work, calling many of these investigations unneeded and intrusive.<br />
<br />
Jason Mandell, a spokesman for the association, said in an email that he
could not comment on the report because he hadn't seen it. But any
focus on charters, he said, was intentional misdirection away from
financial problems that are of the district's own making. He noted that
the earlier advisory panel study concluded that “even if charter schools
didn't exist, the district would still face a crippling decline in
enrollment due to entirely separate factors.”<br />
<br />
The MGT report, which cost $82,000, doesn't fault charters, saying that
the problems have more to do with state and federal policies as well as
district decisions.<br />
<br />
But in the policy brief, the union takes a more aggressive tone, arguing
for changes that include full funding from the federal government for
disabled students and equitable distribution of these dollars by the
state; more money for charter oversight — either from the state or from
charters; and charging higher district fees, where possible, to
charters.<br />
<br />
CAVEAT: L.A. Times' Editor's note: Education Matters receives
funding from a number of foundations, including one or more mentioned in
this article. The California Community Foundation and United Way of
Greater Los Angeles administer grants from the Baxter Family Foundation,
the Broad Foundation, the California Endowment and the Wasserman
Foundation. Under terms of the grants, The Times retains complete
control over editorial content.<br />
<br />
_______________<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>●●smf's 2¢</b><br />
OK: <br />
<br />
Eli Broad gets what he pays for from the LA Times. <br />
UTLA gets what they pay for from MGT of America. <br />
Read on and let's see if we voters and taxpayers can get the public
education for our kids we pay for from California and LAUSD.<br />
<br />
_________________<br />
<br />
<br />
►Policy Brief | TheCostOfCharterSchools.org | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO12aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1TbTRzf</a><br />
►LAUSD Charter School Effect Study 050916[1] | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO13aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1ZS5Gcg</a><br />
<br />
New report reveals a fiscal crisis that could have deep negative
implications for both district schools and existing charter schools.<br />
<br />
<b><br />
TheCostOfCharterSchools.org</b><br />
A report by MGT of America, an independent research firm, reveals that
LAUSD has lost an astonishing $591 million to unmitigated charter school
growth this year alone. If costs associated with charter school
expansion are not mitigated with common sense solutions, the district
will face financial insolvency, according to an analysis of the report.<br />
<br />
As the number of independent charter schools continues to grow, it
becomes increasingly important for LAUSD to quantify, forecast, and
manage the costs associated with independent charter expansion. LAUSD
oversees more charter schools than any other district in the country.
Charters are privately managed despite relying heavily on district and
taxpayer funding.<br />
<br />
Taken together, the findings in the report paint a picture of a system
that prioritizes the growth opportunities for charter school operators
over the educational opportunities for all students.<br />
UTLA-COMMISSIONED REPORT SAYS CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE BLEEDING MONEY FROM TRADITIONAL ONES + Report + Policy Brief + smf's 2¢<br />
by Howard Blume, L.A. Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO11aaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1T3TEbM</a><br />
<br />
May 10, 2016 2 AM :: A teachers union-funded report on charter
schools concludes that these largely nonunion campuses are costing
traditional schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District millions
of dollars in tax money.<br />
<br />
The report, which is certain to be viewed with skepticism by charter
supporters, focused on direct and indirect costs related to enrollment,
oversight, services to disabled students and other activities on which
the district spends money.<br />
<br />
L.A. Unified has the most charters — 221 — and the highest number of
charter students — more than 100,000 — of any school system in the
nation. Charter students make up about 16% of the district's total
enrollment.<br />
<br />
The union gave The Times the study in advance of its scheduled
presentation at Tuesday's Board of Education meeting, with the
stipulation that the report not be distributed to outside parties.<br />
<br />
[smf: The Report and the Policy Brief Follows]<br />
<br />
The study calculates that services to charters encroach on tax money the
district intended to use for traditional schools, adding up to at least
$18.1 million a year and growing.<br />
<br />
The biggest financial problem for the district, however, is that money
follows students and a huge number of students have enrolled in charters
instead of traditional district schools. With more education tax
dollars going directly to charters, the result is a decline of more than
$500 million a year — about 7% — in the district's core budget, the
researchers say.<br />
<br />
The effects of this drop are difficult to quantify because fewer
students in traditional schools also means a reduced need for teachers
and other personnel.<br />
<br />
But even with reduced staffing, the district faces a net loss of about
$4,957 per student, the study says. That amount accounts for fixed
costs, such as maintaining buildings.<br />
<br />
Whatever the exact amount, the district has less money to spend with the
flexibility its leaders would prefer or to offset legacy costs that
include aging school buildings and retiree health benefits.<br />
L.A. Unified magnets accepted less than half of applicants this year<br />
<br />
“The findings in the report paint a picture of a system that prioritizes
the growth opportunities for charter school operators,” according to a
separate policy brief co-written by the union.<br />
<br />
Charter supporters take a different view, seeing the district as the fundamental problem and charters as an important solution.<br />
<br />
“Like all businesses, the district has to compete for its customers,”
said Eric Hanushek, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at
Stanford University.<br />
<br />
“The growth of charters is putting pressure on the district. The
district can't do what it did in the past and come out ahead,” added
Hanushek, who hadn't seen the report. “They can try to compete for the
students or sell off the buildings. But the point is: Charters look
attractive to parents, which means that the district is not attractive.”<br />
<br />
Prompted in part by concern about the district's judgment in how it
spends money, a group of philanthropists and foundations has bet big on
charters in Los Angeles, subsidizing their growth over the last two
decades. Last year, local philanthropist Eli Broad spearheaded a
proposal to more than double the number of charters over the next eight
years, hoping to reel in half of district students.<br />
About six months ago, a group formed to develop Broad's vision for new, high-quality schools.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, both the district and employee unions have been trying to
develop counter-strategies. From the district, the push is to increase
enrollment, to compete with charters more aggressively and possibly to
limit their growth. Until now, the union has been most visible at the
bully pulpit, speaking at gatherings and leading demonstrations.<br />
<br />
The new report is from Florida company MGT of America. It builds on the
work of an earlier, independent district advisory panel, which concluded
that charter growth is one of several factors threatening the solvency
of L.A. Unified.<br />
<br />
This latest analysis was reviewed by pro-labor Washington group In the
Public Interest, which prepared the separate policy brief with the
union.<br />
<br />
“Unmitigated charter school growth limits educational opportunities for
the more than 542,000 students who continue to attend schools run by the
district, and … further imperils the financial stability of LAUSD as an
institution,” the brief states.<br />
<br />
Charters pay 1% of the tax money they receive from the state to the
district for oversight through its charter division, but this isn't
enough, according to the report. The charter division monitors academic
progress at charters and reviews their financial health and management
practices.<br />
<br />
The division spends about $2.9 million more than the available funding, which is limited by state law.<br />
The report also tallies an additional $13.8 million in annual
administrative costs related to charters, and $1.4 million more for work
by the district's inspector general and special education division.<br />
The full effect on services to the disabled is actually much higher but difficult to nail down, according to the researchers.<br />
The federal government mandates that every disabled student should
receive a free and appropriate education, but does not fully pay for it.
The state, in turn, spreads out this funding equally between students,
regardless of their disability. L.A. Unified enrolls a much higher
percentage of the disabled students who cost more to educate.<br />
<br />
“A student with a need for speech therapy might need only monthly
support/monitoring that might cost the district $3,000 per year,” the
report states. “A student with emotional/behavioral or health
impairments with significant needs might need residential placement or
daily feeding or medical monitoring and might cost the district upward
of $120,000 per year.”<br />
<br />
Schools and districts pool their resources — and share the expense — of
serving disabled students, but L.A. charters don't have to partner with
L.A. Unified. Some have cut costs by affiliating with another district.
To keep other charters in the fold, L.A. Unified provides a special deal
that essentially shortchanges the district, the report concludes.<br />
Another indirect cost of charters relates to audits and investigations
conducted by the district's inspector general. A routine audit takes
three to six months and costs about $70,000. More extensive reviews cost
at least twice as much.<br />
<br />
The California Charter Schools Assn. has challenged the need for much of
this work, calling many of these investigations unneeded and intrusive.<br />
<br />
Jason Mandell, a spokesman for the association, said in an email that he
could not comment on the report because he hadn't seen it. But any
focus on charters, he said, was intentional misdirection away from
financial problems that are of the district's own making. He noted that
the earlier advisory panel study concluded that “even if charter schools
didn't exist, the district would still face a crippling decline in
enrollment due to entirely separate factors.”<br />
<br />
The MGT report, which cost $82,000, doesn't fault charters, saying that
the problems have more to do with state and federal policies as well as
district decisions.<br />
<br />
But in the policy brief, the union takes a more aggressive tone, arguing
for changes that include full funding from the federal government for
disabled students and equitable distribution of these dollars by the
state; more money for charter oversight — either from the state or from
charters; and charging higher district fees, where possible, to
charters.<br />
<br />
CAVEAT: L.A. Times' Editor's note: Education Matters receives
funding from a number of foundations, including one or more mentioned in
this article. The California Community Foundation and United Way of
Greater Los Angeles administer grants from the Baxter Family Foundation,
the Broad Foundation, the California Endowment and the Wasserman
Foundation. Under terms of the grants, The Times retains complete
control over editorial content.<br />
<br />
_______________<br />
<br />
<br />
●●smf's 2¢<br />
OK: <br />
<br />
● Eli Broad gets what he pays for from the LA Times. <br />
● UTLA gets what they pay for from MGT of America. <br />
● Read on and let's see if we voters and taxpayers can get the
public education for our kids we pay for from California and LAUSD.<br />
<br />
_________________<br />
<br />
<br />
►Policy Brief | TheCostOfCharterSchools.org | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO12aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1TbTRzf</a><br />
►LAUSD Charter School Effect Study 050916[1] | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO13aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1ZS5Gcg</a><br />
<br />
New report reveals a fiscal crisis that could have deep negative
implications for both district schools and existing charter schools.<br />
<br />
<br />
TheCostOfCharterSchools.org<br />
A report by MGT of America, an independent research firm, reveals that
LAUSD has lost an astonishing $591 million to unmitigated charter school
growth this year alone. If costs associated with charter school
expansion are not mitigated with common sense solutions, the district
will face financial insolvency, according to an analysis of the report.<br />
<br />
As the number of independent charter schools continues to grow, it
becomes increasingly important for LAUSD to quantify, forecast, and
manage the costs associated with independent charter expansion. LAUSD
oversees more charter schools than any other district in the country.
Charters are privately managed despite relying heavily on district and
taxpayer funding.<br />
<br />
Taken together, the findings in the report paint a picture of a system
that prioritizes the growth opportunities for charter school operators
over the educational opportunities for all students.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead4"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
The MGA Report: SEPARATING THE WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
The MGA Report: SEPARATING THE WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF<br />
<br />
From the AALA Weekly Update | Week of May 16, 2016 | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO15aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1TeKN7d</a><br />
<br />
May 12, 2016 :: At the meeting of the Board of Education on Tuesday,
May 10, 2016, all of the labor unions ceded their time to Alex
Caputo-Pearl, UTLA President, in order to share the findings of a study
on the fiscal impact of independent charter schools on the District that
UTLA had commissioned. MGT, a national consulting firm that works with
government agencies and nonprofit organizations, reviewed the data and
Susan Zoller, a former teacher, principal, and deputy superintendent,
presented the report.<br />
<br />
AALA appreciates UTLA's efforts to stimulate a genuine conversation of
the intended and unintended consequences of independent charters on the
District, and the negative fiscal impact as a corollary. It gives us
pause to think that some of the issues are caused by the District and
others legislatively. Accordingly, the opportunity presents itself to
collaboratively problem-solve and right the wrongs with all the affected
stakeholders at the table.<br />
<br />
The Board Members asked the Superintendent and District staff to respond
to the presentation at an upcoming Board meeting. In the meantime, AALA
is sharing the findings because of the general interest to the
membership, and how they can potentially negatively impact the delivery
of a quality educational experience to every student if policies and
legislation are left unaddressed.<br />
<br />
While awaiting the District's interpretation of the findings, AALA’s
stance is to trust, but verify. For example, a cursory check-in with one
of our members, a District official, yields that in the 2016-2017
school year, only two LAUSD independent charters have elected to join
the El Dorado Special Education Local Planning Area (SELPA). If so, that
means over two hundred independent charters are in the District SELPA.
This contradicts the potential revenue loss due to the SELPA issue that
is highlighted in the findings to follow. Secondly, the Charter School
Division's operating budget in the report varies significantly from the
one publicly presented to the Board in November 2015. Lastly, the report
finds the District can statutorily assess a 3% fee for charter
colocations and instead chooses to collect only 1% oversight fee in
addition to fees charged to all charter schools on District property. A
closer look at the regulations states the District can collect up to 3%
if
the District provides facilities substantially rent-free; we understand
that it does not. Perhaps the District has a viable reason for only
assessing the
1%.<br />
<br />
It remains to be seen if there really is a proverbial pot of gold at the
end of the rainbow. In the meantime, the findings are at the very least
thought provoking and intriguing. One major conclusion is that MGT
estimates that the District is losing almost $600 million this year
alone, due to the number of charter schools and the students enrolled in
them. There are 221 independent charter schools and the students make
up 16% of the District’s total enrollment. Since money follows students,
about 7% of the District’s budget is going to charters. Of course,
fewer students also means less staff to fund, but the dollars saved in
the loss of staff does not make up for fixed costs, such as
infrastructure and oversight from the Charter Schools Division, Special
Education, and the Office of the Inspector General, etc., that the
District must still absorb. The report estimates that the District loses
about $4,957 per student who attends a charter school. By law, charters
pay a
maximum of 1% of the money they receive from the state to the District
for oversight from the Charter Schools Division; however, the costs are
almost $3 million more than is received. In addition, the report finds
that an additional $13.8 million is spent by the District annually in
other administrative costs related to
charters.<br />
<br />
MGT explains that the report is not intended as a review or critique of
independent charter or public schools in Los Angeles, LAUSD’s policies
and procedures, operations, or oversight practices... [it] accepts and
does not judge the district’s existing practices … The report does,
however, identify various state laws or regulations as well as district
practices that impact the district either financially or procedurally.<br />
<br />
The report finds that some of the costs are the results of statewide
legislation and guidelines, while others are due to the District’s
process decisions that could be addressed by LAUSD board decisions and
one is part of the LAUSD-UTLA contract. There are twelve key findings,
however, the majority are state issues. We are extracting from the
report those over which the District has direct control:<br />
<br />
1. The annual oversight revenue collected from charter schools does not
cover the annual budget of the Charter Schools Division (CSD). The cost
to the district for the space occupied by the Charter Schools Division,
estimated at $92,006/year, represents a direct cost to the district that
is not covered by charter school oversight funds.<br />
<br />
2. There are direct costs to the district for oversight that are beyond
those allocated to the CSD and not currently funded by the oversight
revenues. The additional oversight activities occur in the Special
Education Division (SPED) and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
The total cost is estimated at $1,416,259. Allocating any portion of
the charter school oversight revenue to divisions other than CSD is a
district decision.<br />
<br />
3. There are significant and quantifiable indirect costs to LAUSD for
the independent charter schools operating in the district. Indirect
costs include time/opportunity losses when district staff spend time
managing or dealing with charter schools, rather than district schools.
Many district functions have these time/opportunity costs in support of
charter schools, but they have not been identified, gathered, or
quantified. The indirect administrative cost is estimated at
$13,845,203. These costs are not supported through the 1% oversight fee
that is collected and used to fund the CSD. The allocation of the
revenues from the 1% oversight fee is a district decision.<br />
<br />
4. There are 56 charter schools in LAUSD that are operating in district
facilities. The law allows the district to collect a 3% oversight fee
for charter schools located in district facilities that are not paying
rent. None of the 56 schools is paying the 3% fee. The estimated
oversight revenue lost is $2,062,517. This is a district decision.<br />
<br />
5. The LAUSD – UTLA contract allows teachers to take a Leave of Absence
(LOA) and work in a charter school and return to LAUSD/UTLA status.
There may be an impact on LAUSD due to the legacy benefit costs. The
estimated cost is $250,000 per employee. This is a contract issue.<br />
<br />
As you are aware, the District has more charter schools and more
students enrolled in them than any public school district in the country
and the fiscal impact is tremendous. In addition, charter schools
enroll fewer special education students or English learners than the
average District school, leaving the majority of these special needs
students in the regular schools with fewer dollars. The MGT report makes
it clear that the District’s future solvency is jeopardized and that
charter schools contribute to that grim prediction.</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead5"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
JERRY BROWN SEES BUDGET TROUBLE FOR CALIFORNIA, WANTS
TO HOLD LINE + RESPONSES TO EARLY EDUCATION SPENDING CUTS IN MAY REVISE
BUDGET </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• State’s economic recovery is beginning to cool off<br />
• Governor cuts revenue estimate in revised budget<br />
• ‘Very resolute’ attitude means conflict with liberals<br />
<br />
By Dan Walters | Sacramento Bee | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO2baaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/24T471i</a><br />
<br />
May 14, 2016 1:54 PM :: Gov. Jerry Brown unveiled his revised budget
on Friday the 13th, which implies that he’s not superstitious.<br />
<br />
However, amid signs of a cooling economy – and therefore flattening
revenue – Brown’s run of fiscal luck may be ending, and he knows it.<br />
<br />
“Things don’t last forever,” Brown told reporters – to whom he had given
copies of Aesop’s fable about the thrifty ant and the profligate
grasshopper. “The surging tide of revenue has begun to turn as it always
does.”<br />
<br />
Brown’s revision cuts projected 2016-17 revenue by $1.9 billion,
reflecting a shortfall in current revenue, and he’s telling his fellow
Democrats in the Legislature to cool hopes of raising health and welfare
spending, saying it would “spend money you don’t have.”<br />
<br />
“To me it’s so obvious,” he said, pointing to the likelihood of an
economic downturn and implying that liberal legislators don’t want to
see it. “We’ve got to get ready for a deficit (and) I’m going to be very
resolute on this budget.”<br />
<br />
When Brown returned to the governorship five years ago, the economy was
emerging from the worst recession since the Great Depression, and that,
coupled with a temporary tax hike he sponsored in 2012, has produced a
cornucopia of money that Brown has concentrated on schools, debt
retirement and reserves.<br />
<br />
Unions, health care advocates and other groups are sponsoring an
extension of the 2012 measure’s income tax hikes on high-income
Californians, but Brown pointedly refused to say Friday whether he
supports or opposes it, only repeating that he meant it to be temporary.<br />
<br />
But he warned that income taxes, especially those on the most affluent
Californians, tend to be even more volatile than the economy as a whole,
calling it a “zig-zag reality” that bounces against spending
commitments to create deficits.<br />
<br />
The tax extension, if passed by voters in November, would keep the
budget in balance, unless there’s another recession, Brown said, but
without it the state could see deficits circa 2019 even without a
recession.<br />
<br />
“I’m prepared to manage with it, I’m prepared to manage without it,” Brown said.<br />
<br />
Underlying the budget are signs of an economic slowdown, particularly in
the technology-heavy San Francisco Bay Area, which has largely
generated the big revenue surge.<br />
<br />
Venture capital investment in the region has flattened, its red-hot real
estate market has cooled, tech companies are shedding employees and the
global economy has been sluggish, even in China.<br />
<br />
Brown rightfully notes that the recovery he inherited has already lasted
longer than the average post-recession expansion and therefore, his
budget introduction warns, “The next recession is getting closer – even
if we cannot tell exactly when it will hit.”<br />
<br />
Brown’s “very resolute” attitude on holding down non-school spending and
building reserves creates conflict with liberal legislators and their
constituent interests, such as unions and advocates for health and
welfare services to the poor.<br />
<br />
They had been counting on 2016 to be the year in which the service cuts
imposed during the depths of recession and that Brown has largely
maintained – except for schools – would vanish and new spending,
especially for child care and early childhood services, would begin.<br />
<br />
Brown, however, is clearly contemplating the last few years of his
second governorship and his place in the history books, and the last
thing he wants is to hand his successor a budget awash in red ink.<br />
<br />
That, as he certainly remembers, is how his first governorship ended in 1983.<br />
<br />
______<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>RESPONSES TO EARLY EDUCATION SPENDING REQUEST IN GOV. BROWN'S MAY REVISE BUDGET</b><br />
By Jeremy Hay | EdSource Today | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO2caaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Xc6ABh</a><br />
<br />
May 13, 2016 | No Comments :: The May revise – the latest draft of
Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed state budget – was released today. Brown’s
proposal for early education mirrors the plan he introduced in January:
Consolidate spending on the California State Preschool Program,
transitional kindergarten, and a preschool quality and improvement
system into a $1.6 billion block grant. The proposal includes
significant changes to how the system is managed; it also includes no
new early education funding. <br />
Advocates from around the state have called for the consolidation plan
to be removed from the budget process for further study. Observers
around California are reacting here to today’s announcement.<br />
<br />
<br />
May 13, 5:05 PM<br />
<br />
By Nina Buthee<br />
<br />
It's disappointing that the May revise proposal provides no priority to
the early care and education field. There is no additional general
funding for child care and the revise removes the very modest cost of
living adjustment increase that had finally been restored after many
years of no increases. And there is no acknowledgement of the incredible
impacts that the minimum wage increase will have to families trying to
qualify for subsidy, and for the agencies that run these important
programs. We strongly support the Joint Legislative Women’s Caucus'
request of an $800 million investment in our child care system. And
lastly, we appreciate the administration’s interest in reform of the
child care and early education system, however the budget process is not
the method to make sweeping policy changes.<br />
<br />
- Nina Buthee is executive director of the California Child Development Administrators Association.<br />
<br />
May 13, 2:48 PM<br />
<br />
By Elsa Jacobsen<br />
<br />
The governor’s revised budget does not address the significant need that
exists for increases in provider reimbursement rates, early learning
slots and quality measures. Also troubling is the elimination of a
transitional kindergarten program that has seen success in multiple
school districts. Also, the governor’s Early Education Block Grant
proposal puts private providers at risk of losing state funding and
thereby jeopardizes the state’s mixed delivery system. Ultimately, we
believe that refinement of the state’s multifaceted early learning
system should occur through the policy process, not the budget process,
with adequate time for vetting of reforms and careful planning.<br />
<br />
- Elsa Jacobsen is senior policy analyst for Los Angeles Universal
Preschool, an advocacy group for preschool quality and access.<br />
<br />
May 13, 12:51 PM<br />
<br />
By Giannina Perez<br />
<br />
The May Revise fails to address the reality of children and families.
Costs are going up but state funding for child care is going down – even
a basic cost of living adjustment for preschool and child care was
taken away. This is the wrong direction; we agree with the Women's
Caucus ask, which will secure the foundation and invest now in provider
reimbursement rates so families can have access to quality early care
and education. We do appreciate the stakeholder process effort related
to the Early Education Block grant, however we still believe that the
state should not make massive policy changes like the block grant as
part of the budget process.<br />
<br />
- Giannina Perez is senior director for early childhood policy with Children Now, a research and advocacy organization.<br />
<br />
May 13, 12:28 PM<br />
<br />
By Paul Warren<br />
<br />
The governor’s proposal would recast public preschool programs in the
mold of the Local Control Funding Formula – providing more flexibility
while establishing performance standards. This could lay the foundation
for a larger program where all K-12 districts provide preschool to
target students who will most benefit most from early assessment and
services.<br />
<br />
- Paul Warren is a research associate at the Public Policy Institute of
California, where he focuses on K–12 education finance and
accountability.<br />
<br />
May 13, 12:25 PM<br />
<br />
By Jennifer Greppi<br />
<br />
We are disappointed that the governor doesn't see that investing in
child care is a priority to build the Golden State that we can all be
proud of! He is proposing $6.7 billion for The Prop. 2 rainy day fund.
We just want .7 of that, which represents the Legislative Women's Caucus
ask of $800 million for child care. For parents it's raining now. They
can't work and take advantage of the increased minimum wage without
child care and they can't pay for child care without working. They are
taking pay cuts and turning down promotions because of decade old income
guidelines. And the child care providers they depend on can't afford to
serve children with subsidies because the rates are so low. We need
stability in our system, not a dismantling of it like the governor is
proposing.<br />
<br />
- Jennifer Greppi is statewide lead chapter organizer for Parent Voices,
a parent-led organization that campaigns for affordable, quality
childcare.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
UTLA-COMMISSIONED REPORT SAYS CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE
BLEEDING MONEY FROM TRADITIONAL ONES +Report+Policy Brief+smf's 2¢<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO2Haaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/27bii3V</a> <br />
<br />
TRUMP'S EDUCATION AGENDA CAN BE EXPLAINED IN 52 SECONDS - The Atlantic<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO2Iaaaaaac/">http://theatln.tc/1XgbIom</a><br />
<br />
Ancient History? - The Donald v. LAUSD: TRUMP TUSSLED WITH LOS ANGELES SCHOOL BOARD OVER HISTORIC HOTEL – EdWeek<br />
<br />
FIGHT BREWING OVER NEW SCHOOLS ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM | 89.3 KPCC<br />
<br />
DESPITE NEW LAW, CALIFORNIA LAGS IN PERSONAL FINANCE EDUCATION | 89.3 KPCC<br />
<br />
SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE A BIG REASON FOR THE RISE IN INCOME SEGREGATION IN THE U.S., STUDY SAYS<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO2Jaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1rBV9qO</a> <br />
<br />
LAPD INVESTIGATING APPARENT GRADE TAMPERING AT WEST L.A. CHARTER SCHOOL <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO2Kaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1WhMl60</a><br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
RESCHEDULED - Budget, Facilities and Audit Committee - May 17, 2016 - to May 24, 2016<br />
CANCELLED - Successful School Climate Committee - May 17, 2016 - 4:00 P.M.<br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO1Aaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO1Baaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO1Caaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO1Daaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO1Eaaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO1Faaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatl7xacrO1Gaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px Verdana, sans serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-58475687073919328802016-05-08T00:00:00.000-07:002016-05-08T00:00:36.895-07:00
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<span style="color: #e1127d; font: bold 18px Verdana, sans serif;">
4LAKids: Sunday 8•May•2016 Mother's Day
</span>
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<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px Verdana, sans serif;">
In This Issue:
</span>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">DO CHARTER SCHOOLS REALLY DO BETTER? LET'S LOOK AT LOS ANGELES</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">TEACHERS DO MORE THAN TEACH BETWEEN 8 AND 3! + THE GEMSTONE FOUNDATION</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Dan Walters: MANDATED COLLEGE PREP COURSES ARE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">MONEY MAY BE LEFT ON TABLE IN TRAINING PROGRAM FOR TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">FREMONT HIGH’S ‘FIELD OF DREAMS’ DEDICATED TO VOLUNTEER FOR 50 YEARS OF SERVICE</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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<br /><br />
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Featured Links:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatkkQacrBOlaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">► Friends4smf :: The GoFundMe campaign</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatkkQacrBOmaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Follow 4 LAKids on Twitter - or get instant updates via text message by texting</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatkkQacrBOnaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved!</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatkkQacrBOoaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKidsNews:
a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
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<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Before I go off on the inevitable tangent, this past
week was National Teacher Appreciation Week. <i>Thank you teachers and
educators for all you do, every day.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
We all know the stories. The unexpected comes from nowhere and performs
the unforeseen. The Miracle on Ice Hockey Team defeats the Soviets. The
Miracle Mets. The Milan High School Team from ‘Hoosiers’.<br />
<br />
Only three things of note happened in the nearly thousand year history of Leicester, England:<br />
<br />
• King Richard III was defeated+killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field
just outside of town in 1485, ending the Wars of the Roses and the
Plantagenet Dynasty. Richard’s body was unceremoniously buried after it
was paraded through town naked …and its location lost.<br />
• In 2012 Richard’s body was dug up after being found under a municipal
parking lot in downtown Leicester. There was a bit of a kerfuffle about
where it was to be re-entombed – York claiming to R3’s hometown
(Shakespeare has R3 modestly introducing himself: “Now is the winter of
our discontent. Made glorious summer by this son of York”). Leicester
won in the end; possession being 9/10ths of anything – including
deceased monarchs.<br />
• And after R3’s reinternment in Leicester Cathedral in 2015 the
Leicester City Football Club, The Foxes – hapless in 132 years – began
winning soccer games. <br />
<br />
British bookmakers are not ones to fool around, betting on sports in
Britain is big+serious business. At the outset of this season nine
months ago they set the odds of Leicester City winning the Premier
League Football Championship at 5000-to-one. (The odds of Kim Kardashian
becoming president or Elvis discovered alive were 2000-to-one.) <br />
<br />
Needless to say Leicester City wouldn’t be mentioned in this issue of
4LAKids if they hadn’t won the Premier League Championship with a team
of unknowns and a team payroll of a quarter of that of the competition.
What they had was a lot of heart and an Italian coach nobody thought
could do the job – and a strategy to not control the ball but to strike
quickly – from nowhere – and score.<br />
<br />
Saturday afternoon they collected their trophy and Andrea Bocelli sang Puccini’s ultimate aria of triumph and hope:<br />
</span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma!</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Tu pure, o, Principessa,</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
nella tua fredda stanza,</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
guardi le stelle</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
che tremano d'amore</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
e di speranza.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Ma il mio mistero è chiuso in me,</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
il nome mio nessun saprà!</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
No, no, sulla tua bocca lo dirò</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
quando la luce splenderà!</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Ed il mio bacio scioglierà il silenzio</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
che ti fa mia!</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
(Il nome suo nessun saprà!...</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
e noi dovrem, ahime, morir!)</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Dilegua, o notte!</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Tramontate, stelle!</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Tramontate, stelle!</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
All'alba vincerò!</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
vincerò, vincerò!</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Nobody shall sleep!...</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Nobody shall sleep!</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Even you, o Princess,</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
in your cold room,</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
watch the stars,</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
that tremble with love and with hope.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
But my secret is hidden within me,</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
my name no one shall know...</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
No!...No!...</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
On your mouth I will tell it when the light shines.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
And my kiss will dissolve the silence that makes you mine!...</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
(No one will know his name and we must, alas, die.)</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Vanish, o night!</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Set, stars! Set, stars!</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win!</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
NOBODY SET ANY ODDS on Donald Trump winning the Republican presidential
nomination – that was too preposterous to contemplate (the Reality Show
casting for Commander-in-Chief was obviously Kim Kardashian’s). And
last week, when The Donald sewed it up and the Rolling Stones introduced
the victor with a recording of “Start Me Up” …<br />
</span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
You can start me up</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
You can start me up I'll never stop</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
I've been running hot</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
You got me just about to blow my top</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
You can start me up, you can start me up,</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
I'll never stop, never stop, never stop, never stop.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
<br />
…the Stones responded with a threatened lawsuit. And many many Republicans headed for the exits.<br />
<br />
<br />
This essay has now introduced the characters of Richard the Third and
Donald Trump to the conversation about surprise victors. R3 is Britain’s
most unpopular monarch – primarily due to bad press from the Bard of
Avon. Trump is the most unfavorable candidate in American political
history – primarily due to the press not knowing whether to
cringe-or-cry while they gave the “Campaign of our discontent, made
glorious by this billionaire son-of-the-Bronx” a free ride. Trump calls
for America to be made great again by building walls and blocking
Muslims and deporting millions and secret plans to end wars and
discounting treasury bonds. On the eve of his greatest victory he named
his opponent’s father a conspirator in the Kennedy assassination. The
Republican New York Times columnist David Brooks says Trump “appeals to
those longing for an ideal that’s never coming back”. That would be
paternalistic thirties/forties/fifties-era America First jingoism and a
return to the good old
days …that, like all good old days, never
were.<br />
<br />
[Any number of Tom Lehrer songs fit here, here’s one ‘em:]<br />
</span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
When someone makes a move</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Of which we don't approve,</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Who is it that always intervenes?</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
U.N. and O.A.S.,</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
They have their place, I guess,</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
But first: Send The Marines!</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
We'll send them all we've got,</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
John Wayne and Randolph Scott,</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Remember those exciting fighting scenes?</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
To the shores of Tripoli,</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
But not to Mississippoli,</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
What do we do? We Send The Marines!</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
For might makes right,</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
And till they've seen the light,</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
They've got to be protected,</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
All their rights respected,</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
'till somebody we like can be elected.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
<br />
We had a presidential candidate who got himself elected with a secret
plan to end another unpopular war – that plan was escalation and that
war dragged on past his spectacularly failed presidency. <br />
<br />
</span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
I'll tip my hat to the new constitution</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Take a bow for the new revolution</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Smile and grin at the change all around</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Pick up my guitar and play</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Just like yesterday</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Then I'll get on my knees and pray</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
We don't get fooled again</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
<br />
Trump has been called, on multiple occasions, a School Yard Bully …and I
think that puts schoolyards and their bullies in a bad light. And that
(un)fortunately is the only mention of education in this blogpost –
except to recall the history of another American bully and his undoing: <br />
<br />
</span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Mr. Welch: <i>“And if I did, I beg your pardon. Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator.”</i></span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Senator McCarthy:<i> “Let's, let's –“</i></span><i><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
</span></i><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Mr. Welch: “You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?”</span></div>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
<br />
I leave further comparison to you, gentle reader. Lincoln called upon
the Better Angels of our Nature. They have not been in play this
electoral cycle; but if the London bookmakers will set the odds I’ll put
a tenor on ‘em!<br />
<br />
Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma!<br />
<br />
¡Happy Mother’s Day!<br />
<br />
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
DO CHARTER SCHOOLS REALLY DO BETTER? LET'S LOOK AT LOS ANGELES </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
by Alan Singer in the Huffington Post Education Blog | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatkkQacrBOJaaaaaac/">http://huff.to/24vfpvZ</a><br />
<br />
05/05/2016 06:22 am ET | Updated 9 hours ago :: Advocates for charters
schools like to talk about their unwavering commitment to student
success, parental choice and the benefits of privatization, but their
main argument for charter schools is that with their “no excuses“
approach they can do a better job than public schools educating
inner-city minority youth.<br />
<br />
In 2009, the Board of Education of the Los Angeles Unified School
District passed a Public School Choice Motion that expanded the number
of charter schools in the district.<br />
<br />
While in my Huffington Post blogs I frequently complain about both
charter schools and the way high-stakes testing is perverting education
in the United States, sometimes the data the tests produce can be
useful.<br />
<br />
So to answer the question “Do Charter Schools Really Do Better?” let’s look at some test score numbers from Los Angeles.<br />
<br />
On SAT exams administered to high school juniors 2400 is the maximum
possible score. A score of 1500 is considered the minimum threshold
signifying college readiness. Top colleges demand much more. In 2013,
2052 was the average SAT grade for freshmen accepted into UCLA.<br />
<br />
The Los Angeles Times published a list of the average SAT scores at the
100 lowest performing high schools in Los Angeles County. Eight of the
ten worst performing schools, including one that has already been
closed, are charter schools. This includes the Animo Locke Charter High
School #1 operated by the Green Dot Corporate Charter Schools chain
whose founder, Steve Barr wants to run for mayor of Los Angeles in 2017
based on his record of educational “success.” Green Dot also operates
four other charter high schools among the bottom twenty SAT performers
and a total of nine schools in the bottom fifty.<br />
<br />
Critics have long charged that the SAT primarily measures the
socio-economic status of students, a charge the College Board, which
operates the SAT refutes. However Los Angles high school SAT test scores
seem to confirm what critics are saying. In each of the ten worst
performing schools, the student population is more than 90% Latino and
Black and in some cases it is 100%. The number of students eligible for
free or reduced price lunch at these schools, a major indicator of
poverty level, ranges from 84% to 99%. In some of the schools the number
of English Language Learners approaches 50% of the student population.<br />
<br />
Despite bad performance, Los Angeles charter schools also seem to be
free to ignore the rights of parents and children. The Granada Hills
Charter High School has been reprimanded by the Los Angeles Unified
School District Charter Schools Division for improperly charging
students $60 cap and gown fees for graduation ceremonies and violating
parent rights to opt children out of standardized testing by making the
tests a requirement for participation in extra-curricular activities
including athletic teams. The school’s Parent-Student Handbook states
“All students must participate fully in California CAASPP and Granada
Testing in their 9th, 10th and 11th grade year to be eligible to
participate in optional activities such as senior activities, school
extracurricular activities and school athletics. Students who clearly
disregard the test as determined by the testing coordinator or test
proctor will be regarded as having refused to comply with the testing
requirement and will be
subject to loss of senior activities, school extracurricular activities
and school
athletics.<br />
<br />
Granada Hills Charter is one of the largest and highest performing
charter schools in California and the United States. It is also a school
with a White or Asian student majority, relatively fewer economically
disadvantaged students, and almost no English Language Learners.<br />
<br />
The reality is that despite their claims, charter schools cannot perform
educational miracles. At least in Los Angeles, it is not even clear
they serve inner-city minority youth as well as public schools do.<br />
<br />
MORE CHARTER BLUES/NEWS<br />
<br />
Also in California: The Tri-Valley Learning Corporation operates four
California charter schools, two in Livermore and two in Stockton.
Livermore and Stockton are both east of San Francisco. Tri-Valley claims
to “use innovation in education research, to design, create and operate
world-class, exemplary charter schools that encourage and enable every
student to reach his or her full potential as a scholar, a citizen and a
life-long learner.” But the New Jerusalem Elementary School district
serving Livermore is not that happy with the way it operates its
schools. In April 2016, the District’s governing board sent Tri-Valley
official notification that unless it corrected the way it operated its
tow charter schools in Livermore, the District would revoke its charter.
In the letter to Tri-Valley, New Jerusalem charged, “TVLC has failed to
meet generally accepted accounting principles, engaged in fiscal
mismanagement, and violated provisions of law.” It gave Tri-Valley until
May 8
to
respond.<br />
<br />
The District also suspects Tri-Valley of a conflict of interest because
it shares one of its public facilities with a private charter school
with ties to its former CEO. The chain of charter schools also faces
accusations of charging illegal tuition fees to foreign students and of
owing $208,000 to a local community college for a “teacher fee” and
$90,000 to the city of Livermore in back taxes.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile in North Carolina: On April 26, the Attorney General of North
Carolina filed a suit against the now defunct Kinston Charter Academy.
The suit charges the company and its officers with financial
mismanagement and requests that the assets of the principal officers be
frozen. Legal officials also demanded the charter company repay North
Carolina $600,000 in misappropriated state funds plus damages and civil
penalties. According to the papers filed with the court, charter school
management used public funds for themselves, inflated the number of
students enrolled in order to receive additional tax dollars, misled
prospective students, and failed to disclose information to parents.<br />
<br />
<br />
●Alan Singer – whose opinions are his own – is a social studies educator
in the Department of Teaching, Literacy and Leadership at Hofstra
University in Long Island, New York and the editor of Social Science
Docket (a joint publication of the New York and New Jersey Councils for
Social Studies). He taught at a number of secondary schools in New York
City, including Franklin K. Lane High School and Edward R. Murrow High
School. He is the author of Education Flashpoints: Fighting for
America's Schools (Routledge, 2014) which is based on his award winning
Huffington Post blogs, Teaching to Learn, Learning to Teach: A Handbook
for Secondary School Teachers (Routledge, 2013), Social Studies For
Secondary Schools, 4th Edition (Routledge, 2014), New York and Slavery,
Time to Teach the Truth (SUNY, 2008), and Teaching Global History
(Routledge, 2011). <br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead3"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
TEACHERS DO MORE THAN TEACH BETWEEN 8 AND 3! + THE GEMSTONE FOUNDATION </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
By Colleen Schwab, UTLA Secondary Vice President, from United Teacher | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatkkQacrBOMaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1T5EMis</a><br />
<br />
April 22, 2016 :: It’s no surprise that the public often thinks our
jobs start at 8 a.m. and end at 3 p.m., with months of vacation time
during the summer and winter seasons, breaks that are often
misunderstood. I remember being completely exhausted the first weeks
after school ended in June only to hear from friends who were not
teachers that I was “lucky” to have so much vacation time.<br />
<br />
Yes, lucky indeed, but is this time earned! What educators do during the
school year is beyond understanding if one has never been in a
classroom or school site working with students—lots of students, that
is, on a daily basis. At a recent social event, a somewhat know-it-all
about education who has never been an educator asked me a rhetorical
question to the effect of, “How hard is it to teach U.S. History to 20
to 30 eighth-graders?” <br />
<br />
Please just imagine how I responded, having taught middle school for 31 years!<br />
<br />
That brings me to the thought that we not only teach, we care for
students in so many ways: counseling needs, health concerns,
psychological issues, and the list goes on, and it includes addressing
the varied learning differences in the classroom.<br />
<br />
A few years ago, former UTLA lobbyist Bill Lambert brought an exciting
new service to my school to help students read better. Bill became
involved in the Gemstone Foundation, which researched eye development in
young students and found a largely undetected eye alignment problem
that causes poor reading development. This alignment problem is easy to
test for and easy to correct.<br />
<br />
The treatment is a computer-based eye program that students can complete in a relatively short time.<br />
<br />
Several Los Angeles Unified schools have already been through the
program and have seen success in affected students’ reading skills and
their progress in school.<br />
<br />
The problem is funding the treatment, even though it is very low cost
(approximately $250 per student). Gemstone Foundation Senior Scientist
and Director of Research Dr. Maureen Powers and Bill are working to
raise funds for our Los Angeles students.<br />
<br />
If you would like to contribute, any amount would be greatly
appreciated. You can make checks payable to Gemstone Foundation and mail
them to UTLA at 3303 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010; attention
Colleen Schwab. <br />
Stay tuned to hear more about this exciting support for our students!<br />
<b><br />
●●smf’s 2¢: Caveat:</b> I am on the board of Directors of the 501(c)(3)
non-profit Gemstone Foundation and am working with Bill and Colleen and
Maureen and others will be bringing the Gemstone Program to schools in
LA thanks to a generous grant from County Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas.<br />
<br />
First we learn to read, then we read to learn.<br />
<br />
Learning to read is an exquisitely complicated process that literally
requires rewiring and reprogramming of the brain; it also requires
phenomenal eye-brain coordination. Educators learned long ago that poor
vision effects reading ability; we are now learning that binocular
vision – important in depth perception and eye-brain coordination – is
also critical in reading ability. <br />
<br />
Over the past several years, Gemstone has been testing children in LA
and elsewhere for eye coordination ability. We find that many who pass
the mandatory school vision screening exams complain that their eyes
hurt while reading; they skip lines, they see double sometimes, and they
even see words wiggle or jump. Most of these children are “20/20” -
yet clearly they have some sort of vision problem that can interfere
with reading. <br />
<br />
School vision screening does not detect this problem, which we call EYES
IN CONFLICT. Technically this is recognized as a weakness in visual
skills or as binocular vision impairment. <br />
<br />
In Los Angeles schools alone, we have tested over 5000 students in
grades 3 and higher. At Ann Street Elementary School, our first tested
school, we found that 62 percent of the students in grades 3 through 6
had Eyes in Conflict. Two years ago 32 of 56 third graders (57%) at
Robert Hill Lane Elementary and 47 out of 90 (52%) of third graders at
Trinity Street Elementary were identified. <br />
<br />
We also tested 200 boys incarcerated at the Gonzales Probation Camp.
Sixty-four percent (64%) of the boys had Eyes in Conflict! <br />
<br />
We find that, on average, more than 30% of children have some level of
Eyes in Conflict—and that the percentage is more like 50% in low income
schools and juvenile offender facilities. <br />
<br />
In classroom interventions we routinely find that two-thirds or more of
participating students improve vision skills to target levels for
reading. In half of students an immediate improvement is seen in oral
fluency scores. These results are lasting. Once a student learns to
coordinate their eyes reading and learning improves dramatically - and
stays improved. <br />
<br />
EYES IN CONFLICT is not a problem that can be solved by eyeglasses or
surgery. It is a problem that can be solved through practice and
training. This problem does not go away without intervention. Visual
skills will not improve without training, no more than eyesight can
improve on its own without glasses. <br />
<br />
…as it says above, stay tuned!</span> <br /><br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT">
<a href="http://www.gemstonefoundation.org/html/about_mission.htm" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">About Gemstone Foundation</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead4"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
Dan Walters: MANDATED COLLEGE PREP COURSES ARE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<b>STUDENTS WHO ARE FORCED INTO COLLEGE PREPARATORY
CLASSES MIGHT HAVE BETTER SUCCESS IN VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS, A PUBLIC
POLICY INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA STUDY SUGGESTS</b><br />
<br />
Opinion By Dan Walters | Sacramento Bee | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatkkQacrBOPaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1T4LyBS</a><br />
<br />
May 5, 2016 :: More than 6 million youngsters are enrolled in
California’s K-12 schools, a number higher than the populations of 33
states.<br />
<br />
The diversity of those kids – in ethnicity, economic situation,
intelligence and innate capacity for learning – is probably wider than
any of those states.<br />
<br />
If we have 6 million-plus unique individuals, why then do we try to
stuff them into a one-size-fits-all educational system? Shouldn’t we, to
the extent possible, tailor their educations to their individual
circumstances and traits?<br />
<br />
In addition to the vital basics, shouldn’t we offer challenging academic
studies to the gifted and college-bound, extra instructional help to
those with learning disabilities, and solid technical classes for those
suited by interest and aptitude for skilled trades?<br />
<br />
Yes, we should. But for reasons that defy common sense, many of our
larger school districts assume that all students are bound for four-year
colleges, even though a relatively small number of those who make it
through high school will, in fact, earn bachelor degrees.<br />
<br />
Therefore, they insist that before graduation, all of their students
complete the 30 semesterlong courses known as “a-g” to meet basic
admission requirements for state universities or the University of
California.<br />
<br />
It’s simplistic, it’s illogical and, a new report from the Public Policy
Institute of California suggests, it’s ultimately irresponsible and
destructive.<br />
<br />
PPIC looked at the college-for-everyone policies of several big school
systems, concentrating on San Diego Unified School District.<br />
<br />
It found that SDUSD has increased students enrolled in the college prep
classes, but it’s also increased the number of kids who won’t make it
through graduation.<br />
<br />
“In sum, roughly 10 percent more San Diego students may become eligible
to apply to the CSU and UC university systems,” PPIC concluded, “but 16
percent more may fail to graduate. For the class of 2016, the new
graduation policy is likely to produce many students who will win, and
many who will lose.”<br />
<br />
The college prep mandates in San Diego, Los Angeles Unified, San
Francisco Unified and other big systems, moreover, fly in the face of
state education policy, which has gradually moved toward more
individualism, including a long-overdue re-emphasis of what used to be
called vocational education but now is “career technical education.”<br />
<br />
Furthermore, college-for-everyone ignores the real world. Yes, we need
more college graduates, particularly to replace the baby boomers who are
retiring out of the workforce. In fact, it’s already created a shortage
of teachers.<br />
<br />
But everyone knows of college graduates struggling with large student
debts and poor employment prospects, and we also need more blue-collar
workers to perform society’s work – to build houses, to install or
repair wiring, plumbing, to make and fix our cars and computers, and so
forth. There are already shortages in those high-paying fields that also
are hit by baby boomer retirements.<br />
<br />
For K-12 students and society as a whole, college-for-everyone policies are counterproductive.</span> <br /><br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT">
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatkkQacrBOQaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> PPIC REPORT: College Prep for All: Will San Diego Students Meet Challenging New Graduation Requirements?</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead5"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
MONEY MAY BE LEFT ON TABLE IN TRAINING PROGRAM FOR TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
By Jeremy Hay | EdSource Today | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatkkQacrBOSaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Wg1qF7</a><br />
<br />
May 5, 2016 :: A $15 million state program to reimburse transitional
kindergarten teachers for required professional development classes is
struggling because too few teachers have signed up, and nearly a third
of California’s 58 counties face the unwelcome prospect of having to
return unused funds by the end of the coming school year. <br />
<br />
Although the counties have until July 2017 to distribute the funds, many
have already calculated that they will have to return a portion of the
money because their efforts to recruit teachers to participate in the
program have fallen short.<br />
<br />
The Legislature created transitional kindergarten in 2010 for children
who had not yet turned 5 by September — the cutoff date to enter regular
kindergarten — and whose birthdays fell between Sept. 1 and Dec. 2. In
2014, legislators passed a law requiring teachers assigned to
transitional kindergarten classes after July 2015 to get 24 units of
early childhood education or child development classes by 2020. The
California Transitional Kindergarten Stipend program was set up to
reimburse teachers for those costs — but they have only until July 2017
to collect those funds. <br />
<br />
The stipend program will receive a total of $15 million in state
funding. So far, $11.2 million has gone to planning councils in each of
the state’s 58 counties to distribute to teachers, with the remainder to
be given out later. To date, counties have paid out only $928,000,
though that amount is expected to rise as the school year ends.<br />
<br />
Statewide, out of 3,379 new transitional kindergarten teachers
identified by the California Department of Education, 300 have received
stipends. About 150 teachers in the California State Preschool Program
for low-income children have also participated. Although transitional
kindergarten teachers are the first priority, state preschool teachers
can receive stipends for any early childhood education or child
development classes.<br />
<br />
“We’ve done a huge amount of advertising and promotion this year, and
we’re just not seeing a lot more people come forward,” said Missy
Danneberg, interim coordinator of Sonoma County’s Child Care Planning
Council, which plans to return $65,000 of its $185,000 grant.<br />
<br />
Last January, the California Department of Education began allocating
funds to the planning councils, and each county was given flexibility to
design systems to recruit teachers and help arrange classes for them.
But the counties had a short window of time to set up those programs and
spend the funds.<br />
<br />
Many teachers appear unaware of the requirements for additional
education, officials in some counties said, and as result have not
signed up for classes they will need. And with a 2020 deadline for
teachers to fulfill those requirements, there appears to be little sense
of urgency, other officials said.<br />
<br />
“We didn’t even find out about the program until January, then every
local county had to deal with its own program; so you basically lost a
year by the time you got things going,” said Tara Ryan, former
coordinator of San Diego County’s Child Care and Development Planning
Council and now coordinator of the county’s preschool quality program.
“That’s kind of typical of how CDE (California Department of Education)
does things.”<br />
<br />
But Cecelia Fisher-Dahms, administrator of the California Department of
Education’s Quality Improvement Office, said the initial allocations
were delayed because her office was waiting for more information from
the Legislature, which created the program. “The first year was moot
because we were late getting clarification,” she said.<br />
<br />
In a department survey of the 58 local planning councils, 17 said they
may return money by July 2017; 31 counties said they will not; and 10
have not responded, said spokesman Peter Tira. He declined to reveal
which counties said they may return funds.<br />
<br />
Judi Andersen, coordinator of the Humboldt County Local Child Care and
Development Planning Council, said her office has spent just $706 of its
$52,863 allocation. She said the way the program is structured has been
a barrier. Teachers have to pay for their classes up front and wait
until they have verified transcripts before getting reimbursed.<br />
<br />
“It kills me to send money back that could go to early educators,” Andersen said.<br />
<br />
Alameda County’s General Services Agency received $550,661 for stipends
for an estimated 125 new transitional kindergarten teachers. As of April
20, it had distributed $11,000 to 13 teachers, eight of them preschool
teachers who are also eligible, said Kim Hazard, Alameda’s special
projects coordinator for the Early Care and Education Program at the
General Services Agency.<br />
<br />
Hazard said one challenge has been locating transitional kindergarten
teachers to let them know about both the new requirements and funding
that is available to meet them. <br />
<br />
“Half of the battle is figuring out who the TK teachers are in our
community and trying to establish some sort of relationship with them,”
Hazard said.<br />
<br />
She said she hopes a summer transitional kindergarten institute will
attract more teachers, but the county has decided it will return
$137,000 of its allocation, calculating that in the time remaining it
will not be able to reach enough teachers.<br />
<br />
“We want to get as much money out as possible to a community (of early
childhood educators) that is underfunded – it’s heartbreaking to send
money back,” Hazard said.<br />
<br />
“It is sort of surprising,” CDE’s Fisher-Dahms said of Alameda County’s situation. “They’re a go-getter.” <br />
<br />
“The challenge may be the outreach (on the local level) to the
transitional kindergarten community,” Fisher-Dahms said of the problems
some counties are facing. The department plans to redistribute returned
money to counties that still need it, she said.<br />
<br />
In Riverside County, the program has flourished, with the first stipends
delivered in June 2015, said Deborah Clark-Crews, executive director of
the county’s Child Care Consortium. Teachers have since been given
$70,250 in stipends, and 120 more are currently enrolled in classes for
which they will be reimbursed. Clark-Crews projects spending all of the
$973,586 the county received from the stipend program.<br />
<br />
“We are not going to leave any money on the table,” she said. “It comes so infrequently.”<br />
<br />
In Ventura County, Carrie Murphy, director of early childhood programs
at the county office of education, said $180,000 of the county’s
$334,802 will be spent by July, and the remainder in the next year. She
said her office worked with school districts, CSU Channel Islands and
community colleges to design a curriculum blending online instruction
with class time to create an easy “one-stop shop” for teachers to
participate.<br />
<br />
In Santa Clara County, however, the Local Early Education Planning
Council has distributed just $1,500 of the $669,603 it has received.
Michael Garcia, staff coordinator, says the council, too, will return
funds: $290,000.<br />
<br />
“Unfortunately, it’s been slow to take off,” Garcia said.<br />
<br />
As time runs out, even officials who still foresee success say the program needs more time to reach its goals.<br />
<br />
“To try and gain 24 units in a two-year period, that’s not doable,” said
Ellin Chariton, executive director of school and community service at
the Orange County Department of Education, which received $1.1 million.
She recommended extending the deadline to at least 2018. <br />
<br />
She said her department worked with school districts and local community
colleges, as well as CSU Fullerton, to design curricula and offer
necessary classes. So far, 69 transitional kindergarten teachers are
expected to receive stipends ranging from $200 to $2,500, Chariton said.
Ian Hanigan, a spokesman for the Orange County Department of Education,
said a “very conservative” estimate of first-year distributions is
$300,000.<br />
<br />
Roseann Andrus, project consultant for Orange County’s Child Care and
Development Planning Council, said, “We really have to do some hard-core
marketing that we really didn’t get to do effectively because we were
rushed in the beginning” to design the program.<br />
<br />
Los Angeles County received $3.6 million. By July it expects to have
more than 100 teachers receiving stipends, said Harvey Kawasaki, acting
CEO of Los Angeles County’s Service Integration Branch. He said he
expects his office will distribute 70 percent of what it had aimed to
disburse by July, but more would have been distributed if the program
had started earlier. It’s not clear whether his office will be able to
distribute all the funds in the program’s remaining 14 months, Kawasaki
said.<br />
<br />
“Most of us are probably going to leave some dollars on the table,” he
said. “If we are allowed to roll over our unspent dollars, that means
many more teachers we could reach out to.”</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
FREMONT HIGH’S ‘FIELD OF DREAMS’ DEDICATED TO VOLUNTEER FOR 50 YEARS OF SERVICE </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
by Barbara Jones | LAUSD Daily | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatkkQacrBOUaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1q6wrh5</a><br />
<br />
May 6, 2016 | Clarence Johnson has lived in South LA for more than a
half-century, but his real home is on the baseball field at Fremont High
School.<br />
<br />
That’s where Johnson has spent the last 50 years grooming the diamond,
offering players tips that he learned as a pro and running a weekend
baseball league for the neighborhood. Most importantly, the field is
where he has mentored generations of Fremont students.<br />
<br />
“I love all the kids. I tell the all the young kids, make sure that you
stay in school,” Johnson said. “Go to school. There’s no way out. You
must go to school every day.”<br />
<br />
In recognition of Johnson’s 50-plus-year commitment to the Fremont
community – not to mention the thousands of hours he has spent as a
volunteer – school leaders this week renamed the baseball field in
Johnson’s honor.<br />
<br />
“He’s given us so much over the years – baseballs, uniforms – we don’t
even have to ask,” said Fremont Pathfinders Coach Curtis Johnson, who is
not related to Clarence. “If I mention that a kid needs a new glove,
he’ll show up the next day with a new glove. And he loves to talk
baseball with the kids. He’s the backbone of our team in a lot of ways.”<br />
<br />
During the dedication ceremony for the Clarence Johnson Baseball Field,
its namesake recalled the path that eventually led him to Fremont.<br />
<br />
After graduating from high school in the early 1950s, Johnson went
straight to the Kansas City Monarchs as a catcher for the Negro Leagues’
franchise. He later played for the Brooklyn Dodgers farm team, and
moved with them to Los Angeles in 1958; however, he never moved up to
the Major League.<br />
<br />
Going to work for Amtrak, Johnson never lost his love of baseball. In
March 1966, he walked from his house to nearby Fremont, where he took it
upon himself to start taking care of the ball field. That was also the
beginning what has become a lifelong affiliation with the school. He
spends weekdays with the Fremont kids and weekends overseeing teams of
teens and young men from his South LA neighborhood. Even Lois, Johnson’s
wife of 43 years, concedes that Fremont is “his first home.”<br />
<br />
And on Johnson’s well-manicured fields, Fremont has produced 25
professional ballplayers – the most of any school in the country.<br />
<br />
“He tells us to respect the field because that means respecting the game
and that means respecting ourselves,” said Daniel Russell, who coaches
Fremont’s junior varsity team.<br />
<br />
Traschon Harris, a senior who plays center field for the Pathfinders, said Johnson is a role model for the team.<br />
<br />
“He’s just a great guy and really helpful,” Harris said. “Even when
we’re messing up, he’ll just come up and correct us. He’s never rude or
pushy. He’s really amazing.”<br />
<br />
Principal Pedro Avalos was behind the idea to name the field, describing Johnson as a mainstay of the community.<br />
<br />
“He is not only the person who is the maintenance worker for the field,
but he is the maintenance worker for growing up,” Avalos said. “He has
fixed a lot of us.”<br />
<br />
With the ball field now bearing Johnson’s name, “students, parents,
teachers and the community will know your legacy and the difference that
you made,” said Christopher Downing, the superintendent of Local
District South.<br />
<br />
Johnson said he was thankful for the recognition of his 50-plus years,
but that he doesn’t plan to end of his volunteer service anytime soon.
Asked where he was planning to be this weekend, Johnson said simply,
“I’m going to be here.”<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• Tues. May 10, 2016 - 9:30 a.m. SPECIAL BOARD MEETING - - INCLUDING CLOSED SESSION ITEMS – Revised Agenda: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatkkQacrBOXaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1T4Nzhu</a><br />
• Tues. May 10, 2016 - 1:00 p.m. REGULAR BOARD MEETING – Agenda: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatkkQacrBOYaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1WhrErw</a><br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatkkQacrBOpaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatkkQacrBOqaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatkkQacrBOraaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatkkQacrBOsaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatkkQacrBOtaaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatkkQacrBOuaaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatkkQacrBOvaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
</td>
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<span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px Verdana, sans serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-47067022358630813422016-05-01T00:00:00.000-07:002016-05-01T00:00:02.721-07:00I've been to the mountaintop<br />
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<td align="CENTER"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: bold 18px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
4LAKids: Sunday 1•May•2016
</span>
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In This Issue:
</span>
<br />
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">EITHER 16,000 OR 6,000 SENIORS ARE IN DANGER OF NOT GRADUATING +smf’s 2¢ +a real meaningful opinion about A-thru-G</span></td>
</tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">CHARTER SCHOOLS SHARING LAUSD CAMPUSES: NOBODY LOVES IT, EVERYONE HAS TO LIVE WITH IT</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">ITI TASK FORCE PREPARING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY PLAN</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">GRANADA HILLS CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL WINS NATIONAL ACADEMIC DECATHLON</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">RENOWNED EDUCATOR WARNS THAT LA UNIFIED’S FUTURE IS ‘DIRE’</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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Featured Links:
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatiEYacrrtmaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">► Friends4smf :: The GoFundMe campaign</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatiEYacrrtpaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKidsNews:
a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="322"><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
There is an uncertain mythology about the community in Northeast Los Angeles that claims to be Mt Washington.<br />
<br />
Let’s just say that MW is not a mountain, but a 940 foot anthill. It is
Mt Washingtonians who make a mountain of it, perched above Highland Park
and Cypress Park and Glassell Park and Eagle Rock, overlooking the
railyards and Dodger Stadium with a distant visage of Downtown LA. From
other sides of the hill one can see Glendale …or look down the San
Gabriel Valley. <br />
<br />
The mountain itself forms the aquafer that feeds the spring that is Sparkletts.<br />
<br />
The late great LA Times columnist Jack Smith created Mt Washington in
his mind and on the pages of The Times – a place not unlike Lake
Wobegon: Our women are strong, our men are good looking and our children
are above average …with test scores to prove it. Smith populated his MW
with characters larger-and-more colorful than life.<br />
<br />
If Jack Smith hadn’t come along someone else surely would’ve have
noticed the quirky hillside community with marginal economic advantage
and undue political influence: Half-a-bubble-off-level.<br />
<br />
<br />
We have lost a favorite daughter, a strong Mt Washingtonian of the first rate.<br />
<b><br />
PAT GRIFFITH </b>was not a rabble-rouser or a troublemaker; she was
leader-from-the-center who quietly looked at the situation, figured out
what needed to be done – and saw that it was done.<br />
<br />
Pat was a founding member of the Mt Washington Babysitting Co-op – and
kept that organization running – and the mission of Parent+Child
Networking going. She was instrumental and getting a second Babysit
Co-op started when younger kids and new parents came on the scene.<br />
<br />
And she pushed the edge of the envelope and was instrumental in forming
the Mt Washington Preschool – first in a church basement and later in a
number of venues until it found a home at La Casita Verde. Mt Washington
Preschool delivered a low-cost/educationally effective/economically
sustainable/ culturally sensitive early childhood education program – a
national model – for infants-to-pre-K to the community and surrounding
communities.<br />
<br />
The preschool eventually expanded to three sites as Mount Washington
Preschool and Child Care Center, Inc. – with onsite preschool programs
in LA City Hall and the downtown Federal Building as well as La Casita
Verde. As president+ board chair of MWP&CCC Pat led the non-profit
through hard financial times and difficult transitions in school
staffing, consistently delivering a high-quality program and running an
effective and tight ship. Getting little kids stared on their educations
on the right foot.<br />
<br />
Pat did this as a “part-time” volunteer, taking time from her family and
daughter and job and life, giving-back and modelling the village it
takes to raise our children.<br />
<br />
Pat passed away on April 18th quite unexpectedly, leaving her husband,
Scott Burleigh, and adult daughter Geneva – and an entire community –
devastated.<br />
<br />
Thank you Pat and Godspeed. <i>Your example will lead us.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
There will be a memorial service for Patricia Eileen Griffith for
family+friends this Sunday afternoon (today) at the Denny & Jack
Smith Community Center at Mt Washington School. Pat had lots o’ friends,
if you suspect you are one of them <i>– there is no past tense –</i> you are!<br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<b>MEMORIAL FOR PAT GRIFFITH, SUNDAY, MAY 1</b></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Date: Sunday, May 1, 2016</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Time: 5:30 p.m. – Potluck</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
6:30 p.m. – Remembering Pat</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Location: Mt. Washington Elementary School</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Multipurpose Room</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
3981 San Rafael Avenue</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Los Angeles, CA 90065</span></div>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<br />
<br />
Potluck suggestions – please bring 8-12 servings of something you love,
ideally according to these last-name categories (if the thing you love
doesn’t fit the category, bring it anyway):<br />
<br />
A-F: salads<br />
G-L: side dishes<br />
M-R: main dishes<br />
S-Z: fruit and desserts<br />
(smf - this is exactly how we did it for Babysit Co-op meetings!)<br />
<br />
Beyond this, donations in any amount to the Mount Washington Preschool and Child Care Center, Inc. [<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatiEYacrrtKaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1YYAs2W]</a> that Pat loved so deeply would be a wonderful way to remember her: 4601 N. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90065.<br />
<br />
Bike self-parking will be available courtesy of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. (Please bring your own lock).<br />
<br />
<br />
_____________<br />
<br />
<br />
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE DECATHLETES+COACHES at Granada Hills Charter High
School for winning the 2016 National Academic Decathlon!<br />
<br />
<br />
_____________<br />
<br />
<br />
IN THE SUBBASEMENT of a building at Kaiser Sunset – on a floor called –
in an architectural anomaly – ‘The Atrium” – is the Radiation Oncology
Lab.<br />
<br />
The waiting room is the atrium, the ceiling four or five floors above,
all skylit+airy, ranks of seats facing large screens that summon the
next patient into Radiation Therapy – into Rooms 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D, plus
2A, 2B, 2C and 2D.<br />
<br />
You meet good people in the waiting room – waiting for their names to go
up on the screen. We are going to be treated. We are going to get
better.<br />
<br />
This is not the dismal institutional waiting room from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s Cancer Ward.<br />
<br />
Also in the seats are those waiting for patients to be treated: spouses
and family members, friends and caregivers. Next of kin. They are
worried. They have seen the actuarial tables.<br />
<br />
My name comes up and I head down the hallway to your room, 2B. or not
2B. Past the lead lined doors and the shielded+reinforced concrete
partitions. The path is a maze of turns; radiation travels in straight
lines. That stuff I learned in Physics comes in handy. I would imagine
that the entry to the Pentagon Situation Room is like this, but with
more flags.<br />
<br />
<br />
2B: The Machine waits, all apple green and huge. A proton beam linear
accelerator, to be specific a Varian TrueBeam™ Radiotherapy System. The
internet says these puppies cost upwards of $3 million each. <br />
<br />
Helpful young technicians are eager to help – after asking a few trick
questions to make sure I am who I am say I am. (The danger of someone
else getting my radiation therapy must be huge!)<br />
<br />
I am laid on a table and aligned with lasers to discrete tattoos on my body: Aim radiation here!<br />
I am a specimen on the stage of a microscope – like the old Monsanto Ride at Disneyland.<br />
<br />
The table rises and pushes in, into the center of the Varian TrueBeam™
Radiotherapy System as the helpful technicians all leave the room and
the door closes with a click; they will be watching the rest on computer
screens – remotely targeting invasive malignancies like drone pilots in
the Nevada desert. <br />
<br />
(Needless to say your cell phone stopped working the second you left the
waiting room; the wi-fi here is for different purposes!)<br />
<br />
You are left alone with Your Machine, which whirrs and clicks and
buzzes, rotating about you on its multiple axes, delivering death to
your enemy – which is ironically you, gone ironically wrong.<br />
<br />
Alone with your machine your mind wanders to the poem by Richard Brautigan:<br />
</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
I like to think (and</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
the sooner the better!)</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
of a cybernetic meadow</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
where mammals and computers</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
live together in mutually</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
programming harmony</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
like pure water</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
touching clear sky.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
</span>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
I like to think</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
(right now, please!)</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
of a cybernetic forest</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
filled with pines and electronics</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
where deer stroll peacefully</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
past computers</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
as if they were flowers</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
with spinning blossoms.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
</span>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
I like to think</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
(it has to be!)</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
of a cybernetic ecology</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
where we are free of our labors</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
and joined back to nature,</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
returned to our mammal</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
brothers and sisters,</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
and all watched over</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
by machines of loving grace.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<br />
<br />
And as this seems to make cosmic sense the background music, which has
been piped in from the eighties for this particular moment, segues to a
new tune:<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Well now, I get low and I get high,</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
And if I can't get either, I really try.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Got the wings of heaven on my shoes.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
I'm a dancin' man and I just can't lose.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
You know it's all right. It's OK.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
I'll live to see another day.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
We can try to understand</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
The New York Times' effect on man.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
</span>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother,</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin',</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
And we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<br />
<br />
And ironically, with a smf hat-tip to the Brothers Gibb, that’s why we’re all here …wherever here is.<br />
<br />
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf<br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
EITHER 16,000 OR 6,000 SENIORS ARE IN DANGER OF NOT
GRADUATING +smf’s 2¢ +a real meaningful opinion about A-thru-G
</span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
●●smf’s 2¢: according to the two articles below, by
the same author on the same day but in two different (but not much)
online publications, either 16,000 or 6,000 LAUSD seniors are in danger
of not graduating. OMG! But what’s 10,000 twelfth graders among
anti-public school provocateurs? <br />
<br />
<br />
►<b>16,000 SENIORS FAILING WITH 6 WEEKS TO GO: THE DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD OF LAUSD’S RAISED BAR FOR GRADUATION</b><br />
Posted on LA School Report by Craig Clough | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatiEYacrrtOaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1NKudiF</a> <br />
<br />
April 28, 2016 6:30 pm :: The LA Unified school board faced a difficult decision in June.<br />
<br />
It had previously voted to raise the bar on its graduation requirements
starting in 2016 in an effort to get more students into college, but it
was clear not enough students were ready for the challenge and
graduation rates would plummet if aggressive action was not taken.<br />
<br />
The board ultimately chose to stick with the raised bar, and the
district is now entering the final stages of that difficult decision.<br />
<br />
More than 6,000 seniors are currently failing at least one of their
required “A though G” courses, meaning if they can’t raise their grade
to a D by the end of the semester in six weeks, they will not graduate
on time. Yet these students are considered “on track” by the district
because to be labeled on track, a student need only be enrolled in the
required A-G courses.<br />
<br />
And 10,000 more are considered “off track,” meaning they are missing one or more A-G class.<br />
<br />
“While I am encouraged by the recent efforts and commitment (to A-G), it
also shows us the gap of the work that we have today,” board member
Monica Garcia told LA School Report. <br />
<br />
Garcia has been one of the board’s strongest supporters of the A-G
standards, and at the June board debate said, “This has been a hard
road. Not because we are not committed to a hundred percent for
everyone,” but because the district struggles to “improve practice that
meets the needs of all kids.”<br />
<br />
A recent district report showed that 68 percent of seniors are currently
“on track” to meet their A-G course requirements — a number that has
been predicted to significantly rise before the semester is over — but
30 percent, or 6,400, of those on-track students were failing a course
at the 10-week mark. While district leaders have expressed optimism that
many students are getting the help they need, it is clear that a
significant number of students who last year would have otherwise
graduated with the same final transcript will not do so this year.<br />
<br />
Thousands of other students will also graduate having earned D’s in the
A-G courses, which means they will not be eligible for California’s
public universities because C’s are required. And still thousands more
will graduate only due to a massive $15 million credit recovery program
that allows them to earn a C if they can demonstrate proficiency in an
online course, a practice that has been called into question by some
education experts who characterize it as an essentially cheap and faulty
way of getting a student to graduate.<br />
<br />
A report this month from the Public Policy Institute of California
studied the impact the raised A-G standards are having on a number of
districts that have taken them on. San Diego Unified, which like LA
Unified is also implementing A-G standards for the first time this year,
is facing a huge drop-off in graduation rates.* ( The district is
undertaking a wide-scale credit recovery program for the first time this
year similar to LA Unified’s and it is unclear to what level this could
boost the graduation rate.)<br />
<br />
The results at San Diego Unified are bittersweet, with more students
than ever meeting the A-G requirements, while at the same time
graduation rates are set to drop from 87.5 percent in 2014 to 72 percent
this year. Ten percent more San Diego students may become eligible to
apply to the California public university systems, but 16 percent more
may fail to graduate.<br />
<br />
“In sum, by increasing graduation requirements, San Diego and other
districts have opened more doors to success. Ironically, they have also
opened more doors to failure, in the sense that a greater number of
students are now at risk of not graduating,” the report stated.<br />
<br />
While district leaders are predicting that LA Unified will avoid any
graduation crisis due to the credit recovery program, and that
graduation rates may even rise to new highs, the district still grapples
with the same issues San Diego is facing from choosing to raise the
graduation bar. Like San Diego, LA Unified lowered the planned
requirement for C’s to be earned in A-G classes for graduation to D’s,
even though it meant the ultimate purpose of getting kids into college
would not be met.<br />
<br />
According to a district memo, as of March, 48 percent of LA Unified
seniors were on-track to graduate with C’s or better in all A-G courses,
meaning if the district actually meets the predicted rate of 80 percent
graduation this year, some 11,000-plus students will be graduating
without qualifying for admittance to California’s public universities,
which is the entire intent and purpose of the A-G graduation standards.<br />
<br />
“You talk about the right to a diploma and this is a debate that we
have, and I don’t think there is really one right answer that could
apply to all students,” said Sara Mooney, an education program associate
at United Way of Greater Los Angeles, which has advocated for the
district to keep the A-G standards. “For students, the purpose of the
courses are not just to make you eligible for college but this is also a
conversation about the quality of a child’s education, and that means
the quality of their diploma and the weight that their diploma carries
after they graduate. We really have to be responsible for this in
offering them the resources to be successful in their school and
subsequently in life.”<br />
<br />
When asked how she weighs the balance between the higher standards and
the needs of the students who will not make it to graduation as a
result, Garcia said, “For the last 10 years I have represented the kids
who don’t get a diploma and who do get a diploma. And every year there
have been more young people getting a diploma. So we are not new to
dealing with the absence of success for our system to get to everybody.
That is not the new piece. The new piece is that we do have a challenge
to the system in how do we manage what is a California requirement, and
what is an LAUSD requirement. And we have more students completing the
courses required for college, which is a very good thing.”<br />
<br />
One promising statistic for A-G supporters is that overall the
district’s A-G completion rate has gone from 18 percent in 2005 to the
projected-and-rising 68 percent of today.<br />
<br />
“I am encouraged by what I see for us moving toward higher standards and
higher levels of personalization,” Garcia said. “I think it’s very
exciting that, yes, we have increased the challenge, and repeatedly our
young people have said I need high expectations like that.”<br />
<br />
* A previous version of this story said San Diego Unified was not
undertaking a large credit recovery program. The report citied includes
only data through August before the credit recovery program began.<br />
<br />
__________<br />
<br />
<br />
►<b>L.A. SCHOOLS INSIST 6,000 HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS WITH FAILING GRADES ARE ‘ON TRACK’ TO GRADUATE IN 6 WEEKS</b><br />
<br />
By Craig Clough in The 74 - This article was produced in partnership with LA School Report | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatiEYacrrtPaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Y09FmJ</a><br />
<br />
April 28, 2016 :: While the Los Angeles Unified School District’s
projected 2016 graduation rate continues to tick up as seniors complete
extra credit recovery courses to make up those they previously failed,
30 percent of those now considered “on track” for graduation currently
aren’t because they are failing at least one of the district’s A through
G classes.<br />
<br />
To be labeled “on track” a student need only be enrolled in the A-G
courses, which are required for admittance to California’s public
universities, and if these failing grades do not improve to at least a D
by the end of the semester, six weeks away, roughly 6,400 seniors would
not be eligible to graduate on time — which would drop the city’s
current projected graduation rate from 68 percent to 48 percent.<br />
<br />
Frances Gipson, LA Unified’s chief academic officer, said a number of
actions have been taken to get extra help and resources to the students
who are failing a course, and the district is still hopeful that last
year’s record graduation rate of 77 percent will be surpassed.<br />
<br />
“We are seeking to exceed last year’s expectations, that is our goal,” Gipson told LA School Report.<br />
<br />
Due in part to a $15 million credit recovery program that has been
aggressively implemented this school year, the projected A-G completion
rate has risen steadily, up from 54 percent in January and 63 percent in
February to now stand at 68 percent. (District officials in February
predicted LA Unified may graduate 80 percent of its seniors, which would
be an all-time record.)<br />
<br />
The credit recovery program was enacted by the school board this fiscal
year to help offset a potential graduation crisis, as this year is the
first time the A-G courses are required for graduation. The courses, if
all are passed with a C or better, would make students eligible for
acceptance in California’s public universities, although seniors only
need to get a D in order to graduate.<br />
<br />
Gipson said the extra help being given to seniors failing an A-G course
include having counselors meet with the students and letters sent to the
student’s parent or guardian. School counselors “have met with all
students in the class of 2016 that are currently on-track but received a
fail at the 10-week mark to discuss intervention and supports needed to
pass and stay on track,” said an April 18 memo to Superintendent
Michelle King from Gipson and Carol Alexander, director of A-G
Intervention and Support.<br />
<br />
Asked if the number of students currently failing an A-G course was a
cause for concern, Cynthia Lim, executive director of LA Unified’s
Office of Data and Accountability, said that it was hard to determine
what the number meant because “this is new. We’ve never had A-G as a
graduation requirement before, so this is all new.”<br />
<br />
Gipson added that the current 20 percent number “is relatively
consistent with past patterns we have seen with students in terms of, as
you think about your own child or your friend’s children, there are
always those who may be getting a D or an F and we need find out why
they may be getting a D or an F. Is it because of attendance? Is it
because they need extra tutorial support? Are they not turning in
assignments? Do they need extra assignments? I think there are multiple
pathways we can explore.”<br />
<br />
Before the credit recovery program began across the district in the
fall, the projected graduation rate was only 54 percent, a steep decline
from last year’s all-time high of 77 percent.<br />
<br />
The credit recovery program involves getting seniors currently not on
track to take extra coursework on weekends, after school as well as
during holiday breaks. Many of the courses are online and only require
students to demonstrate basic proficiency in the subject, which has
caused some to question the academic rigor of the online courses. The
district and Gipson have previously defended the academic value of the
courses.<br />
<br />
Over spring break in late March, the district enacted the “Spring Plus”
program at 15 high schools that provided resources and dedicated staff
to get students back on track, according to Gipson and Alexander’s memo.
The program has continued on Saturdays since spring break and is
scheduled to be completed May 28. Attendance has varied depending on the
day, but 313 seniors showed up at the 15 high schools on the first
Monday of spring break.<br />
<br />
According to an April 4 memo, 21,729 seniors are currently on-track to
complete their A-G requirements, but 6,428 — or 30 percent — received an
F at the 10-week mark. There are 4,746 seniors off-track by one or two
courses, 1,455 off-track by three or four courses and 3,878 off-track by
five or more courses.<br />
<br />
In June, when facing the stark graduation projections due to the coming
A-G requirements, the school board lowered the required grades in A-G
courses from a C to a D for the class of 2017. (The class of 2016 could
always receive D’s for graduation.) The A-G course requirements, which
were first conceived and passed by the board in 2005, are aimed at
getting more LA Unified students into California’s public universities.
Despite the lowering of the bar, the district has made significant
progress since 2005, according to a March 7 memo by Gipson and Alexander
that showed 48 percent of all LA Unified high school students are
passing their A-G courses with C’s or better.<br />
<br />
“This shows tremendous growth since the class of 2005, when only 18
percent graduated meeting the A-G course requirements with a C or
better,” the memo stated.<br />
<br />
_____________<br />
<b><br />
●●●ANOTHER …AND FAR WISER OPINION:</b> Alan Warhaftig [<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatiEYacrrtQaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1QIs4yz],</a> The English coordinator/counselor at Fairfax High School, writes 4LAKids:<br />
<br />
Subject: Re: 16,000 seniors failing with 6 weeks to go: The double-edged
sword of LAUSD's raised bar for graduation - LA School Report<br />
<br />
MISIS aside, it was obvious from the outset that the A-G graduation
requirement would cause problems. I once told Marguerite LaMotte how
much I admired her for voting against A-G, and she responded that she’d
paid a stiff political price for that vote.<br />
<br />
I don’t doubt that there have been examples of low expectations by
counselors based on the race of a student, and I’m all for raising
standards and making the high school diploma more meaningful, but having
worked with teenagers for 25 years, I can tell you that, in general,
they could not care less about a School Board mandate for higher
achievement. The edicts of elected officials don't outweigh what’s
going on in some of their lives.</span><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">In the past two months, I’ve had three students in my classes unexpectedly lose a parent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>School is a struggle for them at
the moment, but it’s not the most important struggle in their lives.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">Declaring that LAUSD would henceforth attempt to emulate Garrison
Keillor’s Lake Wobegon, where "all the children are above average," was
the height of impracticality. A-G is a set of requirements for
eligibility for admission to the state’s four-year universities, and the
California Master Plan for Higher Education says that the UCs are for
the top eighth of high school graduates and the Cal States are for the
top third. Why should all high school students be required to meet the
academic requirements of the top third in order to receive a high school
diploma? Merely meeting the A-G requirements doesn’t gain a student
admission to Cal States or UCs. There aren’t enough places for
everyone, so admission requires a competitive GPA and SAT score.<br />
<br />
Practically speaking, the A-G graduation requirement means that, in
addition to previous graduation requirements, students need to pass
Algebra 2, Chemistry and two years of a foreign language. Algebra 2 is
the problem. With the fail rate for Algebra 1 above 50%, Algebra 2 is a
huge hurdle for many students. With the adoption of the Common Core
curriculum, math has become substantially more difficult - requiring
more problem solving than procedure.<br />
<br />
It would be interesting to know how many students aren’t reflected in
the charts, having dropped out of school after failing Algebra 1 two or
even three times, and seeing no path to graduation. What is the
four-year cohort graduation rate?<br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead3"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
CHARTER SCHOOLS SHARING LAUSD CAMPUSES: NOBODY LOVES IT, EVERYONE HAS TO LIVE WITH IT </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<br />
by Kyle Stokes | KPCC 89.3 | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatiEYacrrt2aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1VZLnvJ</a><br />
Audio from this story: 4:23 | Listen: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatiEYacrrt3aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/26FI6oC</a> (strongly advised)<br />
<br />
April 28 2016 :: Martin Wong and Wendy Lau were frustrated. They'd
gotten a letter from the Los Angeles Unified School District saying
their daughter's school, Castelar Street Elementary in Chinatown, might
have to turn over several classrooms to a charter school.<br />
<br />
Most frustrating about the letter, dated February 27, was that Wong and
Lau could do little to stop Metro Charter School from "co-locating" on
the district's property — a California law known as Prop 39 says school
districts must open up their campuses to charter schools searching for a
building.<br />
<br />
"We're thinking, 'What?'" Wong said. "'How can all this happen without involving parents?'" <br />
<br />
But unbeknownst to Wong, Lau and many parents at Castelar, leaders of
Metro Charter School had their own frustration's with the district's
proposed arrangement.<br />
<br />
The district said Metro Charter School's request was essentially for 12
classrooms. But L.A. Unified assigned only five classrooms at Castelar
to the co-location. The rest of the rooms the district offered were at
two other district schools.<br />
<br />
"The proposal was for us to split ourselves into three campuses," said
Apurva Pande, a member of Metro Charter School's board. Accepting the
offer, board members decided, would be neither logistically nor
financially viable.<br />
<br />
So Metro turned down the district's co-location offer, despite a desperate need for more space.<br />
<br />
The political friction between L.A. Unified and charter schools makes it
easy to forget the two sides are often so much more than neighbors —
they're practically roommates. More than 19,000 students attend a
charter school that operates on a school district site. One out of every
three independent charter schools in Los Angeles is co-located, many
under Prop 39 — and some of the arrangements are peaceful and mutually
beneficial.<br />
<br />
But the frustrations that ended the Metro-Castelar co-location before it
could begin are also common. Some charter school advocates suspect the
district is mismanaging the process of assigning co-locations — and have
argued as much in court. But district sympathizers say parents at
Castelar, or at any school selected for co-location, had a right to be
worried.<br />
<br />
"There are co-location sites that work better than others when there
really is an effort to share space," said L.A. School Board president
Steve Zimmer. "But make no mistake: this is a broken system, a broken
law, it needs to be changed.<br />
<br />
"This is a zero-sum game," he added, "that is set up to create winners
and losers. And most often — not always, but most often — it’s the host
district school that loses. They lose space. They lose students."<br />
<br />
With their passage of Prop 39 in 2000, California voters expanded
charter schools rights to district space. No longer would state law only
require districts to share unused, surplus space with charter schools;
district would have to ensure its facilities could be "fairly shared" by
all public school students, including charter students.<br />
<br />
Under Prop 39, districts must offer charter schools "reasonably
equivalent … facilities that will sufficiently accommodate all of the
charter’s in-district students." School districts can't charge rent, but
can collect fees from co-located charter schools for expenses like
maintenance and security services. The schools' principals negotiate
plans to share spaces like libraries, cafeterias, gymnasiums and
playgrounds.<br />
<br />
Since Los Angeles real estate is expensive, finding suitable space to
lease is difficult, city permitting can be a hassle and charters' access
to bond money to build their own buildings limited, co-location is
often an "expedient" option for many new charter schools, said Myrna
Castrejon, executive director of the pro-charter school group Great
Public Schools Now.<br />
<br />
Castrejon said on some of the most harmonious co-location sites, charter
and district-run schools are sharing extracurricular programs and
professional development for teachers.<br />
Eloise Wong, a second grader in Castelar Street Elementary's Mandarin
dual language program, shows off her classwork during an open house.<br />
Eloise Wong, a second grader in Castelar Street Elementary's Mandarin
dual language program, shows off her classwork during an open house.
Kyle Stokes/KPCC<br />
<br />
But discord from troubled co-location sites can drown out the harmony.
At Castelar Street Elementary, for instance, parents protested that the
rooms they stood to lose were actually in use. Two house a music
program. The principal planned to turn another, currently a science
room, into another computer lab for state testing.<br />
<br />
Wong and Lau pointed out the loss of six rooms — five for classrooms,
one for an office — would make it more difficult for Castelar to grow
its Mandarin dual language program, which had become a selling point for
the school.<br />
<br />
But charter school advocates — while acknowledging the difficulty of
L.A. Unified officials' task to find space to offer to all 95 charters
that applied for Prop 39 space — aren't convinced their schools receive
all of the space to which they're entitled. Last year, the state Supreme
Court ruled L.A. Unified officials were "undercounting" the number of
classrooms available to share with charters.<br />
<br />
In addition, the type of "split-site" co-location offer that Metro
Charter found to be logistically and financially unworkable has become
more common.<br />
<br />
Two years ago, L.A. Unified's made eight co-location offers that
involved multiple sites; last year, the district made split-site offers
to seven charters, according to a count from the California Charter
Schools Association (CCSA).<br />
<br />
This year, the district offered 19 split-site co-locations. They've made
24 such offers for next year, according to the association.<br />
<br />
Metro Charter School's 200 students cram into a former daycare space on a
hospital campus in downtown Los Angeles. Principal Kim Clerx says
quarters are tight during lunch, which the school serves in this room.<br />
<br />
Metro Charter School's 200 students cram into a former daycare space on a
hospital campus in downtown Los Angeles. Principal Kim Clerx says
quarters are tight during lunch, which the school serves in this room. <br />
José Cole-Gutiérrez, who heads L.A. Unified's Charter Schools Division
and oversees the Prop 39 application process, said it's not fair to read
into the higher numbers of split-site offers without considering the
locations of these offers. He said in certain areas of Los Angeles,
district officials are simply unable to find space where charters can
co-locate on a single site.<br />
<br />
"L.A. Unified understands and respects its obligation and takes it very
seriously that we provide the space under Prop 39," said Cole-Gutiérrez.
"Especially in those impacted areas [where available co-location space
is already scarce], it will continue to be a challenge where we have to
balance the needs of all the students in those areas."<br />
<br />
His office's task may be even more difficult if an expansion of charter
schools moves forward. A leaked draft of a plan from Great Public
Schools Now, which counts the Broad Foundation among its funders, calls
for adding more than 130,000 new charter school seats in L.A. The plan's
calculations count on Prop 39 space to account for some of those new
seats.<br />
<br />
"Prop 39 is the epitome of everything that has changed in the charter
movement from its inception — to be an incubator for change, and
transformation, and innovation — to now being simply an instrument for
competition," said board president Zimmer. But he also added the
district's past implementation of Prop 39 has contributed to some of the
discord.<br />
<br />
"In the previous administration, co-location was viewed as a punishment" for underwhelming enrollment figures, he said.<br />
<br />
The district could correct for that, Zimmer suggested, by offering host
schools in co-locations financial bonuses or priority in maintenance
requests. But he also called on state-level officials to correct
co-location policies by offering clearer ground rules and a more level
playing field.<br />
<br />
Castrejon, of Great Public Schools Now, also suggested the state could
alleviate some of the pressure on Prop 39 by making it easier for
charter schools to access public funds for construction.<br />
<br />
Others have suggested, in general, school districts could do more to include charter schools on their facilities bonds.<br />
<br />
There are co-location success stories, Castrejon said: "I don't think
that it's necessarily by default an option that doesn't work."<br />
<br />
But do the troublesome co-locations outnumber the success stories?<br />
<br />
"There’s a lot of work left to do," Castrejon replied. "No question."</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead4"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
ITI TASK FORCE PREPARING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY PLAN </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<br />
from LAUSD Daily by LAUSD Office of Communications | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatiEYacrrugaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1YYVdeJ</a> <br />
<br />
Apr 29, 2016 | As it wrapped up its last official meeting of the school
year, the Instructional Technology Initiative Task Force prepared to
finalize its recommendations for a plan to integrate technology into the
classroom.<br />
<br />
The group of educators and civic leaders was assembled last year by
then-Superintendent Ramon Cortines and tasked with creating a
District-wide vision and strategy for how to provide students and
teachers with the technology they need to succeed. In the coming weeks,
officials will be finalizing a report using the International Society
for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards as a framework. Developed
by the educators representing a wide range of content areas, grade
levels, and geographic regions, the ITSE standards guide schools in
transforming blended learning environments.<br />
<br />
Using this framework, the task force is developing recommendations to
guide modernization of teaching and learning along with the necessary
supporting infrastructure. The group will share its work with
Superintendent King in the coming weeks and aims to present it to the
Board of Education in June.<br />
<br />
Task force members frequently broke into small groups to engage in
intense conversations about the future of technology in education.<br />
<br />
“I have a lot of confidence in the work we’ve done so far,” said Task
Force member Michael Anderson, who is a National Board Certified science
teacher at Los Angeles Academy Middle School in South L.A. “There is a
lot of wisdom in this room, and the group is very functional. However,
the major work will be in creating culture change. In order to do that
we will need to continue listening carefully to what our students, our
teachers, our parents and others are trying to tell us.”<br />
<br />
Dr. Sharon Sutton, a representative from the Cotsen Foundation for the Art of Teaching, expressed similar sentiments.<br />
<br />
“From an outside perspective, it’s just astounding how rapidly and
thoughtfully this group has brought this together,” she said. “As we
think about communicating recommendations, it’s important to define
clearly what we mean by ‘learner.’ It’s not just the students we are
talking about. It’s teachers, administrators and parents. We are all
learners through this process.”<br />
The district's chief academic officer, Dr. Francis Gipson, was appointed
by former superintendent Cortines to chair the ITI task force.<br />
<br />
The task force has met semimonthly since its inception. Dr. Frances
Gipson, the District’s chief academic officer and the task force chair,
hopes to convene group on a quarterly basis in the next school year.<br />
<br />
“I am so excited to have been on this journey with you all,” she said.
“Thanks to your dedication, we are in the final stages of delivering a
list of recommendations that are concise and elegant. Our work is by no
means done, but we are in a place where we can have a new beginning.</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead5"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
GRANADA HILLS CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL WINS NATIONAL ACADEMIC DECATHLON </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: received by email<br />
<br />
Press are invited to the Welcome Rally on Monday, May 2, 2016 at 8:00 a.m.<br />
School flagpole at 10535 Zelzah Ave., Granada Hills 91344<br />
Contact: Marilyn Koziatek, Community Outreach, (323) 309-4241 <a href="mailto:mkoziatek@ghchs.com">mkoziatek@ghchs.com</a><br />
<br />
April 30, 2016– Granada Hills Charter High School garnered its fifth
United States Academic Decathlon (USAD) title - in six years – earlier
today in Anchorage, Alaska. Granada Hills Charter scored 54,195.1 out of
a possible 60,000. This award marks the end of the 2015-16 academic
decathlon season in which Granada Hills Charter won all levels of
competition including the city, state and national titles.<br />
<br />
“It’s exciting to win at this level,” said Mathew Arnold, GHCHS English
teacher and Academic Decathlon coach, “This win isn’t just for us. It’s a
way to for the whole school to show our strength. I’m proud of our kids
and feel fortunate to be a part of this team!”<br />
<br />
The Academic Decathlon is a 10-event scholastic competition for high
school students that consists of seven multiple choice tests plus a
speech, interview, and essay. Granada Hills Charter captured the trophy
in the fast-paced super quiz round, signaling the end of the competition
on Friday afternoon. The Awards Banquet was held at the Civic Center in
Anchorage and the team’s championship was announced to cheers in the
packed auditorium, including all the parents of the GHCHS team.<br />
“We are so proud of our son and his teammates for their dedication,”
said Sundio Lin, father of Joshua Lin, a member of the team since 2015.
“They work so hard. Seven days a week. The coaches and staff, they love
our children and sacrifice so much, every year. We are grateful to see
Joshua succeed like this.”<br />
<br />
The Academic Decathlon divides the competition into three categories
based on GPA: Honor (3.75-4.00), Scholastic (3.00-3.74), and Varsity
(2.99 or below). Granada Hills Charter won the top individual scores in
all three categories.<br />
<br />
GHCHS also earned national USAD titles in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2015.
This year’s winning team of students are Mark Aguila, Julian Duran, Isha
Gupta, Joshua Lin, Christopher Lo, Aishah Mahmud, Melissa Santos,
Mayeena Ulkarim and Jorge Zepeda. The coaches are Mathew Arnold, Jon
Sturtevant, and Rachael Phipps.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
# # #</span></div>
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
RENOWNED EDUCATOR WARNS THAT LA UNIFIED’S FUTURE IS ‘DIRE’ </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Posted on LA School Report by Mike Szymanski | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatiEYacrruxaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1SVRqRg</a><br />
<br />
April 28, 2016 4:28 pm :: Internationally renowned education expert
Pedro Noguera warned members of the LA Unified school board and
superintendent that unless more serious measures are taken, the nation’s
second-largest school district is destined to lose more students.<br />
<br />
“The future is dire,” Noguera told the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday
afternoon. He pointed to entire neighborhoods in Philadelphia with
abandoned schools. “It’s not there aren’t enough kids, they lost the
commitment to education. I hope that doesn’t happen in this city.”<br />
<br />
The challenges LA Unified is facing, he said, include declining
enrollment because of the growth of charters and demographic shifts,
chronically under-performing schools, structural budget deficits and the
need to increase public support for schools.<br />
<br />
Noguera has written 11 books and more than 200 articles about education
and focuses his research on how economic conditions impact schools. He
served as a school board member at Berkeley Unified and is now a
Distinguished Professor of Education in the Graduate School of Education
and Information Sciences at UCLA.<br />
<br />
Committee chairman George McKenna invited the professor to make a
presentation to offer advice and give examples of what other schools do.<br />
<br />
“I appreciate you coming to tell us the truth, even though we may not
want to hear it,” McKenna said. “We have to take this situation
seriously, really seriously.”<br />
<br />
School board president Steve Zimmer attended the committee meeting
although he was on his way to Washington, D.C., for the rest of the week
to help lobby for the district. He told Noguera, “There is no more
important city in this world for you to be in, and I’m glad that you’re
here and work with us.”<br />
<br />
Zimmer noted that Noguera discussed the district’s concerns about
competition for students between traditional and charter schools. “As
you spoke,” Zimmer said, “it was actually quite emotional because I
think we have been through a time where we have misunderstood the role
of competition and in that misunderstanding have caused some injury and
caused it to be potentially more difficult to build the foundation of
trust.”<br />
<br />
Nearly 16 percent of LA Unified’s students are enrolled in 211 charter
schools, and that number would grow significantly under a plan to
increase charter enrollment in the district, which the school board
unanimously opposed in January.<br />
<br />
Noguera said, “Like it or not, schools are competing for kids, and
public schools don’t even realize it. Like it or not, that’s the
set-up.”<br />
<br />
He pointed out his granddaughter goes to a traditional LA Unified school
where the parents are only allowed to drop children off between 7:45
and 8:15 a.m., while the charter school around the corner allows
drop-offs as early as 7 a.m.<br />
<br />
“For a busy working parent, like her mom is, and in a city like this
where transportation is a big issue, that is not a small factor,”
Noguera said. That alone could be a reason for a family to choose a
charter school over a traditional school.<br />
<br />
“Public and charter schools are collaborating, but that is not happening
enough,” Noguera said. “It has to be OK for principals to say, ‘I need
help,’ and not have that being used against them. Otherwise, they will
just hope that no one knows what the situation is.”<br />
<br />
He called for “collaborative problem solving,” which must come from the
central office. “They must let everyone know they are not here to
scrutinize, but want to help you and show you how to figure it out and
solve the problem.”<br />
<br />
That includes the charter school and traditional school situation, he said. “Trust comes from collaboration,” he said.<br />
<br />
Superintendent Michelle King asked how to replicate what is successful
at schools, and he described a program in San Diego where leaders visit
schools once a quarter and offer support to principals and teachers
about best practices.<br />
<br />
Noguera cited a 90-minute math class he had visited at Hollenbeck Middle
School whose teacher had complete control of her class and allowed
students to help each other. Meanwhile, a class across the hallway had
students who were unable to focus and were being disruptive.<br />
<br />
“It took a while for that teacher to establish the class,” he said,
pointing out that many of the students were English-language learners
living in East Los Angeles. “She had to determine which kids could work
together and which ones can’t work together.”<br />
<br />
He recommended that the district structure time so teachers can learn
from other good teachers. McKenna brought up celebrated teacher Jaime
Escalante whose rough approach with students was highly criticized. His
story was told in the 1988 film “Stand and Deliver.”<br />
<br />
“Why is it so difficult to replicate good work?” asked McKenna, who like
Escalante taught math in LA Unified. “Jaime Escalante’s work was
frowned upon. What makes it difficult to go across the hall and learn
from each other?”<br />
<br />
Noguera answered, “That is a common problem, because of the isolation of teachers.”<br />
<br />
Among Noguera’s suggestions for the school board were:<br />
<br />
• Support and recognize high-quality teaching.<br />
• Focus on morale.<br />
• Provide incentives for teachers and administrators with a track record
of effectiveness to work in “high need” schools and communities.<br />
• Publicize your success.<br />
• Prevent educational issues from becoming overly publicized.<br />
<br />
Monica Ratliff asked about the bonuses and incentives given some
teachers to work in more challenging schools. Noguera said the
incentives don’t even have to be monetary but could include more
planning periods or other bonuses.<br />
<br />
“We should look into this,” Ratliff said.<br />
<br />
Noguera pointed out that some answers are within the district already
but aren’t being shared. He said some schools might be very good at
converting English-language students into the general school population,
but the district doesn’t have a way of tracking which schools are
better at it.<br />
<br />
He and other university education experts are visiting schools throughout the LA Unified district.<br />
<br />
“I hope this will be an ongoing collaboration with the district,” Noguera said.</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"><a href="http://laschoolboard.org/05-03-16CIA" title="view this event">Curriculum, Instruction and Educational Equity Committee Meeting - May 3, 2016 - 9:30 a.m.</a>
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatiEYacrrtqaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatiEYacrrtraaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatiEYacrrtsaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatiEYacrrttaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatiEYacrrtuaaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatiEYacrrtvaaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br />
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<td align="LEFT"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatiEYacrrtwaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<td align="LEFT"><span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-30669395597748238472016-04-24T11:30:00.000-07:002016-04-24T11:30:32.888-07:00So 400 years ago
<br />
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<span style="color: #e1127d; font: bold 18px Verdana, sans serif;">
4LAKids: Sunday 1•Jan•2016
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<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px Verdana, sans serif;">
In This Issue:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Robles-Wong v. CA: CALIFORNIA APPEALS COURT REJECTS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO A QUALITY EDUCATION</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> L.A. UNIFIED MAGNETS ACCEPTED LESS THAN HALF OF APPLICANTS THIS YEAR</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">MASSIVE LOSS OF PRESCHOOL SEATS LOOMS FOR LA COUNTY</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">POLL: VOTERS SUPPORT SCHOOL BOND AND PROP. 30 EXTENSION</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">HOW O.C. PARENTS LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR SCHOOL DESEGREGATION IN THE U.S.</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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Featured Links:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg1Naaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">► Friends4smf :: The GoFundMe campaign</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg1Oaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Follow 4 LAKids on Twitter - or get instant updates via text message by texting</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg1Paaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved!</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg1Qaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKidsNews:
a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
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<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
The royal coincidence of the death of Prince and the 90th birthday of HM The Queen cannot go unremarked upon.<br />
<br />
Neither can the 400th anniversary of the seeming simultaneity of the
deaths of William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra on April
23, 2016.<br />
<br />
Cervantes was the father of the novel, Shakespeare the father of the modern English language as an art form.<br />
<br />
(OK, technically April 23, 1616 in Madrid was ten days apart from that
same date in Stratford-upon-Avon due to differences in the Julian and
Gregorian calendars; but differences between legend and fact are always
decided in legend’s favor.)<br />
</span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
“When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? Perhaps
to be too practical is madness. To surrender dreams — this may be
madness. Too much sanity may be madness — and maddest of all: to see
life as it is, and not as it should be!” ― Cervantes, Don Quixote</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
“Goodnight sweet Prince. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”/“I only wanted to see you laughing in the purple rain.”</span></div>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
__________<br />
<br />
LAST FRIDAY I was invited to address the LAUSD Local Control
Accountability Plan (LCAP) Parent Advisory Committee (PAC); those
parents elected and appointed to represent parents and advise the Board
of Education on the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) – also known as
the District’s 2016-17 Budget.<br />
<br />
Here is what I said:<br />
<br />
<br />
I have been struggling with what I am going to say today. The other day
I was folding laundry, thinking this over. I assure you, no matter what
ones health is – how good or how dire – the laundry doesn’t fold
itself.<br />
<br />
Thank you to the PAC for inviting me.<br />
<br />
Thank you all for listening to me.<br />
<br />
I want to especially thank Rowena Lagrosa for letting me and empowering
me to speak. Rowena and I go back quite a while; she was the director at
Mt Washington School where I first practiced my parent activism… and
she actually encouraged me to expand my vision+disruptive efforts to the
bigger district.<br />
<br />
Rowena got me appointed to the Central District Algebra Textbook
Selection Committee as the sole parent rep – a job for which I was
strangely+uniquely qualified… because in high school I took Algebra I
three times!<br />
<br />
<br />
The topic assigned me today: “Effective and Constructive Parent
Engagement on the LCAP: Present and Future” is quite a mouthful and
quite a topic. There’s plenty of water under that bridge, present, past
and future.<br />
<br />
I am an old guy, invited to share an historical perspective – and none of the history is all that good.<br />
<br />
<br />
Parent Engagement and Parent Involvement are like a bacon-and-egg breakfast:<br />
• The Chicken is involved.<br />
• The Pig is engaged.<br />
<br />
<br />
LAUSD says a great deal and indeed says great things about parent+community involvement+engagement.<br />
<br />
It creates great policy. It fills binders with it. It fills shelves with
the binders. (Dr. V – Schoolboard member Richard Vladovic has said –
and I have oft repeated: “Nobody fills binders with policy and shelves
with dusty binders better than LAUSD!”<br />
<br />
It delivers not so well – not through lack of trying – but through lack
of follow through. Compliance+Commitment are opposite ends of a broad
spectrum.<br />
<br />
And when the money gets tight – parent and community services get cut.<br />
<br />
And when the leadership at the top lacks a commitment to involving and
engaging parents and the community – the real community, not
organizations with “community” in their name – the PCSB gets outsourced
and rightsized and decentralized.<br />
<br />
Once the PCSB was across the street from District HQ; now it it’s a
couple a miles away. And the HQ building itself is
unfriendly+unwelcoming to parents and all visitors. Parking is
problematic at best. And if you are handicapped, forget about it.<br />
<br />
Parent Community Involvement and Engagement hit a low under the
superintendency of John Deasy and the PCSB chieftaincy of Maria
Casillas. Parent groups were disbanded, especially if they were
reticent to get with the program. Groups like PTA were ignored.<br />
<br />
We parent leaders were disrespected.<br />
<br />
Grass roots membership organizations were out of favor, an alphabet soup
of AstroTurf single-issue organizations with agendas that agreed with
the powers-that-be were favored. <br />
<br />
<br />
We parents share a common experience. We all first cross that threshold
with a small hand in our hand – we come to the school and the District
bringing our greatest treasure.<br />
<br />
We are met with chain link and a sign that threatens what will happen if
we visit the premises without registering with the principal, citing
board rules and the criminal code.<br />
<br />
Where is the sign that says “Welcome Parents”?<br />
<br />
When we come into the office were are greeted with “What Do You Want?” Rather than “How Can We Help You?”<br />
<br />
The real question needs to be: “How Can We Help Each Other Help Kids?” <br />
<br />
I am all for Parent Centers – but not if they are to be The Place Where Parents Belong.<br />
<br />
We belong anywhere we can help. In the classroom. On the playground.
Having conversations about our kids and all kids in the office and the
staffroom and at the local district and at every floor of 333 S.
Beaudry.<br />
<br />
Of course, we parents are capable of being real pieces of work. I can be
cranky – I have been what Superintendent Romer called a burr in the
saddle. We as parents – and especially those of us who are leaders –
need to practice some parenting skills – and that means encouraging the
District when it does well. We cannot be a succession of three minute
public speakers who criticize the district at every meeting …or that’s
all we will ever be.<br />
<br />
<br />
Which brings us to the LCFF, The LCAP and the work of the PAC – now and into the future.<br />
<br />
The Local Control Funding Formula is a positive step …but it is NOT the much needed School Finance Reform California needs.<br />
<br />
I am here as a representative of the California State PTA, of which I am
a former Board of Director. I was Vice President of Health – perhaps
because they didn’t have a V.P. of Falling Apart Healthwise. <br />
<br />
Half the people on Beaudry think that I am the PTA. “This is Scott, he’s
the PTA.” Half the people in California PTA think that I am LAUSD.
These are not easy hats to wear; it ain’t easy being me.<br />
<br />
We in state PTA, a membership organization with almost a million members
– representing six million California schoolchildren – look upon LAUSD
as the a ton gorilla in the room – or maybe the dead skunk in the middle
of the road.<br />
<br />
LAUSD is ten percent of California’s educational establishment. A tenth
of the budget. A tenth of the effort. Easily 25% of the drama. <br />
<br />
We in PTA, me in PTA, want the LCFF to succeed in LAUSD because if it
doesn’t it sets a dangerous precedent and other districts might emulate
LAUSD and we’re off the hell in that handbasket.<br />
<br />
You in the LAUSD PAC:<i> Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.<br />
</i><br />
The Parent Advisory Council you serve upon is a Deasy-era attempt at compliance with the LCFF. <br />
<br />
From Dr. D’s viewpoint it was a minimal effort, one in which most of you
have put your maximum effort – only to be initially rewarded with
threats and intimidation. <br />
<br />
I don’t think many of us doubt that the attempt was made for the District to Advise the PAC, not the other way around.<br />
<br />
Over the past three years things have gotten better, though not good
enough. Thank you for your insistence and perseverance and good work.<br />
<br />
The whole world is watching. The job before you, in addition to weighing
in and making some noise about the LCAP process AND this year’s budget
outcome – is to establish a place for the next Parent Advisory Council
to move forward from – and to ultimately succeed.<br />
<br />
For the kids. <br />
<br />
For the cosmically unfortunately named Unduplicated Pupil Count. <br />
For Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Students. <br />
For the English Language Learners. <br />
For the Foster Kids. <br />
For Every Child.<br />
<br />
Ultimately you need to speak for all the children with one voice. Moving forward. Relentlessly Onward!<br />
<br />
Thank you …and do good work!<br />
<br />
<br />
_______<br />
<br />
<br />
ON MONDAY EVENING I attended the annual meeting of the Hollywood High
School Alumni Association, of which I am a member. It was a meeting
full of adult conflict and insults: real+imagined. Governed not by
Robert’s Rules of Order …but by Stanislavski’s Method …wherein as much
drama as can possibly be inserted into the proceedings is, the motion is
seconded, accusations of past felonies are repeated and lawsuits are
threatened. Nobody asked my opinion and I shared it anyway,
complicating the complications.<br />
<br />
Bear in mind I am under doctor’s orders and prescription medication.
When I am reasonable late-at-night it is me – when I am not so it is
morphine.<br />
<br />
</span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
“Trust in me</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Just in me</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Put all your trust in me</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
You're doin' morphine.”</span><br /><div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
- Michael Jackson – Blood on the Dance Floor/HIStory in the Mix</span></div>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
<br />
The HHSAA is a generally senior bunch re-living our past high school
glories from a far remove; most have us have been getting the senior
discount on our McCafe for a decade.<br />
<br />
<br />
“(If you'd like to see it, I've been keeping a log of department
meetings ranked according to level of trauma, with a 1 indicating mild
contentiousness, a 3 signifying uncontrolled shouting, and a 5 leading
to at least one nervous breakdown and/or immediate referral to the
crisis center run by the Office of Mental Health.)”<br />
― Julie Schumacher Dear Committee Members | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg2laaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Nq0onc</a><br />
<br />
<br />
At the meeting I was blessed to sit next to young alumna, a Hollywood
High graduate from a year or two back. Before the meeting dissolved into
name-calling and parliamentary chaos I had the good fortune to chat her
up. She’s a Latina, a college student at a CSU on a pre-dentistry
track, filled with hope and living the American Dream on a shoestring –
thankful for the small scholarship the HHSAA bestows upon deserving
graduates. <br />
<br />
(The HHSAA does do good work, we just fight about it while doing it!) <br />
<br />
She is a Dreamer - bilingual+biliterate - undocumented since her entry
into this country as a toddler. Her parent’s status is complicated.<br />
<br />
She is living the HHS motto - Achieving the Honorable - a precious gift
from Mexico to this country and fie on those who would send her back!<br />
<br />
(Dante reserves the Ninth Circle of Hell for those who betray trust and hosts who betray guests)<br />
<br />
<br />
“Imagine a place so terrible, so absolutely destructive that you have no
better option than to put your child in a tiny boat and travel across
an entire sea in an attempt at escape. We’re so completely isolated from
the true terror in this world that we can’t even relate to that level
of devastation.”</span><div style="text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
— Summar Kawas on The New York Times’s Facebook page, responding to an
article about Pulitzer Prize-winning photos of the migrant crisis in
Europe. | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg2maaaaaac/">http://nyti.ms/1qID61A</a></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
So it is.<br />
<br />
¡Dream Onward/Sueño Adelante! - smf</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
Robles-Wong v. CA: CALIFORNIA APPEALS COURT REJECTS
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO A QUALITY EDUCATION </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
by Maura Walz | KPCC 89.3 | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg2Daaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1T6oVdD</a><br />
<br />
April 21 2016 :: A California appeals court has dealt another blow to
education advocates arguing the state's system of funding schools is
unconstitutional.<br />
<br />
In a 2-1 decision issued Wednesday, justices upheld a lower court's
decision to throw out the case, which is a consolidation of two
lawsuits, Robles-Wong v. California and the Campaign for Fiscal Equity
v. California. The plaintiffs in the case included high-profile
education groups, including the California Parent-Teacher Association
(PTA), the California Teachers Association and the state's associations
of school board members and administrators. <br />
<br />
Both lawsuits had argued California's state constitution gives students
not just a right to access education but also a right to a "quality"
education. They said the legislature has not given schools enough
funding to make this level of quality possible.<br />
<br />
But justices said the plaintiffs were reading too far into the constitution's language.<br />
<br />
"Rather, the constitutional sections leave the difficult and
policy-laden questions associated with educational adequacy and funding
to the legislative branch," wrote Associate Justice Martin Jenkins in
the majority opinion. <br />
<br />
In a statement, the plaintiffs said they'll likely attempt to take their case to the state Supreme Court next.</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg2Daaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Appeals Court Opinion</a> </td>
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<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
L.A. UNIFIED MAGNETS ACCEPTED LESS THAN HALF OF APPLICANTS THIS YEAR </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
By Sonali Kohli, LA Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg3Baaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1MQZ7FH</a><br />
<br />
April 22, 2016 :: Magnet schools in the Los Angeles Unified School
District accepted fewer than half of students who applied for the
2016-17 school year.<br />
<br />
The district received about 44,000 applications to attend magnets, which
are themed schools that are open to all students, regardless of where
they live. Magnets are among the only schools for which the district
provides transportation, because they were created as a way to help
desegregate the district.<br />
<br />
The numbers come as L.A. Unified tries to keep students in traditional
public schools and stem decreasing enrollment. The high interest in
magnets shows that those types of schools could be a way to bring
students back, school board member Richard Vladovic says. Many students
have left the district for independent charter schools, which are
publicly funded but can be privately run. <br />
<br />
The district might be losing students who get waitlisted to charter
schools or other districts, said Vladovic. “I’m absolutely convinced
there is a flight of children," Vladovic said at a budget committee
meeting Tuesday.<br />
<br />
Currently, about 101,000 students attend independent charters in L.A.
Unified, and around 542,400 attend traditional schools and affiliated
charters. And there's an effort by advocates and philanthropists to pull
half of L.A. Unified students into charters in the next eight years.<br />
<br />
Because the demand is so much higher than the number of spots available,
students gain admission to magnets through an intricate lottery system.
Students can earn points for every year they apply to a magnet school
and get rejected, and they get points for already attending a magnet
school. For example, when applying for a middle school magnet, you get
points for finishing fifth grade at an elementary magnet.<br />
<br />
Some of the most in-demand schools get thousands of applications every year.<br />
<br />
Not all the parents applying want their children to attend the following
year—at least some apply to the most popular schools every year
expecting to get wait listed, but that allows them to rack up points
that will count in their favor when they apply to the school they want.<br />
<br />
Schools receive funding on a per-pupil basis, so losing students to
independent charters means losing thousands of dollars per student. <br />
<br />
Expanding magnets might be a way to keep those students in L.A. Unified
schools, Vladovic says. Students on magnet wait lists are "the most
vulnerable to leave the district" because they're looking for options
other than their neighborhood schools, he said in an interview after the
Tuesday budget meeting.<br />
<br />
The district did not immediately provide data on how many students who
are rejected from magnets attend an L.A. Unified school the following
year and how many leave the district. The Times has submitted a public
records request for that information.<br />
<br />
Magnet schools that share their campuses with neighborhood schools could
use extra classrooms to whittle down their wait lists, Vladovic said.<br />
<br />
"This isn't going to grow enrollment," Vladovic said. "It's going to stop the decline."<br />
<br />
The district already expands magnets wherever there is room and demand,
said Keith Abrahams, the head of student integration services. There are
146 magnets that share campuses, and 52 with their own campuses.<br />
<br />
Some of the most popular magnet schools, though, don't have room to expand. <br />
<br />
“We try to open up as many seats as possible every year," Abrahams said.
“Our most oversubscribed magnets are full, dedicated magnets."<br />
<br />
This fall, 16 new magnet programs will open with about 5,800 seats, and
14 schools will expand by one to three teachers, adding 515 spots. <br />
<br />
The Academy for Enriched Sciences recently moved from sharing a campus
with another elementary school in Woodland Hills to its own space in
Encino, said Amy Petry, the school's magnet coordinator.<br />
<br />
For 2016-17, the school, which opened in 2010, will add two kindergarten classes, Petry said. <br />
<br />
“The reason we did expand is because parents were asking us," Petry said. "They were the ones kind of driving the decision.”<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead4"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
MASSIVE LOSS OF PRESCHOOL SEATS LOOMS FOR LA COUNTY </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
by Deepa Fernandes | KPCC 89.3 | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg77aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1TrzJpg</a><br />
<br />
April 19 2016 :: A new report estimates that the economic toll on Los Angeles County from the loss of <br />
funding for thousands of preschool seats later this year will be almost $600 million annually. <br />
<br />
► “MORE THAN JUST PRE-K: THE POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF PRESCHOOL IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY” | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg78aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1VvYMew</a><br />
<br />
Funding for nearly 11,000 preschool seats is going to run out in June
when Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP) loses its backing from the
public early years agency First 5 L.A. But the report, by the
independent research organization the Institute for Child Success,
looked at the impact beyond lost educational opportunities.<br />
<br />
ICS included in its analysis the preschool seats that LAUSD announced
last year would be ending this June through a program called the School
Readiness Language Development Program (SRLDP).<br />
<br />
“The cost of cutting high quality pre-K in Los Angeles county will
exceed the program dollars saved,” said ICS executive vice president Joe
Waters.<br />
<br />
LAUP currently spends $59.1 million on preschool contracts that fund
11,000 seats. After the First 5 LA funding expires, LAUP's budget will
drop from $93.5 million to $29.9 million.<br />
<br />
LAUP commissioned (and partly funded) the ICS report to investigate the
broader economic impacts of the loss of preschool seats. Joe Waters said
LAUP only provided program data his researchers requested and had no
editorial input into the reporting process.<br />
<br />
The report’s findings, released Tuesday, examine three main areas where
the act of a child attending preschool will trickle into the local
economy and provide a boost.<br />
<br />
It starts with the employment of teachers, aides, cooks and other staff
at LAUP funded centers. The report calculates the money these childcare
businesses and employees will spend and finds the loss of this
purchasing power will be a hit to the local economy.<br />
<br />
Secondly, the report calculates the money that will be lost because
parents might no longer work due to the loss of their childcare option.
This will also mean less buying power and less money spent in the local
economy. “When [childcare] is unavailable parents are unable to go work
or they have to piece together childcare arrangements, it becomes a
great burden on working families and the consequence of that is reduced
productivity and reduced economic activity in the broader community,”
Waters said.<br />
<br />
Finally, the report also calculated longer term economic impact based on
researchers' belief that children missing preschool are less prepared
for elementary school and may never really catch up, leaving them
“unprepared for college or the labor market,” the report states.<br />
<br />
“By 2020, two-thirds of U.S. jobs will require at least some
post-secondary education," the report states. "But, at present, only 19
percent of L.A. County 11th graders are ready for English coursework at a
California state college and only 13 percent are prepared for college
coursework in math.” Without preschool, children may be even less
successful in school leading to a future of low paying jobs, which also
impacts economic activity and productivity.<br />
<br />
The report also finds the impact of the cuts will have a disparate
impact on women of color who make up the majority of workers in the
childcare field impacted by the cuts. Childcare businesses, Waters
said, “are often lead by women and started by women, and minority women
at that.”<br />
<br />
Waters said many of the women of color run centers have been successful
because they provide a tailored “service that families need [and
families] often want to seek out a center that speaks to them culturally
and that’s part of their community.”<br />
<br />
Advocates have lamented that losing so many preschool seats will also
decimate the childcare infrastructure of the county. “This is not just
about the economic impact,” Waters said, “it is also about the quality
of the childcare infrastructure in L.A. County.”<br />
<br />
Waters predicts workers will leave the childcare field if they can’t find work.<br />
<br />
“It will be very difficult should replacement funding become available
to move those workers back into childcare jobs a year or two down the
road because they might not still necessarily be available in L.A.
County," Waters said. "Then what we are left with is a very poor
infrastructure should replacement funding become available and what
remains will be of lower quality.”<br />
<br />
As KPCC has reported, the terms of the First 5 L.A.’s funding to LAUP
have been known for some years, and the First 5 L.A. Board reiterated
last year that there would be no further renewal funding for the
preschool seats.<br />
<br />
Since then, LAUP executives and staff have been working with its network
of preschool providers to find alternative funding, including support
to apply directly for state funding, said LAUP's chief executive officer
Celia Ayala.<br />
<br />
State preschool contracts from the department of education are being
announced and some of LAUP's providers have been selected to receive
funding.<br />
<br />
LAUP also began targeted work with local school districts and preschool
providers to lobby for Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) dollars to
be directed to early education slots. “The good news story is that for
over 4,000 children we have found other sources of funding," Ayala said.<br />
<br />
Yet she laments that thousands of seats will not be refunded come
September. “It’s a sad sad day,” Ayala said, “when you have to think
about taking apart something that is so wonderful and so beneficial
especially to children.”<br />
</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg79aaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Here's a map of all of the preschools in L.A. County with LAUP contracts set to expire in June</a> </td>
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<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
POLL: VOTERS SUPPORT SCHOOL BOND AND PROP. 30 EXTENSION </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
By John Fensterwald | EdSource Today | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg9eaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1SXSWvZ</a><br />
<br />
April 20, 2016 :: Since the low point of funding during the recession,
Californians surveyed expressed increasing confidence that K-12 schools
are preparing students for choices after graduation, although they
indicated schools are doing a better job with readiness for college than
the workforce.<br />
<br />
Seven months before the November election, substantial majorities of
likely California voters said they would support extending Proposition
30, the temporary income tax on the wealthiest state residents, and
passing a proposed $9 billion school construction bond, according to a
survey released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California. ►
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg9faaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1VMkBqH</a><br />
<br />
PPIC’s 12th annual extensive poll on Californians’ view of K-12
education also revealed that majorities believe a teacher shortage is a
big problem and funding for K-12 schools is too low. Among other
findings:<br />
<br />
• Expressing strong support for state-funded preschool, twice as many
Californians said they favor directing a potential state budget surplus
to fund preschool than to pay down the state debt;<br />
• Most of those surveyed said their local schools are doing an excellent
or good job of preparing students for college but they are very
concerned that students in low-income areas are less likely to be ready
for college.<br />
• Californians are sharply divided over the Common Core, with slightly
more adults supporting the new academic standards than opposing them.<br />
• In almost every area of questioning, African-Americans were the most
pessimistic ethnic and racial group when asked about the quality of
schools and prospects for change.<br />
• Overall support for how Gov. Jerry Brown has handled public schools
has increased steadily since he took office, but his approval rating for
education is still under 50 percent, and a quarter of adults say they
don’t know enough to say.<br />
<br />
Telephone interviews were conducted earlier this month with 1,703 adults
in California, half on landlines and half on cell phones. The margin of
error ranged from plus/minus 3.5 percent for all adults to plus/minus 7
percent for public school parents. Representative numbers of
non-registered and registered voters, including those likely to vote,
Democrats, Republicans and Independents and racial and ethnic minorities
participated.<br />
<br />
SCHOOL FUNDING<br />
<br />
Funding for K-12 schools has increased sharply during the past three
years, mirroring the state’s economic recovery after big cuts in funding
during the recession. However, 60 percent of Californians said that
there is not enough funding for their local schools. More women (69
percent) than men (53 percent) and Democrats (73 percent) than
Republicans (42 percent) said that’s the case.<br />
<br />
RELATED<br />
<br />
Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed budget would raise K-12 per student spending
to $9,571, about $200 above the pre-recession level – when adjusted for
inflation.<br />
Poll shows residents split on whether to extend tax increases<br />
<br />
The percentage is actually higher this year than when the question was
asked during the recession, noted Mark Baldassare, PPIC president and
CEO. Now that there is more state revenue, Californians are pausing to
think about how the money should be spent, including on schools, he
said.<br />
<br />
Two revenue options likely will be on the November ballot: Prop. 30 and a
state construction bond. Among the subset of likely voters, 63 percent
favor the bond and 32 percent oppose it, with 4 percent undecided. Among
all adults, including non-registered voters, the support is 76 percent
in favor, 21 percent opposed.<br />
<br />
Brown has said he opposes a state-funded school construction bond because it doesn’t meet his conditions.<br />
<br />
The Prop. 30 initiative, which supporters are now gathering signatures
for, would extend the income tax increase on individuals earning more
than $250,000 and couples earning $500,000 or more. Among all
Californians, 64 percent support the extension, 32 percent oppose it and
4 percent are undecided. Among likely voters, 62 percent back it, 35
percent oppose it and 2 percent haven’t decided. By party affiliation,
82 percent of Democrats support it while only 32 percent of Republicans
do.<br />
<br />
Brown has not stated his position on extending Prop. 30. “The governor’s
approval rating is high, and his opinions will matter to voters” come
Election Day, Baldassare said.<br />
<br />
School districts do have the option to bring in additional money through
a local parcel tax, and about 1 in 8 districts have passed one. Asked
if they would approve a local parcel tax, 52 percent of likely voters
said yes, 43 percent no and 5 percent gave no opinion. However, parcel
taxes require at least a 66 percent majority for passage; asked if they
would favor lowering the threshold to 55 percent, only 44 percent of
likely voters said that would be a good idea.<br />
<br />
PRESCHOOL FUNDING<br />
<br />
Eighty-nine percent of all Californians, and 86 percent of likely voters
viewed preschool as very or somewhat important to a student’s success
in school, and 63 percent of all respondents favor spending a state
surplus on additional state preschool funding. However, only 52 percent
of likely voters favor using a surplus for preschool funding, with 46
percent saying it should be used to pay down state debt.<br />
<br />
Seventy-four percent of all of those surveyed and 71 percent of likely
voters said that affordability of preschool is a big problem or somewhat
of a problem, and 81 percent of all Californians also said that they
are very or somewhat concerned that low-income students will be less
likely to be prepared for kindergarten.<br />
<br />
TEACHER SHORTAGE<br />
<br />
Asked about a teacher shortage – a new PPIC line of questioning – 81
percent of all Californians say it is a big problem or somewhat of a
problem. Given several options to attract new teachers to K-12 schools,
45 percent of all Californians said they’d prefer raising the minimum
salary for teachers, which is the most expensive of the choices,
compared with creating a loan forgiveness program (21 percent), housing
assistance (11 percent) or lowering the requirements for becoming a
teacher (11 percent).<br />
<br />
Turning to the issue of teacher quality, 84 percent of all Californians
said they are very or somewhat concerned that there are fewer good
teachers in schools in low-income areas compared with wealthier areas.<br />
Asked to grade their local schools, 57 percent of survey participants
gave A's and B's, but there were big variations by race and ethnicity,
with twice as many Asians and Latinos than African-Americans giving high
grades to their schools.<br />
<br />
Asked to grade their local schools, 57 percent of survey participants
gave A’s and B’s, but there were big variations by race and ethnicity,
with twice as many Asians and Latinos than African-Americans giving high
grades to their schools.<br />
<br />
COMMON CORE<br />
<br />
Two-thirds of all adults and three-quarters of public school parents
said they know at least something about the Common Core, although 35
percent of public school parents said they were not provided information
about the new standards in math and English language arts. Based on
what they know, 43 percent of adults favor the standards, while 39
percent oppose them and 18 percent are undecided. More public school
parents support them: 51 percent favor, 36 percent oppose. Reflecting a
national split on the standards, twice as many Democrats support the
standards (46 percent) than Republicans (23 percent).<br />
<br />
“Reflecting the 2016 presidential campaign dialogue, Common Core is a
politically polarizing issue in California today,” Baldassare said.<br />
<br />
Nonetheless, 54 percent of Californians said they are very or somewhat
confident that teaching the Common Core will make students college and
career ready, and 57 percent said they are very or somewhat confident
the new standards will achieve the goal of enabling students to solve
problems and think critically.<br />
<br />
Nearly three-quarters of public school parents expressed confidence that
teachers are adequately prepared to teach the standards. (That view,
however, is not held by teachers. In a survey last fall by the research
and training organization WestEd, only a quarter of California teachers
said they had been adequately trained in the new standards.)<br />
<br />
More Latinos (55 percent) and Asians (48 percent) than African-Americans
(37 percent) and whites (34 percent) said they favor the Common Core.<br />
<br />
LOCAL CONTROL FUNDING FORMULA<br />
<br />
Three years ago, the Legislature approved Brown’s school financing
reform, known as the Local Control Funding Formula, to shift control
over budgets and spending decisions to districts and to provide more
money for low-income students, English learners and foster youths.<br />
<br />
Only 36 percent of public school parents said they have heard about the
new law. However, half said they were provided with information about
how to become involved with a key element of the new system: the
creation of the Local Control and Accountability Plan for setting a
district’s spending priorities. Only 4 percent of parents said they
became very involved, and 14 percent said they were somewhat involved
with the LCAP.<br />
<br />
After being read a brief description of the funding formula, large
majorities of Californians (65 percent) and parents (73 percent) said
they are at least somewhat confident that the additional money will be
spent on low-income children and English learners, and three-quarters of
those surveyed said they expect achievement would improve for those
students as a result.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
HOW O.C. PARENTS LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR SCHOOL DESEGREGATION IN THE U.S. </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
“DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT WE WERE FIGHTING? WE WEREN'T
FIGHTING SO YOU COULD GO TO THAT BEAUTIFUL WHITE SCHOOL. WE WERE
FIGHTING BECAUSE YOU'RE EQUAL TO THAT WHITE BOY.”<br />
— Sylvia Mendez, recalling her mother's words on her first day at the white school in Santa Ana<br />
<br />
by Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil | LA Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg6caaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1VMk0VO</a><br />
<br />
April 20, 2016 :: As a child, Sylvia Mendez thought her parents' court case was all about a playground.<br />
<br />
That's because in 1944, the bus would drop her off at the white school
with the "beautiful playground." But she would have to keep walking down
the street to the Mexican school — two wooden shacks on a dirt lot next
to a cow pasture.<br />
<br />
"We went to court every day. I listened to what they were saying, but
really I was dreaming about going back to that beautiful school," Mendez
said.<br />
<br />
What Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez were fighting for was racial equality.<br />
<br />
The family won the landmark case Mendez, et al vs. Westminster School
District of Orange County, et al — laying the groundwork for school
desegregation throughout California and the nation.<br />
<br />
Sylvia Mendez, now 79, is a fierce advocate of her parents' legacy,
traveling the country to tell a story that weaves together historic
figures such as Thurgood Marshall and Earl Warren and events including
the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and the Brown
vs. Board of Education Supreme Court decision.<br />
<br />
"This is the history of the United States, the history of California,"
she said. "Mendez isn't just about Mexicans. It's about everybody coming
together. If you start fighting for justice, then people of all
ethnicities will become involved."<br />
<br />
In the 1940s, Orange County's public parks, swimming pools, restaurants
and movie theaters all were segregated, said Gilbert Gonzalez, professor
emeritus of Chicano/Latino studies at UC Irvine. Houses often had
restricted covenants, stipulating that they could only be resold to
whites. And so-called Mexican schools were designed to Americanize the
students — speaking Spanish was prohibited — and to train boys for
industrial work and agricultural labor and girls for housekeeping.<br />
<br />
"We weren't taught how to read and write," Mendez said. "We were taught home economics, how to crochet and knit."<br />
<br />
In 1930, a group of Mexican parents in San Diego County had sued the
Lemon Grove School District for forcing their children into segregated
schools. The parents won in the first successful school desegregation
case in U.S. history. But the Lemon Grove Incident, as it came to be
known, didn't carry legal precedent for the rest of California.<br />
<br />
When the Mendez family moved to Westminster in 1944 — leasing a farm
owned by a Japanese American family that had been put in an internment
camp — the children were turned away from the nearby 17th Street School.
Thinking there had been a mistake, Gonzalo Mendez went to talk with the
principal.<br />
<br />
"He said, 'I'm sorry, Mr. Mendez, we don't have Mexicans here,' " Sylvia
Mendez recalled. "Then he went to the superintendent of schools for
Orange County, and he said, 'Mr. Mendez, four cities, Garden Grove,
Santa Ana, Orange and Westminster, have built two schools, one
specifically for Mexicans, and they have to go to that school. I do not
have the power to change it.' "<br />
<br />
The campus she and her siblings were forced to attend was terrible,
Mendez said. The books were "hand-me-downs" and the desks were "all
falling apart." An electric fence separated the school from a cow
pasture.<br />
<br />
After reading about a successful Riverside desegregation case that
challenged the rules barring Mexicans from public parks, Gonzalo Mendez
hired civil rights attorney David Marcus.<br />
<br />
"Let's not do this just for your children. Let's do it for all the
children," Sylvia recalled Marcus telling her father. Gonzalo Mendez
drove Marcus around Orange County looking for other plaintiffs who could
join him in a class-action suit. Four others got on board — Lorenzo
Ramirez from Orange, Frank Palomino from Garden Grove and William Guzman
and Thomas Estrada from Santa Ana.<br />
<br />
The case, which argued that the four segregated school districts
violated the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection, attracted
attention outside Orange County. Thurgood Marshall, at the time the
chief counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, wrote an
amicus brief in support of Mendez. The Japanese American Citizens
League, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the American
Jewish Congress and the American Civil Liberties Union lent their
support.<br />
<br />
In 1946, Mendez won.<br />
<br />
Some schools in Orange County started to desegregate. In Westminster,
Sylvia Mendez said, schools were integrated by placing all the older
children in the Mexican school and the younger children in the white
school. "The white people got so upset to see their children in that
horrible school, so they went to the superintendent and they closed it
down," she said.<br />
<br />
A year later, the ruling was upheld in federal court and, within months,
Gov. Earl Warren signed legislation to desegregate California's schools
— becoming the first state in the country to do so.<br />
<br />
Mendez vs. Westminster would have nationwide ramifications.<br />
<br />
The NAACP, which called Mendez a "dry run for the future," used much of
the same legal reasoning in 1954 in Brown vs. Board of Education, the
landmark case that declared state laws establishing separate public
schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. Marshall
argued the case before the Supreme Court, which by then included Chief
Justice Warren, who wrote the unanimous decision that "separate
educational facilities are inherently unequal."<br />
<br />
Sylvia Mendez went on to graduate from Santa Ana College; she worked as a registered nurse for 33 years.<br />
<br />
In 2000, a new high school in Santa Ana was named after the family — the
Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez Fundamental Intermediate School. In 2007,
the U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp commemorating the case. And in
2011, Sylvia was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President
Obama.<br />
<br />
"When I got it I couldn't stop crying, because I was thinking finally my
mother and father are getting the thanks they deserve," Mendez said.<br />
<br />
<br />
●●smf’s 2¢: It may have escaped the LA Times notice (not being a charter
school and all) but in 2009 the Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez High
School/Learning Center – a new LAUSD high school – was dedicated in
Boyle Heights.</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Tues. April 26, 2016 - 2:00 P.M. :: THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION – Agenda: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg95aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/26mgAMD</a><br />
<br />
Thurs. April 28, 2016 – 10 A.M. :: APRIL MEETING OF THE BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE – Agenda: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg96aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1SXTCRM</a><br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg1Raaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg1Saaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg1Taaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg1Uaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg1Vaaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg1Waaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maathafacrg1Xaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px Verdana, sans serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-77648526522764577402016-04-17T00:00:00.000-07:002016-04-24T11:17:00.112-07:00Another case/anaother story<br />
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4LAKids: Sunday 17•Apr•2016
</span>
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In This Issue:
</span>
<br />
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">APPEALS COURT REVERSES VERGARA RULING (2 stories)</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">COURT
RULING IN CALIFORNIA TENURE CHALLENGE IS UNLIKELY TO DERAIL THE REFORM
MOVEMENT …or (smf’s 2¢) discourage the Times’ Editorial Board</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">FORMER L.A. CHARTER SCHOOL LEADER FINED FOR CONFLICT OF INTEREST</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI COMMITS LOS ANGELES TO A GOAL OF GIVING EVERY LAUSD GRADUATE ONE FREE YEAR OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but
not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other Sources</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Featured Links:
</span>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatfEgacq6zJaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">► Friends4smf :: The GoFundMe campaign</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatfEgacq6zKaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Follow 4 LAKids on Twitter - or get instant updates via text message by texting</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatfEgacq6zLaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved!</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatfEgacq6zMaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKidsNews:
a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="322"><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<b>Q:</b> Someone once asked me what I thought of Vergara.<br />
<b>A:</b> “Well,” I said., “in the unlikely event of an erection lasting more
than four hours one should probably get professional medical help.”<br />
<br />
<br />
VERGARA v. CTA was a landmark show trial in the great “Let’s take public
education out of the hands of public educators - run it through the
courts - and put it into the boardrooms of ©orporate $chool ®eformers
and Silicon Valley Edupreneurs” movement. <br />
<br />
FRIEDRICHS v. CTA – The U.S. 9th District Court’s ruling in favor of CTA
recently affirmed by an equally divided Supreme Court was another such
public legal proceeding, accompanied by similar judicial sturm und drang
– and promoted by many-of-the-same (un)usual suspects.<br />
<br />
<br />
Vergara was tried in a courtroom of the L.A. Superior Court by a judge
and on the steps of the courthouse by the media – recounted
nightly+breathlessly by L.A. School Report …which was founded by former
Vice President and L.A. Bureau Chief of Court TV Jamie Alter Lynton. It
may not have been reality T.V. …but it was just as real!<br />
<br />
The lawsuit was brought and funded by an organization called Students
Matter, bankrolled by Silicon Valley entrepreneur David Welch on behalf
of nine students. The complaint argued that current state law makes it
too much work/too time consuming/too hard to fire ineffective teachers.<br />
<br />
Vergara was a photo opportunity for high profile attorneys,
almost-a-billionaire venture capitalists and telegenic/camera ready
plaintiffs – allegedly denied a good education by employment protections
and due-process safeguards built into the California Ed Code by evil
teachers’ unions and their subservient friends in the legislature.<br />
<br />
It was “Bad Teacher: The Courtroom Drama” <br />
<br />
The star witness for the plaintiffs was one Dr. John E. (‘Don’t call me
Johnny’) Deasy, superintendent of LAUSD – who swore under oath that
LAUSD was ungovernable under the teacher ‘tenure’ standards in the Ed
Code. Bad Teachers were everywhere and Dr. John’s hands were tied; he
couldn’t fire his way out of the mess!<br />
<br />
(Semantics 411: Public school teachers don’t have ‘tenure’, which is
lifetime employment guaranteed to college+university professors.
Teachers have the protection of due process – which mandates a fair
hearing over employment issues.)<br />
<br />
●● Another case/another story: Deasy’s own firing from LAUSD would
result from other testimony he gave, in Cruz v. CA. Deasy in Vergara
said LAUSD was ungovernable; Judge Hernandez in Cruz pretty much said
that LAUSD was ungoverned.<br />
<br />
<br />
ROUND 1 TO THE PLAINTIFFS: Deasy and the Vergara Plaintiffs ultimately
convinced Judge Rolf M. Treu that job protections for teachers were so
harmful that they deprived students of their constitutional right to an
education.<br />
<br />
The laws, Treu wrote in his 2014 opinion, protected a small but
significant number of “grossly ineffective” teachers and
disproportionately harmed poor and minority students. He went on to say
the tenure system resulted in educational malpractice that “shocks the
conscience.”<br />
<br />
ROUND 2 TO THE APPELLANTS: Last Thursday the California Court of Appeals
for the Second District unanimously reversed Judge Treu and found that
the plaintiffs failed to show “that the statutes inevitably cause a
certain group of students to receive an education inferior to the
education received by other students” – the prerequisite for an equal
protection claim.<br />
<br />
“With no proper showing of a constitutional violation, the court is
without power to strike down the challenged statutes. The court’s job is
merely to determine whether the statutes are constitutional, not if
they are ‘a good idea’.”<br />
<br />
THE THIRD AND DECIDING ROUND was always going to be in the California
State Supreme Court; the case is about the California State Constitution
and the California Supremes will be the final arbiter. Stay tuned.<br />
<br />
In the meanwhile it is hoped that the legislature will step in and tweak
the Ed Code and perhaps add a little bit more time to the period during
which new teachers can be evaluated before they receive protected
status. Watch this space.<br />
<br />
<br />
KUDOS TO MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI, who in his State of the City Address
Thursday said Los Angeles will commit to a goal of giving every
hardworking graduate of the Los Angeles Unified School District one free
year of community college. Mayor Garcetti once asked me to
periodically advise him on education issues; I have been loath (or
perhaps dilatory) in doing so …and if Hizzoner keeps doing the right
things I’m going to uncharacteristically keep my mouth shut!<br />
<br />
<br />
THE MOUNTAIN LION ON THE CAMPUS AT JOHN F. KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL on Friday
cannot go unremarked on. We live in and share a wonderful world with
all nature of things.<br />
<br />
<br />
ON SATURDAY, in the heart of downtown; within view of city hall and
other iconic architectural buildings and works of art, Grand Park was
the spotlight for a very spectacular display of talent from all five
local school districts within LAUSD.<br />
<br />
The LAUSD Grand Arts Festival, hosted by the Arts Education celebrated
LAUSD’s unique and diverse artistic culture. 15,000 Festival attendees
were expected to attend this free, public event. Festival goers
witnessed over 2,000 LAUSD student performers on four stages, a student
visual arts gallery, and a film festival of original student films being
sponsored by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. There were scores
of informational and interactive booths from community arts partners,
LAUSD arts schools, and higher education institutions, as well as family
activities and food trucks.<br />
<br />
“My film and media students are ready,” says former entertainment
industry insider Aaron Lemos, current veteran master instructor of
digital media and film (and lion-lockdown survivor) at John F. Kennedy
Senior High School in Granada Hills. Mr. Lemos’ students are superstars
in their own right, heading to national competitions in late May to
maintain their championship titles. “We look forward to the Grand Arts
Festival this year to see what the other students are expressing through
digital media and film, have fun, and celebrate the young people’s
talent and artistry.”<br />
<br />
This year’s Arts Festival will also feature some professional performers
on the festival main stage. This opportunity to connect with
professionals has schools excited. “This is the first time our choir
will be on the main stage performing,” said Dr. Iris Stevenson, longtime
chair of the music department at Crenshaw Senior High School (…and
Deasy-era ‘Teacher Jail’ inmate). <br />
<br />
“I have taken these kids all over the world to perform, and it is so good to share our talent at home.”<br />
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
APPEALS COURT REVERSES VERGARA RULING (2 stories) </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<b>►CALIFORNIA APPEALS COURT REVERSES DECISION TO OVERTURN TEACHER TENURE RULES</b><br />
<br />
By Jennifer Medina and Motoko Rich | New York Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatfEgacq6z9aaaaaac/">http://nyti.ms/23Fis48</a><br />
<br />
April 14, 2016 :: Los Angeles — A California appeals court ruled on
Thursday that the state’s job protections for teachers do not deprive
poor and minority students of a quality education or violate their civil
rights — reversing a landmark lower court decision that had overturned
the state’s teacher tenure rules.<br />
<br />
The decision put a roadblock — at least temporarily — in front of a
national movement, financed by several philanthropists and
businesspeople, to challenge entrenched protections for teachers,
championed by their unions.<br />
<br />
Two years ago, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge struck down five
California statutes connected with the awarding of tenure, as well as
rules that govern the use of seniority to determine layoffs during
budget crises. Ruling in a case brought by a group of nine high school
students — four of whom have since graduated — the judge, Rolf Treu,
said the statutes violated the students’ rights to an equal education
under the California Constitution because they allowed poorly performing
teachers to remain indefinitely in classrooms.<br />
<br />
In reversing the trial court’s decision, a panel of three appeals judges
wrote that if ineffective teachers are in place, the statutes
themselves were not to blame because it was school and district
administrators who “determine where teachers within a district are
assigned to teach.” The laws themselves, the judges wrote, do not
instruct districts in where to place teachers.<br />
<br />
“The court’s job is merely to determine whether the statutes are
constitutional,” the panel wrote, “not if they are ‘a good idea.’”<br />
<br />
Teachers unions immediately welcomed the ruling.<br />
<br />
“I consider this a victory for teachers and a victory for students,”
said Eric C. Heins, the president of the California Teachers
Association. “What these statutes have done is, one, they bring
stability to the system, and for many students they bring stability to
their schools and to the teachers in their schools. For many kids, the
school environment is the only stable environment that many of them
have.”<br />
<br />
Tom Torlakson, the state superintendent of public instruction in
California, said the appeals court decision would allow districts to
recruit and train teachers at a time of shortages in the state.<br />
<br />
“All of our students deserve great teachers,” Mr. Torlakson said in a
statement. “Teachers are not the problem in our schools — they are the
answer to helping students succeed on the pathway to 21st century
college and careers.”<br />
<br />
The plaintiffs in the case, known as Vergara v. California, said they would appeal to the state Supreme Court.<br />
<br />
“The Court of Appeal’s decision mistakenly blames local school districts
for the egregious constitutional violations students are suffering each
and every day,” Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., the lead counsel for the
plaintiffs, said in a statement. “But the mountain of evidence we put on
at trial proved — beyond any reasonable dispute — that the irrational,
arbitrary and abominable laws at issue in this case shackle school
districts and impose severe and irreparable harm on students.”<br />
<br />
The decision came just a day after another group of parents served
notice to defendants in a lawsuit challenging Minnesota’s job
protections for teachers. A similar lawsuit is also pending in New York.<br />
<br />
The plaintiffs in Minnesota and New York vowed to press on, with backing
from the Partnership for Educational Justice, a New York-based group
that receives financing from the foundations of Eli Broad, a Los Angeles
billionaire, and the Walton family, founders of Walmart.<br />
<br />
Katharine Strunk, an associate professor of education at the University
of Southern California, said that while the ruling may be considered a
victory for teachers’ unions, the case had sparked a national
conversation over teacher hiring and firing.<br />
<br />
“The judges are saying things are not right in California, that there
are drawbacks to the current system, but this is not something for the
courts to decide,” Ms. Strunk said. “I don’t think anyone believes that
these laws are the best we can do.”<br />
<br />
After the trial court judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs two years
ago, Arne Duncan, former United States secretary of education, applauded
the decision, saying he hoped it would prompt policy makers to change
tenure statutes. On Thursday, John B. King Jr., Mr. Duncan’s successor,
was not immediately available for comment.<br />
<br />
The plaintiffs argued that because the state allows districts to grant
tenure after just two years, and because districts often spend hundreds
of thousands of dollars to remove teachers they consider low-performing,
tenure rules can lock in ineffective educators for life.<br />
<br />
All too often, the plaintiffs argued, the worst teachers are placed in
schools with high concentrations of low-income and minority students.<br />
<br />
In its ruling, the appeals court said that “the challenged statutes do
not in any way instruct administrators regarding which teachers to
assign to which schools.”<br />
<br />
The judges acknowledged that principals got rid of “highly ineffective
teachers” by transferring them to other schools, including schools with
many poor students.<br />
<br />
“This phenomenon is extremely troubling and should not be allowed to
occur,” they wrote, “but it does not inevitably flow from the challenged
statutes.”<br />
<br />
______________<br />
<br />
►<b>CALIFORNIA APPEALS COURT OVERTURNS VERGARA RULING</b><br />
By John Fensterwald | EdSource Today | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatfEgacq6Aaaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1VskFes</a><br />
<br />
April 14, 2016 :: A California appeals court has struck down a trial
judge’s controversial Vergara ruling that declared that several state
laws governing teacher hiring, firing and layoffs are unconstitutional.<br />
<br />
The appeals court decision in Vergara v. the State of California and the
California Teachers Association is a victory for teachers unions in a
case that has drawn national attention. At issue were five state laws
that established layoff procedures based on seniority, laid out
dismissal procedures and awarded teachers permanent status, known as
tenure, after two years on the job.<br />
<br />
David Welch, the driving force behind Students Matter, the organization
that filed the lawsuit on behalf of nine students, promised the decision
would be appealed to the California Supreme Court.<br />
<br />
“I’m not going to mince words – we lost,” he wrote in an email. “This is
a sad day for every child struggling to get the quality education he or
she deserves – and is guaranteed by our state constitution.”<br />
<br />
In his 2014 ruling, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu
ruled that the teacher workplace laws interfered with students’
constitutional right to a quality education. The laws, Treu wrote,
protected a small but significant number of “grossly ineffective”
teachers and disproportionately harmed poor and minority students. In
his 16-page decision, Treu wrote that evidence from a two-month trial
“shocked the conscience.”<br />
<br />
But in a strongly worded, unanimous decision, three judges of the Second
District Court of Appeal, based in Los Angeles, wrote that the
plaintiffs failed to show “that the statutes inevitably cause a certain
group of students to receive an education inferior to the education
received by other students” – the prerequisite for an equal protection
claim.<br />
<br />
“With no proper showing of a constitutional violation, the court is
without power to strike down the challenged statutes. The court’s job is
merely to determine whether the statutes are constitutional, not if
they are ‘a good idea,’” the decision states.<br />
<br />
The judges also said that administrators are responsible for deciding
where low-performing teachers teach, but that the lawsuit attacked the
statutes, not how they may have been inequitably applied.<br />
<br />
“Although the statutes may lead to the hiring and retention of more
ineffective teachers than a hypothetical alternative system would, the
statutes do not address the assignment of teachers; instead,
administrators – not the statutes – ultimately determine where teachers
within a district are assigned to teach,” the ruling states.<br />
<br />
In a statement Thursday, Theodore Boutrous, lead attorney for Students
Matter, said that the appeals court got it wrong. The decision
“mistakenly blames local school districts for the egregious
constitutional violations students are suffering each and every day, but
the mountain of evidence we put on at trial proved – beyond any
reasonable dispute – that the irrational, arbitrary, and abominable laws
at issue in this case shackle school districts and impose severe and
irreparable harm on students.”<br />
<br />
He expressed optimism that “the California Supreme Court will have the final say.”<br />
<br />
CTA President Eric Heins celebrated the ruling as a “great day for educators, and, more importantly, for students.”<br />
<br />
“Today’s ruling reversing Treu’s decision overwhelmingly underscores
that the laws under attack have been good for public education and good
for kids and that the plaintiffs failed to establish any violation of a
student’s constitutional rights,” he said in a statement. “Stripping
teachers of their ability to stand up for their students and robbing
school districts of the tools they need to make sound employment
decisions was a wrong-headed scheme developed by people with no
education expertise and the appellate court justices saw that.”<br />
<br />
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said in a statement,
“The Appellate Court clearly recognized that Vergara was a flawed ruling
and overturned it unanimously. Now we can move forward together to
recruit, train, and support talented and dedicated educators in school
districts all across our great state.<br />
</span> <br />
<br />
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<td align="LEFT"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatfEgacq6Abaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Read the Vergara v. CTA Court of Appeals ruling here.</a> </td>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead3"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
COURT RULING IN CALIFORNIA TENURE CHALLENGE IS
UNLIKELY TO DERAIL THE REFORM MOVEMENT …or <i>(smf’s 2¢)</i> discourage the
Times’ Editorial Board </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
by Joy Resmovits , Howard Blume and Sonali Kohli | LA Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatfEgacq6Aeaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1SdMDF9</a><br />
<br />
April 16, 2015 :: An appeals court decision this week upholding
California's teacher tenure and seniority rules leaves school reform
forces at a crossroads as they press for changes across the nation.<br />
<br />
The movement had made the Vergara case — which would have thrown out the
nation's most generous teacher employment protections — a centerpiece
in their effort to remake schools.<br />
<br />
Despite the defeat in California, nonprofit organizations and advocacy
groups have scored victories in other states. But experts say making
inroads has become harder recently as teachers' unions have flexed their
muscle locally and nationally.<br />
<br />
The Vergara decision came just weeks after another major victory for
teachers' unions. The U.S. Supreme Court was set to review a California
case, which could have prevented unions from collecting dues from
employees who didn't agree to become members.<br />
<br />
Some observers believed the conservative court would rule against the
unions. But the court deadlocked 4-4 after the death of Justice Antonin
Scalia in February.<br />
<br />
Chester Finn, a former Reagan administration education official and
senior fellow at the conservative-leaning Thomas B. Fordham Institute,
acknowledged that teachers' unions have racked up significant victories.
"The two big courtroom centered strategies for weakening teacher union
power both kind of bit the dust in the last few weeks," he said. "If I
were the head of one of the unions, I would be gloating with
satisfaction that my side prevailed and that these bad guys haven't done
any serious damage to me."<br />
<br />
But he and others believe reform efforts can move forward from the
defeats, noting they continue to be well-funded and well-organized.<br />
<br />
In California, backers were looking for the silver linings in the
Vergara defeat while also noting they were appealing the case to the
California Supreme Court.<br />
<br />
"I think where the movement goes is where it's been going for the last
two years — people are suddenly paying attention to the impact of
ineffective teachers on students, about evaluation, about dismissal
policies," said Eric Hanushek, a senior fellow at the conservative
Hoover Institution at Stanford University who testified on behalf of the
Vergara plaintiffs.<br />
<br />
Ben Austin, an official with Students Matter, the nonprofit Silicon
Valley group sponsoring the Vergara plaintiffs, agrees: "I can remember
not that long ago when these issues were untouchable; you just couldn't
mention them without getting laughed out of the halls" of Sacramento.<br />
<br />
Unlike in many other states, California lawmakers refused to mandate the
use of student test scores as a significant portion of a teacher's
evaluation. Traditional teacher job protections are probably the
strongest in the country: an instructor earns tenure safeguards after
two years,; the dismissal process is longer and more complex than for
other state employees, and layoffs are based primarily on seniority
rather than performance.<br />
<br />
The Vergara lawsuit, to supporters, represented a way around the
political stronghold. They argue that it's far too difficult to remove
bad teachers and that this hurts students.<br />
<br />
Unions and their supporters said eliminating tenure and seniority would
result in a lower-quality teaching corps and cause the profession to
attract and retain fewer talented people who have other career options.<br />
<br />
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers union, hailed the Vegara ruling.<br />
<br />
Weingarten acknowledges that the current tenure laws are problematic,
and said that the state of California should "work together" to improve
them.<br />
<br />
"You can't fire your way to a teaching force," she said.<br />
<br />
Reform forces scored big wins in North Carolina, which virtually
eliminated tenure. And in Wisconsin, union political funding has largely
dried up because of laws that limit the collection of membership dues.<br />
<br />
Currently, there are two similar lawsuits that target tenure in New York
and Minnesota, and backers say those are moving forward despite
Vergara.<br />
<br />
But the environment has been more challenging elsewhere. In New York
City, Mayor Bill de Blasio has been pushing back against reforms
embraced by predecessor Michael Bloomberg.<br />
<br />
Still, one advantage the reformers still retain is money. The movement
is backed by some of the nation's wealthiest foundations and
philanthropists, including Bloomberg and the heirs to the Walmart
fortune.<br />
<br />
"They have a huge reservoir of money," said retired California teacher
Anthony Cody, who has become a leader of a group opposing the reformers.
"And they will keep trying to find avenues to break unions wherever
they can."<br />
<br />
_____________<br />
<b><br />
►NEW VERGARA RULING MAKES CLEAR IT'S LEGISLATURE'S JOB TO FIX LAWS PROTECTING BAD TEACHERS</b><br />
by The L.A. Times Editorial Board | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatfEgacq6Afaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1V9oYeC</a><br />
<br />
April 14, 2016 :: Not every weakness in California’s public schools is
tantamount to an assault on the state Constitution. After a problematic
lower-court ruling struck down various job protections for California
teachers, an appeals court rendered a more sensible conclusion Thursday:
the state’s current seniority and tenure laws aren’t optimal, but they
fall short of being unconstitutional.<br />
<br />
At issue in the case of Vergara vs. California were laws that lay out a
long and tortuous procedure for teachers to appeal a firing, require
that less experienced teachers almost always be let go first when
districts carry out layoffs and give principals only 18 months to decide
whether a new teacher deserves tenure.<br />
<br />
These laws go too far. Bad teachers are a stain on schools; parents will
go to almost any lengths to avoid the worst of them. Students lose
learning time and, perhaps worse, their interest in school under the
weakest and least motivated instructors.<br />
<br />
The laws should be changed, but it is not the courts’ job to intervene
in every poorly crafted or outdated statute. The question was whether
these protections so harmed education — and discriminated against the
black and Latino students who often come from low-income families and
attend schools with fewer resources — that they violated constitutional
guarantees of equal treatment and a free and high-quality education.<br />
<br />
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu decided that they did,
despite evidence that truly awful teachers make up a tiny percentage
(perhaps 1% to 3%) of the overall teaching force. In addition, as the
appeals panel noted, there’s little proof that the weakest teachers are
disproportionately assigned to schools with large numbers of black and
Latino students. Even if that’s so, that problem isn’t caused by state
law, but by union contracts in each district that give more experienced
teachers first shot at job openings at other schools, instead of
assigning teachers where they’re most needed.<br />
<br />
What happens next? Probably nothing very good. The school reform-minded
plaintiffs vow to appeal. With the pressure of a lawsuit off its neck,
the Legislature, which has been far too solicitous of the wishes of the
California Teachers Assn., is less likely to pass AB 934, a reasonable
legislative fix to the laws in question that would still protect
teachers from capricious and vindictive firings.<br />
<br />
Worse, the battle lines between reformers and union-allied groups become
even more deeply etched. This state has real problems to work on in its
schools, especially the lack of counselors and the looming teacher
shortage. If California can’t draw more enthusiastic and well-trained
new teachers to fill openings in classrooms, education will suffer
mightily — especially for disadvantaged students. This is the big issue
that both sides should get to work on resolving.<br />
_______<br />
<br />
●●ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES TIMES’ EDUCATION MATTERS FUNDING: Education
Matters – the Times’ self-described “education initiative to inform
parents, educators and students across California” receives funding from
a number of foundations. The California Community Foundation and United
Way of Greater Los Angeles administer grants from the Baxter Family
Foundation, the Broad Foundation, the California Endowment and the
Wasserman Foundation to support this effort. Under terms of the grants,
The Times retains complete control over editorial content.<br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead4"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
FORMER L.A. CHARTER SCHOOL LEADER FINED FOR CONFLICT OF INTEREST </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
by Howard Blume | LA Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatfEgacq6Ahaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1VwwYqz</a><br />
<br />
April 13, 2016 :: A former local charter school operator has agreed to
pay a $16,000 fine for misconduct that includes using public education
funds to lease her own buildings.<br />
<br />
Under a tentative settlement with the state’s Fair Political Practices
Commission, Kendra Okonkwo acknowledges that she improperly used her
official position “to influence governmental decisions in which she had a
financial interest,” according to documents posted Monday by the state
agency.<br />
<br />
The settlement or “stipulation” notes two instances of wrongdoing:
establishing leases for the school in two buildings that Okonkwo owned
and arranging for public funds to pay for renovations to these
structures.<br />
<br />
The school, Wisdom Academy for Young Scientists, lost its charter to operate and closed last year.<br />
<br />
“In this matter, Okonkwo engaged in a pattern of violations in which she
made, used or attempted to use her official position to influence
governmental decisions involving real property in which she had a
significant financial interest,” the commission said.<br />
<br />
Okonkwo declined to comment, but the commission cited several factors
for not imposing a larger fine, including that “Okonkwo understands the
seriousness of the violations and accepts responsibility for her
actions.”<br />
<br />
The South Los Angeles school, which opened in 2006, had been targeted by regulators for several years.<br />
<br />
The violations cited this week by the state date from 2010 and 2011,
when Okonkwo earned a total of $223,615 as the elementary school’s
executive director. She also received about $19,000 a month in rent from
the school. She attempted to eliminate the appearance of conflict by
assigning the property to a new, separate corporation, for which her
mother signed the leases. But the arrangement did not pass legal muster,
according to the state.<br />
<br />
The other violation pertains to Okonkwo signing contracts for
school-funded renovations worth $62,000. Okonkwo addressed this conflict
by resigning as executive director. Someone else then signed the
renovation contract.<br />
<br />
Charters are independently operated and exempt from some rules that
govern traditional campuses. Wisdom Academy began under the jurisdiction
of the L.A. Unified School District, which refused to renew the school
after its initial five-year charter expired.<br />
<br />
A report to the school board cited “serious concerns pertaining to
violations of conflict-of-interest laws against self-dealing on the part
of the school's executive director as well as insufficient governance
by the … board of directors.”<br />
<br />
The L.A. Unified action did not close the school because, under state
law, a charter can appeal to the Los Angeles County Office of Education,
which chose to take over as the supervising agency.<br />
<br />
But the county office eventually turned against the school as well,
revoking its charter in 2014, and leading to its shutdown at the end of
the last school year.<br />
<br />
The county cited a report by state auditors, who concluded that
administrators may have funneled millions in state funds to Okonkwo, her
relatives and close associates.<br />
<br />
Some of the allegations bordered on the bizarre.<br />
<br />
Auditors questioned, for example, the use of school funds to pay a
$566,803 settlement to a former teacher who sued the organization for
wrongful termination after she was directed by Okonkwo to travel with
her to Nigeria to marry Okonkwo's brother-in-law for the purpose of
making him a United States citizen.<br />
<br />
The organization's payment of the settlement was inappropriate because
Okonkwo was not acting within the scope of her school employment,
auditors concluded.<br />
<br />
The school took its fight to survive all the way to the state board of education.<br />
<br />
<br />
In papers filed with the state, Wisdom’s leaders accused auditors and
the county office of misconduct and “open hostility … against this
African American operated school,” calling it “the culmination of years
of unfair treatment and retaliation … because a few [county office]
staff members dislike our school’s founder Kendra Okonkwo, her family,
the thickness of her accent, and the color of her skin.”<br />
<br />
State officials declined to overrule the charter revocation.<br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead5"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI COMMITS LOS ANGELES TO A GOAL OF
GIVING EVERY LAUSD GRADUATE ONE FREE YEAR OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE
</span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
by City News Service+ABC7.com staff | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatfEgacq6Ajaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1SKna5p</a><br />
<br />
Thursday, April 14, 2016 06:59PM | LOS ANGELES (KABC) :: Mayor Eric
Garcetti said Los Angeles will commit to a goal of giving every
hardworking graduate of the Los Angeles Unified School District one free
year of community college.<br />
<br />
Delivering his annual State of the City address on Thursday, Garcetti
also said the city is looking at plans to put 260 new cops on the
street, fix more broken sidewalks and streets, fight homelessness and
create jobs for reformed ex-gang members.<br />
<br />
He is working on the college plan, he said, in partnership with LAUSD
and the Los Angeles Community College District. He said it is similar to
a program announced by President Barack Obama in his State of the Union
last year that sought to offer two free years of community college to
U.S. students.<br />
<br />
"Tonight Los Angeles will become the largest city in the nation to
commit ourselves to a new goal: every hardworking student who graduates
from LAUSD will receive one free year of community college," Garcetti
said.<br />
<br />
A spokesperson for the mayor said the deal is not done yet, but when
finalized it would start in 2017. Funding would come from the community
college district, the city and a private philanthropist.<br />
<br />
Garcetti spoke at Noribachi, an LED manufacturer in LA's Harbor City
neighborhood that relocated from New Mexico four years ago and has since
won national recognition for its rapid growth.<br />
<br />
The mayor focused primarily on jobs, wages and businesses in his
address. He said under one city program, launched by City Attorney Mike
Feuer, the city will provide education and job training to 1,500 former
gang members.<br />
<br />
Garcetti said he also expanded the city's program to match young people
with jobs, tripling the number from 5,000 when he took office to an
expected 15,000 this year.<br />
<br />
He noted that the city expects to hire 5,000 new employees over the next
two years, and recruiting for those positions will target communities
in need, including ex-offenders.<br />
<br />
He also said the city needs to step up its efforts to fight
homelessness. The city budget Garcetti will propose next week will
commit $138 million to get homeless people off the streets, a figure he
described as a "tenfold" increase in the city's investment.<br />
<br />
Next year, he said, the city will place a comprehensive measure to fight
homelessness on the local ballot that will include a "linkage fee" on
developers who build new projects.<br />
<br />
Garcetti has also recently been touting the 109,000 jobs that the city
has added since he took office in 2013 and the 5.8 percent unemployment
rate, about half of what it was in 2012.<br />
<br />
The focus on job creation follows a year in which Garcetti and the City
Council adopted a measure to raise the minimum wage in Los Angeles to
$15 an hour by 2020, creating fears among businesses that the city could
lose jobs.<br />
<br />
Garcetti urged Angelenos to support him in his vision for the city,
which he said includes plans not just to fix problems for the next few
years, but for an entire generation.<br />
<br />
"If Kobe Bryant could post 60 points and lead his team to victory in his final game, come on guys we can do this," he said.<br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
STUDENT BOARD MEMBER LEON POPA WEIGHS IN ON HIS EXPERIENCE AS SEARCH FOR SUCCESSOR BEGINS | LAUSD Daily <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatfEgacq6Aoaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1r4MKfF</a><br />
<br />
THIS SCHOOL IS OPENING THE FIRST GENDER-NEUTRAL BATHROOM IN LOS ANGELES UNIFIED - LA Times <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatfEgacq6Apaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1W8ddnN</a><br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
All Tuesday April 19, 2016: <br />
<br />
• BUDGET, FACILITIES AND AUDIT COMMITTEE - - 10:00 A.M.<br />
• EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND PARENT ENGAGEMENT Committee - 2:00 p.m. – [Rescheduled from 4/5/16]<br />
• SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL CLIMATE COMMITTEE -- 4:00 P.M.<br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatfEgacq6zNaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatfEgacq6zOaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br />
<br />
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<td align="LEFT"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatfEgacq6zPaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatfEgacq6zQaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatfEgacq6zRaaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatfEgacq6zSaaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br />
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<td align="LEFT"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatfEgacq6zTaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<br /></td>
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<td align="LEFT"><span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-83882950339474108782016-04-10T00:00:00.000-07:002016-04-10T00:00:23.070-07:00Thank you, L.A. Times<br />
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<td align="CENTER"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: bold 18px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
4LAKids: Sunday 10•April•2016
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In This Issue:
</span>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">TENACIOUS CHANGE AGENT MAKES IMPROVING L.A. UNIFIED HIS MISSION</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">COUNTY
WORKERS CHARGED WITH CHILD ABUSE IN CASE INVOLVING DEATH OF GABRIEL
FERNANDEZ + HOW OFFICIALS FAILED TO SAVE CHILD FROM YEARS OF
ABUSE+TORTURE</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">ANALYSIS FINDS HIGH BLOOD LEAD LEVELS IN KIDS NEAR EXIDE, DOESN'T ANSWER WHY</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">ALL THE RIGHT AND WRONG DRIVERS + smf’s 2¢</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but
not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other Sources</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Featured Links:
</span>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWtYaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">► Friends4smf :: The GoFundMe campaign</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWtZaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Follow 4 LAKids on Twitter - or get instant updates via text message by texting</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWt0aaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved!</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWt1aaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKidsNews:
a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="322"><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
It’s easy (+fun!) to be critical of the Los Angeles Times.<br />
</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
She <i>(What did we do that was wrong?)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Is having (<i>We didn't know it was wrong)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Fun (<i>Fun is the one thing that money can't buy)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Something inside that was always denied</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
For so many years <i>(Bye bye)</i></span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
- Lennon+McCartney</span></div>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<br />
The Times has all the promise+potential of a first-rate great major
metropolitan daily: A huge media market, reporting on one of the great
cosmopolitan cities of the world ...certainly the preeminent American
metropolis of the 21st century. Gosh knows L.A. offers great newspaper
material: Scandal+Intrigue+Controversy; Scullduggery+Hubris; populated
with Fascinating Characters …some seemingly unburdened with character
itself.<br />
<br />
Here are settings+stories+dramatis personae worthy of Shakespeare,
Dostoyevsky and Stephen Sondheim. L.A. City Hall. The Board of
Education. One could set the entirety of the Bard of Avon’s Histories in
the County Hall of Administration. Add to this the Southeast Cities and
all that-ever-was-and-will-be Compton. Teapot Dome is in Wyoming, but
the oil-soaked scandal was homegrown in corporate boardrooms in L.A.
And Orange County percolates to the South. <br />
<br />
Howard Hughes. Hollywood. The names of the streets offer a roadmap:
Chandler. Doheny. Mulholland. There is the continuous ongoing horror
that is the County Department of Children and Family Services. The Gas
Company leak in Porter Ranch. The Exide Battery Plant debacle. And then
there’s whatever John Deasy, Apple+Pearson did <i>(or attempted to do)</i> with
the iPads and the bond money.<br />
<br />
Stay tuned.<br />
<br />
<br />
(In fairness, The Times is also burdened with all the challenges of all
modern newspapers: Declining readership+advertising, the
internet+cable+other news sources – challenges they have handled
spectacularly poorly!) <br />
<br />
<br />
The History of L.A. is the history as presented, spun+framed by The
Times – the blunt instrument of the Babbitt-at-the-Booster-Club city
fathers. Sure there was the Herald-Examiner and the Mirror News and the
L.A. Daily News. But who are we kidding?<br />
<br />
<br />
As much of the movie “CHINATOWN” as is true – The Water Wars, The Land
Grabs, the shenanigans at the Los Angeles Bureau of Water Works and
Supply – the Personalities of Power+Megalomania+Greed – was first
covered, covered-up, packaged or sold by The Los Angeles Times. <br />
<br />
Have you ever heard of the San Francisquito Dam Disaster? [<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWuraaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1NfgydG]</a> <br />
No? <br />
See what I mean?<br />
<br />
And when the legend doesn’t fit with the facts, all journalists go with
the legend. Me too: It sells
papers+advertising+eyeballs-on-the-blog-page+housing tracts in the San
Fernando Valley. <br />
<br />
…and tickets to the cinema.<br />
</span><br />
<blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<br />
<br />
On October 1, 1910 at 1:07 AM the McNamara Brothers, outside agitators,
union organizers and bomb-throwing-anarchists brought journalistic
criticism to a new height by blowing the L.A. Times building up. <br />
<br />
In the years since The Times has been about as anti-union as ever it
could be, whether in its own publishing business or in editorial policy.<br />
<br />
There’s a McNamara behind every labor grievance+work action.<br />
<br />
4LAKids wishes The Times was more aggressive in its coverage of public education. Except, of course, when they are wrong.<br />
<br />
And 4LAKids cannot argue with Eli Broad and the “Philanthropic
Foundations” that subsidize The Times’ “Education Matters” Initiative.
Education does matter. A lot. <br />
</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Nothing is going to get better. It's not.”</span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax</span></div>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<br />
But I suspect the ‘initiative” is more checkbook journalism from the ©orporate $chool ®eform crowd ….and less from The Times. <br />
<br />
<br />
All this said, The Times reporters+reporting have always been kind to 4LAKids.<br />
<br />
See: NO BIG BUCKS = NO CHANCE IN L.A. UNIFIED ELECTIONS | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWusaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1Sa5vr6</a><br />
…and this past week’s TENACIOUS CHANGE AGENT MAKES IMPROVING L.A.
UNIFIED HIS MISSION (following) from Times columnist Steve Lopez<br />
<br />
<br />
So there you have it.<br />
It’s complicated.<br />
<i>(It wouldn’t be worth writing about – or reading – if it wasn’t.)<br />
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf</i><br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
TENACIOUS CHANGE AGENT MAKES IMPROVING L.A. UNIFIED HIS MISSION </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<b>THROUGH HIS BLOG, 4LAKIDS, SCOTT FOLSOM HAS BEEN BOTH
CRITIC OF, AND CHEERLEADER FOR, L.A. UNIFIED, KEEPING AN EYE ON HOW
INTELLIGENTLY THE DISTRICT WAS SPENDING PRECIOUS TAX DOLLARS.</b> <br />
<br />
By Steve Lopez, LA Times Columnist | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWvJaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1Sl6TDV</a><br />
<br />
April 6, 2016 :: "He could be a burr in your saddle," says former L.A.
Unified Supt. Roy Romer. "But generally he was there when I needed him
to help get the job done."<br />
<br />
"I don't always agree with Scott, and sometimes I vigorously disagree
with him," says school board President Steve Zimmer. "But I always want
to know what he's thinking, and if I've done something wrong in his
eyes, I'm interested in that criticism."<br />
<br />
Both men are talking about Scott Folsom.<br />
<br />
Chances are you've never heard of him, and neither have hundreds of
thousands of students who have benefited from Folsom's two decades of
unpaid public service.<br />
<br />
He's been a local and state PTA member and has raised a hand to serve on
dozens of education committees. He advocated for restoration of arts
programs and expansion of health services, and he kept an eye on how
intelligently the district was spending your precious tax dollars, by
the billions, on the school building boom.<br />
And Folsom has chronicled this journey on his blog, 4LAKids, where he is both critic of and cheerleader for L.A. Unified<br />
<br />
"I read it every single Sunday morning," said Zimmer, who told me that Folsom "has an eye for when the emperor has no clothes."<br />
<br />
Zimmer, along with Folsom's family, friends, and a who's who of
educators, administrators and education wonks, honored Folsom on Friday
for his "tireless" and "tenacious" work.<br />
<br />
Folsom, 68, insisted on leaving the hospital where he'd been admitted
for the intense pain of a terminal illness. He did not want to miss the
shindig — complete with jazz band — at a friend's Art District loft.<br />
<br />
Party over, Folsom is back to writing, serving, going to meetings, because his work is not finished.<br />
<br />
When I asked him how it all began, Folsom clued me in on the little mix-up that launched his mission.<br />
<br />
About 20 years ago, at Mt. Washington Elementary, Folsom's daughter was
assigned to kindergarten after he'd been promised a first-grade slot for
her. He tried to get help from the principal, the district and a school
board member.<br />
<br />
Strike one, strike two, strike three.<br />
<br />
So Folsom — who worked in TV and film production — held his breath,
stepped to the edge of the abyss and dived head first into the murky
depths of public education bureaucracy.<br />
<br />
Soon he was the PTA president at Mt. Washington Elementary, where it
came to his attention that the prehistoric copy machine was ready for
the scrap heap.<br />
<br />
"A school without a Xerox machine might as well not have a flagpole out front," Folsom says.<br />
<br />
He was told there was no money for a new one, and nobody seemed to know
what to do about the problem. So he wrote a tongue-in-cheek ditty about
the "little Xerox machine that could," until it couldn't.<br />
<br />
Somehow it circulated around district headquarters. The bureaucrats got the point.<br />
<br />
They found a used replacement.<br />
<br />
Folsom later used the power of the pen to muse about one of the daffiest
district experiences. If you want to get your child into, say, a
particular magnet, you don't apply to that magnet. Of course not. That
would make sense.<br />
<br />
Instead, you apply to schools you don't want to get into. With each
rejection, you compile points that can be cashed in — with luck,
witchcraft, connections or who knows what — for assignment to the school
of your choice.<br />
<br />
"I made it a little funny," says Folsom, "including information on what
to do if you get accepted into a school you don't want to be in."<br />
<br />
Folsom became obsessed with trying to make a difference, and perhaps was
over-invested at times. His daughter asked if he could please not be
PTA president at her high school, and Folsom wonders if he strained his
marriage by volunteering more and more and earning less and less of an
income.<br />
<br />
But by then he had made the district his life's work.<br />
<br />
He knew that the majority of students were impoverished and attended
falling-apart schools on year-round tracks, stuffed into overcrowded
classrooms. So he became a member of the bond oversight committee and
helped Romer and others bust through political and bureaucratic hurdles
and build 130 new schools.<br />
<br />
"He was one of the keys," said Romer, "and we were on a remarkable roll. We built about $19 billion worth of schools."<br />
<br />
Says Zimmer:<br />
"Scott in large part made the building program possible, and he did it
with this very unique combination of agitation, impatience and absolute
commitment to his ideals. This is someone who has fought the bureaucracy
and in many ways has won, but he also sees the very benefit of the
institution he's trying to change."<br />
<br />
As part of that mission, Folsom lobbied for every school to have a
cafeteria, library and multipurpose room. He opposed former Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa's attempted takeover of L.A. Unified, and though he
sees the attraction of charter schools, he saves his highest praise for
the district's magnet campuses.<br />
<br />
In his 2009 Thanksgiving blog post, he wrote, "We hear too much chin
music about how hard it is to get rid of a few bad teachers and
administrators — and not near enough about how to honor the many, many
good ones."<br />
<br />
He praised non-teaching staff, nurses who are "spread too thin," those
who "volunteer in the classroom and on the playground before and after
school," and "the students who work hard and make us proud."<br />
<br />
Cancer has spread to Folsom's bones, but at his home in Hollywood early
Tuesday morning, Folsom reminded me he had to cut our interview short
because he had work to do. As he once put it, the job is to raise
issues, raise awareness, raise hell.<br />
<br />
He winced in pain, moving with the aid of a walker, eager to get to a meeting at school district headquarters.<br />
<br />
<br />
●●smf’s 2¢: Thank you Steve Lopez. And Roy Romer and Steve Zimmer. Thank
you Howard Blume and Bob Sipchen. Thank you always and especially Jack
Smith – who taught me that whatever it is with the water in Mount
Washington – a mythical place that Smith made up on the pages of the Los
Angeles Times – it makes the writing better.<br />
<br />
Thank you all for reading and insisting on making a difference.
Democracy is ideally about the majority – but Margaret Mead taught us
that it is always+only the small dedicated few that change the world.
Thank you for imagining+being the change.<br />
<br />
Tony, my friend from high school adds special recognition for LA Times
photographer Mark Boster, whose photos accompany the column in the
Times: [<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWvKaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Vdvt0n</a> | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWvLaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1NgND96]</a>
“BTW, I loved the portrait in the article. Sure didn't look like the
stuff you see nowadays, shot on phones and one-touch electronic cameras
with auto-flash, auto-everything. The guy actually did a little
lighting. Excellent!”<br />
<br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead3"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
COUNTY WORKERS CHARGED WITH CHILD ABUSE IN CASE
INVOLVING DEATH OF GABRIEL FERNANDEZ + HOW OFFICIALS FAILED TO SAVE
CHILD FROM YEARS OF ABUSE+TORTURE </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<b>HOW OFFICIALS FAILED TO SAVE GABRIEL FERNANDEZ FROM YEARS OF ABUSE, TORTURE</b><br />
<br />
by Garrett Therolf | LA Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWv2aaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1VHKZ2Y</a><br />
<br />
April 8, 2016 :: The case of Gabriel Fernandez, a child who was killed
after having been beaten, burned and shot with BBs, took a new twist
when four social workers were charged with child abuse.<br />
<br />
HERE IS SUMMARY OF THE CASE:<br />
<br />
A HORRIFIC SCENE<br />
<br />
In May 2013, paramedics arrived at a Palmdale home to find 8-year-old
Gabriel Fernandez not breathing. His skull was cracked, three ribs were
broken and his skin was bruised and burned. He had BB pellets embedded
in his lung and groin. Two teeth were knocked out of his mouth.<br />
<br />
Gabriel died two days later.<br />
<br />
His mother's boyfriend told authorities that he beat Gabriel repeatedly
for lying and "being dirty," according to records. The child's mother
and her boyfriend were charged with murder and torture. <br />
<br />
'PRISONER OF WAR'<br />
<br />
Gabriel's mother, Pearl Fernandez, called 911 on May 22, 2013, to report
that her son was not breathing. She told sheriff's deputies who arrived
at the apartment that Gabriel had fallen and hit his head on a dresser,
according to testimony. When paramedics arrived, they found Gabriel
naked in a bedroom, with multiple injuries. He died two days later.<br />
<br />
"It was just like every inch of this child had been abused," testified
James Cermak, a Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedic.<br />
<br />
Fernandez and her her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, 34, deliberately
tortured the boy to death, hiding their tracks with forged doctor's
notes and lies to authorities, Deputy Dist. Atty. Jonathan Hatami told
the grand jury.<br />
<br />
"For eight straight months, he was abused, beaten and tortured more severely than many prisoners of war," Hatami said.<br />
<br />
The abuse worsened in the months leading up to Gabriel's death,
according to testimony from two of his siblings, both of whom are
minors. They said Gabriel was forced to eat cat feces, rotten spinach
and his own vomit. He slept in a locked cabinet and wasn't let out to go
to the bathroom.<br />
<br />
Fernandez and Aguirre called Gabriel gay, punished him when he played
with dolls and forced him to wear girls' clothes to school, the siblings
said.<br />
<br />
Fernandez and Aguirre hit Gabriel with a metal hanger, a belt buckle, a small bat and a wooden club, Gabriel's brother said.<br />
<br />
Their mother once jabbed Gabriel in the mouth with a bat and knocked out several teeth, according to testimony.<br />
<br />
MISSED SIGNS OF ABUSE<br />
<br />
Records showed that Los Angeles County's Department of Children and
Family Services left Gabriel in the home despite six investigations into
abuse allegations involving the mother over the last decade.<br />
<br />
Gabriel had previously written a note saying he was contemplating
suicide, records show. His teacher told authorities he often appeared
bruised and battered at school. BB pellets left bruises across his face.
All but one investigation was determined to be "unfounded."<br />
<br />
At the time of Gabriel's death, there was yet another, unresolved
allegation of child abuse in his file. That referral has lingered two
months past a legally mandated deadline for completing an investigation,
records show.<br />
<br />
The social worker assigned to that case did not make first contact with
the family until 20 days after the complaint was received, and then
"made minimal attempts to investigate," according to an internal county
report.<br />
<br />
On multiple occasions, deputies went to the family's apartment or to
Gabriel's school to investigate reports of abuse and of the boy being
suicidal.<br />
<br />
Each time, they concluded that there was no evidence of abuse and did not write a detailed report.<br />
<br />
Timothy O'Quinn, a sheriff's homicide detective, told grand jurors that
there was no indication that deputies had removed any of Gabriel's
clothing to check for signs of abuse.<br />
<br />
Investigators searching the family's apartment after Gabriel's death
found blood stains, BB gun holes and a wooden club covered in his blood,
according to testimony.<br />
<br />
'FAILED TO PERFORM THEIR JOBS'<br />
<br />
In a prepared statement issued late Thursday morning by the Department
of Children and Family Services, department Director Philip Browning
said the accused workers did not represent the organization.<br />
<br />
“In our rigorous reconstruction of the events surrounding Gabriel's
death, we found that four of our social workers had failed to perform
their jobs. I directed that all of them be discharged. Only one appealed
his termination, and he was reinstated last year by the Civil Service
Commission over our strong objections,” Browning said.<br />
<br />
“I want to make it unambiguously clear that the defendants do not
represent the daily work, standards or commitment of our dedicated
social workers, who, like me, will not tolerate conduct that jeopardizes
the well-being of children,” Browning said. “For the vast majority of
those who choose this demanding career, it is nothing short of a
calling.”<br />
<br />
<br />
_____________________<br />
<br />
<b><br />
L.A. COUNTY SOCIAL WORKERS CHARGED WITH CHILD ABUSE IN CASE INVOLVING TORTURE AND KILLING OF GABRIEL FERNANDEZ</b><br />
<br />
By Garrett Therolf | LA Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWv3aaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1qePohM</a><br />
<br />
April 7, 2016 :: Four Los Angeles County social workers have been
charged with felony child abuse and falsifying public records in
connection with the 2012 death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez, who was
tortured and killed even though authorities had numerous warnings of
abuse in his home.<br />
<br />
Los Angeles County prosecutors allege that the county Department of
Children and Family Services employees minimized “the significance of
the physical, mental and emotional injuries that Gabriel suffered …
[and] allowed a vulnerable boy to remain at home and continue to be
abused.”<br />
<br />
Stefanie Rodriguez, Patricia Clement, Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt were
each charged with one felony count of child abuse and one felony count
of falsifying public records.<br />
<br />
At their arraignment on Thursday afternoon, the defendants did not enter
pleas, pending another hearing later this month. Superior Court Judge
Sergio Tapia set bail for each at $100,000.<br />
<br />
Gabriel's death sparked widespread outrage and prompted a series of
reforms designed to improve how county officials monitor children who
show signs of being abused. Prosecutors said the social workers' actions
were so troubling that they warranted the rare step of filing criminal
charges.<br />
<br />
“Social workers play a vital role in society. We entrust them to protect
our children from harm,” Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey said in a statement.
“When their negligence is so great as to become criminal, young lives
are put at risk. We believe these social workers were criminally
negligent and performed their legal duties with willful disregard for
Gabriel's well-being.”<br />
<br />
The dead boy's mother and her boyfriend are awaiting trial on charges of
murder and a special circumstance of torture. They have pleaded not
guilty.<br />
<br />
The pair are accused of beating Gabriel to death after dousing him with
pepper spray, forcing him to eat his own vomit and locking him in a
cabinet with a sock stuffed in his mouth to muffle his screams,
according to court records. Detectives who searched the family's
apartment found a wooden club covered in his blood.<br />
<br />
In the months before the boy was killed, county child protection
caseworkers and sheriff's deputies investigated allegations of abuse
without removing Gabriel from the home. Shortly before Gabriel's death,
officials decided to close his case.<br />
<br />
The social workers were aware that the boy had written a suicide note
and had a BB pellet embedded in his chest. Yet he was not sent for
medical treatment or mental health assessment, county records show.<br />
<br />
Additionally, the boy's teacher said she made repeated phone calls
reporting evidence of abuse. The caseworkers disregarded them, she said.<br />
<br />
A complaint for an arrest warrant was filed against the workers March 28
— about three years after their alleged failings — and all were
scheduled for arraignment Thursday.<br />
<br />
Merritt was the first to arrive in court in downtown Los Angeles on
Thursday morning. Asked for his reaction to the charges against him,
Merritt told a reporter, “no response.”<br />
<br />
Clement, a former nun and chaplain in the county's juvenile detention
centers, sobbed in court as she awaited arraignment. She, too, declined
to respond to the charges, as did Bom, a supervising caseworker and
father of four young children as well as an elder at his church.
Rodriguez could not be reached for comment.<br />
<br />
In a prepared statement issued late Thursday morning by the Department
of Children and Family Services, department Director Philip Browning
said the accused workers did not represent the organization.<br />
<br />
“In our rigorous reconstruction of the events surrounding Gabriel's
death, we found that four of our social workers had failed to perform
their jobs. I directed that all of them be discharged. Only one appealed
his termination, and he was reinstated last year by the Civil Service
Commission over our strong objections,” Browning said.<br />
<br />
“I want to make it unambiguously clear that the defendants do not
represent the daily work, standards or commitment of our dedicated
social workers, who, like me, will not tolerate conduct that jeopardizes
the well-being of children,” Browning said. “For the vast majority of
those who choose this demanding career, it is nothing short of a
calling.”<br />
<br />
In an interview with The Times on Thursday, Browning said he had
referred the social workers' case notes to the district attorney in 2013
“to make sure we didn't miss anything,” but he was not aware that a
criminal investigation was gathering steam, and he said he was surprised
when he learned that charges were filed.<br />
<br />
After Merritt appealed to regain his $166,000 job as a supervising
social worker, the five-member civil service commission — which is
appointed by the county Board of Supervisors — voted unanimously to
reinstate him, imposing a 30-day suspension in lieu of termination.<br />
<br />
According to the commission's hearing officer, “In the final analysis
[Merritt] bears some culpability for lax supervision but not to the
extent to justify his discharge after nearly 24 years of unblemished
service.”<br />
<br />
Merritt's union representative had argued that his client was used as a
scapegoat and had labored under difficult circumstances in the Palmdale
office, where social workers carry some of the highest caseloads in the
county.<br />
<br />
County lawyers for Browning went to Los Angeles County Superior Court in
hopes of overturning the civil service commission's decision. That case
is ongoing, but the judge ordered Merritt's reinstatement until a
decision is reached.<br />
<br />
Browning said the performance of the four workers in the Fernandez case
was the worst he had seen in any case he'd reviewed since his arrival at
the agency in 2011.<br />
<br />
“We made so much progress in the past few years,” Browning said. “I
don't want the morale of the department to suffer in a way that would
impact services to clients.<br />
<br />
In the months after the Fernandez case was first reported by The Times
in 2013, social workers removed children from their families at a higher
rate.<br />
<br />
Browning defended the rise in removals at the time, noting that
detention rates were rising statewide, but critics said social workers
sometimes needlessly removed children because they were afraid to lose
their jobs if something unforeseen occurred to a child under their
watch.<br />
<br />
Browning said he is worried that the charges against the social workers
could spur social workers to again increase the number of children taken
from homes.<br />
<br />
“Safety is our priority, but I hope that there won't be additional
detentions because of this,” he said. “I hope that they will continue to
make decisions based on the facts in front of them.”<br />
<br />
At a news conference Thursday in Sylmar, family and friends of Gabriel
praised the arrests and decried a system they said is fraught with
laziness and corruption.<br />
<br />
“You brought this upon yourself,” Emily Carranza, the boy's cousin, said of the social workers.<br />
<br />
Carranza is part of a group of family and friends who rallied after the
boy's death, determined to hold those who killed Gabriel and those who
failed to protect him accountable.<br />
<br />
The shirt she wore showed three photos of Gabriel's smiling face.<br />
<br />
“Your conviction will be our greatest victory,” she said.<br />
<br />
Child welfare officials and prosecutors said that this was the first
case in memory in which child protective caseworkers had been criminally
charged in California over the alleged mishandling of a case.<br />
<br />
Such prosecutions are also rare nationally, although New York
prosecutors pursued criminal charges in recent years against two social
workers who handled the fatal case of 4-year-old Marchella Pierce. In
that case, the workers were initially charged with negligent homicide,
but the case collapsed in a plea deal for lesser charges.<br />
<br />
Both workers eventually pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a
child, and that misdemeanor was subsequently knocked down to a violation
when they completed hours of community service.<br />
<br />
●Times staff writer Sarah Parvini and Times researcher Scott. J. Wilson contributed to this report.</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead4"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
ANALYSIS FINDS HIGH BLOOD LEAD LEVELS IN KIDS NEAR EXIDE, DOESN'T ANSWER WHY </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<br />
By Paul Glickman | KPCC/89.3 | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWv6aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1oM8JGb</a><br />
Audio from this story : 0:43 | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWv7aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1qEnHQl</a><br />
<br />
April 08, 2016 | 02:47 PM :: Young children living near the former
Exide battery recycling plant in Vernon have higher levels of lead in
their blood than those living farther away, but the age of their homes
may be as important a factor as proximity to the facility, according to
an analysis by the California Department of Public Health released
Friday.<br />
<br />
State environmental officials declined to draw definitive conclusions
about the role lead emissions from the plant may have played in the
elevated levels, saying the study was not designed to determine the
sources of the lead.<br />
<br />
The analysis did not measure other potential sources of lead, such as
that emitted from cars on nearby freeways or lead paint in homes, said
Gina Solomon, deputy secretary for science and health at the California
Environmental Protection Agency.<br />
<br />
The study was also limited in that it only looked at one year of data,
and it involved very small numbers of children in the area closest to
Exide, Solomon added.<br />
<br />
Those factors "make it hard to draw resounding conclusions" about the
relative importance of Exide's emissions, she said. "We can't say where
the lead in a child's blood is coming from."<br />
<br />
The analysis will be used "to further target and refine our efforts" to
clean up lead from soil at homes in a 1.7-mile radius around the
facility, said Ana Mascarenas, assistant director for environmental
justice at the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.<br />
<br />
Public health researchers analyzed blood tests of nearly 12,000
children under age 6 in an area reaching up to 4.5 miles from the
now-closed plant. The tests were from 2012, the Exide facility's last
full year of operation.<br />
<br />
Only about 2,000 of the nearly 12,000 children lived in the 1.7-mile cleanup zone, said Solomon.<br />
<br />
The analysis found that 3.58 percent of young children living within one
mile of Exide had blood lead levels of 4.5 micrograms or more per
deciliter of blood. That's the level the state has set as significantly
higher than average and meriting measures to reduce future exposure.<br />
<br />
That's compared with 1.95 percent of children in Los Angeles County
overall who showed lead levels of 4.5 micrograms or more in 2012. In the
broader study area, reaching out to 4.5 miles from the plant, 2.41
percent of children were in that category, according to the analysis.<br />
<br />
But when researchers factored in the age of homes, the picture shifted.
Of youngsters living in homes built before 1940, 3.11 percent had
elevated blood lead levels, while only 1.87 percent of those living in
homes built after 1940 had high levels.<br />
<br />
As the analysts adjusted the data to account for other factors, "the
effect of age of housing persisted," while "the effect of distance from
Exide diminished greatly," said Solomon. <br />
<br />
And the older the homes, the greater their impact, said Solomon.<br />
<br />
The Department of Public Health delved more deeply into this question by
performing a sub-study, comparing the ages of the homes of a group of
nearly 300 children who had 4.5 micrograms or more with those of a group
with lower levels. The researchers found "a very large increased risk"
of elevated lead levels for children living in homes built before 1925,
she said.<br />
<br />
The study found that younger boys were at higher risk as well.<br />
<br />
Exide smelted batteries in Vernon until last year, when the state
ordered it to shut down after it operated for decades on a temporary
permit. At the time, Toxic Substances Control said a few hundred homes
closest to the site would be tested and cleaned up. Last August, the
agency said up to 10,000 properties could be contaminated in a 1.7-mile
radius around the smelter.<br />
<br />
The state Legislature is in the process of approving Gov. Jerry Brown's
request for $176.6 million in emergency funding to expedite the testing
and cleanup of those properties.<br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead5"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
ALL THE RIGHT AND WRONG DRIVERS + smf’s 2¢ </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
From the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles Weekly Update Week of April 11, 2016 | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWwcaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/JidN0H</a><br />
<br />
April 7, 2016 :: This week, we are continuing to feature Michael
Fullan’s and Joanne Quinn’s book COHERENCE, which senior leadership and
other staff in the central offices are busily reading. <br />
<br />
Unfortunately, copies of the book have not been made available for
middle managers throughout the District who will be impacted by coherent
actions that may be initiated as a result of these reading circles.
Therefore, we are sharing some of the more cogent and applicable tenets
we have learned from the book.<br />
<br />
Seeking coherence means building an organization that engages in
“…purposeful action and reaction, looking for capacity, clarity,
precision of practice, transparency, monitoring of progress, and
continuous correction.” Coherence requires “simplexity,” which is
defined as “the harnessing of the smallest number of key factors and
working together with practitioners to become clear about how to master
the factors in actions.” The pathway, or framework, lights the way to
understand what motivates people to engage in the work.<br />
<br />
Fullan’s Coherence is an overview of the wrong and right drivers to move
an organization. Wrong drivers are cited as punitive accountability,
individualistic strategies, technology, and ad hoc policies. Using these
drivers to instigate change, the authors argue, results in “…initiative
failure, ad hoc projects, arbitrary top down policies, compliance
oriented bureaucratization, silos and fiefdoms everywhere, confusion,
distrust, and demoralization.” However well intended or well founded in
research these approaches may be, they are doomed to limited influence
as they circumvent the most important asset in the process: The people
who are the organization. <br />
<br />
The core basis of Fullan and Quinn’s work is the energizing of human and
social capital to initiate meaningful change within an organization.
This is done by employing the right drivers, which are described within
the Coherence Framework as: (1) focusing direction; (2) cultivating
collaborative cultures; (3) deepening learning; and (4) securing
accountability. As the four drivers are delved into thoroughly
throughout the book, it becomes readily apparent that the approach will
have tremendous implications for every role or position in an
organization.<br />
<br />
Focusing direction, the first driver, involves, not only streamlining
the work, but also building an ongoing vertical and horizontal
organizational conversation of the focus. The focus will be reduced,
reframed, and pieces removed as the direction continues to be clarified.
Further, it may require “…moving compliance to the side of the plate”
(pg. 4), not to avoid the mandate, but to shift it to a purposeful
function. It also requires ongoing communication among all levels to
continue to build true collaborative approaches to allow the system to
“…recognize that finding solutions to complex problems requires the
intelligence and talents of everyone,” (pg. 22). It also allows for
ongoing strategizing and dealing with barriers. In short, continually
checking progress by asking, “What is going well? What do we need to be
worrying about or taking action on?” It is the mechanism for
institutionalizing constant adaptation and inquiry.<br />
<br />
This topic naturally leads into discussing cultivating collaborative
cultures, the second driver. In this section, the authors more deeply
examine the dynamics of collaborative work. Its first basis is the
acknowledgement that everyone – principal, teacher, superintendent – is
an active learner, and clearly is a participant in the process.
Secondly, collaborative work acknowledges the capabilities of the people
within the system to address the challenges before them. More
significantly, it will allow collective capacity to emerge. Collective
capacity is defined as “the capability of the individual or organization
to make the changes required and involves development of knowledge,
skills, and commitment,” (pg. 56). This, in turn, allows the
organization to take ownership of student achievement and creates a
“growth mind set at all levels of the system,” (pg. 57). Arranging for
teacher groups, the authors warn, is not enough. Teacher groups,
commonly referred to as PLCs
(professional learning communities) are not the panacea. “The popularity
of the concept of PLCs has been far greater than its consistent impact
on student learning,” (pg. 63). The collaborative experience must be
structured, intentional, and focused on “…designing more precise
pedagogy to meet the identified needs,” (pg. 63). Collaborative cultures
require involvement in an ongoing process of inquiry. Inquiry extends
beyond questioning, but rather encapsulates a cycle of investigation,
planning, action, and reflection that is ongoing. The constant inquiry
builds capacity to adapt and allows for meaningful transformation, as
the book expresses, “…deep collaborative experiences that are tied to
daily work, spent designing and assessing learning, and build on teacher
choice and input can dramatically energize teachers and increase
results.” As the collective work involves the entire system, it
influences the structure of the system to support and ensure the
efficacy of the
collaborative practice. Intrinsic to this movement is deep learning, the
third driver.
<br />
<br />
(To be continued next week.) Next week’s AALA Update will be available Thursday April 14 at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWwcaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/JidN0H</a><br />
<br />
●●<b>smf’s 2¢:</b> <u>COHERENCE: THE RIGHT DRIVERS IN ACTION FOR SCHOOLS,
DISTRICTS, AND SYSTEMS</u>: Michael Fullan, Joanne Quinn: ISBN
9781483364957: Amazon.com: Books <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWwdaaaaaac/">http://amzn.to/1S9qUTX</a>
It’s $22.75 for the paperback, $14.37 for the e-reader. If senior
management is reading it and citing it chapter+verse, the District
should have one available at every school library and on every
teacher+administrator’s iPad.<br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>MORE SEATS, CREDIT RECOVERY+ENRICHMENT COURSES,
MIDDLE-TO-HIGH-SCHOOL ‘BRIDGE’ AND LATER START OFFERED IN ROBUST LAUSD
‘SUMMER TERM’ PROGRAM</b></span></span><br />
<br />
by Barbara Jones | LAUSD Daily | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWv9aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1MmI91I</a><br />
<br />
Apr 5, 2016 :: New courses.<br />
<br />
New start times.<br />
<br />
Even a new name.<br />
<br />
L.A. Unified officials on Wednesday unveiled a robust summer program
that will offer space for nearly 69,000 students, up from 42,000 last
year, at 71 high school campuses. Most of the 2,749 classes will be in
English, math, science and social science, and reserved for kids who
need to make up a failed course. <br />
<br />
But schools will also be able to offer enrichment classes open to any
student in L.A. Unified – the first time since the budget crisis hit in
2009 that elective courses will be available.<br />
<br />
“Whoever thought people would get excited about summer school?” said
Janet Kiddoo, the veteran educator who is the intervention coordinator
for the Beyond the Bell Branch. “People are very excited, and there are
such passionate and very bright people involved this year.”<br />
<br />
Summer classes will start June 27 and run for 24 days with two periods
of 2-1/2 hours each that will start at 9 a.m. and noon. That’s an hour
later than previous years, and officials hope the extra time will
improve student attendance and punctuality.<br />
<br />
In addition, the program is being called “summer term” rather than
“summer school” so that students will come to see the classes as simply
an extension of the regular school year. Rather than feeling stigmatized
by going to school in the summer, kids can embrace the chance to take a
class just for the fun of it.<br />
<br />
“It’s a small step, but small steps can leave a huge imprint,” Kiddoo
said during a presentation to the school board’s Curriculum and
Instruction Committee. “Calling it ‘summer term,’ students may think, ‘I
have the opportunity to take another type of class.”<br />
<br />
Other changes are also coming to the summer program. A counselor will
act as a “case manager” in supporting students and helping them overcome
hurdles that might otherwise derail their progress toward graduation.<br />
<br />
And a two-week “bridge” program will be offered at 43 campuses, offering
academic and social-emotional support to incoming freshmen who might
otherwise feel overwhelmed by the new world of high school.<br />
<br />
“We are beginning to show very positive steps forward,” Kiddoo told the
committee. “That is our mantra – what is happening for the student.”<br />
<br />
___________________<br />
<br />
LA UNIFIED LOOKS TO INCOME TAX RENEWAL TO OFFSET BUDGET WOES | EdSource <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWwjaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/22kBWVW</a> <br />
<br />
TWO LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS SHOWCASE MUSICAL THEATRE IN UPCOMING GRAND ARTS FEST - Los Angeles Sentinel<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWwkaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1N1puIX</a> <br />
<br />
SOUTH L.A. STUDENTS WILL GET PRIORITY ADMISSION TO CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS - LA Times <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWwlaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/22kATp0</a> <br />
<br />
SANTEE EDUCATION COMPLEX CLINCHES LAUSD HEALTHY COOKING COMPETITION<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWwmaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1RLccAw</a> <br />
<br />
Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs: "DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I SING?" | deutsch29
https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2016/04/02/sean-puff-daddy-combs-do-as-i-say-not-as-i-sing/
…<br />
<br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
REGULAR BOARD MEETING – Tues. April 12, 2016 - 9:30 a.m.- Including Closed Session Items<br />
REGULAR BOARD MEETING – Tues. April 12, 2016 - 1:00 p.m.<br />
<br />
Live stream of the board meeting available at LAUSD's Live Stream <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWwKaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1GnZwJI</a> and on broadcast+cable channel 58<br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWt2aaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWt3aaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br />
<br />
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<td align="LEFT"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWt4aaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWt5aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWt6aaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWt7aaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br />
<br />
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<td align="LEFT"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatd9gacqWt8aaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
</tr>
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<br />
<br />
<br /></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%px;">
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<td align="LEFT"><span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-73042552862210313382016-04-03T00:00:00.000-07:002016-04-03T00:00:17.157-07:00Lately it occurs to me<br />
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<td align="CENTER"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: bold 18px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
4LAKids: Sunday 3•April•2016
</span>
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<td align="LEFT" height="400" width="153"><span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
In This Issue:
</span>
<br />
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">Local Control Funding Formula: COMPLAINT SAYS DISTRICT MUST REVISE LCAP IN PASSING BIG PAY RAISE +smf’s 2¢</span></td>
</tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">Breaking/Friedrichs v. CTA: SUPREME COURT'S DEADLOCK ON UNION FEES COULD BE THE FIRST OF MANY TIE VOTES …OK, the second</span></td>
</tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">BAD BOY CHARTERS + smf’s 2¢:</span></td>
</tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">N HOLLYWOOD’S BACKYARD, A PUSH TO RECTIFY ARTS INEQUITIES</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but
not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other Sources</span></td>
</tr>
<tr><td height="10"><img src="http://app.topica.com/images/pixel.gif" height="10" width="1" /></td></tr>
<tr valign="TOP">
<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<tr valign="TOP">
<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Featured Links:
</span>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKfEaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">► Friends4smf :: The GoFundMe campaign</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKfFaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Follow 4 LAKids on Twitter - or get instant updates via text message by texting</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKfGaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved!</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKfHaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKidsNews:
a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
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<td width="12"><img src="http://app.topica.com/images/pixel.gif" height="1" width="12" />LAUSD SIMPLIFIES ITS APPLICATION PROCESS TO BOOST ENROLLMENT | 89.3 KPCC <br />http://bit.ly/1pVNMcC</td>
<td align="LEFT" width="322"><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Friday, after work, a number of us came together as
Like Minded Individuals and broke bread and celebrated ourselves and our
successes in educating and raising all these kids over time. <br />
<br />
There may have been adult beverages. <br />
<br />
It was April First and a perfect day for such April Foolishness. One of
our number quoted me quoting Jerry Garcia or Bob Weir from the Grateful
Dead Anthem “Truckin’”: <br />
<b><br /></b></span><br />
<blockquote>
<b><i><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
“What a long strange trip it’s been.”</span></i></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<br />
It has been and continues to be …and the credited songwriters are:
Garcia, Jerome J. / Weir, Robert Hall / Lesh, Philip / Hunter, Robert C.
The Quadfecta of The Dead.<br />
<br />
I stated it above and I will brook no argument: Any+all success in
raising+educating children must be measured over time. A long time.
Generations. <br />
<br />
My daughter Alana was there Friday night – and many of the people at the
event hadn’t seen her since high school or before. She’s a candidate
for her MFA in Poetry – and many in attendance – teachers, school staff,
parents, grandparents and whatnot – the Whole Freakin’ Village – have
every reason to be proud.<br />
<br />
The system works.<br />
<br />
____________<br />
<br />
<br />
Last week (“Putting a Circle around It”) I wrote of the unfortunate
social+cultural preeminence+dominance of the Baby Boom Generation;
probably the least said about that the better. Except someone wrote
similar words in the LA Times – and that prompted the following blizzard
of letters sent to the editor. There is a famous essay in The New
Yorker: “Within the context of no context” by George W. S. Trow. This is
somewhat like that, only more-or-less so.<br />
<br />
Readers React QUIT MICRO-AGGRESSING BABY BOOMERS WITH YOUR MILLENNIAL WISECRACKS | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKf3aaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1UM1VqC</a><br />
<br />
March 30, 2016 5AM<br />
<br />
To the editor: After reading Ann Friedman's Op-Ed, I was forced to stop
the game of “Pong” I was playing to respond. (“HOW TO HANDLE BABY
BOOMERS AT WORK,” Opinion, March 25 | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKf4aaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1qoeF9S)</a><br />
<br />
At first, I was going to send the author a response by regular mail, but
then I thought she might not have the set of skills necessary to open
an envelope and unfold a letter.<br />
<br />
Then I thought about sending a video response, but I couldn't get the VHS tape into my laptop.<br />
<br />
I would like to say that I always try to help millennials any way I can.<br />
<br />
I try to assist them in crossing the street, so that they don't get run over while texting.<br />
<br />
And since some of them are into albums these days, I've been showing
them how they can flip over the record and play songs on the other side.<br />
During tax season, I've also been advising them that they can deduct a
portion of their bedrooms in their parents' houses for business
purposes.<br />
<br />
And I do admit that I do not pay enough attention to
“micro-aggressions.” I was born and raised in New York City, so I am
only familiar with macro-aggressions.<br />
<br />
Howard Levine, Encino<br />
<br />
::<br />
<br />
To the editor: What a fabulous piece. I learned the definition of
“micro-aggression.” What a great service The Times performed in printing
a piece that is the very definition of micro-aggression.<br />
<br />
I do hope that this was tongue-in-cheek comedy. If it wasn't, then it is
a very sad world that we live in. Oh yes, “we are the people our
parents warned us about.” Someday, they will be too.<br />
<br />
Kristin Cano, Corona del Mar<br />
<br />
::<br />
<br />
To the editor: The piece was clearly a parody of what the writer sees as
the condescending treatment millennial employees receive from the media
and corporations. She wasn't slamming boomers; she was illustrating the
absurdity of reducing any generation to a set of belittling
stereotypes.<br />
<br />
I'm a baby boomer, and I for one found it very funny.<br />
<br />
Linda Goldstein, Sherman Oaks<br />
<br />
::<br />
<br />
To the editor: Shame on The Times. You frequently report on the social
wrongs of the world (for example, the front-pager “Campus tainted by
misconduct” on the same day as this piece).<br />
<br />
The Times should not allow this author's stereotyping (Luddism and fragile egos) of groups of people who are different.<br />
<br />
Times management: Please set the bar higher.<br />
<br />
Dennis Ford, Lompoc<br />
<br />
::<br />
<br />
To the editor: I was trying to figure out if the author was engaging in
satire or whether her piece was to be taken seriously. Then I realized
that the micro-aggression-obsessed millennials don't have a sense of
humor.<br />
<br />
In her psychological analysis of baby boomers using the scientifically
rigorous 140-character Twitter social networking service, she has failed
to realize that most of us have retired.<br />
<br />
The reins of business are now in the hands of GenXers like my executive
niece, who — guess what — also says millennials come to the workplace
with “a sense of entitlement, a tendency to overshare on social media,
and frankness verging on insubordination.”<br />
<br />
Melissa Verdugo, Rancho Palos Verdes<br />
<br />
::<br />
<br />
To the editor: The advice to millennials reminded me of my own
eye-rolling at my parents' befuddlement in setting up a “complicated”
VHS recorder menu.<br />
<br />
The author forgets that many of us boomers were not only inventors of
some of the current digital technologies but — necessitated by our
computer-impacted jobs — made to become early adopters of the same.<br />
With the coming computational developments envisioned by technology
futurists, the children of these millennials will more than likely, with
their eyes rolling, patiently explain to their non-cybernetic parents
the advantages of brain chip implants.<br />
<br />
Larry Lytle, North Hollywood<br />
<br />
::<br />
<br />
To the editor: I thought that this opinion piece had to be a joke. But millennials don't read the news.<br />
<br />
So who exactly is the target audience supposed to be?<br />
<br />
I'll wager that most oldsters won't think it's funny. I didn't.<br />
<br />
Constance Rawlins, San Diego<br />
<br />
::<br />
<br />
To the editor: Instead of the tech-savvy, with-it senior citizen I
thought I was, apparently I'm a Luddite with a fragile ego. Who knew?<br />
<br />
Damn. I think I've been “micro-aggressed.”<br />
<br />
Lorraine Gayer, Huntington Beach<br />
<br />
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf<br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Local Control Funding Formula: COMPLAINT SAYS
DISTRICT MUST REVISE LCAP IN PASSING BIG PAY RAISE +smf’s 2¢
</span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
By John Fensterwald | Ed Source Today | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKf7aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/22Ml93G</a><br />
<br />
March 28, 2016 :: In the first step toward a potential lawsuit, a
public interest law firm on Monday filed a complaint with the state
alleging that the West Contra Costa Unified School District violated the
disclosure requirements of the state’s Local Control Funding Formula
when it approved a pay raise for district staff. It charged that the
district failed to explain to the public how the pay raise might affect
spending commitments, including money targeted for English learners,
low-income students and foster youths.<br />
<br />
The 11-page complaint by San Francisco-based Public Advocates [<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKf8aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Y7qJGZ]</a>
doesn’t claim that the district categorically cannot grant the pay
increase – totaling $25.8 million over three years – it approved last
month. But the law firm says that West Contra Costa Unified never told
the public last summer that it might use $4.3 million that it is
required to spend this year to improve programs and services for
high-needs students to help pay for the across-the-board raises for
staff.<br />
<br />
The complaint says the district put that money in a reserve without
adequately informing the public and failed to include it in the Local
Control and Accountability Plan, or LCAP, a three-year planning
document, updated annually, that the school board passed last June.<br />
<br />
Last month, on the same night that the board ratified the staff
contract, which includes a 12 percent increase over 12 months, the board
voted not to use the $4.3 million to fund the raises after all. It
shifted the money back into the general fund, directing the district to
spend the money on high-needs students.<br />
<br />
But Public Advocates’ complaint says the school board should amend the
LCAP after a public hearing to spell out how all this new money will
benefit high-needs students. Otherwise, the public cannot track the
money and make sure the district spends it as it says it will and not as
a back-door plan to fund pay increases now or in the future.<br />
<br />
John Affeldt, managing attorney of Public Advocates, said that he
suspects that West Contra Costa Unified is not alone in skirting the
law. “We are seeing a lot of districts giving pay increases,” he said
Monday. “We want to see teachers fairly paid, but this must be done in a
way that honors the community conversation. An involved community is
sacrosanct under the Local Control Funding Formula.”<br />
<br />
In a one-paragraph statement, the school district denied that it did anything improper.<br />
<br />
“We believe the District has followed the procedures outlined by the
Local Control Funding Formula,” spokesman Marcus Walton wrote in an
email. “Our district’s Local Control Accountability Plan Parent
Committee appropriately made recommendations, many of which the Board
incorporated into the approved LCAP plan. The original plan for the
2015-16 school year included a $4.3 million reserve, which was approved
after the proper notifications and hearings. When the reserve was no
longer needed, those funds were allocated in accordance with the
priorities of the LCAP, following a public hearing on the matter.”<br />
<br />
Public Advocates filed a complaint with State Superintendent of Public
Instruction Tom Torlakson – a step that precedes going to court.
Claiming “irreparable and immediate” harm from further delays, the
complaint gives state officials 10 days to order the district to suspend
spending on the raises. The district must consult with the community on
revising the LCAP to include $3.3 million for the raises this year and
to measure the impact of the full $25.8 million raise over three years,
the complaint says. The state should also require the board to explain
how it is using the $4.3 million for high-needs students, the complaint
says.<br />
If the department doesn’t step in, Public Advocates said it will seek a
temporary injunction in Superior Court. The law firm filed the complaint
on behalf of three parents: Isabel Cruz and two unnamed parents, all of
whom serve on an LCAP district advisory committee, the complaint said.<br />
<br />
The state distributes about 90 percent of K-12 funding through the Local
Control Funding Formula. Most of the money is provided through a
uniform base grant for all districts. In addition, districts receive
“supplemental” dollars for each enrolled English learner, foster and
homeless child and low-income student, plus additional “concentration”
dollars for districts with large percentages of those students. With
high-needs students making up 74 percent of West Contra Costa Unified’s
enrollment, the district received $200 million in base funding plus
$36.3 million in supplemental and concentration dollars in 2015-16.<br />
<br />
West Contra County Unified’s 67-page LCAP for 2015-16 lays out in great
detail how it plans to spend money for the high-needs students on five
primary goals, including improving school climate, parent involvement,
the use of technology in schools and raising achievement. But the
district noted in an early LCAP draft that $4.3 million – 12 percent of
its supplemental and concentration funding – would be put in a reserve
account, then deleted any reference in the final LCAP about moving it
after Public Advocates publicly questioned the expenditure, the law firm
said. Public Advocates said that the district has ignored repeated
inquiries about its failure to specify what it intended to do with the
money. The complaint says the law firm also raised the issue in a letter
to the Contra Costa County Office of Education, which approved the
district’s LCAP without commenting about the $4.3 million.<br />
<br />
USING TARGETED DOLLARS FOR GENERAL RAISES<br />
<br />
The state Department of Education has given ambiguous advice about using
supplemental and concentration dollars for general raises, as West
Contra Costa Unified had considered doing.<br />
<br />
In May 2015, Jeffrey Breshears, an administrator at the department,
advised districts would face a heavy burden in using the money for this
purpose. Quoting the LCFF law, he wrote that a district would have to
show that a general raise would be an “effective” strategy for raising
achievement for high-needs students, and that teachers and other staff
are underpaid relative to the surrounding districts, putting the
district at a competitive disadvantage. The district would have to cite a
goal for student improvement that the pay increase would help achieve
and rescind the pay increase if it weren’t met, Breshears wrote.<br />
<br />
Two weeks later, after employee unions complained, Torlakson issued a
clarification that backed off of some of Breshears’ requirements, while
confirming its basic point: Districts could use money for a general pay
raise if they documented in the LCAP that students’ academic progress
was affected by the difficulty in recruiting, hiring and retaining
teachers.<br />
<br />
The district said that the new pay package will enable it to better
compete for teachers. “It’s no secret that our teachers have been
underpaid relative to their peers in neighboring school districts,”
Walton told the Contra Costa Times. “Correcting that has been a priority
identified by the Local Control Accountability Plan, the administration
and the Board of Education in order to help with the recruitment and
retention of our teachers.”<br />
<br />
The Local Control Funding Formula says a school district must seek the
advice and recommendations of parents, students, teachers and other
community members before adopting an LCAP. The law – Education Code
52060 (c) – further says that the district “may adopt revisions to” an
LCAP during the year, but only if it follows the same process of
involving the public and adopts the revisions at a public meeting.<br />
<br />
Affeldt said that approving a $25.8 million pay increase in effect
changed the LCAP, creating new expenditures that will force the
elimination of other priorities.<br />
<br />
But it did so without a public process. Instead, the complaint said,
West Contra Costa Unified acted “without the transparency, engagement,
public hearing, and county approval process required to ensure equity
and accountability for LCFF funds.”<br />
<br />
Peter Birdsall, executive director of the California County
Superintendents Educational Services Association, which represents
county offices of education, said county offices and districts have
assumed that pay contracts passed after LCAP approval don’t require
mid-year revisions. Changes can be accounted for in the yearly LCAP
update in June, he said.<br />
<br />
But Affeldt said that would be too late for parents and the public to
have any impact on major changes in the LCAP and spending commitments
made without their knowledge.<br />
<br />
___________________<br />
<br />
●●smf’s 2¢: LAUSD delivered a major pay raise after its 15-16 LCAP was
submitted+approved. Not a lot of resistance was presented as those
contract negotiations took place over John Deasy's dead body ...and
labor+management+parents+staff were all too busy singing "Ding Dong,
The Witch is Dead" to question the LCAP legal niceties. <br />
<br />
Eyebrows were raised, even at LACOE, but that was extent of it.<br />
<br />
I seriously doubt if the line “Our district’s Local Control
Accountability Plan Parent Committee appropriately made recommendations,
many of which the Board incorporated into the approved LCAP plan" could
be delivered with a straight face under any circumstances in LAUSD,
prior-to-or-after the LCAP was approved.<br />
<br />
The LAUSD LCAP PAC are an Advisory Committee ...and they were advised.
LAUSD’S LCFF PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TREATED LIKE KINDERGARTNERS
...GIVEN MINUTES TO MAKE MILLION DOLLAR DECISION | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKgaaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1hlP0sz</a><br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead3"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Breaking/Friedrichs v. CTA: SUPREME COURT'S DEADLOCK
ON UNION FEES COULD BE THE FIRST OF MANY TIE VOTES …OK, the second
</span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<br />
David G. Savage | LA Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKgcaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1UrRuYO</a><br />
<br />
March 29, 2016 | 1:26 PM | Reporting from Washington :: A well-planned
legal assault on public unions collapsed Tuesday when the Supreme Court
deadlocked over a California woman’s lawsuit to strike down mandatory
fees, the strongest evidence yet that Justice Antonin Scalia’s death has
stymied the court’s conservative justices.<br />
<br />
The 4-4 split keeps in place a 1970s-era rule that authorizes unions to
require municipal employees, teachers, college instructors and transit
workers to pay a “fair share fee” to help cover the cost of collective
bargaining.<br />
<br />
The tie vote, widely expected after Scalia’s death, nevertheless came as
a relief to union officials who feared the conservative justices were
on the brink of striking down the pro-union law as a violation of free
speech.<br />
<br />
In another sign Tuesday that the high court continues to grapple with
the vacancy left by Scalia, justices asked for additional briefings in a
pending dispute over the Obama administration’s contraceptive mandate
under the Affordable Care Act.<br />
<br />
The request was widely seen as an attempt by the justices to find a
compromise in that case, which appeared evenly split during oral
arguments earlier this month.<br />
<br />
Tie votes could be a theme this year as justices vote on several major
disputes that divide along ideological lines, including abortion,
election districts and immigration.<br />
<br />
The White House said the court’s deadlock in the union case underscores
the need for the Senate to confirm his nominee, Merrick Garland, chief
judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit,
to replace Scalia. The Republican-controlled Senate is refusing to act
on Garland’s nomination, saying the next president should fill the seat.<br />
<br />
“With a Supreme Court that’s not fully staffed, it makes it more likely
that situations can arise across the country with different rulings in
different courts that aren’t resolved by the Supreme Court,” White House
Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters aboard Air Force One.<br />
<br />
Earlier this month, the court split, 4-4, in a narrow case involving
spousal liability and gender discrimination, the first such vote since
Scalia’s death.<br />
<br />
The deadlock in the union case leaves in place mandatory fees allowed by
law in California and 22 other mostly Democratic states. Such fees are
prohibited in “right to work” states across the South and in much of the
Midwest.<br />
<br />
Orange County teacher Rebecca Friedrichs and several others had sued to
overturn the mandatory fees, saying they objected being forced to
support the California Teachers Assn.<br />
<br />
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected her suit, citing the 1977
Supreme Court ruling in Abood vs. Detroit Board of Education, which had
authorized these fair share fees in the first place. That case held
that workers could be required to share in the cost of collective
bargaining, but they did not have pay for a union’s political
activities.<br />
<br />
Before Scalia’s death, the court’s five more conservative justices had
served notice that they were ready to overturn Abood and declare such
forced fees as unconstitutional. The same five justices who in the
Citizens United case struck down campaign spending limits on free-speech
grounds seemed to view the union fees as a similar 1st Amendment
violation.<br />
<br />
Instead Tuesday, the justices issued a one-line statement saying the 9th
Circuit’s ruling is “affirmed by an equally divided court.”<br />
<br />
Labor law scholars said unions would have been crippled if nonmembers
had no longer been required to pay anything to support the union. “It
would have been like a knife in the heart of the unions,” said Gary
Chaison, professor of industrial relations at Clark University in
Massachusetts.<br />
<br />
The National Education Assn. -- the nation's largest union with 3
million members -- hailed the outcome as a victory. Eric Heins,
president of the California teachers group, said “wealthy corporate
special interests” had brought the case to “make it harder for working
families and the middle class to come together, speak up and get ahead.
Now it’s time for senators to do their job and appoint a successor
justice to the highest court in our land.”<br />
<br />
Presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders agreed that the deadlock
“underscores the need to a confirm a Supreme Court nominee who will
protect the rights of American workers to collectively bargain for fair
wages and safe working conditions. The extreme right wing is just one
conservative Supreme Court justice away from dismantling the rights of
public sector unions to organize and collectively bargain on behalf of
all workers.”<br />
<br />
Conservatives said they saw no incentive to allow Obama to appoint
another left-leaning judge, which would give the court a liberal
majority for the first time in generations.<br />
<br />
Curt Levey, executive director of the FreedomWorks Foundation, said that
the Supreme Court would shift “dramatically to the left with the
appointment of Merrick Garland or any other liberal, [and] become a
rubber stamp not just for the wishes of powerful labor unions, but also
for virtually the entire progressive agenda.”<br />
<br />
Terry Pell, president of the Center for Individual Rights, which helped
launch Friedrichs’ lawsuit, said the group would try to raise the issue
again. “We believe this case is too significant to let a split decision
stand, and we will file a petition for rehearing with the Supreme
Court,” he said.<br />
<br />
A labor policy expert who supported Friedrichs said challengers should
now to look to state legislatures to strike down the fees.<br />
<br />
“With a divided court, thousands of public servants around the nation
must still financially assist a government union that they disagree
with,” said Trey Kovacs, a labor expert with the Competitive Enterprise
Institute. “Now it is up to state legislatures to provide public
employees with the freedom to choose whether or not to pay for union
representation.”<br />
<br />
In the Obamacare case, the justices said Tuesday that they wanted to
hear further arguments on whether insurance companies may directly
provide contraceptives to some women without the religious charities and
nonprofit organizations that employ them and object to birth control
playing any role.<br />
<br />
Last week, the justices sounded evenly divided in a clash between the
Obama administration and Roman Catholic archbishops over the
contraceptive coverage that is now a required part of all health
insurance plans under Obamacare.<br />
<br />
The administration had previously said that the Catholic charities and
other nonprofit religious groups need not pay for this coverage, but
that they must formally notify the government of their religious
objections so insurers can be ordered to provide the contraceptives.<br />
<br />
But some Catholic leaders objected nonetheless and argued that notifying
the government would trigger the coverage and make them “complicit in
sin,” because they view some forms of the contraceptives as abortion.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday, the justices asked lawyers on both sides to submit a new
brief on whether insurance companies could be required by law to provide
the contraceptive coverage on their own so that the church-based
employer “would not required to submit any separate notice.”<br />
<br />
The new briefs are due April 12. That suggests the justices still hope to decide the case this term.<br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead4"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
BAD BOY CHARTERS + smf’s 2¢: </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
From Politico Morning Ed, via email<br />
<br />
March 29, 2016 :: Sean Combs, the hip hop mogul (currently known as his
stage name Puff Daddy or Puffy, and formerly known as his stage name
Diddy and P. Diddy) , plans to open a charter school in New York City's
Harlem this fall. The school, Capital Preparatory Harlem Charter School,
will follow the model of Hartford, Conn.-based charter school Capital
Preparatory Magnet, and it will be overseen by that school's founder,
Steve Perry. (Dr. Steve Perry Founder & Head of Schools for Capital
Prep, hosted TVONE's Save My Son - MSNBC & CNN Education Contributor
– which makes him a Cable T.V. Education Pundit – not to be confused
with Steve Perry, lead singer of “Journey”) <br />
<br />
Combs, who was born in Harlem, said the school is a "dream come true." More: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKgfaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1PCOv7E</a><br />
<br />
• Teachers of the school's sixth and seventh graders will be called
illuminators, new Principal Danita Jones said. "Illuminators literally
... coparent," Jones said. It entails calling parents every two weeks
and setting aside time each day to check in on students'
social-emotional needs.<br />
<br />
• Diddy joins a long list of celebrities setting their sights on
education: Fellow entertainer Pitbull opened a charter school in Miami
in 2013 and has broken ground on another in Las Vegas, to open this
fall. Tennis sensation Andre Agassi opened a charter school, also in his
hometown of Las Vegas in 2009, and former NBA player Jalen Rose helped
open a charter high school in his hometown of Detroit in 2011. NBA
legend Magic Johnson and crooner Tony Bennett have also founded schools.<br />
<br />
• A big name doesn't guarantee success , however. NFL star Deion
Sanders' Texas charter school, Prime Prep Academy, closed last year,
weighed down by debt and lawsuits. Will and Jada Pinkett Smith opened a
private elementary school that closed in 2013 amid concerns the school
may have been affiliated with Scientology.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
●●smf’s 2¢: Charter school proponents say there is no way to make
beaucoups of money in the charter schools biz ; one needn’t look much
further than Andre Agassi to puncture that myth.[ANDRE AGASSI’S PIVOT TO
EDUCATION CAPITALIST | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKggaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1zVYxPz]</a>
Charter schools need services – and if you are in the position to
provide those services – whether real estate, meals, access to credit or
selling t-shirts, backpacks, textbooks or off-the-shelf curriculum –
you can write your own ticket. Hip Hop music moguls are not about
losing+or managing money; they are about accumulating Bling! <br />
When privatizing public education is about Bling and egos we are in big trouble.<br />
<br />
But I think we knew that already.</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead5"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
N HOLLYWOOD’S BACKYARD, A PUSH TO RECTIFY ARTS INEQUITIES </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<br />
By Christine Armario | Associated Press /from the Washington Post | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKgiaaaaaac/">http://wapo.st/1RJ6EC6</a><br />
<br />
March 29 at 11:34 AM :: LOS ANGELES — Miles from the Hollywood Walk of
Fame and the red carpet, Steve Shin belts out tunes on a piano scarred
with nicks and love notes written in scratches, teaching children how to
sing.<br />
<br />
In scores of other middle schools, his students might have already
learned how to read the notes on a scale. But years of cuts have
stripped arts classes from much of the Los Angeles district, leaving
many children in the world’s entertainment capital with no instruction
in music, visual arts, dance or theater.<br />
<br />
When Shin arrived for the first day of class, he quickly realized many
of his students were starting from zero. “A lot of them didn’t even know
they were going to be in a music class,” he said.<br />
<br />
Now the nation’s second-largest school district is trying to enlist
Hollywood studios to “adopt” schools and provide students with
equipment, mentorships and training as a way to reverse the layoffs that
have decimated the curriculum.<br />
<br />
The financial picture is slowly changing. The arts budget has grown to
$26.5 million, about 40 percent higher than five years ago, but still a
fraction of the $76.8 million sum that was once available for the arts.
For the next school year, it will increase to $32.3 million.<br />
<br />
In 2014, the district hired former TV writer and producer Rory Pullens
as its executive director for arts education. He has since hired an arts
teacher at every school.<br />
<br />
Pullens is convinced his work in a district that has 90 percent minority
students will one day help diversify Hollywood — a widely discussed
goal after the criticism of this year’s all-white list of Academy Award
acting nominees. He has already met with Paramount, Universal and dozens
of other industry leaders to solicit help.<br />
<br />
“It is well within all of our powers, if we work together, to remedy
that by really addressing the deep-rooted symptoms and not just trying
to put in a couple remedies on the surface,” Pullens said.<br />
<br />
The renewed push for arts education in LA comes as new federal education
policies stir hope that schools will begin shifting more time and money
toward classes such as dance and drama. In recent years, districts have
focused on areas emphasized by the No Child Left Behind law, the 2001
law that required schools to meet annual targets for math and reading
proficiency or face intervention.<br />
<br />
“We do see the pendulum swinging away from the stark focus on discipline
and standardized testing toward a more well-rounded definition of what
education should be,” said Scott Jones, senior associate for research
and policy at the Arts Education Partnership.<br />
<br />
Forty-four states require high schools to offer arts classes. Forty-five
states make the same requirement for elementary and middle schools. But
at many schools, policy doesn’t necessarily match up with course
offerings.<br />
<br />
The new federal law instructs schools to offer a balanced education that
includes music and other arts. In Los Angeles, school leaders are
hoping a revised funding formula and industry engagement will rectify
longstanding inequities in arts education.<br />
<br />
When Pullens arrived, one of his first initiatives was to survey every school to find out what arts programs they had.<br />
<br />
In a presentation last spring at a Hollywood middle school with an aging
auditorium, Pullens outlined the bleak findings: About 45 schools had
no arts teachers and most had no alignment between elementary, middle
and high school course offerings. He called on Hollywood executives to
pitch in and hired Alyson Reed, a dancer and actress whose credits
include playing Ms. Darbus in “High School Musical,” to begin reaching
out to industry contacts and coordinating donations.<br />
<br />
Film and music studios have chipped in to help Los Angeles schools
before, but their contributions tended to focus on the schools directly
in their backyard: Warner Bros. has provided funding to improve
auditoriums at Burbank schools. Sony Entertainment Pictures has run
career workshops at Culver City schools.<br />
<br />
But the schools with the biggest needs are in less affluent neighborhoods.<br />
<br />
Some studio leaders said getting involved with Los Angeles schools was
difficult and bureaucratic. Others were simply unaware of the depth of
the district’s problems, Reed said.<br />
<br />
Kelly Koskella, president of Hollywood Rentals, which will be donating
studio equipment ranging from lights to fog machines, said he was
stunned to learn many Los Angeles Unified schools lack even the kind of
gear used in public schools in the mid-1970s.<br />
<br />
“It seemed very strange hearing that our schools here didn’t have the
type of equipment that we were using 20 and 30 years ago,” Koskella
said.<br />
<br />
To date, the Los Angeles district has confirmed partnerships with
Nickelodeon, Sunset Bronson Studios and Sunset Gower Studios. Reed said
she and Pullens have also had encouraging meetings with many others,
including Disney, Sony and CBS and hopes more will be announced soon.<br />
<br />
Most of the donations have not reached students yet. Reed said the
district is still assessing how the equipment will be dispersed.<br />
<br />
In Shin’s class, students get by with the bare minimum: an overhead
projector displaying lyrics across the screen, two microphones and two
standing lights placed in front of the class to make a stage-like
performance space.<br />
<br />
In a deep voice, Shin calls on students as if they’re performing in a
real concert in front of their peers. On a recent afternoon, they sang
everything from Mexican ballads known as corridos to angst-ridden songs
by Adele.<br />
<br />
Terry Quintero, 12, had never been in a music class before and now
dreams of becoming a professional singer like one of her idols, Adele.
When she’s singing, Terry said, she leaves everything that’s troubling
her behind.<br />
<br />
“What matters right now,” she said, “is this class.”<br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> LAUSD SIMPLIFIES ITS APPLICATION PROCESS TO BOOST ENROLLMENT | 89.3 KPCC <br />http://bit.ly/1pVNMcC</span><br />
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
SAY GOODBYE TO EIGHTH GRADE ALGEBRA 1 AND HELLO TO
THE RISE OF COMMON CORE MATH (…OK, California Standards Math)<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKgOaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1ROnxS4</a><br />
<br />
IN HOLLYWOOD’S BACKYARD, A PUSH TO RECTIFY ARTS INEQUITIES <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKgPaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1qg5IPS</a> <br />
<br />
Local Control Funding Formula: COMPLAINT SAYS DISTRICT MUST REVISE LCAP IN PASSING BIG PAY RAISE + smf's 2¢<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKgQaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1V2AkQ8</a> <br />
<br />
BAD BOY CHARTERS: Puff Daddy Prep <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKgRaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1okx85r</a> <br />
<br />
Breaking/Friedrichs v. CTA: SUPREME COURT'S DEADLOCK ON UNION FEES COULD BE THE 1st OF MANY TIE VOTES …OK, the 2nd.<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKgSaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1UThyfa</a> <br />
<br />
US SCHOOLS STILL GRAPPLE WITH LEAD IN WATER + MORE plus CALIFORNIA NOT USING BLOOD-TEST DATA IN EXIDE LEAD CLEANUP<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKgTaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1PxegWX</a><br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND EDUCATIONAL EQUITY COMMITTEE MEETING – Tuesday/ April 5, 2016 - 10:00 a.m.<br />
<br />
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND PARENT ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE - Rescheduled to April 19, 2016 - 2:00 p.m.<br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKfIaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKfJaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br />
<br />
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<td align="LEFT"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKfKaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKfLaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKfMaaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKfNaaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br />
<br />
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<td align="LEFT"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maatcBoacqKfOaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
</tr>
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<br />
<br />
<br /></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
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<td align="LEFT"><span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-36300659349999873082016-03-27T00:00:00.000-07:002016-03-27T00:00:12.221-07:00Putting a cicle around it<br />
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<td align="CENTER"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: bold 18px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
4LAKids: Sunday 27•March•2016
</span>
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In This Issue:
</span>
<br />
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">GRANADA
HILLS CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL WINS STATE ACADEMIC DECATHLON: FRANKLIN IS
2nd, MARSHALL 3rd, FOLLOWED BY EL CAMINO & SOUTH PASADENA</span></td>
</tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> REPORT FINDS MASSIVE UNDER-INVESTMENT IN NATION’S SCHOOL BUILDINGS</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">LEGISLATIVE ANALYST PROPOSES FULL-DAY PRESCHOOL FOR ALL LOW-INCOME WORKING FAMILIES IN CALIFORNIA</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">LAUSD’S MENTAL HEALTH DIRECTOR DESCRIBES CHILD TRAUMA AS A SILENT EPIDEMIC</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but
not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other Sources</span></td>
</tr>
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<tr valign="TOP">
<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
</tr>
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</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Featured Links:
</span>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwVpaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">► Friends4smf :: The GoFundMe campaign</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwVqaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Follow 4 LAKids on Twitter - or get instant updates via text message by texting</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwVraaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved!</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwVsaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKidsNews:
a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
</tr>
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<td align="LEFT" width="322"><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
I am, admittedly+chronologically: a baby boomer. <br />
<br />
A child of the sixties; maybe even an unrepentant/unreconstructed
hippie. I confess that my generation has-been-and-continues-to-be guilty
of being self-absorbed, too loud/too much/too many/all-at-once. A
recent bout of chemotherapy caused me to lose almost all my hair; now
that it’s growing back I may never cut it again!<br />
</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Gimme head with hair</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Long beautiful hair</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Shining, gleaming</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Streaming, flaxen, waxen</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Give me down to there hair</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Shoulder length or longer</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Here baby, there mama</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Everywhere daddy daddy</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Flow it, show it</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Long as God can grow it</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
My hair</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<br />
<br />
Yes, boomers gave the world The Beatles and The Stones and Bob Dylan and
paisley shirts and drugs. “Oh, Wow!”and the beads. Apparently we
discovered and popularized sex. Eventually we gave the world the ‘90’s
and Bill and Hillary and George W. Bush. Donald Trump is a boomer.<br />
<i><br />
You’re welcome+we’re sorry.</i><br />
<br />
I am a peace creep. I opposed the Vietnam War and campaigned for Eugene
McCarthy. I wept when JFK and Bobby and Martin were killed – and when
four died in Ohio when the National Guard shot up Kent State. Neil Young
said we were on our own – but we were never alone. There are just too
freakin’ many of us.<br />
<br />
The Peace Sign means something to me, something beyond the symbolic
metaphor. The symbol is a combination of the semaphore signals for the
letters "N" and "D," standing for "nuclear disarmament”, created by
British artist Gerald Holtom in 1958. In semaphore the letter "N" is
formed by a person holding two flags in an inverted "V," and the letter
"D" is formed by holding one flag pointed straight up and the other
pointed straight down. Superimposing these two signs forms the shape of
the center of the peace symbol. <br />
<br />
Exploring the metaphor further, Holtom cites “The Third of May 1808” [<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwVNaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1UdZRqD]</a> by Francisco Goya, as inspiration for the peace sign.<br />
<br />
“I was in despair. Deep despair. I drew myself: the representative of an
individual in despair, with hands palm outstretched outwards and
downwards in the manner of Goya's peasant before the firing squad. I
formalized the drawing into a line and put a circle round it.”<br />
<br />
<br />
A handwritten note on a makeshift memorial in Brussels this week: <i><b>“In
the end, when you see what can be done in the name of God, it makes you
wonder what is left for the devil.”</b></i><br />
<br />
<br />
Which brings us to the Bosnian War Crimes Tribunal; set this week in a
bizarre European/accelerated 24-Hour-News-Cycle counterpoint to the
madness in Brussels. <br />
<br />
Radovan Karadzic (a boomer, a psychiatrist and a poet. …and a madman for
our time) was convicted of one count of Genocide, five counts of Crimes
Against Humanity, and four counts of Violations of the Laws or Customs
of War.<br />
<br />
I’m sorry, I am not such a peace creep as to not believe in spontaneous
retaliation or a right of self-defense. And deep in my amygdala I think
someone ought to punch Donald Trump (who called Brussels a “hell hole”
this week) in the nose. But aren’t Crimes Against Humanity and
Violations of the Laws or Customs of War mutually exclusive? Doesn’t one
preclude the existence (or confirm the illogic) of the other?<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<i><b>All I am saying</b></i></span><i><b><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<i><b>Is give peace a chance.</b></i></span></b></i><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
<br />
<br />
Whether your Easter is about the Redeemer Risen or chocolate bunnies and colored eggs: Happy Easter! <br />
<br />
Peace+Love+Rock ‘n Roll.<br />
<br />
<i>¡Onward/Adelante! – smf</i></span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
GRANADA HILLS CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL WINS STATE ACADEMIC
DECATHLON: FRANKLIN IS 2nd, MARSHALL 3rd, FOLLOWED BY EL CAMINO &
SOUTH PASADENA </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
By Brenda Gazzar, Los Angeles Daily News | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwVPaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1pFxZPG</a><br />
<br />
3/20/16, 12:47 PM PDT | SACRAMENTO :: Granada Hills Charter High
School won this weekend’s California Academic Decathlon in Sacramento
and the ability to compete in the prestigious national competition next
month in Alaska.<br />
<br />
It’s the San Fernando Valley school’s fifth state championship since
2011, and it will be vying for just as many national titles when it
competes at the 34th annual United States Academic Decathlon Competition
April 28-30 in Anchorage.<br />
<br />
Granada Hills Charter’s score is “the highest team score ever in the
history of Academic Decathlon,” including the nationals, said Cliff Ker,
coordinator for Academic Decathlon at Los Angeles Unified School
District, by phone Sunday. “There was a huge gasp in the audience when
they announced their score.”<br />
<br />
The nine-member team beat out 68 other schools by scoring 61,149.6
points out of a possible 65,400, followed by two other LAUSD schools —
Franklin High School in Highland Park, which earned 59,133.3 points and
John Marshall High School in Los Feliz, which earned 59,109.15,
according to California Academic Decathlon.<br />
<br />
“We went into the competition feeling prepared but we also knew that our
competing schools were just as prepared,” said Granada Hills Charter
senior Joshua Lin. “We went into the awards ceremony very nervous, not
sure what the outcome would be.”<br />
<br />
Lin earned the highest score of any student in the competition — 9,600 points out of a possible 10,000 points.<br />
<br />
Granada Hills Charter, which won the national title last year in Garden
Grove, is well aware of its competition and believes that Highland Park
High School in Texas will be the team to beat in Alaska, said Mathew
Arnold, a Granada Hills Charter team coach. Only one school from
California is allowed to compete in the national competition that’s held
in a different state each year.<br />
<br />
“The way they work for each other is one of the main reasons they’ve
been as successful as they have,” Arnold said by phone. In addition,
“they’re fortunate to be at a school where the support for the team is
really strong.”<br />
<br />
LAUSD’s El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills, which won
the national championship in 2014, came in fourth place this year with
59,104.5 points while South Pasadena High came in fifth with 56,845.7.<br />
<br />
As second place winner, Franklin High School will now compete against
other large schools in the national online competition in April. West
Covina Unified School District’s Edgewood High School, which earned the
medium school title, and Fresno Unified School District’s University
High School, which earned the small school title, will also compete
against similar-sized schools in the online competition.<br />
<br />
Granada Hills Charter and Marshall High School both earned the highest
possible score in this year’s fast-paced Super Quiz relay involving
multiple choice questions on a variety of subjects. El Camino Real
Charter and Bell High School tied for second, while Edgewood High School
from LA County finished third in the relay before an audience that
resembles a game show format.<br />
<br />
Each nine-person team must include three honor students (3.75 and above
GPA), three scholastic students (3.00-3.74 GPA) and three varsity
students (2.99 GPA and below.)<br />
<br />
Members of the winning Granada Hills Charter team are Aishah Mahmud,
Joshua Lin, Melissa Santos, (Honor); Isha Gupta, Jorge Zepeda, Mark
Aguila, (Scholastic); and Mayeena Ulkarim, Christopher Lo, Julian Duran
(Varsity). In addition to Arnold, Jon Sturtevant and Rachael Phipps are
coaching the team’s students this year.<br />
<br />
For Zepeda, who is competing for a second consecutive year, being on the
Academic Decathlon team has helped him to be more organized, focused
and goal oriented, he said.<br />
<br />
“It’s also helped me to be a better person, to learn to take
responsibility, to know what it means to be a leader and to help your
teammates,” said Zepeda, who said he looking forward to a well-deserved
spring break this week.<br />
<br />
Another San Fernando Valley school, Burbank High School, earned the top
score among Division II teams. Division I teams include the top 20
highest scoring teams, while Division II includes the next top 20 teams,
according to the California Academic Decathlon.</span> <br />
<br />
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<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
REPORT FINDS MASSIVE UNDER-INVESTMENT IN NATION’S SCHOOL BUILDINGS </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
By Emma Brown, Washington Post | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwV0aaaaaac/">http://wapo.st/1pIoEH1</a><br />
<br />
March 23 at 3:00 AM :: The nation is spending $46 billion less each
year on school construction and maintenance than is necessary to ensure
safe and healthy facilities, according to estimates in a new report.<br />
<br />
The study, released by a group that advocates for environmentally-sound
buildings, is meant to draw attention to the condition of buildings that
on weekdays house some 56 million students and teachers — more than
one-sixth of the U.S. population — but that nevertheless attract little
attention in the national debate over education policy and reform.<br />
<br />
“We are consistently and persistently underinvesting in our nation’s
schools,” said Rachel Gutter of the D.C.-based Center for Green Schools
at the U.S. Green Building Council, which co-authored the report.
“Communities want to resolve these issues, but in many cases the funds
simply aren’t there.”<br />
<br />
Detroit has made headlines this year for crumbling schools plagued by
rats, roaches and mold. But while conditions in the Motor City are
particularly deplorable, the average U.S. school is more than 40 years
old, and thousands of school buildings nationwide are in need of
upgrades, according to the federal government.<br />
<br />
Poor communities in far-flung rural places and declining industrial city
centers tend to be in a particularly bad situation: School construction
budgets rely even more heavily on local dollars than operating budgets.
And in many places spending has not recovered from cuts made during the
recession, leaving school districts struggling to patch problems.<br />
<br />
In Philadelphia, which has suffered deep budget cuts in recent years, an
elementary school was forced to delay its opening last fall after a
worker discovered that the building’s foundation was structurally
unsound. A boiler exploded at another of the city’s elementary schools
in January, seriously injuring an employee.<br />
<br />
“These things are happening because too many public officials have
turned a blind eye to what’s really going on in schools across
Pennsylvania,” Pennsylvania Sen. Vincent Hughes (D) said in a statement,
calling on the state legislature to increase its investment in public
education. “This is a fool’s errand.”<br />
<br />
The federal government contributes about 10 percent to operating budgets
but virtually nothing to school construction or renovation. Some
states, such as Wyoming and New Mexico, have strong statewide programs
for school construction, but a dozen states offer no assistance, which
means the cost of school construction falls entirely on local taxpayers.<br />
<br />
Among the states that do not contribute to school construction is
Michigan, where Detroit has struggled so mightily to maintain healthy
and safe buildings. Others are Wisconsin, Indiana, Oregon and Nevada.<br />
<br />
“It’s entirely tied to the wealth of the district,” said Mary Filardo,
executive director of the 21st Century Schools Fund, a D.C.-based
nonprofit and report co-author. “It’s got inequity built into it.”<br />
<br />
Filardo said that there is a growing body of research that shows links
between the school environment and a child’s ability to learn, and yet
the condition of school buildings remains little-mentioned in
discussions about closing achievement gaps.<br />
<br />
She suggested that the federal government could help push for equitable
school facilities by providing funding for construction in high-poverty
schools, as it now does for teaching and learning through the Title I
program. But that would be politically difficult given the GOP-led
Congress and its push to shrink federal spending, she acknowledged.<br />
<br />
The last time the federal government attempted to survey the condition
of the nation’s school buildings was in 1995. At the time, more than 8
million students attended 15,000 schools with poor air quality; 12
million students attended 21,000 schools in need of new roofs or roof
upgrades; 12 millions students attended 23,000 schools with inadequate
plumbing.<br />
<br />
[Read the 1995 GAO report on the condition of schools | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwV1aaaaaac/">http://www.gao.gov/assets/230/220864.pdf]</a><br />
<br />
And the list goes on: The Government Accountability Office estimated
that it would cost about $112 billion to ensure that all schools were in
good condition.<br />
<br />
In the two decades since the GAO made that estimate, the nation has
spent an average of $99 billion a year on maintenance, operations and
construction, according to the new study.<br />
<br />
And that’s far less than the $145 billion that’s needed, according to
the study, which suggested a standard — a tweaked version of
commercial-building standards — that should be used to estimate the cost
of maintaining the nation’s school facilities.<br />
<br />
The report calls not only for greater public investment in school
facilities, but also for an effort to collect and share more information
about the condition of school buildings — which account for the
second-highest level of public infrastructure spending, after highways.<br />
<br />
There is no comprehensive federal data source on school buildings, and
the quality and amount of information varies widely at the state level.
The inconsistency and scarcity of data on schools has contributed to
their neglect, Gutter said: “This is a problem that we’ve just made it
so easy for ourselves to ignore.”<br />
<br />
<br />
ALSO SEE: Investment in Nation's School Buildings Falls Woefully Short, Report Finds - District Dossier - Education Week <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwV2aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1LHdpZ9</a><br />
</span> <br />
<br />
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<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
LEGISLATIVE ANALYST PROPOSES FULL-DAY PRESCHOOL FOR
ALL LOW-INCOME WORKING FAMILIES IN CALIFORNIA </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
By Jeremy Hay | EdSource Today |<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwV6aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/22Iv0nD</a><br />
<br />
March 22, 2016 :: The state should require all its preschool and
transitional kindergarten providers to offer, at a minimum, part-day
programs to all low-income families, with full-day programs available
for all low-income families with working parents, the state Legislative
Analyst’s Office is advising.<br />
<br />
The recommendations, contained in a review of Gov. Jerry Brown’s
proposed childcare and preschool budget for 2016-17, would cover 270,000
4-year-old children through both part- and full-day publicly funded
programs. That would be nearly 50,000 more than the combined number of
children now in the California State Preschool Program, which serves
low-income and at risk-children, and transitional kindergarten programs,
which provide an extra year of public school for 4-year-olds with fall
birthdays.<br />
<br />
The recommendation inserts the highly regarded Legislative Analyst’s
Office, or LAO, into the robust policy conversation about the importance
of early education and how the state should support it. It also raises
the less charted question of how much additional value full-day
preschool adds compared to part-day, and how many hours constitute an
effective full day.<br />
<br />
At a glance, said Alisha Roe of Oakland, the change sounds welcome.<br />
<br />
“I’m a grandmother raising her grandbaby, and I’m working part-time.
This is a great facility and with full-time I would love to go back to
school. It would give me the opportunity to become more
self-sufficient,” Roe said, as she collected her grandson from the
Community Child Care Council of Alameda’s Child Development Center.<br />
<br />
But early education advocates have not warmed to the LAO recommendation,
saying it could be impractical for working parents if it is not
year-round, and sidesteps the question of additional funding for early
education. Still, policy experts said the recommendation will carry
weight.<br />
<br />
“People pay attention to (the LAO) because it’s going to be part of the
discussion when the governor and the Legislature get together to try and
reach consensus,” said Mark Baldassare, president of the nonprofit
Public Policy Institute of California. Along with the state Department
of Finance, “it’s widely understood that these are among the state’s
most influential and expert analysts of the budget,” he said.<br />
<br />
Early education administrators said that when it comes to learning
activities, there are benefits to full-day programs, though they don’t
clearly outweigh part-day programs.<br />
<br />
“When you look at the part-day program, they’re missing some components;
with the full-day, the teachers definitely can build in some more, but
not head and shoulders above,” said Cynthia Young, director of the Long
Beach Unified School District Child Development Centers. <br />
<br />
The LAO’s recommendation doesn’t differentiate between preschool and
transitional kindergarten, defining preschool as anything prior to
kindergarten, although it confines its plan to 4-year-olds. It also
doesn’t specify whether a full day means the length of a school day or
longer, nor whether it would be a full-year program or one aligned to
the 180-day school year.<br />
<br />
“Local providers would have broad discretion to operate for the number
of hours they saw fit,” said Virginia Early, an LAO fiscal and policy
analyst who focuses on early education. If the local preschool provider
were a school district, for example, it would make sense that the length
of the day and year correspond to the 180-day school schedule, she
said.<br />
<br />
There are 138,400 4-year-olds in the state’s preschool program now,
according to the LAO. Another 83,000 are in transitional kindergarten
programs. The latest figures available from the state Department of
Education show that in the 2014-15 school year, 39,381 4-year-olds were
in full-day preschool. <br />
<br />
The LAO’s proposed program, which would be funded through a $1.6 billion
block grant that Brown is proposing, includes an illustration of one
possible funding arrangement, based on a 180-day schedule in which
providers would be paid $7,800 per child.<br />
<br />
“I think that families do want and would benefit from having full-day
preschool programs, because of parents having to work and have their
children in a safe learning environment,” said Marco Chavez, community
relations administrator at the San Mateo County Office of Education.<br />
<br />
That has disturbed early education advocates because it seemingly
departs from the goal spelled out, though not mandated, in the 2014-15
state budget of providing year-long, full-day preschool to all
low-income 4-year-olds. That objective came to be called the “preschool
promise.”<br />
<br />
“That goal was an achievement, and I believe that this (LAO) proposal
represents a step backwards from that because it is not addressing the
full needs of working families” by covering the length of a work day,
said Erin Gabel, deputy director of First 5 California.<br />
<br />
Advocates’ hopes were dashed last year when Brown vetoed a bill that
would have given the preschool commitment more substance by setting a
timetable for the state to fulfill it.<br />
<br />
Others say the LAO’s proposal is as problematic as the governor’s
childcare and preschool budget proposal, which adds no new early
education funding for childcare and preschool programs for children
under the age of 5. Instead, it would consolidate into a single $1.6
billion block grant the funding for the state’s preschool, transitional
kindergarten and quality rating programs, and lift the requirement that
school districts offer transitional kindergarten.<br />
<br />
“We don’t want to get in this game of ‘Let’s move things around with the
same $1.6 billion,’” said Giannina Perez, senior director of early
childhood policy at Children Now. “There’s a lot of moving parts and we
want funding to be part of that conversation, too, especially in a year
when there are resources available.”<br />
<br />
The LAO’s proposal itself, in that it opens the door to preschool
programs tied to the length of a school year, Perez said, falls short.<br />
<br />
“One hundred and eighty days, for many folks, isn’t going to cut it,” she said.<br />
<br />
The LAO says a “reasonable cut off” for family income eligibility for
the program would be 185 percent of the federal poverty level – or
$44,955 for a family of four. The LAO is recommending that children who
are at risk of abuse and neglect, who have disabilities, or are homeless
also be eligible.<br />
<br />
“Everybody who fits these criteria can access those programs, they don’t
go on a waiting list, and they can access it for a full day,” Early
said. Non-working families would have access to the full-day programs,
but the state wouldn’t pay for them, Early said.<br />
<br />
Research has concluded that quality early education programs, including
transitional kindergarten, provide significant benefits, especially for
low-income children. But fewer studies have looked at the effects of
full-day versus part-day preschool. More are being done, though, and
most have found that full-day programs offer greater value.<br />
<br />
“We found better learning gains for kids,” said Steven Barnett, director
of the National Institute for Early Education Research, a Rutgers
University-based organization that focuses on early childhood education.
But that improvement depends on several factors, he said. Key among
them, he said, is what is done during the extra time students are
spending in full-day programs. <br />
<br />
“The implications are, if you’re going to tell people to do this you
have to provide support so that teachers can effectively change what
they do rather than just figure it out on their own,” he said.<br />
<br />
Also, Barnett said, there is the question of what children are doing
during the time they spend outside preschool. That factor is among those
that have led to conclusions that preschool, especially full-day
programs, is particularly valuable for low-income children, who
generally have fewer structured early learning options.<br />
<br />
And full-day programs do attract a number of families who without it
would not participate in any preschool at all, Barnett said.<br />
<br />
“I think that families do want and would benefit from having full-day
preschool programs, because of parents having to work and have their
children in a safe learning environment,” said Marco Chavez, community
relations administrator at the San Mateo County Office of Education. The
county has 926 children in full-day programs and 1,150 in part-day in
California State Preschools, he said.<br />
<br />
Alejandro Nicolas of Petaluma said having access to full-day care would help his family financially.<br />
<br />
“I already work eight hours a day, but then my wife could work. She
can’t now because she has to take care of my daughter. It would help us a
lot,” he said, after dropping off his daughter at the Willow Creek
State Preschool in Santa Rosa on his day off.<br />
<br />
The LAO’s proposal leaves questions about preschool curriculum and other
quality-related factors aside, but does call for providers to share
with the public key information about their programs, such as curriculum
and family engagement and child development activities.<br />
<br />
Early said the LAO proposal was not a comment on the relative value of full-day versus part-day preschool.<br />
<br />
“We made the recommendation primarily because we were concerned that
without it, families would not come into the program,” she said.</span> <br />
<br />
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<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
LAUSD’S MENTAL HEALTH DIRECTOR DESCRIBES CHILD TRAUMA AS A SILENT EPIDEMIC </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
By Jeremy Loudenback | Posted on L.A. School Report,
published in partnership with The Chronicle of Social Change. | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwWcaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/22J62o1</a><br />
<br />
March 24, 2016 9:52 am :: As director of the School Mental Health unit
at the Los Angeles Unified School District, Pia Escudero supervises
more than 300 psychiatric social workers, clinical psychologists and
other mental health professionals. She has also worked to create
trauma-informed systems and therapeutic approaches in schools. Escudero
was part of a team that helped developed the Cognitive Behavioral
Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) program, an intervention
aimed at reducing the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
and behavioral problems. The School Mental Health team has successfully
deployed CBITS in several schools, but the need for more trauma-informed
resources is high at LAUSD, where the student population numbers more
than 650,000.<br />
<br />
Over the past two years, Escudero and her team have introduced a
universal prevention curriculum in partnership with the Nathanson Family
Resilience Center at the University of California Los Angeles.
Originally designed for children in military schools facing family
disruption issues as a result of deployment, the Families Over Coming
Under Stress School-Based Skill Building Groups (FOCUS-SBG, or FOCUS) is
designed to complement CBITS and the school district’s other
trauma-related resources. Last week, she presented on her work with
FOCUS at Echo Parenting and Education’s conference on creating
trauma-informed schools.<br />
<br />
THE CHRONICLE OF SOCIAL CHANGE: You’ve described child trauma as a
“silent epidemic.” Why is this the case and how did you come to see it
this way?<br />
<br />
PIA ESCUDERO: Silent epidemic seemed like a compelling and accurate way
to describe it. Consistently every time we’ve screened for trauma
throughout the years at LAUSD, the rates are extremely high. When we
first started doing targeted screening of sixth and ninth graders in
2000, our RAND partners would tell us to do it again. ‘The rates are
really high.’ But we know that traumatic events are common here, and
today, when we’ve screened, about 98 percent of our children have had at
least one traumatic event. The average is between six and eight events.
Trauma is common in our children’s lives, but multiple traumas are also
very common.<br />
<br />
With our partnership with the Nathanson Family Resilience Center over
the past two years, we’ve adapted the curriculum they developed for
students in military schools dealing with the issue of deployment and
family disruption, but for our schools in an urban setting in Los
Angeles. With the FOCUS pre-test, there are resiliency questions and
skills, but also four trauma-related questions: if they answer two or
more, they’ve been exposed to a traumatic event and they could be in the
range of needing clinical support or further intervention. What we’ve
found is that in the fifth-grade classrooms this past year, 73 percent
of children score within a clinical range of PTSD.<br />
<br />
An epidemic occurs when the rate of disease substantially exceeds what
is expected. In the general population, rates of PTSD average 7 to 12
percent and a little higher for military. Across LAUSD, trauma
screenings have identified over 50 percent of students reporting
moderate to severe traumatic stress symptoms. So if the common rates are
7 to 12 percent, this is something that’s really masked and been under
the radar in our classrooms.<br />
<br />
THE CHRONICLE OF SOCIAL CHANGE: So how should school districts be
approaching child trauma/adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and what
can they do to deal with students’ mental health needs that arise
through the screening process?<br />
<br />
PIA ESCUDERO: As we’ve been doing this work more and more, we’re very
careful about screening because when you screen there’s a huge ethical
commitment to treat because you will find something. You can’t just
screen and walk away and not treat the matter. We only screen when we
are going to have a therapeutic approach to align with that approach.<br />
<br />
With FOCUS, the encouraging news is that once children get this
curriculum children who have core treatments like problem solving and
relaxation techniques, they dramatically improved. The concept of doing
curriculum-based teaching in the classroom early on and in middle school
is something that’s brand new for us. Based on the high numbers of
children who have been exposed to trauma, we now know there has to be a
universal approach and it has to be something that really is available
to all children, not just a select few. It really calls for a systems
lens.<br />
<br />
THE CHRONICLE OF SOCIAL CHANGE: How important is the process of trauma screening as it relates to trauma-informed schools?<br />
<br />
PIA ESCUDERO: It’s critical. I think the way our educational system is
set up is to really support the teacher, to be the best teacher possible
with the best instructional materials or technology. If we focus
entirely on that, and there’s trauma in the classroom and the teacher’s
not prepared to deal with that barrier or is not aware of the barrier,
it doesn’t matter how good of a teacher she or he is or what type of
instructional material they have. This really addresses the need for
looking at attachment or regulation activities. That’s why we have a big
miss academically. Our children are coming with these high rates of
exposure to trauma and our teachers sign up to teach, and they’re not
able to do this effectively. And it leads to burnout.<br />
<br />
Untreated trauma is so costly to our society. These are the kids who
drop out of school, end up in then juvenile justice system, early death
and with very maladapted behaviors that cost us. But the fact that we
can see children bounce back, learn skills and get some support is
critical.<br />
<br />
THE CHRONICLE OF SOCIAL CHANGE: Why are schools a good place to address mental health challenges?<br />
<br />
PIA ESCUDERO: One of the reasons I’m so passionate about being in the
schools is that people feel that schools are extensions of the family
and they come. When we refer children out, we know that they’re very
unlikely to get that treatment. Our partners in RAND have done some work
of tracking services, and they’ve found that services rendered at
schools are much more likely to be completed and more effective versus
[seeking treatment outside the school]. Families in LA have long work
hours, plus getting on a bus or traveling somewhere else with the
transportation, and then we also lose a day of school.<br />
<br />
That’s why we set up our school wellness centers. It’s a new model. We
just launched them about a couple years ago. They’re attached to
schools, and students and their parents can get health and mental care,
and students don’t have to miss a day of school. We have 14 of these
new-model wellness centers, and seven of them are co-located with school
mental health staff. Our school mental health staff are trained on
individual trauma-focused therapy, but then if we have a school-based
social worker at the school, they’re doing all the macro work, student
campaigns, doing presentations in class, and surveying children in the
center. It’s really a public mental health model. Teachers and
administrators really appreciate it. These children come with such a
load of barriers. It’s not just being homeless or just child abuse.
They’re homeless, they’ve experienced trauma and they’re living in a
community with violence and they might have a parent who is
incarcerated. It’s usually
multiple issues facing their lives when they come into the
classroom.<br />
<br />
• Jeremy Loudenback is child trauma editor for The Chronicle of Social Change.<br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> </span><b>Getting the lead out:</b> SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE STILL GRAPPLE WITH
LEAD IN WATER, DIGGING FURTHER INTO A WATER PROBLEM + CA ISN'T USING BLOOD-TEST
DATA THAT COULD HELP FOCUS EXIDE LEAD CLEANUP EFFORTS </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
http://bit.ly/1PxegWX</div>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> </span>
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
"Chronic Underfunding": FEDERAL FUNDING FORMULA HURTS CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS, REPORT SAYS <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwXwaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/25oGRcI</a><br />
<br />
LAUSD’S MENTAL HEALTH DIRECTOR DESCRIBES CHILD TRAUMA AS A SILENT EPIDEMIC <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwXxaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1WMxuxz</a> <br />
<br />
Accomplishing change w/o changing anything: ESSA RULEMAKING: Day 3<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwXyaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1ZxqeHA</a> <br />
<br />
LAO PROPOSES FULL-DAY PRESCHOOL FOR ALL LOW-INCOME WORKING FAMILIES IN CALIFORNIA<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwXzaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1VK8b0T</a> <br />
<br />
DR. DEBRA DUARDO NAMED COUNTY SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwXAaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1RzEfop</a> <br />
<br />
REPORT FINDS MASSIVE UNDER-INVESTMENT IN NATION’S SCHOOL BUILDINGS <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwXBaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1RkUrXn</a> <br />
<br />
TEACHERS' PENSION FUNDS INVESTED IN PEARSON? <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwXCaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1XKGZO2</a> <br />
<br />
SUPERVISORS HIRING AN EX-DROPOUT TO LEAD L.A. COUNTY EDUCATION OFFICE <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwXDaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1RekFfh</a> <br />
<br />
A FOUR-LETTER WORD FOR CALIFORNIA EDUCATION <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwXEaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1RdM7IE</a> <br />
<br />
One year later: VACCINE DEBATE RETURNS TO CALIFORNIA CAPITOL | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwXFaaaaaac/">http://capradio.org</a> <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwXGaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/22soHYt</a> <br />
<br />
LA SCHOOL REPORT/THE 74 ATTACKS PROGRESSIVES ON CHARTER SCHOOLS & QUOTES THEMSELVES TWICE AS GUARDIANS OF TRUTHINESS<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwXHaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1T4gALQ</a> <br />
<br />
LA CITY COUNCIL BEHIND LAUSD EFFORT TO INCREASE AFTER-SCHOOL FUNDING <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwXIaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1XHPd9v</a> <br />
<br />
HOW TO HELP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS FEEL SAFE AFTER A STABBING ON CAMPUS <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwXJaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Mjpi7z</a> <br />
<br />
GRANADA HILLS WINS STATE ACADEMIC DECATHLON: FRANKLIN IS 2nd, MARSHALL 3rd, FOLLOWED BY EL CAMINO & SOUTH PASADENA <br />
<br />
CA CHARTER SCHOOLS PUSH FOR 1 MILLION STUDENTS BY 2022; BROAD PLAN CHANGES, "BUT THE ORIGINAL INTENT HASN'T CHANGED" <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwXKaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1WCNbY1</a><br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span><b>
</b><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"><b>LAUSD schools are Closed Monday. WHAT’S CLOSED, OPEN ON CESAR CHAVEZ DAY IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA, MARCH 28 AND 31</b><br />
By Holly Andres, Los Angeles Daily News | <a href="http://bit.ly/1ZBwUo1">http://bit.ly/1ZBwUo1</a><br />
Posted: 03/24/16, 4:02 PM PDT<br />
BANKS: Banks and financial markets are OPEN both days.<br />
GOVERNMENT:<br />
•City of Los Angeles offices, including libraries (www.lapl.org), are CLOSED on Monday March 28.<br />
•Los Angeles Superior Court is CLOSED on Thurs. March 31.<br />
•State offices, including the Department of Motor Vehicles (www.dmv.ca.gov), are CLOSED on Thurs. March 31.<br />
• Los Angeles County and federal offices are open both days.<br />
MAIL: The U.S. Postal Service delivers mail both days. www.usps.com<br />
SCHOOLS:<br />
• Los Angeles Unified School District schools are CLOSED on Monday March 28 (home.lausd.net).<br />
• Cal State Northridge, Mission, Pierce and Valley colleges are CLOSED on Thurs. March 31.<br />
TRANSIT: Buses and subway services in Los Angeles will run on a regular
schedule (www.metro.net) as will Metrolink trains
(www.metrolinktrains.com).<br />
TRASH: Pick up is on a regular schedule in Los Angeles
(www.lacitysan.org), Burbank (www.burbankca.gov) and Glendale
(www.glendaleca.gov) on both days.<br />
__________</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> </span>Tuesday, March 29, 2016 - 9:00 a.m.<br />
SPECIAL BOARD MEETING - INCLUDING CLOSED SESSION ITEMS<br />
<br />
Tuesday, March 29, 2016 - 1:00 p.m.<br />
SPECIAL BOARD MEETING <br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwVtaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwVuaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br />
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<td align="LEFT"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwVvaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwVwaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwVxaaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwVyaaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br />
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<td align="LEFT"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maataM8acqwVzaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<td align="LEFT"><span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-77357841350838617432016-03-20T11:30:00.000-07:002016-03-20T11:30:00.509-07:00Naming names as spring is sprung
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<span style="color: #e1127d; font: bold 18px Verdana, sans serif;">
4LAKids: Sunday 20•March•2016
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<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px Verdana, sans serif;">
In This Issue:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">UCLA STUDY FINDS MANY CHARTER SCHOOLS FEEDING</span></td>
</tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">WHY FINLAND HAS THE BEST SCHOOLS</span></td>
</tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">PRINCIPAL: WHAT HAPPENED WHEN MY SCHOOL ENDED USELESS HOMEWORK</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">LAUSD AND CHARTERS REACH AGREEMENT ON COURT-ORDERED MiSiS DATA SHARING</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but
not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other Sources</span></td>
</tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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Featured Links:
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqqZDaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKidsNews:
a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
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<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Today is the First Day of Spring. The equinox has already occurred - the earliest such since 1896.<br />
<br />
<i>Quite a week last week was.</i><br />
<br />
JOHN B. KING, JR. was confirmed as US Secretary of Ed 49-40. The
consensus is that however you felt about Arne Duncan, you will feel the
same about Secretary King …only more so. The US Dept. of Ed is fixated
on attendance right now – if the US Senate had better attendance 49
votes wouldn’t have been enough!<i><br />
[The LA Times, which takes money from the Broad Foundation and other
®eformers to fund education reporting …but doesn’t let it affect their
editorial output) has a lovely puff-piece on King in Sunday’s paper:</i> <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq5Kaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1TZ7KQD]</a><br />
<br />
LAUSD’s own Queen of Attendance, DR. DEBRA DUARDO – whose life story is a
Hallmark Hall of Fame plotline (From Drop-Out to Drop-Out Preventer | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq0uaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1LxrYhS)</a>
– is apparently the front-runner to be named LA County Superintendent
of Schools. LAUSD and the LA County Office of Education have always been
more-or-less at odds – two megalith bureaucracies in the same field of
play doing pretty much the same work …though LACOE is technically the
senior partner with fiscal oversight authority. Perhaps Dr. Duardo can
bring some interagency cooperation into the fold.<br />
<br />
Protesters rushed-in as students walked out when former LAUSD ISIC
Superintendent/Current Boston Public Schools Supe TOMMY CHANG announced
his proposed budget. If the rumors that John Deasy got him that job are
true I doubt if Tommy was all that thankful last week.<br />
<br />
Presidential candidate BERNIE SANDERS announced his distaste for
‘private charter schools’ – whatever that means. (All charters claim to
be public schools; the US Dept. of Commerce and the federal courts say
they are all private schools.) Presidential candidate JOHN KASICH
apparently has some scandalous charter schools back home in Ohio –
public-or-private.<br />
<br />
A UCLA study says charters are inordinately suspending Black and Special
Ed Students. Or maybe the applicable connecting verb is “were”; the
data are old. LAUSD and its charter schools have reached an agreement to
share more data – including student suspension – with the District and
the Independent Monitor via MiSiS. See the Bond Oversight Committee
meeting on March 31st to learn how much that will cost.<br />
<br />
LAUSD’s attorneys argue that the Parent Trigger Law – pulled at 20th St
Elementary School – is moot because the rewrite of ESEA/NCLB
(now+henceforth ESSA) ended the Annual Yearly Progress requirement the
Parent Trigger depends on.<br />
<br />
The Times Editorial page says California Needs to Reinstate the Parent
Trigger Law (which depends on standardized tests to evaluate schools)
…but on the Op-Ed page proclaims that Finland’s Schools Are Best.
Finland has no standardized testing.<br />
<br />
In other news a car ran into a school bus | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq0vaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1UHKIMZ.</a> School Boardmember MONICA RATLIFF announced she might run for LA City Council | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq0waaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1WyOyHi</a> Terrorists were terrifying and computers won at Go 80% of the time. More pictures from Pluto were released | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq0xaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1UrvSeA.</a> DR. LUCY JONES will no longer be our Earthquake Doctor | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq0yaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1nXZTof.</a><br />
<br />
None of these things portend the apocalypse.<i><br />
(I thought about inserting some glib line about PRESIDENT TRUMP here …but thought better of it.)</i><br />
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
UCLA STUDY FINDS MANY CHARTER SCHOOLS FEEDING </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<b>FIRST-EVER ANALYSIS OF DISCIPLINE DATA FROM EVERY
CHARTER SCHOOL SHOWS “SHOCKING” SUSPENSION RATES AND DISPARITIES, BUT
ALSO INDICATORS OF PROMISE</b><br />
• 374 charter schools suspended 25 percent of their enrolled student body at least once in the 2011-12 school year.<br />
• More than 500 charter schools suspended black charter students at a
rate that was at least 10 percentage points higher than the rate for
white charter students.<br />
• 1,093 charter schools suspended students with disabilities at a rate
that was 10 or more percentage points higher than for students without
disabilities.<br />
<br />
<br />
Press Release from The Civil Rights Project / Proyecto Derechos Civiles at UCLA| <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq1Maaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1SakoJi</a><br />
<br />
LOS ANGELES – March 16, 2016 – A first-ever analysis of school
discipline records for the nation’s more than 5,250 charter schools
shows a disturbing number are suspending big percentages of their black
students and students with disabilities at highly disproportionate rates
compared to white and non-disabled students.<br />
<br />
The new report, Charter Schools, Civil Rights and School Discipline: A
Comprehensive Review, reviews the out-of-school suspension rates for
every charter school during the 2011-12 academic year, the first time
since the growth in charters that all the nation’s charter schools were
required to report school discipline data to the federal government. All
told, 95,000 public schools of all types had to provide discipline
statistics for 2011-12. <br />
<br />
The comprehensive analysis by the Center for Civil Rights Remedies at
the UCLA Civil Rights Project identified 374 charter schools across the
country that had suspended 25% or more of their entire student body
during the course of the 2011-12 academic year. The comprehensive review
also revealed:<br />
<br />
Nearly half of all black secondary charter school students attended one
of the 270 charter schools that was hyper-segregated (80% black) and
where the aggregate black suspension rate was 25%. <br />
<br />
More than 500 charter schools suspended black charter students at a rate
that was at least 10 percentage points higher than that of white
charter students. <br />
<br />
Even more disconcerting, 1,093 charter schools suspended students with
disabilities at a rate that was 10 or more percentage points higher than
that of students without disabilities. <br />
<br />
Perhaps most alarming, 235 charter schools suspended more than 50% of
their enrolled students with disabilities.* (*This count includes
schools with at least 50 students enrolled and excludes alternative
schools, schools identified as part of the juvenile justice system,
virtual schools and schools that enrolled fewer than 10 students with
disabilities. Any school where rounding of the data or another error
produced a suspension rate of more than 100% for a subgroup also was
excluded.)<br />
<br />
“It’s disturbing to see so many of these schools still reporting such
high suspension rates because that indicates charter leaders continue to
pursue ‘broken windows,’ ‘no excuses’ and other forms of ‘zero
tolerance’ discipline,” said Daniel Losen, the Center’s director and the
study’s lead author. “And we know from decades of research that
frequently suspending children from school is counter-productive.”<br />
<br />
While it would seem self-evident that kids don’t learn if they’re not in
school, extensive research has demonstrated that frequently suspending
students for even minor infractions predicts lower academic achievement,
higher dropout rates and too many kids being pushed onto a pathway to
prison. Discipline data reported to the U.S. Department of Education by
non-charter schools also has consistently shown that students of color
and those with disabilities are suspended at much higher rates than
white students. <br />
<br />
As is the case with non-charter schools, the new study makes clear that
only a portion of the nation’s charter schools are enforcing harsh
discipline policies. “In fact,” the analysis concludes, “more elementary
charter schools met our definition of a ‘lower-suspending’ school than a
‘high-suspending’ school . . .” <br />
<br />
For each racial group, the charter analysis highlights the schools with
the highest rates and greatest disparities. It includes a companion
spreadsheet that enables users to find and rank the suspension rates of
charters in a particular state or across the nation.<br />
<br />
The report describes in great detail the wide variations in suspension
rates among charter schools as well as between charters and
non-charters. Although most of the differences with non-charters are not
large, especially disconcerting is that charter schools at every grade
configuration suspend students with disabilities at higher rates even
though they enroll a lower percentage of such students. <br />
<br />
The report is particularly timely as the federal Every Student Succeeds
Act (ESSA) calls upon states to take steps to improve learning
conditions, including preventing the overuse of suspension. States laws
that govern charter schools can exempt them from oversight. Therefore, a
core recommendation is that state policymakers do not exempt charter
schools when it comes to oversight or state laws designed to limit
excessive use of suspensions. <br />
<br />
In passing ESSA, Congress also gave each state more freedom to design
their own school and district accountability system. These
accountability plans must still be submitted by every state for review
by U.S. Education Secretary John King this coming fall. While a state
could choose to monitor suspension rates, it also could choose to do the
minimum about discipline, including exempt charter schools. A related
concern is that some of the highest suspending charters schools may be
overlooked simply because they have a reputation as “high-performing
schools.” <br />
<br />
“The high-suspending charters need not look very far to find much lower
suspending charter schools,” Losen added. “So these findings elevate the
need for oversight of charter schools and a continuing review for
possible civil rights violations. There should be no excuses for charter
schools that fail to comply with civil rights laws.” <br />
<br />
<br />
●●THE LAUSD CHARTER SCHOOL DIVISION RESPONDS: “LAUSD has really led in
this area and through oversight and charter schools efforts here, we
have seen significant progress. Here are a few data points:<br />
<br />
“According to data for the past three school years, independent charter
schools have consistently improved their collective rates of suspension
events, from 5.1% in 2012-13 to 3.8% in 2013-14 to 2.4% in 2014-15.
Over the same period, the single student suspension rate for independent
charter schools has also dropped, from 4.6% in 2012-13 to 3.01% in
2013-14 to 1.86% in 2014-15.<br />
<br />
“The number of instructional days lost as a result of suspension has
likewise dropped significantly, from 8,692 days of suspension in 2012-13
to 4,486 days in 2014-15, a reduction by more than 48% in three years.
In fact, the total number of suspensions and suspension days continue to
decrease despite the increase in the number of charter schools (e.g. 16
more charter schools in the 2014-15 school year).<br />
<br />
“Our team has also shared such with our leadership, board, and IM.”<br />
<br />
<br />
●●LAUSD CSD specifically addressing Students of Color and Students with Disabilities: “There's certainly ongoing work!<br />
<br />
“What I can share now is that our regular review of student
out-of-school suspension data includes a targeted review of suspension
rates for two student subgroups (African American and Student with
Disabilities) who have historically been suspended disproportionately.
The CSD strives to ensure that charter schools are not reaching
disproportional suspension rates of 15%+ for either student subgroup. <br />
<br />
“For independent charter schools, disproportionality rates for students
with disabilities and African American students continue to decline.
There was a 66% reduction in the number of schools with concerning SPED
disproportionality rates, from 19 schools in 2013-14 to only six (6)
schools in 2014-15. There was a 64% reduction in the number of schools
with high African American student disproportionality rates of
suspension events, from 14 schools in 2013-14 to five (5) schools in
2014-15.<br />
<br />
"Most recently, the 2015-16 midyear suspension analysis reveals only 1
school with a disproportionality concern for African American students,
and none for students with disabilities. Charter schools have
demonstrated a clear, targeted reduction in suspensions for these
subgroups in the last two years.<br />
<br />
“More work (is) to be done to track suspension rates broken out for other student groups in charter schools.”<br />
</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq1Naaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">The report and supporting documents can be found here</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead3"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
WHY FINLAND HAS THE BEST SCHOOLS </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Op-Ed in the LA Times by William Doyle | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq2Iaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1R3IR3W</a><br />
<br />
March 18, 2016 :: The Harvard education professor Howard Gardner once
advised Americans, “Learn from Finland, which has the most effective
schools and which does just about the opposite of what we are doing in
the United States.”<br />
<br />
Following his recommendation, I enrolled my 7-year-old son in a primary
school in Joensuu, Finland, which is about as far east as you can go in
the European Union before you hit the guard towers of the Russian
border.<br />
<br />
OK, I wasn't just blindly following Gardner — I had a position as a
lecturer at the University of Eastern Finland for a semester. But the
point is that, for five months, my wife, my son and I experienced a
stunningly stress-free, and stunningly good, school system. Finland has a
history of producing the highest global test scores in the Western
world, as well as a trophy case full of other recent No. 1 global
rankings, including most literate nation.<br />
<br />
In Finland, children don't receive formal academic training until the
age of 7. Until then, many are in day care and learn through play,
songs, games and conversation. Most children walk or bike to school,
even the youngest. School hours are short and homework is generally
light.<br />
<br />
Unlike in the United States, where many schools are slashing recess,
schoolchildren in Finland have a mandatory 15-minute outdoor free-play
break every hour of every day. Fresh air, nature and regular physical
activity breaks are considered engines of learning. According to one
Finnish maxim, “There is no bad weather. Only inadequate clothing.”<br />
<br />
One evening, I asked my son what he did for gym that day. “They sent us
into the woods with a map and compass and we had to find our way out,”
he said.<br />
<br />
Finland doesn't waste time or money on low-quality mass standardized
testing. Instead, children are assessed every day, through direct
observation, check-ins and quizzes by the highest-quality “personalized
learning device” ever created — flesh-and-blood teachers.<br />
<br />
In class, children are allowed to have fun, giggle and daydream from
time to time. Finns put into practice the cultural mantras I heard over
and over: “Let children be children,” “The work of a child is to play,”
and “Children learn best through play.”<br />
<br />
The emotional climate of the typical classroom is warm, safe, respectful
and highly supportive. There are no scripted lessons and no
quasi-martial requirements to walk in straight lines or sit up straight.
As one Chinese student-teacher studying in Finland marveled to me, “In
Chinese schools, you feel like you're in the military. Here, you feel
like you're part of a really nice family.” She is trying to figure out
how she can stay in Finland permanently.<br />
<br />
In the United States, teachers are routinely degraded by politicians,
and thousands of teacher slots are filled by temps with six or seven
weeks of summer training. In Finland teachers are the most trusted and
admired professionals next to doctors, in part because they are required
to have master's degrees in education with specialization in research
and classroom practice.<br />
<br />
“Our mission as adults is to protect our children from politicians,” one
Finnish childhood education professor told me. “We also have an ethical
and moral responsibility to tell businesspeople to stay out of our
building.” In fact, any Finnish citizen is free to visit any school
whenever they like, but her message was clear: Educators are the
ultimate authorities on education, not bureaucrats, and not technology
vendors.<br />
<br />
Skeptics might claim that the Finnish model would never work in
America's inner-city schools, which instead need boot-camp drilling and
discipline, Stakhanovite workloads, relentless standardized test prep
and screen-delivered testing.<br />
<br />
But what if the opposite is true?<br />
<br />
What if high-poverty students are the children most urgently in need of
the benefits that, for example, American parents of means obtain for
their children in private schools, things that Finland delivers on a
national public scale — highly qualified, highly respected and highly
professionalized teachers who conduct personalized one-on-one
instruction; manageable class sizes; a rich, developmentally correct
curriculum; regular physical activity; little or no low-quality
standardized tests and the toxic stress and wasted time and energy that
accompanies them; daily assessments by teachers; and a classroom
atmosphere of safety, collaboration, warmth and respect for children as
cherished individuals?<br />
<br />
Why should high-poverty students deserve anything less?<br />
<br />
One day last November, when the first snow came to my part of Finland, I
heard a commotion outside my university faculty office window, which is
close to the teacher training school's outdoor play area. I walked over
to investigate.<br />
<br />
The field was filled with children savoring the first taste of winter
amid the pine trees. My son was out there somewhere, but the children
were so buried in winter clothes and moving so fast that I couldn't spot
him. The noise of children laughing, shouting and singing as they
tumbled in the fresh snow was close to deafening.<br />
<br />
“Do you hear that?” asked the recess monitor, a special education teacher wearing a yellow safety smock.<br />
<br />
“That,” she said proudly, “is the voice of happiness.”<br />
<br />
● William Doyle is a 2015-2016 Fulbright scholar and a lecturer on media
and education at the University of Eastern Finland. His latest book is
“PT 109: An American Epic of War, Survival and the Destiny of John F.
Kennedy.”<br />
<br />
_________<br />
<br />
smf: Coincidentally, the most forwarded issue of 4LAKids ever was: "We
prepare children to learn how to learn, not how to take a test"
[4LAKids: Sunday 28•Aug•2011 | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq2Saaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/25duL6a</a> ] was about Finland's schools.<br />
<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead4"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
PRINCIPAL: WHAT HAPPENED WHEN MY SCHOOL ENDED USELESS HOMEWORK </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
From The Washington Post Answer Sheet edited by Valerie Strauss | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq2Vaaaaaac/">http://wapo.st/1PhEM6t</a><br />
<br />
March 18 at 11:27 AM :: Anyone who closely follows the debate about
the value of homework at different grades knows about a famous
meta-analysis of previous research on the subject, published in 2006 by
researcher Harris Cooper and colleagues, which found that homework in
elementary school does not contribute to academic achievement. You might
think that educators would have taken that to heart, but because
research rarely informs educational policy, it didn’t.<br />
<br />
Today, children in preschool — that’s 3- and 4-year-olds — routinely get
homework in the form of dull worksheets. A February 2016 report on New
York City’s pre-kindergarten program reported this:<br />
<br />
● Out-of-school enrichment activities was another way pre-K programs
engage parents in children’s learning at home. Homework most often
consisted of worksheet packets and reading with the child or
instructions to practice with children what they are learning at school.
Parents in the focus groups voiced strong opinions about homework, with
some favoring it and others feeling it was not age-appropriate for
preschoolers to have homework; some felt their children had too little
and others too much. On the positive side, parents enjoyed engaging with
their children and saw homework as a window into what they were
learning at school.<br />
<br />
● On the other hand, some parents felt their children had too much
homework and preferred their children to spend more time at play. Most
felt the daily requirement of reading a book to the child was important
and key to their child’s reading and vocabulary progress. One parent
pointed out that some of the content of the homework is beyond the
child’s knowledge so parents are almost “required” to teach it at home.
To encourage children to enjoy reading, one center loans each child a
book every week that parents are expected to read with their child.<br />
<br />
In Cambridge, Mass., one principal faced the homework issue and did
something about it. She is Katie Charner-Laird, principal of
Cambridgeport School, which educates students from what it calls “junior
kindergarten” through fifth grade. Charner-Laird is a progressive
educator who wrote the following piece about what happened when she led
her team to reevaluate homework and whether it was important to assign.
This appeared on the website of the nonprofit organization National
Association for the Education of Young Children, and I am republishing
it with permission.<br />
<br />
____________________________<br />
<br />
By Katie Charner-Laird, principal of Cambridgeport School<br />
<br />
In 2014, I found myself in one too many meetings with discontent parents
talking about homework. Some parents felt the homework was not
meaningful. Others were upset because they felt there was not enough
feedback from teachers. Still, other parents wanted teachers to be
individualizing homework more. In each of these meetings, it became
uncomfortably clear that I really didn’t know what was happening across
the school with regards to homework.<br />
<br />
By the end of that year, I had made one firm commitment both to myself
and to several parents. We would spend some time as a staff, before the
next school year started, articulating our beliefs and approach to
homework, and develop what some might call a homework policy.<br />
<br />
Over that summer, I read a number of articles about how we have to get
better at homework, the argument being that homework is a problem for
children and families because it is tedious and doesn’t ask children to
think critically and creatively. While I didn’t completely disagree
with these articles, I also didn’t find a strong rationale for why we
give homework or how much homework we should be giving.<br />
<br />
I had heard of Alfie Kohn’s book, “The Homework Myth,” but in truth, I
was avoiding reading it. As a former teacher, I had always felt that
homework was a critical part of children learning organizational skills
and responsibility and a way to practice newly developed skills.
Moreover, the idea of getting rid of homework seemed a bit too
unconventional. But when I finally did pick up “The Homework Myth,” I
couldn’t put it down. One by one, my reasons for considering homework an
essential part of the elementary school experience were dismantled.<br />
<br />
[HOMEWORK: AN UNNECESSARY EVIL? SURPRISING FINDINGS FROM RESEARCH, by Alfie Kohn | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq2Waaaaaac/">http://wapo.st/1TVj2p3]</a><br />
<br />
Time management and organizational skills: Kohn points out that rather
than teaching time management to students, homework actually requires
parents to do more to organize children’s time.<br />
<br />
Newly learned skills: Kohn argues that it is rare that all students need
the same practice at the end of a lesson. For some, additional
practice may be confusing, while for others, it may be unnecessary.<br />
<br />
What the research says: Kohn scoured the research to find that there is
no evidence that homework in elementary school leads to an increase in
student achievement.<br />
<br />
At our opening staff meetings last August, I asked teachers to read
excerpts from “The Homework Myth,” and discuss the article with
grade-level colleagues. Many teachers were as dumbfounded as I was when
challenged to think about their long-held beliefs about homework. I
asked each grade level team to decide on a common homework approach for
the coming school year. While I knew where I stood on the homework
issue at this point, I felt it was important for teachers to make these
decisions themselves after I had provided them with research and the
opportunities to discuss it. As I met with each grade-level team, I also
felt it was my responsibility to ensure that there was some semblance
of a trajectory from kindergarten through fifth grade.<br />
<br />
THE SCHOOL’S NEW HOMEWORK POLICY:<br />
<br />
Last school year for the first time, I knew the homework expectations for each class in the school!<br />
<br />
● In kindergarten, students dictate stories to their families on a
regular basis, but with no official due dates. Parents were encouraged
to read to their children, but there were no set expectations for how
much or how often.<br />
● Starting in first grade, students were expected to read nightly and this included families reading to children.<br />
● Most grade-level teams opted out of reading logs or other
accountability structures, noting that these often devolved into a
meaningless checklists lacking accountability altogether.<br />
● Third graders were asked to write nightly. Students determine the
content and form of their writing, which is not graded. Third graders
are also expected to practice their math facts based on both grade level
expectations and personal levels of mastery.<br />
<br />
In my experiences as both principal and teacher, parents often voice
two significant complaints: homework either took too long, or not long
enough; AND parents didn’t understand the homework, so they couldn’t
help their child. These issues have been addressed in our new approach
to homework. All homework is now open-ended enough to avoid these common
complaints.<br />
<br />
Teachers give parents information about other elements also taught in
class so they can be supportive of the related homework. When a teacher
asks students to read for 30 minutes, some students may read 10 pages,
and others may read 30. Parents can help children find a regular time
to do that homework because the time needed is consistent. Moreover, if
a parent wants a child to do more homework, it is quite simple to just
have them keep reading. There is no “wrong way” to do the homework. And
this has led to many families reporting that the level of stress in
their household has decreased dramatically.<br />
<br />
So in 2014, Cambridgeport became “the school that doesn’t give
homework,” yet I heard repeatedly from students, teachers, and parents
about the significant, meaningful work they are doing at home. A fourth
grader begged to take home his writing notebook on the third day of
school so he could keep working on the story he had started in class. A
class of fifth graders requested additional practice problems to take
home with them. A father-daughter pair showed me the model they created
of the setting of the book they were reading together.<br />
<br />
Our school may be giving less homework but we have more students engaged
in more meaningful learning activities at home than ever before.</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead5"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
LAUSD AND CHARTERS REACH AGREEMENT ON COURT-ORDERED MiSiS DATA SHARING </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Posted on LA School Report by Craig Clough | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq2Yaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Mi2FQL</a> <br />
<br />
March 18, 2016 4:05 pm :: LA Unified and its 221 independent charter
schools have reached an agreement on the court-ordered requirement that
charters sync their student data information systems with the district’s
massive MiSiS system.<br />
<br />
The agreement calls on the district to develop an interface solution
that will allow data systems at charter schools to communicate with
MiSiS but allow the schools to keep their own systems in place. The
agreement also allows charters to adopt MiSiS if they wish to do so.<br />
<br />
The agreement was reached on March 10 between LA Unified, its
independent charters, the plaintiffs of a special education consent
decree and the court-ordered independent monitor of the decree.<br />
<br />
The agreement was characterized as “a huge win” for all parties by Gina
Plate of the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA), which
negotiated on behalf of LA Unified’s charters.<br />
<br />
“It could have gotten very hostile and ugly, like some of the other
areas we have with charters and the district, but we were able to
resolve this one in a way that makes everyone happy,” said Plate, who is
a senior special education advisor for CCSA.<br />
<br />
Plate said the district, the independent monitor and the plaintiffs
reached an internal agreement in December to agree to the interface but
did not share that with charter leaders until this month because they
needed time to draft the letter and get all of the details organized.<br />
<br />
LA Unified has been under federal court oversight since 1996 as a result
of a class-action lawsuit that accused it of non-compliance with
special education laws. As part of the settlement, an independent
monitor was appointed in 2003 to oversee the district’s compliance with
what is known as the Chanda Smith Modified Consent Decree.<br />
<br />
MiSiS, the district’s student data system, was created to fulfill part
of the decree which called for better tracking of special education
student records. And because special education students at LA Unified’s
independent charter schools are part of the same special education
district, the decree required charters to also take on MiSiS.<br />
<br />
But when MiSiS was launched in the fall of 2014 it immediately began to
cause substantial problems at schools due to system failures and
glitches. Charter schools were hesitant to adopt the system themselves
due to the problems, Plate said, and also because many of the older
charters already have their own systems that they have dedicated time
and money to developing.<br />
<br />
“Because there was no system available for the last 20 years, charters
have purchased their own systems. And not only have they purchased their
own systems, they have customized those systems to reflect the needs of
their student population,” Plate said.<br />
<br />
MiSiS has been largely stabilized and is operating without any major
problems being reported this school year. CCSA officials have had weekly
meetings for the last year and a half to try and resolve the issue of
how to get charters in line with the court requirements, Plate said.<br />
<br />
The agreement was announced to LA Unified school board members and
Superintendent Michelle King in a March 10 letter from LA Unified’s
Charter Schools Division Director Jose Cole-Gutierrez and CEO of
Strategic Planning and Digital Innovation Diane Pappas.<br />
<br />
●●smf: This is not exactly correct. The March 10 letter
[bit.ly/1puA54q] is addressed to ‘Charter School Leaders’; the Board and
superintendent are copied.<br />
<br />
“This approach will allow charter schools to retain their current
student information systems, provided that they transmit certain key
student data to the district in a technically compatible manner,” the
letter said.<br />
<br />
Plate said the interface will be developed by LA Unified along with
experts from Microsoft, and the district will pay the bill. No timeframe
has yet been set on when the interface will be ready.<br />
<br />
The agreement between charters and the district on MiSiS does not
complete the consent decree process for LA Unified. It still has to
spend over $600 million to make all of its schools compliant with the
Americans With Disabilities Act, and it has one more of 18
performance-based outcomes that it needs to meet. The outcome requires
disabled students to receive services as specified in their Individual
Education Plans. In November, district officials and the independent
monitor told LA School Report the district likely would be under the
watch of the monitor for several more years.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
EVA’S OFFENSIVE: The Battle for the Hearts, Minds and Classroom Seats of NYC Charter Schools <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Aaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/25ceYof</a> <br />
<br />
CO-LOCATION: A PARASITOID IS AN ORGANISM THAT LIVES ATTACHED TO A HOST AND ULTIMATELY KILLS OR CONSUMES THE HOST <br />
<br />
WHAT TO EXPECT OUT OF JOHN KING, US SECRETARY OF EDUCATION <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Baaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Ud1vJw</a> <br />
<br />
NEW PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM EXPANDS PATHWAYS FOR CAREER-MINDED STUDENTS | LAUSD Daily <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Caaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1TXnh3t</a> <br />
<br />
LAUSD AND CHARTERS REACH AGREEMENT ON COURT-ORDERED MiSiS DATA SHARING <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Daaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1pTfUNQ</a> <br />
<br />
WHAT IS 'SCHOOL CHOICE'? ...AND WHY DOES IT MATTER EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE A KID? <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Eaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1RrxKDY</a> <br />
<br />
PRINCIPAL: WHAT HAPPENED WHEN MY SCHOOL ENDED USELESS HOMEWORK <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Faaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Rs2Kxv</a> <br />
<br />
Editorial: CALIF. SHOULD RESTORE THE TRIGGER ALLOWING PARENTS TO FORCE CHANGE AT LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOLS + smf’s 2¢<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Gaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1LvsgWv</a> <br />
<br />
Opinion: WHY FINLAND HAS THE BEST SCHOOLS <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Haaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1ptj7Dk</a> <br />
<br />
CALIFORNIA CHARTER SCHOOLS ASSO. HONORS ELI & EDYTHE BROAD OF THE BROAD FOUNDATION AS "SUPPORTER OF THE YEAR" <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Iaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Lvl8tg</a> <br />
<br />
A timeline o’ tweets: DR. DEBRA DUARDO CANDIDATE FOR L.A. COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS / @howardblume <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Jaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1UaWeSN</a> <br />
<br />
YES, YOU CAN DRINK THE WATER. NO LEAD SCARES HERE, LAUSD SAYS. | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Kaaaaaac/">http://laschoolreport.com/yes-you-can-drink-the-water-no-lead-scares-here-lausd-says/#.Vum3zX8ZZJM.twitter</a> …<br />
<br />
LOUISIANA GOVERNOR PROPOSES CURBS ON VOUCHERS, CHARTER SCHOOLS <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Laaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1XtvnPq</a> <br />
<br />
Op-Ed: MAKING IT EASIER TO FIRE TEACHERS WON'T FIX AMERICAN EDUCATION <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Maaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/22jBOYJ</a> <br />
<br />
THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT NEW(ish) U.S. EDUCATION SECRETARY JOHN KING JR. + 3 more things <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Naaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1XtdjF8</a> <br />
<br />
LAUSD REJECTS 'PARENT TRIGGER' BID AT 20th STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Oaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1M5s7J9</a> <br />
<br />
BERNIE SANDERS SAYS HE OPPOSES PRIVATE CHARTER SCHOOLS. What Does That Mean? <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Paaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1SQmvnF</a> <br />
<br />
CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDAL HAUNTS JOHN KASICH | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Qaaaaaac/">http://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/charter-school-scandal-haunts-john-kasich-220700</a> …<br />
<br />
Where are you now Tommy Chang? THOUSANDS WALK OUT, HUNDREDS EXPRESS OUTRAGE OVER BOSTON SCHOOLS BUDGET CUTS <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Raaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1R0ITpJ</a> <br />
<br />
Tests+Children: ACCESSORIES TO EDUCATION - Red Queen in LA <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Saaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1TJqlQy</a> <br />
<br />
Nomination deadline extended: HELEN BERNSTEIN AWARD FOR TEACHER LEADERSHIP <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Taaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1QTik9q</a> <br />
<br />
SENATE TO VOTE UP OR DOWN ON JOHN B. KING, JR. FOR EDUCATION SECRETARY TODAY <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Uaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1RJWvFy</a> <br />
<br />
AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS NEED FUNDS TO HELP STUDENTS THRIVE<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqq4Vaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1nJkFIl</a></span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
¡SPRING BREAK!<br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqqZEaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqqZFaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqqZGaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqqZHaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqqZIaaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqqZJaaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas9P5acqqZKaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px Verdana, sans serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-31709209073394732392016-03-13T12:15:00.000-07:002016-03-14T12:27:10.162-07:00Spring onward<br />
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4LAKids: Sunday 13•March•2016
</span>
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In This Issue:
</span>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">VOLUNTEER-ADVOCATE SCOTT FOLSOM HONORED WITH FIRST-EVER LAUSD BOARD PRESIDENT’S AWARD FOR SERVICE</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">L.A. UNIFIED SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES ANOTHER CHARTER AGAINST DISTRICT RECOMMENDATIONS</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">OAKLAND IS FLASH POINT IN L.A. BILLIONAIRE’S PUSH FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">'It appears that no one cares': REPORT SLAMS L.A. COUNTY CENTRAL JUVENILE HALL FOR FILTHY CONDITIONS AND POOR LEADERSHIP</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but
not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other Sources</span></td>
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a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
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Last Tuesday the board of education, in their infinite wisdom, made a big deal over your poor author.<br />
<br />
Board President Steve Zimmer and past Bond Oversight Committee Chairman
Steve English and Superintendent Michelle King said nice things – and
Boardmember George McKenna added kindnesses.<br />
<br />
I am of a self-deprecating nature (it's one of my infuriatingly endearing qualities) and my first inclination is to deny recognition+honor: It was nothing.<br />
<br />
But instead I say thank you for noticing and listening and reading.<br />
<br />
The Grateful Dead said <i>“What a long strange trip it’s been.” </i><br />
<br />
It’s been a trip we have traveled together, and as Robert Earl Keen wrote: <i>“The road goes on forever and the party never ends”.</i><br />
<br />
Thank you, all of you, for everything you do for kids, every day.<br />
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf</span> <br />
<br />
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<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
VOLUNTEER-ADVOCATE SCOTT FOLSOM HONORED WITH
FIRST-EVER LAUSD BOARD PRESIDENT’S AWARD FOR SERVICE </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
by Barbara Jones | LAUSD Daily | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas8Ayacqlbxaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1pya9VC</a><br />
<br />
Mar 8, 2016 :: Parent volunteer Scott Folsom, who has dedicated more
than a quarter-century of advocacy and leadership to L.A. Unified, was
honored today with the first-ever Board President’s Award for Service to
the District for his work on behalf of families and students. <br />
<br />
Folsom is the longest-serving member of the Citizen’s Bond Oversight
Committee, one of the more than two dozen panels on which he’s served.
He has also been a champion of the program that created school-based
health clinics that serve District families, and social-emotional
learning programs that help students build lifelong skills for
establishing and maintaining positive relationships.<br />
<br />
“Mr. Folsom’s service to this District is unparalleled,” Board President
Steve Zimmer said, after the audience honored Folsom with the first of
two standing ovations he received during the brief ceremony. “He has
been able to create change that we did not think was possible … We have
literally transformed the landscape of LAUSD.”<br />
<br />
Steven English, the recent past president of the BOC, described Folsom
as a “committed idealist … who sees things as they should be and
ceaselessly drives himself, and us, to arrive at that goal.”<br />
<br />
Combined with Folsom’s pragmatism, wicked sense of humor and “huge heart,” English said, “it’s really quite a package.”<br />
<br />
Folsom also received kudos from Superintendent Michelle King, who listed
some of his many accomplishments, including his service as vice
president of health for the California State PTA and president of the
Los Angeles 10th District PTSA; his recognition as Parent Volunteer of
the Year from the Los Angeles County Office of Education; and the two
times he has won the California State PTA Golden Oaks Award. <br />
<br />
“Mr. Folsom,” King said, “how lucky we are that you never followed
through on your famous phrase, ‘Stop me before I volunteer again!’”<br />
<br />
Dr. George J. McKenna III, who represents District 1 on the school
board, spoke movingly about Folsom as a “a man for all seasons,” one
known for his honesty, integrity and wit.<br />
<br />
“All that you can say that is good about a human being you can say about Scott,” McKenna said.<br />
<br />
Folsom himself briefly took the microphone, thanking Zimmer for the award and his L.A. Unified family for their support.<br />
<br />
“This is the work of all of us,” he said. “This work that we all do is
the most important work in the whole world – the education of our
children. Thank you so much. I can’t say enough about everybody’s work
here.<br />
<br />
He started to turn away from the microphone, then turned back for a final comment – something for which he’s well-known.<br />
<br />
“One more thing,” he said. “Mr. Folsom is my dad. I’m Scott. Thank you.”</span> <br />
<br />
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<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
L.A. UNIFIED SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES ANOTHER CHARTER AGAINST DISTRICT RECOMMENDATIONS </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
by Sonali Kohli | LA Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas8AyacqlbBaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1QPiKwh</a><br />
<br />
March 8, 2016 :: The L.A. Unified school board approved a new charter
high school, despite the district charter school division’s
recommendation that the board deny the application.<br />
<br />
Charter schools are publicly funded but can be privately operated, and
Westside Innovative School House Inc. (WISH) runs two of them in
Westchester — an elementary and a middle school.<br />
<br />
In a 4-2 vote Tuesday (board President Steve Zimmer abstained), the
school board decided to let the group open Wish Academy High School
under a three-year charter.<br />
<br />
The move comes one month after 21 organizations that run charter schools
in Los Angeles sent a letter to the board accusing the district of
unfair treatment in its approval process. The school district is
battling declining enrollment in the face of well-funded plans to
dramatically increase charter presence in Los Angeles.<br />
<br />
Supt. Michelle King wants to take a collaborative approach with charters
to improve students’ school experiences, she said in a town hall last
week in Pacoima.<br />
<br />
Thirty charter operators sent the district another letter on Sunday to
support WISH, citing the school’s ethnic diversity, its concentration of
students with disabilities and its test scores, which were higher than
the district average. WISH parents, staff and supporters wearing red
T-shirts filled the front half of the board meeting room Tuesday
afternoon.<br />
<br />
The board has approved eight out of 15 new charter petitions this
academic year. That's just over half, compared with a 76.9% approval
rate in 2014-15 and 89.5% the year before that, according to the
California Charter School Assn.<br />
<br />
WISH has had dwindling funds since 2011-12 and is financially unprepared
to open a high school, the district’s charter division denial
recommendation to the school board states.<br />
<br />
Shawna Draxton, WISH's executive director, disputed that in a letter to
the board and superintendent. “Since submitting our Petition, WISH has
received written confirmation from California Department of Education
(CDE) that our application for a $575,000 Public Charter Schools Grant
Program start-up grant has qualified for funding, pending charter
approval and CDE staff approval of the grant application budget,” the
letter reads.<br />
<br />
WISH asserts that the L.A. Unified Charter Schools Division said it
would recommend a denial of its high school petition if it was not
withdrawn. Last month, four charter operators withdrew their petitions
rather than have them denied.<br />
<br />
The board report also accuses one of the WISH schools — both share
campuses with district schools — of taking up space for its 6th graders
where it wasn't supposed to. The letter from Draxton calls this claim
“preposterous.”<br />
<br />
During the Tuesday meeting the board also approved two charter renewals
and one charter amendment that allows KIPP Comienza Community
Preparatory to add middle school grades to its Huntington Park
dual-language school.<br />
<br />
• LA Times Editor’s Note: The Times receives funding for its Education
Matters digital initiative from one or more of the groups mentioned in
this article. The California Community Foundation and United Way of
Greater Los Angeles administer grants from the Baxter Family Foundation,
the Broad Foundation, the California Endowment and the Wasserman
Foundation to support this effort. Under terms of the grants, The Times
retains complete control over editorial content.<br />
</span> <br />
<br />
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<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
OAKLAND IS FLASH POINT IN L.A. BILLIONAIRE’S PUSH FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
By Motoko Rich, New York Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas8AyacqlbDaaaaaac/">http://nyti.ms/21XyiTs</a><br />
<br />
OAKLAND, Calif. — The 70 teachers who showed up to a school board
meeting here recently in matching green and black T-shirts paraded in a
circle, chanting, “Charter schools are not public schools!” and accusing
the superintendent of doing the bidding of “a corporate oligarchy.”<br />
<br />
The superintendent, Antwan Wilson, who is an imposing 6-foot-4, favors
crisp suits and Kangol caps and peers intensely through wire-rimmed
glasses, has become accustomed to confrontation since he arrived in this
activist community from Denver two years ago. One board meeting last
fall reached such a fever pitch that police officers moved in to control
the crowd.<br />
<br />
Mr. Wilson is facing a rebellion by teachers and some parents against
his plan to allow families to use a single form to apply to any of the
city’s 86 district-run schools or 44 charter campuses, all of which are
competing for a shrinking number of students.<br />
<br />
How he fares may say a great deal not only about Oakland, but also about
this moment in the drive to transform urban school districts. Many of
them have become rivalrous amalgams of traditional public schools and
charters, which are publicly funded but privately operated and have been
promoted by education philanthropists.<br />
<br />
Mr. Wilson is trying to bring the traditional schools into closer
coordination with the charters. “If he gets it right, it’s a model for
moving past the polarized sense of reform that we have right now,” said
Robert C. Pianta, dean of the Curry School of Education at the
University of Virginia.<br />
<br />
But Mr. Wilson has emerged as a lightning rod partly because he is one
of a cadre of superintendents who have been trained in an academy
financed by the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. Like Bill Gates and
Mark Zuckerberg, Mr. Broad, a Los Angeles billionaire who made his
fortune in real estate and insurance, is one of a group of businessmen
with grand ambitions to remake public education.<br />
His foundation has pumped $144 million into charter schools across the
country, is embroiled in a battle to expand the number of charters in
his home city, and has issued a handbook on how to close troubled public
schools.<br />
<br />
Unique among the education philanthropists, his foundation has also
contributed more than $60 million over 15 years to a nonprofit that
trains superintendents and administrators, convinced that they are key
to transforming urban school systems.<br />
<br />
When Mr. Broad first announced the initiative in 2001, he noted that the
average urban schools leader lasted just over two years and had little
preparation in finances or management.<br />
<br />
The new academy, he said, would “dramatically change this equation“ by
seeking candidates in educational circles as well as recruiting from
corporate backgrounds and the military, introducing management concepts
borrowed from business. Those chosen embark on a two-year fellowship,
trained and mentored while working in their districts.<br />
<br />
The fellows meet with speakers from think tanks, other school districts,
charter networks and the business world. During one session last fall
in New York, administrators from large districts shared a conference
room with charter leaders and discussed challenges they have in common:
how to recruit racial minorities to teaching, how to staff executive
teams, and how to change punitive disciplinary cultures.<br />
<br />
Regardless of training, any leader of a large school district faces
daunting challenges. Superintendents “deal with a very unusual stew of
people who are often divided by race and language and income and
religion,” said Michael Casserly, executive director of the Council of
Great City Schools, a coalition of urban districts where the average
chief now lasts just over three years. Those diverse groups, he said,
are “all fighting over the one thing that they care most passionately
about: their children.”<br />
<br />
Broad-trained superintendents currently run districts in two dozen
communities, including Boston, Broward County, Fla., and Philadelphia.
They have lasted an average of four and three-quarter years, delivering
incremental academic progress at best. Like others in the field, they
have run up against the complexities of trying to improve schools
bedeviled by poverty, racial disparities, unequal funding and
contentious local politics.<br />
<br />
Some prominent academy alumni have resigned after tumultuous terms. Mike
Miles, the Dallas schools superintendent, quit last June after just
three years, during which he battled teachers over new evaluation
criteria and performance-based pay.<br />
<br />
In Los Angeles, John Deasy stepped down as superintendent in the fall of
2014 after a turbulent tenure in which he testified against teachers’
unions during a landmark trial involving tenure and job protections, and
presided over a botched rollout of a $1.3 billion plan to give all
students iPads. That same year, John Covington abruptly resigned as
chancellor of a state-operated district for the lowest performing
schools in Detroit. Two years earlier, Jean-Claude Brizard resigned from
the Chicago Public Schools after 17 months on the job and a bruising
teachers’ strike.<br />
<br />
Still, Mr. Broad said his money is well spent. “When I look at how many
students are educated in public school systems where our alumni are and
have worked,” he wrote in an email, “there is no question that this has
been a worthwhile investment.”<br />
<br />
Oakland is the kind of place where philanthropists hope to make a
difference. Here, across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco, close to
three-quarters of the 37,000 students in district-run schools come from
low-income families. About 30 percent of the students are
African-Americans, and more than 40 percent are Latino.<br />
<br />
DAUNTING CHALLENGES<br />
<br />
A little over a decade ago, the district was in financial chaos. The
state put the district into receivership and extended a $100 million
loan just to cover payroll.<br />
In 2003, the state appointed the first of a string of Broad-trained
administrators to run the district, free of local school board
authority. Randolph Ward, who was then a state administrator of a
troubled district in Compton, near Los Angeles, arrived as Oakland was
embarking on an initiative to open a series of small public schools of
250 to 600 students apiece, depending on grade levels — several hundred
fewer than at typical campuses.<br />
<br />
During his time here, Mr. Ward opened two dozen small schools but also
closed 14 schools. New charter schools were also opening, cutting into
enrollment at district schools.<br />
<br />
Mr. Ward was succeeded briefly by two other Broad alumni, Kimberly
Statham and Vincent Matthews. All three declined to comment for this
article. Meanwhile, the district is still paying back its debt.<br />
<br />
The Broad-trained superintendents — along with other non-Broad
state-appointed administrators — had modest success in raising student
achievement. Between 2004 and 2010, scores on standardized reading and
math tests grew more than in any other California district with
population similar in size.<br />
Still, less than a quarter of students met standards on tests last
spring, below state averages. At the charter schools, by contrast, about
a third met math standards and close to 40 percent met reading
standards — although the charters educate fewer students with
disabilities, an element that can depress test score averages.<br />
<br />
Mr. Wilson arrived as the first Broad-trained superintendent to be hired
by a re-empowered and elected school board. It voted for him
unanimously, attracted by his record in Denver. There, he had been an
assistant superintendent and worked with several struggling schools.<br />
During Mr. Wilson’s tenure, Denver — also led by a Broad-trained
superintendent — combined charters and more traditional schools in one
enrollment system, as Mr. Wilson now proposes in Oakland.<br />
<br />
Mr. Wilson, who is African-American, describes growing up poor and being
raised by a single mother and said he entered education because of a
commitment to social justice. He said he had a “visceral reaction” when
he heard arguments about children in poverty “and how we need to fix
that first before we can educate them. I am thinking that it’s actually
educating them that gives them a chance to fix some poverty.”<br />
<br />
By the time he arrived in Oakland, residents were frustrated by a
history of financial mismanagement and persistently low test scores and
graduation rates. Many educators in district schools felt as if they
were fighting for their professional lives as charters took more and
more students — and public funding — away.<br />
<br />
Today, charters account for about a quarter of public school enrollment
in the city, while the combined population of students in Oakland’s
district and charter schools has declined by about 13 percent since
2000.<br />
<br />
While the teachers’ union and some parent groups worry that district-run
public schools will ultimately be eviscerated by competition from
charters, other parents are voting with their feet, sending their
children to the newer schools.<br />
<br />
Kenetta Jackson, a housing administrator and a mother of two, decided
the local school in her East Oakland neighborhood was “not up to my
personal standards.” Her daughter, now 16, and son, 13, have attended
charter schools in the Aspire Public Schools network since they were in
kindergarten.<br />
<br />
Ms. Jackson said she did not understand the debates about the merits of
charter schools. “It’s a lot of politics beyond my reach,” she said.
“I’m more concerned about my children’s education. I personally think
that Aspire came and saved Oakland public schools because if they didn’t
come, I would be paying an arm and a leg for my kids to go to some
private school somewhere, and who can afford that?”<br />
<br />
For his part, Mr. Wilson says he is neither for nor against charters. “I
want effective schools,” he said in an interview in his offices in
downtown Oakland.<br />
<br />
Since he arrived, Mr. Wilson has focused on sending more tax dollars
away from the central office and directly to schools, and he negotiated a
contract giving teachers a 14 percent raise, their largest in 15 years,
although Oakland teachers are still paid less on average than educators
in surrounding counties. Mr. Wilson is also overhauling five of the
city’s most troubled campuses, moving principals and introducing new
academic and enrichment programs.<br />
<br />
He is working with both district schools and charter leaders to
negotiate an agreement to meet the same standards for academics,
discipline and enrollment criteria.<br />
<br />
Although he retains a solid bloc of support on the board, some members
question whether he is pushing too hard and overriding community input.
“You can’t change overnight,” said Roseann Torres, a board member. “Does
he understand that? I hope so. I know he feels a deep sense of
urgency.”<br />
<br />
Teachers, parents and other activists regularly turn out at board
meetings to attack him. Take the furor over a plan he introduced last
fall to help more students with disabilities enter mainstream
classrooms.<br />
<br />
BOILING POINT<br />
<br />
At a meeting in October, teachers, students and parents lined up before a
microphone, warning that the proposals did not provide enough funds for
teachers’ aides and would lead to oversize classes, prompting an exodus
of more students into charters.<br />
<br />
At one point, the anger at Mr. Wilson boiled over and police officers
helped quell the unrest. Yvette Felarca, a local activist, denounced Mr.
Wilson, saying he was undermining special education “to make the
charter schools more competitive with a degraded public school system.”<br />
<br />
“When Eli Broad trained Antwan Wilson,” she shouted, “he trained him to come in here and privatize the schools!”<br />
<br />
A few weeks ago, at another board meeting, teachers protested the
proposal to unify district schools and charters under one enrollment
process.<br />
<br />
Mr. Wilson says that a single application form, where parents rank their
choices among all schools and students are assigned through a computer
algorithm, will reduce the ability of well-connected parents to place
their children in the most desirable schools and force charters to be
more open about how they admit students. Similar systems have been put
in place in Washington and New Orleans and are being considered in
Boston.<br />
<br />
Opponents fear the proposal would simply hasten an exit of more students
from district schools to charters. On a recent Sunday, Kim Davis,
co-founder of a new parent group, explained her concerns to 19 people
crowded into the living room of a fellow parent. If district schools are
diminished, “teachers will be laid off, students displaced, and schools
will close,” Ms. Davis warned, “which just adds to the downward spiral
of the district as a whole.”<br />
<br />
The school board is to vote on the common enrollment plan in June, while the special education plan is already going ahead.<br />
<br />
Mr. Wilson said he sympathized with some of the anger directed at him.
“It’s ‘you’re the superintendent of Oakland schools and a power
structure that has not served us well, in many cases, for decades,’” he
said.<br />
<br />
But he scoffed at allegations that he is a puppet of the Broad
Foundation. “People can connect all kinds of dots,” he said, adding that
“no Broad agenda has ever been shared with me.”<br />
<br />
The foundation has given to the school district in other ways: it has
granted about $6 million for staff development and other programs over
the last decade. The Broad Center, which runs the superintendents’
academy, has subsidized the salaries of at least 10 ex-business managers
who moved into administrative jobs at the district office.<br />
<br />
But it is the leadership turnover that has left teachers wary. “It’s
just a different face at the top,” said Leona Kwon, who teaches ethnic
studies at Castlemont High School. “I have not personally experienced a
significant increase of support or resources at our school, so I’m
skeptical that that’s ever going to happen.”<br />
<br />
Some educators give their schools chief high marks for his attention to
detail. At Frick Middle, one of five previously struggling schools that
the district is trying to overhaul, Ruby Detie, the administrator
appointed to lead the changes, recalled that after she told Mr. Wilson
that a mouse had run over the foot of a teacher interviewing for a job,
an exterminator appeared the next day.<br />
<br />
After observing several classrooms at Acorn Woodland Elementary
recently, Mr. Wilson pulled aside the principal, Leroy Gaines, to praise
two fourth-grade teachers for how often they invited students to hash
out problems aloud. But in bilingual kindergarten and first-grade
classes, Mr. Wilson told the principal he was concerned that the
teachers were speaking too much during lessons.<br />
<br />
“I was struggling to really see the degree to which the students were really doing the thinking,” Mr. Wilson said.<br />
<br />
At other schools, some teachers point to missteps. At Fremont High,
another school being revamped, some teachers complain that Mr. Wilson
replaced a bilingual principal with a leader who does not speak Spanish,
though close to 60 percent of the students are Hispanic. The school
redevelopment “feels almost like a takeover,” said Jasmene Miranda, a
graduate of the high school who is now a media teacher there.<br />
<br />
Mr. Wilson said that he has appointed “the best possible leaders.”<br />
<br />
He said he understood some of the community criticism. “I think that is
just, ‘Hey we’re really concerned this guy might really want to sell the
farm,’ “ he said.<br />
<br />
“Well, I don’t,” he added. “I do want to improve it, though.”<br />
<br />
• Sarah Cohen contributed reporting from New York. Kitty Bennett contributed research.<br />
• A version of this article appears in print on March 5, 2016, on page A1 of the New York edition<br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead5"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
'It appears that no one cares': REPORT SLAMS L.A.
COUNTY CENTRAL JUVENILE HALL FOR FILTHY CONDITIONS AND POOR LEADERSHIP
</span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
L.A. COUNTY SPENDS MORE THAN $233,000 A YEAR TO HOLD EACH YOUTH IN JUVENILE LOCKUP<br />
<br />
By Garrett Therolf | LA Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas8AyacqlbFaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1TmTpxe</a><br />
<br />
March 7, 2016 :: A new county report on Los Angeles County's Central
Juvenile Hall depicts it as a leaderless operation with "unacceptable"
and "deplorable" conditions similar to a "Third World country prison."<br />
<br />
Some walls were covered in gang graffiti and filth that no one made an
effort to wash away. Morale among staffers was at "dungeon lows from a
workforce that claims to be victims."<br />
<br />
And young detainees were sent into isolation for reasons outside of
department policy — in one case for exchanging food with another
detainee, the report alleges.<br />
<br />
The report was written by Azael "Sal" Martinez, a volunteer probation
department monitor who spent time incarcerated at juvenile hall as a
teenager.<br />
<br />
Martinez has since become a well-regarded Boyle Heights community
leader. Supervisor Hilda Solis appointed him to the 15-member Probation
Commission and asked him to report on the county's aging network of
three juvenile halls and 18 camps.<br />
<br />
His assessment of Central Juvenile Hall in Boyle Heights is the most withering by far.<br />
<br />
Interim Probation Chief Cal Remington said he is investigating the
report's findings and will have a public response on how to correct the
problems soon. "Clearly there are issues that I need to deal with," he
said.<br />
<br />
Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich's spokesman, Tony Bell, said, "We are
investigating the serious allegations concerning staff accountability,
condition of the facilities and the misuse of solitary confinement."<br />
<br />
Supervisors voted in November to begin studying how to replace the more than century-old facility with a modern infrastructure.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, the 200 young people housed at Central Juvenile Hall
are sometimes placed in units with no running water except in staff
bathrooms, Martinez wrote.<br />
<br />
"What can't be shaken is the stench emitting from the unit and rooms due
to urinals broken, backed up, not cleaned and unsanitary," Martinez
said. "When the minors use the urinals ... the urine.. . splashed back
on their shoes and pants."<br />
<br />
"It appears that no one cares. Staff does not know who is in charge and are quick to push the blame elsewhere," Martinez wrote.<br />
<br />
The findings come at a time when the department is under increased
scrutiny for the quality of its services. A county audit recently found
that the average cost of incarcerating a youth has soared to $233,600 a
year, significantly higher than other comparable jurisdictions across
the country. Experts are struggling to understand the reasons behind the
high cost.<br />
<br />
Martinez's findings challenge the department's assertion that it is making progress in the halls.<br />
<br />
As recently as last year, former Probation Chief Jerry Powers celebrated
when the county finally emerged from oversight by the U.S. Department
of Justice for mistreatment of youths.<br />
<br />
But Martinez wrote in his report that staffers "are complacent and feel
that there will be no accountability and everything went back to the way
it has operated for years."<br />
<br />
Cyn Yamashiro, a former Loyola law professor and member of the Probation
Commission, said Martinez's report is being taken seriously.<br />
<br />
Yamashiro said he could not speak for the commission, but he noted that
Martinez's scrutiny of the department's use of solitary confinement
extended out of a broader concern among juvenile justice advocates that
the department has poorly documented when and how isolation is used.<br />
<br />
In recent years, 19 states and the District of Columbia have ended the
practice of isolating detainees younger than 18. New York City went one
step further and banned solitary confinement for Rikers Island inmates
up to age 21.<br />
<br />
Remington said he expects Los Angeles County to follow suit within a year because of the public pressure to ban the practice.<br />
<br />
"It is obvious that no child should ever be put in solitary confinement
for a minor infraction, and that the children in our custody have a
right to humane treatment and basic sanitary conditions. I am troubled
by the allegations in this report" Solis said in a statement.<br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
“Trouble in paradise?”: MALIBU WANTS ITS OWN SCHOOL
DISTRICT, BUT A SPLIT FROM SANTA MONICA MIGHT REQUIRE 'ALIMONY' <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas8Ayacqlb6aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/24Yyvbx</a> <br />
<br />
OAKLAND IS FLASH POINT IN L.A. BILLIONAIRE’S PUSH FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas8Ayacqlb7aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1SvJ68W</a> <br />
<br />
IN RESTORATIVE JUSTICE CIRCLES, A CHANCE FOR STUDENTS TO LEAD <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas8Ayacqlb8aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1puHWz6</a> <br />
<br />
'It appears that no one cares': REPORT SLAMS L.A. COUNTY JUVENILE HALL FOR FILTHY CONDITIONS AND POOR LEADERSHIP <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas8Ayacqlb9aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1QChxJQ</a><br />
</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Monday is Pi (π) Day: 3.14<br />
<br />
Tuesday is The Ides of March (Beware!)<br />
<br />
BUDGET, FACILITIES AND AUDIT COMMITTEE - March 15, 2016 - 10:00 A.M.<br />
<br />
SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL CLIMATE COMMITTEE - March 15, 2016 - 4:00 P.M.<br />
<br />
Thursday is Saint Patrick's Day.<br />
<br />
Friday is the last day of school before Spring Break.<br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas8Ayacqlbdaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas8Ayacqlbeaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br />
<br />
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<td align="LEFT"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas8Ayacqlbfaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas8Ayacqlbgaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas8Ayacqlbhaaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas8Ayacqlbiaaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br />
<br />
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<td align="LEFT"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas8Ayacqlbjaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br /></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%px;">
<tbody>
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<td bgcolor="#999999"><img src="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/naas8Ayacqlbkaaaaaac/" height="1" width="1" /></td>
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<td align="LEFT"><span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px "verdana" , "sans" serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-43211899651798899962016-03-06T00:00:00.000-08:002016-03-06T00:00:04.953-08:00Damn the Geneva Convention ...Full speed ahead!
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<span style="color: #e1127d; font: bold 18px Verdana, sans serif;">
4LAKids: Sunday 6•March•2016
</span>
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<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px Verdana, sans serif;">
In This Issue:
</span>
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<tbody>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">STUDENTS+SCHOOLS FIND CAMPAIGN TALK CONFLICTS WITH NO-BULLIES MESSAGE</span></td>
</tr>
<tr><td height="10"><img height="10" src="http://app.topica.com/images/pixel.gif" width="1" /></td></tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Commentary: THE POLITICAL GRANDSTANDING OF THE LAUSD BOARD + smf’s 2¢</span></td>
</tr>
<tr><td height="10"><img height="10" src="http://app.topica.com/images/pixel.gif" width="1" /></td></tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">INGLEWOOD SCHOOLS LAGGING UNDER STATE TAKEOVER, STATE AUDITOR SAYS</span></td>
</tr>
<tr><td height="10"><img height="10" src="http://app.topica.com/images/pixel.gif" width="1" /></td></tr>
<tr valign="TOP">
<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">A BETTER SAT …OR JUST A BETTER BOTTOM LINE FOR THE COLLEGE BOARD?</span></td>
</tr>
<tr><td height="10"><img height="10" src="http://app.topica.com/images/pixel.gif" width="1" /></td></tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but
not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other Sources</span></td>
</tr>
<tr><td height="10"><img height="10" src="http://app.topica.com/images/pixel.gif" width="1" /></td></tr>
<tr valign="TOP">
<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
</tr>
<tr><td height="10"><img height="10" src="http://app.topica.com/images/pixel.gif" width="1" /></td></tr>
<tr valign="TOP">
<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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<br /><br />
<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px Verdana, sans serif;">
Featured Links:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqetLaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">► Friends4smf :: The GoFundMe campaign</a> </td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqetMaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Follow 4 LAKids on Twitter - or get instant updates via text message by texting</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqetNaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved!</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqetOaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKidsNews:
a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="322">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<u>from the transcript of Thursday’s GOP debate:</u><br />
<br />
BRETT BAIER: Mr. Trump, just yesterday, almost 100 foreign policy
experts signed on to an open letter refusing to support you, saying your
embracing expansive use of torture is inexcusable. General Michael
Hayden, former CIA director, NSA director, and other experts have said
that when you asked the U.S. military to carry out some of your campaign
promises, specifically targeting terrorists' families, and also the use
of interrogation methods more extreme than waterboarding, the military
will refuse because they've been trained to turn down and refuse illegal
orders.<br />
<br />
So what would you do, as commander-in-chief, if the U.S. military refused to carry out those orders?<br />
<br />
TRUMP: They won't refuse. They're not going to refuse me. Believe me.<br />
<br />
. . .<br />
<br />
BAIER: But targeting terrorists' families?<br />
<br />
(APPLAUSE)<br />
<br />
TRUMP: And -- and -- and -- I'm a leader. I'm a leader. I've always been
a leader. I've never had any problem leading people. If I say do it,
they're going to do it. That's what leadership is all about.<br />
<br />
______<br />
<br />
<br />
BAIER: Welcome back to the Republican presidential debate. Let's get back at it.<br />
<br />
Gentlemen, this is the last question of the night. It has been a long
time since our first debate, seven months ago in Cleveland. A lot has
transpired since then, obviously, including an RNC pledge that all of
you signed agreeing to support the party's nominee and not to launch an
independent run. Tonight, in 30 seconds, can you definitively say you
will support the Republican nominee, even if that nominee is Donald J.
Trump?<br />
<br />
Senator Rubio, yes or no?<br />
<br />
RUBIO: I'll support the Republican nominee.<br />
<br />
BAIER: Mr. Trump? Yes or no?<br />
<br />
RUBIO: I'll support Donald if he's the Republican nominee, and let me
tell you why. Because the Democrats have two people left in the race.
One of them is a socialist. America doesn't want to be a socialist
country. If you want to be a socialist country, then move to a socialist
country.<br />
<br />
The other one is under FBI investigation. And not only is she under FBI
investigation, she lied to the families of the victims of Benghazi, and
anyone who lies to the families of victims who lost their lives in the
service of our country can never be the commander- in-chief of the
United States.<br />
<br />
BAIER: Senator...<br />
<br />
RUBIO: We must defeat Hillary Clinton.<br />
<br />
BAIER: Senator Cruz, yes or no, you will support Donald Trump is he's the nominee?<br />
<br />
CRUZ: Yes, because I gave my word that I would. And what I have
endeavored to do every day in the Senate is do what I said I would do.
You know, just on Tuesday, we saw an overwhelming victory in the state
of Texas where I won Texas by 17 percent.<br />
<br />
And I will say it was a powerful affirmation that the people who know me
best, the people who I campaigned, who made promises that if you elect
me, I'll lead the fight against Obamacare, I'll lead the fight against
amnesty, I'll lead the fight against our debt, and I will fight for the
Bill of Rights and your rights every day, that the people of Texas said
you have kept your word, and that's what I'll do as president.<br />
<br />
BAIER: Governor Kasich, yes or no, would you support Donald Trump as the Republican nominee?<br />
<br />
KASICH: Yeah. But -- and I kind of think that, before it's all said and done, I'll be the nominee. But let me also say...<br />
<br />
(APPLAUSE)<br />
<br />
But let me also say, remember...<br />
<br />
BAIER: But your answer is yes?<br />
<br />
KASICH: But I'm the little engine that can. And, yeah, look, when you're
in the arena, and we're in the arena. And the people out here watching
-- we're in the arena, we're traveling, we're working, we spend time
away from our family, when you're in the arena, you enter a special
circle. And you want to respect the people that you're in the arena
with. So if he ends up as the nominee -- sometimes, he makes it a little
bit hard -- but, you know, I will support whoever is the Republican
nominee for president.<br />
<br />
(APPLAUSE)<br />
<br />
WALLACE: Mr. Trump, I'm going to ask you a version of the same question.
As we saw today with Mitt Romney, the #NeverTrump movement is gaining
steam. Some people are talking about contributing millions of dollars to
try to stop you. Again today, you raised the possibility that you might
run as an independent if you feel you're treated unfairly by the
Republican Party.<br />
<br />
So I'm going to phrase the question that the other three people on this
stage just got. Can you definitively say tonight that you will
definitely support the Republican nominee for president, even if it's
not you?<br />
<br />
TRUMP: Even if it's not me?<br />
<br />
(LAUGHTER)<br />
<br />
Let me just start off by saying...<br />
<br />
WALLACE: Thirty seconds, sir.<br />
<br />
TRUMP: ... OK -- that I'm very, very proud of -- millions and millions
of people have come to the Republican Party over the last little while.
They've come to the Republican Party. And by the way, the Democrats are
losing people. This is a trend that's taking place. It's the biggest
thing happening in politics, and I'm very proud to be a part of it. And
I'm going to give them some credit, too, even though they don't deserve
it. But the answer is: Yes, I will.<br />
<br />
WALLACE: Yes, you will support the nominee of the party? <br />
<br />
TRUMP: Yes, I will. Yes. I will.<br />
</span><div style="text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
- From the Washington Post | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqeucaaaaaac/">http://wapo.st/1UHLfPf</a></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
<b>smf:</b> We have a leading presidential candidate advocating committing war
crimes as a campaign pledge and we have his three major opponents saying
they would support him if nominated. One of the candidates’ even
pitifully invokes Teddy Roosevelt’s Man in the Arena speech as
justification. <br />
<br />
The Beastie Boys said that you have to fight for your right to party ...but is this the party über alles?<br />
</span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<i>“Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?”</i></span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
STUDENTS+SCHOOLS FIND CAMPAIGN TALK CONFLICTS WITH NO-BULLIES MESSAGE </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
The New York Times from the Associated Press | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqeupaaaaaac/">http://nyti.ms/24Euh8O</a><br />
<br />
BUFFALO, New York — March 3, 2016, 9:09 A.M. E.S.T. :: Ryan Lysek rose
to become vice president of his fifth-grade class at Lorraine Academy
in Buffalo, New York, after the sitting vice president was ousted for
saying things that went against the school's anti-bullying rules. So the
10-year-old is a little puzzled that candidates running to lead the
entire country can get away with name-calling and foul language.<br />
<br />
The nasty personal tweets and sound bites of the 2016 Republican
presidential campaign are reverberating in classrooms, running counter
to the anti-bullying policies that have emerged in recent years amid
several high-profile suicides.<br />
<br />
For teacher David Arenstam's high school class in Saco, Maine, the
campaign has been one long civics lesson: "Can you really ban a whole
group of people from coming into the country?" the students will ask, or
"What's the KKK (the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan), and do they still
really exist?"<br />
<br />
But mostly, Arenstam said, when it comes to Republican Donald Trump,
students "can't believe nobody calls him on the carpet the way that they
would be called on the carpet if they said those things."<br />
<br />
There's Donald Trump calling Ted Cruz a "loser" and a "liar" and
singling out Muslims and Mexicans for criticism. And there's Marco Rubio
mocking Trump's "worst spray tan in America" and calling him a "con
artist."<br />
<br />
Cruz says nearly every day on the campaign trail, "I don't respond to
insults" and he has been careful not to engage when Trump and others
call him names. But during the Jan. 28 Republican debate which Trump
didn't attend, it was Cruz who made some quasi-insults he said Trump
would have lobbed: "Let me say I'm a maniac and everyone on this stage
is stupid, fat and ugly," Cruz said, snickering that he was getting "the
Donald Trump portion out of the way."<br />
<br />
On Thursday, Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, jumped into the fray, branding Trump "a phony, a fraud."<br />
<br />
"Imagine your children and your grandchildren acting the way he does," Romney said. "Would you welcome that?"<br />
<br />
In the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary
Clinton and Bernie Sanders have focused more on policy than on each
other. The Republican race is a different story.<br />
<br />
"If students are following this election — and they should be — we have a
lot of re-educating to do," Buffalo school administrator Will Keresztes
said. Much of the rhetoric would violate not only the district's code
of conduct, he said, but the state's Dignity for All Students Act.<br />
<br />
This is not the first campaign to get ugly, but educators, parents and
students say this one is particularly challenging because often the
biggest applause lines and headline-grabbers fly in the face of appeals
for students be respectful and kind.<br />
<br />
Pickerington, Ohio, school counselor Kris Owen said students should be
reminded that potential colleges and employers won't find a Twitter feed
full of insults as amusing as some have found the candidates'. She
suggested using the comments as conversation starters.<br />
<br />
"Say, 'Listen, how would you feel if someone was saying these things
about you? How could this person approach it differently or why don't
you all develop your own campaigns using positive tools instead of the
negativity?'" said Owen, who was recognized at the White House last
month as a School Counselor of the Year finalist.<br />
<br />
Candidates "need to think of what's important, the issues, not whether
one gets a spray tan. It's just ridiculous," Ryan Lysek's mother, Cindy
Lysek, said.<br />
<br />
__<br />
<br />
Associated Press reporter Will Weissert in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead3"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
Commentary: THE POLITICAL GRANDSTANDING OF THE LAUSD BOARD + smf’s 2¢ </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Posted on LA School Report by Guest Contributor Caroline Bermudez | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqeukaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1L7uUBp</a><br />
<br />
March 4, 2016 9:23 am :: With the Los Angeles Board of Education poised
to consider the expansion of another successful charter school at its
March 8 meeting, parents demanding more choice deserve to know what is
driving the district’s questionable practices around charter review.<br />
<br />
There is an anti-charter narrative so strong that it defies reason, and
few illustrate it better than the board of the Los Angeles Unified
School District.<br />
<br />
The board, according to charter school organizations, is denying their
petitions to open new schools. Since last July, LA Unified has turned
down seven petitions and approved seven others. Just two years ago, the
approval rating for new charters was 89 percent.<br />
<br />
The reasons LA Unified cites for some of these charter schools not being
allowed to expand? The handling of food contracts and problems with
signatures.<br />
<br />
And while established charter schools tend to have their contracts
renewed (this academic year, the approval rate was 100 percent, the
previous year it was 97 percent), the process is not without pain.<br />
<br />
Charter leaders have long complained that the list of items a school
must “fix” to secure a renewal is onerous, time-consuming and has little
to do with students or outcomes.<br />
<br />
Hillel Aron of L.A. Weekly wrote about the efforts of a former LA
Unified board member, Bennett Kayser, to turn down charter school
applications at every opportunity or even close down high-performing
schools.<br />
<br />
According to Aron’s article, Andrew Thomas, an education researcher who
ran unsuccessfully for an LA Unified board position last year, said of
Kayser at a candidate debate: “To vote on principle or ideology to close
a school—it’s beyond the pale for me.”<br />
<br />
But intellectually dishonest (or bankrupt, as was the case with Kayser)
criticisms of charter schools certainly do not begin or end in Los
Angeles. Policy researcher Conor Williams has written about the petty
battles waged against charters across the nation, silly squabbles that
include allegations of copyright violation.<br />
<br />
Yes, you read that correctly. Copyright violation.<br />
<br />
A successful and wildly popular school got grief because it removed
swear words from a book it was criticized for having its students read
as it was deemed too offensive in the first place by, fittingly enough, a
charter school opponent.<br />
<br />
Does that sound as ridiculous to you as it does to me? I think I know the answer.<br />
<br />
Williams rightly notes, “Charter school critics have abandoned any pretense of consistency—any talking points will do.”<br />
<br />
These talking points, which are largely false, typically involve
spouting nonsense about charters being corporate (they are, repeat after
me, slowly and with feeling, public schools), funded by billionaires,
or adhere to strict disciplinary policies.<br />
<br />
(It’s worth noting I recently visited a charter school where its
students practice yoga and happily run around the parking lot during
recess, lending further proof that charters greatly differ from one
another.)<br />
<br />
Not only are these attacks bereft of reason, they sometimes veer into
harassment, like doxing poor women of color who dare voice their support
of the charter schools their children attend.<br />
<br />
On March 8, LA Unified is expected to determine whether KIPP Comienza
Community Prep, the highest-performing school serving low-income
children in the entire state of California, can grow to accommodate
additional grades.<br />
<br />
Eighty-four percent of its fourth graders scored proficient or advanced
in English language arts on the Smarter Balanced Assessment compared to
39 percent for the rest of the state. The numbers are similarly
staggering for their math scores—81 percent at Comienza, versus 35
percent for all California students. Most of these children, 80 percent,
qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.<br />
<br />
KIPP comes to the table with two decades of running successful schools
in low-income communities, and a wealth of data about its results,
including three federally funded research studies with the most recent
one in 2015.<br />
<br />
This should be an easy decision for the board.<br />
<br />
Sarah Angel, managing director of advocacy for the California Charter
Schools Association, expressed her confusion over the district’s
reluctance to approve charter schools in a statement:<br />
<br />
“It makes little sense that the district would start denying new
charters when the district acknowledges the existing charters are
succeeding. Successful charter schools should be supported by LAUSD to
grow to serve more families in their communities, but instead, many of
them are being prevented from growing. Those who are being denied those
new schools are the families most in need of better schools and more
choice in their neighborhoods.”<br />
<br />
In a city dogged by educational shortcomings for its poor children of
color, the LA Unified board seems to be letting political grandstanding
come before giving more of its neediest children access into a proven
foothold of educational equity.<br />
<br />
Charter schools should receive careful scrutiny but to have proven,
successful schools jump through unnecessary bureaucratic hoops is
irresponsible—and nakedly ideological. Those entrusted in government
service should hold themselves to much higher standards—as these schools
have done for the children they educate.<br />
<br />
▲Caroline Bermudez is a senior writer at Education Post and former reporter at Chronicle of Philanthropy.<br />
<br />
<b>●● smf’s 2¢:</b> FIRST: The expansion of the charter school being kvelled
about is on next Tuesday’s Board of Ed agenda, recommended for approval.<br />
<br />
SECOND: Ms. Bermudez is a writer for Education Post, which calls itself
“a non-partisan communications organization dedicated to building
support for student-focused improvements in public education from
preschool to high school graduation. We believe that education is not
one-size-fits-all and that every family deserves to choose from a range
of schools to find the right fit for their children, including high
quality charter schools.” <br />
That’s all very lovely, but the word “non-partisan” is defied by the
buzz words “every family deserves to choose” and “including high quality
charter schools”.<br />
“Choice” is a polarizing word in political discourse; “A woman’s right
to choose” v. “parent’s right to choose a school.” And when did anyone
publicly advocate for low-or-middling quality charter schools? They
happen – and they have their champions – but that was never the initial
intent.<br />
The original promise/premise/bargain/deal over charter schools was that
in exchange for being "unfettered," they were supposed to do a better
job of educating students -- or they would be closed.<br />
<br />
Not “as good as” – or “almost as good as” – but better! [See: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqeulaaaaaac/">http://huff.to/1nWjqoS</a> + <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqeumaaaaaac/">http://nyti.ms/1TZlNEr]</a> But when the California Charter School Law was written by charter school proponents in 1992 [<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqeunaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1nlZb3S]</a> they left that part out.<br />
<br />
And THIRD, Ms. Bermudez “repeat after me, slowly and with feeling”
cuteness notwithstanding: the Federal Courts and the US Census Bureau (a
part of the Department of Commerce) have determined that charter
schools are publicly funded private schools. And nobody ever gave
parents some imagined right to choose to send their kids to an inferior
public school; not a taxpayer’s expense. <br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead4"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
INGLEWOOD SCHOOLS LAGGING UNDER STATE TAKEOVER, STATE AUDITOR SAYS </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<b>• REPORT CONCLUDES THAT THE DISTRICT’S FINANCES AND
OPERATIONS HAVE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED UNDER THE STATE
SUPERINTENDENT’S CONTROL.<br />
• STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION NEEDS TO BETTER COMMUNICATE HIS APPROACH FOR REFORMING THE DISTRICT</b><br />
<br />
Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, KPCC 89.3 | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqeusaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1X0Cy1e</a><br />
<br />
March 4, 05:02 AM :: The Inglewood Unified School District's finances
and operations have not significantly improved under the administration
of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, officials with the
California State Auditor's office told residents at a public hearing
Thursday night.<br />
<br />
“Deficit spending has continued in the three years following the state
take over and the savings called for in the district’s fiscal recovery
plan have not materialized,” said Deputy State Auditor Ben Belnap.<br />
<br />
The 11,000-student school district was on the verge of bankruptcy in
July, 2012, when school board members requested a $55 million bailout
loan from the state. In accepting the loan, the board gave up its
authority and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson
appointed a state administrator to run the school district.<br />
<br />
But there's been growing criticism of Torlakson’s oversight of Inglewood
Unified, one of only nine school districts in the state that has
requested a state bailout loan.<br />
<br />
The audit found that expenditures increased from $115.3 million to
$125.5 million between fiscal years 2012-13 and 2014-15. Getting the
budget into the black is critical, the auditor said, because it’s a
requirement for a return of local control and it’s the only way the
school district will be able to repay the $29 million dollars it has
spent from the loan it requested.<br />
<br />
“The state has done a disservice, at this time, to this district,”
Johnny Young, a former Inglewood Unified school board member, said as he
left the hearing in the Inglewood High School auditorium.<br />
<br />
State Assemblywoman Autumn Burke said recent reports of dilapidated and
dangerous facilities should prompt Torlakson’s office to move Inglewood
to the top of his priority list.<br />
<br />
“I know you guys have a lot of schools but this one is incredibly
important, this community is incredibly important, and it's going
through an incredible time of change," Burke said. "It is inexcusable to
allow our children to suffer the way they have."<br />
<br />
The state auditor recommended the state administrator to come up with
annual goals for the school district to address the improvements
outlined by the district's fiscal crisis management team. The auditor
also recommended the state administrator communicate what it’s going to
take for the school district to return to local control and the progress
toward that goal.<br />
<br />
The audit was released last November but it was the first time officials
spoke about it publicly in Inglewood. The hearing was organized by
State Assemblyman Mike Gipson, the chair of the Joint Legislative Audit
Committee.<br />
<br />
Torlakson aide Jason Spencer, who represented his boss at the meeting,
said that day-to-day management of the district's finances isn't in the
hands of the California Department of Education, but rather rests with
the state's administrator, a position that has been held by four
different people since 2012.<br />
<br />
“This is not an instance where the state department is running the district,” Spencer said.<br />
<br />
And officials heaped praise on Vincent Matthews, the new state
administrator who’s been on the job less than six months but who
officials said appears to be a better fit than the previous three state
administrators.<br />
<br />
“Dr. Matthews is one of the few individuals in the state that has been a
state administrator that has returned powers to a district board,”
Spencer said.<br />
<br />
Most of the 100 people in attendance were elected officials and their
staffs, civic leaders, school district employees and their union
representatives.<br />
<br />
“I thought this hearing was for the community,” Inglewood teachers union
president Kelly Iwamoto said and the hearing’s organizers should have
made sure that the auditorium was full.<br />
<br />
One of the few parents in attendance was Miriam Morris, who represented
the school district’s Parent Teacher Association council.<br />
<br />
Inglewood Unified has lost many students due to low school performance,
rising housing costs, and more charter schools opening in the area. But,
Morris said, she is seeing progress. <br />
<br />
“We see a shift in tone and we see things happen right away,” Morris said about Matthews’ leadership.<br />
<br />
Case in point, she said: After she enrolled her kindergartener at an
Inglewood school this year the school district moved quickly to create a
dual language Spanish immersion program. And that, Morris said, gives
her hope that this school is the right place for her family.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT">
<a href="https://www.bsa.ca.gov/pdfs/reports/2015-101.pdf" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> FULL AUDIT REPORT</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead5"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
A BETTER SAT …OR JUST A BETTER BOTTOM LINE FOR THE COLLEGE BOARD? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Op-Ed by Karin Klein in the L.A. Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqeuyaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1VWUV75</a><br />
<br />
▼NEWS STORY: On March 5, 2014, the College Board announced that a
redesigned version of the SAT (originally called the Scholastic Aptitude
Test, then the Scholastic Assessment Test, then the SAT I: Reasoning
Test, then the SAT Reasoning Test, and now simply the SAT) would be
administered for the first time in 2016. The exam will revert to the
1600-point scale, the essay will be optional, and students will have 3
hours to take the exam plus 50 additional minutes to complete the essay.
<br />
<br />
Approximately 277,000 students are taking the new+improved SAT in its
first national administration this weekend. The total 463,000 reflects
the number of students who will have taken the new test in March, as of
this weekend. Some school districts held SAT School Day this week, where
all students take the test in school.| <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqeuzaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/21csUK4</a><br />
<br />
March 4, 2016 :: David Coleman, president of the College Board, wants
everyone to know that the new SAT, which students will take for the
first time Saturday, is just as good as the old test at predicting who
would do well in college. Of course, he also wanted to be clear, in
introducing the SAT to a conference of the Education Writers Assn., that
his test was new and improved as well. Left unmentioned: The revamp
might do more for the College Board's bottom line than for the needs of
colleges, universities and students.<br />
<br />
That's not to say the College Board hasn't improved the SAT. For one
thing, it makes the silly essay portion of the test optional; it was
both gameable and, in terms of the way it was scored, hardly an
indicator of who can write well. The new SAT also reformats the testing
of vocabulary, eliminating the $4 words that required weeks of
drill-and-kill memorization and then would never be used again. Plus,
there's no longer an extra penalty for guessing wrong.<br />
<br />
Also to its credit, the College Board has added services to help the
students who can't afford thousands of dollars' worth of private test
prep. Free online prep and practice tests are available through the
nonprofit Khan Academy. And students whose income is low enough to
qualify them for free test taking also automatically qualify for waivers
of college application fees, which normally cost about $80 per college,
not an insignificant sum for working families.<br />
<br />
But most important is that the new SAT is supposed to align with the
Common Core standards that have been adopted to one extent or another in
40-plus states, including California. This includes a heavier emphasis
on reading — even in the math problems — and more critical thinking
skills. That's what colleges say they want, and what students are
lacking.<br />
<br />
What Coleman didn't spend much time discussing are problems with the SAT
that haven't been solved. The test may require more critical thinking
skills, but it is still coachable; it isn't going to put an end to the
big and growing high-end test-preparation industry that gives affluent
kids a leg up on the system. Poor kids get two free shots at taking the
SAT; kids with more money can take the test five to 10 times, and some
of them do. Then many of the colleges allow them to “superscore” —
report only their best scores on each section.<br />
<br />
I recently met a sophomore who's taken the test five times. His mother
said she had spent $10,000 on test preparation so far, and his scores
had risen by 300 points.<br />
<br />
And what about Coleman's assertion that the test has its usual utility
for college admissions officers? If the SAT is a reflection of the
Common Core lessons, and those lessons reflect the skills that colleges
need to see in students, why isn't the new test a better predictor of
freshman college success than the old one?<br />
<br />
It's not that either test, old or new, would do a bad job of identifying
a good student. Studies have shown that the SAT is almost as good as a
student's grades at predicting college success during freshman year.<br />
<br />
More important, using the standardized test in addition to grades gave admissions officers a better picture than grades alone.<br />
<br />
Beyond freshman year, however, research on the SAT's predictive value
gets mixed reviews. A study of colleges that have gone test-optional —
applicants can report their scores or not — found that students who
didn't submit their scores fared just as well throughout college as
those who did, though they might have opted for easier courses.<br />
<br />
A recent report by the Harvard Graduate School of Education suggested
that at some schools, the SAT might be a good predictor of success — for
instance, a mediocre math score probably indicates a kid who would
struggle at MIT or Caltech — but at others, it might not make much of a
difference.<br />
<br />
One thing is certain: The new test will help the College Board grow its
business. The SAT's once-weak competitor, the ACT, was chosen as the
required admissions test by 15 states that pay for the first sitting.
But the College Board recently managed to peel off a couple of those
states, probably in part because of the SAT overhaul.<br />
<br />
More generally, our national obsession with test scores and their
meaning of course redounds to the College Board's financial benefit.<br />
<br />
Some states are starting to look at whether they can reduce the number
of tests taken by high school students by substituting the SAT or ACT
for other standardized tests. That would dramatically expand the reach
of both organizations into the increasingly lucrative
kindergarten-through-12th-grade testing — a big incentive to rewrite the
test around Common Core.<br />
<br />
The new SAT is probably a better test than the last one, and admissions
officers may prefer it. Its greatest value, however, is to the
organization that produces it and the test-prep industry as a whole.<br />
<br />
▲Karin Klein writes about education for The Times editorial board.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
L.A. UNIFED KEEPS SCHOOLS OPEN FRIDAY AFTER "NON-CREDIBLE" THREAT- LA Times <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqevfaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1U1zDpy</a> <br />
<br />
Threat Made At LAUSD Middle, High Schools Deemed ‘Non-Credible’ « CBS L.A.<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqevgaaaaaac/">http://cbsloc.al/1LZr4W1</a> <br />
<br />
INGLEWOOD SCHOOLS LAGGING UNDER STATE TAKEOVER, STATE AUDITOR SAYS<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqevhaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1p5Tedp</a> <br />
<br />
A BETTER SAT …OR JUST A BETTER BOTTOM LINE FOR THE COLLEGE BOARD?<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqeviaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1TVuwse</a> <br />
<br />
Commentary: THE POLITICAL GRANDSTANDING OF THE LAUSD BOARD + smf’s 2¢ <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqevjaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1oWeSQC</a> <br />
<br />
SUPT. KING CALLS FOR PEACE WITH CHARTERS: "IT'S NOT US v. THEM", GETS EARFUL FROM PARENTS (3 stories+2¢)<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqevkaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1TcvD6P</a> <br />
<br />
STUDENTS+SCHOOLS FIND THAT CAMPAIGN TALK CONFLICTS WITH 'NO-BULLIES' MESSAGE - The New York Times <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqeupaaaaaac/">http://nyti.ms/24Euh8O</a> <br />
<br />
LEARN DIFFERENT: SILICON VALLEY DISRUPTS EDUCATION (Good Read!/Longform!)| The New Yorker<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqevlaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1T86vy3</a><br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• Tues. March 8, 2016 - 10:00 a.m. - REGULAR BOARD
MEETING INCLUDING CLOSED SESSION ITEMS – Agenda: bit.ly/1TzfdGl<br />
<br />
• Tues. March 8, 2016 -- 1:00 p.m. - REGULAR BOARD MEETING – Revised agenda: bit.ly/1p7lCvw<br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqetPaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqetQaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqetRaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqetSaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqetTaaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqetUaaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas64macqetVaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px Verdana, sans serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-52127525654202804472016-02-28T09:00:00.000-08:002016-02-28T09:00:19.290-08:00Fixing it in Post: The Miracle on Beaudry Avenue
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<span style="color: #e1127d; font: bold 18px Verdana, sans serif;">
4LAKids: Sunday 28•Feb•2016
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<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px Verdana, sans serif;">
In This Issue:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">THE MIRACLE ON BEAUDRY AVENUE: 3 stories</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Vergara on Appeal: TEACHER TENURE BACK ON TRIAL IN CALIFORNIA</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">WHERE'S THE COLOR IN KIDS' LIT? Ask The Girl With 1,000 Books (And Counting)</span></td>
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<tr valign="TOP">
<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">SOLUTIONS FOR STRESSED-OUT HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS</span></td>
</tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but
not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other Sources</span></td>
</tr>
<tr><td height="10"><img height="10" src="http://app.topica.com/images/pixel.gif" width="1" /></td></tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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Featured Links:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp90Vaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">► Friends4smf :: The GoFundMe campaign</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp90Waaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Follow 4 LAKids on Twitter - or get instant updates via text message by texting</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp90Xaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved!</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp90Yaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKidsNews:
a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
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<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
LAUSD’s adventures with A thru G have been - uh - adventurous. And now we go from adventurous to miraculous.<br />
<br />
The A thru G Initiative was driven by so-called grass-roots community
activists, spurred on by ivory tower education theorists and
inside+outside LAUSD politicians looking for an issue – plus inner city
parents who were promised that their kids would go to college as well as
well-meaning do-gooders with the best of intentions.<br />
<br />
Those selfsame best intentions that the Road to Heck is paved with. <br />
<br />
<b>Q:</b> WHAT IF THE LAUSD GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS WERE THE SAME AS THE ENTRY
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AND THE CALIFORNIA STATE
UNIVERSITY SYSTEM? <br />
<br />
<b>A:</b> THEN ALL HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES (OF WHICH THERE SHALL BE 100%) – WHITE
AND BLACK AND BROWN AND ASIAN; RICH AND POOR AND MIDDLE-CLASS, SHALL GO
TO COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY! <br />
<br />
The High School Diploma as a golden ticket to college!<br />
</span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
“'Cause I've got a golden ticket</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
I've got a golden chance to make my way</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
And with a golden ticket, it's a golden day.”</span><br /><div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
- <i>Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, words and music by Leslie Bricusse </i></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
- <br />
…and (as we all know). The Road to College (stretching the road metaphor
far further than it should go) leads to a Great New Wonderful Tomorrow.
<br />
<br />
Never mind that some kids don’t want to go to college. Never mind that
the UC/CSU systems couldn’t possibly accommodate all those students if
they did graduate. Never mind that there were real issues that college
prepared graduates who had met the A-G requirements were failing
entrance exams, needed remedial courses and were not truly college
prepared.<br />
<br />
I remember sitting on various LAUSD A-G task forces back in the day
eleven years ago – we discussed many roadblocks about A-G …but we never
discussed how our surfeit of high school graduates could afford college.<br />
<br />
Those task forces included truly qualified and committed folks: Senior
LAUSD staff and the Chief Admissions Officer from the CSU system and
mucky-mucks from the UCLA schools of Education and Social Justice. Dr.
Jeannie Oakes from UCLA IDEA went on to become the Ford Foundation
Director of Education and Scholarship; I can think of four task force
members who went on to become superintendents at other districts. <br />
<br />
We started meeting every other week, with encouragement from the
superintendent and sandwiches and coffee and cold drinks. Then we went
to monthly and then bi-monthly with cookies and water. We made concrete
proposals and began designing plans for Individualized Graduation Plans
and elementary-to-middle-school and middle-school-to high-school
bridging programs – and robust summer school and intervention and credit
recovery plans. There would be training and professional development
for every teacher at every level. Parents were going to be involved
every step of the way. <br />
<br />
We debated but never resolved whether a “D” would qualify as a passing grade. <br />
<br />
The programs proposed – like the sandwiches, coffee and parking
validations – cost money. The economy went south along with the
District’s focus+budget. And, after all, the implementation date was
years away. Superintendents and Boards of Ed changed – and the
commitment wavered and then waned. There were other crises and other
shiny sparkly things. Small Learning Communities. Mayoral Control.
Charter encroachment. Miramonte. iPads.<br />
<br />
Binders full of plans were bound and shelved.<br />
We would get around to it later. The plans went from shelves to the
archives. And later got to be sooner. MLK said there’d be days like
this: “We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are
confronted with the fierce urgency of now.<br />
<br />
<br />
And it is All Hands on Deck and Emergency Room Triage and
D-is-a-passing-grade. Credit Recovery v. Content Recovery. Online
classes. Edgenuity. Quick fixes and Band Aids for a problem years in the
making.<br />
<br />
• KPCC discusses “…negotiating a contract with a teacher to change a student's grade, from an F to D…” <br />
• The Times says LAUSD’s Chief Academic Officer stopped just short of saying that the academic rigor was completely undiluted. <br />
• 4LAKids wonders where on the slippery slope between Social Promotion and Social Graduation we find ourselves. <br />
<br />
<br />
LAUSD does its best work responding to crisis; if you don’t think so
consider the Porter Hills gas leak and emergency relocation of two
schools in three weeks.<br />
<br />
And now the Graduation Crisis is fixed in one month.<br />
<br />
It takes thirteen years for a student to progress from kindergarten to
twelfth grade. And apparently, if something goes wrong, it can be fixed
in the last semester of their senior year. <br />
<br />
(In the showbiz we call that ‘fixing it in post.” They give an Academy
Award for that, it’s for Best Achievement in Film Editing. Watch for it
tonight.)<br />
<br />
Who needs a plan when you have a Tiger Team?<br />
<br />
Miracles? You gotta believe. W.C. Fields said; “Everybody has to believe in something. I believe I’ll have another drink.”<br />
<br />
Sleep tight, gentle readers. Sweet dreams. And don’t let the bed bugs bite.<br />
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! – smf<br />
<br />
_____________<br />
<br />
<b>A BLATANT APPEAL</b> <i>by Scott Folsom</i><br />
<br />
My daughter, the lovely+talented Alana Folsom, has been the editor of
the literary journal at every educational institution that would have
her.<br />
<br />
• She edited the literary journal at LAUSD’s John Marshall High School, Class of ‘08<br />
• She edited Seeds, the literary journal at Bates College in Maine, Class of ‘12<br />
• She is currently editing the literary journal for the MA/MFA program
at Oregon State University in Corvallis. Actually, she and her English
Major Graduate Student friends created the literary journal, 45th
Parallel.<br />
<br />
Alana and her OSU EMGS friends have big plans for 45th Parallel and will
be hawking their journal at Association of Writers & Writing
Programs [AWP16] Conference & Bookfair at the Los Angeles Convention
Center & JW Marriott at the end of March/Beginning of April.<br />
<br />
But before that they need to raise some money to actually print 400
copies of their journal …so they have a Kickstarter campaign. They need
to raise $1500 (the truth is they already have) but, as they say,
“…we’ve also made some ‘dream goals’ – goals beyond our base funding
that we can only dream, dream, dream of having happen.”<br />
</span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
“A dream is a wish your heart makes</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
When you're fast asleep</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
In dreams you will lose your heartache</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Whatever you wish for you keep”</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
Become a Patron of the Arts! Click on the link; Alana, on video, will explain it better than I.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT">
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp90Zaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> 45th PARALLEL KICKSTARTER APPEAL</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
THE MIRACLE ON BEAUDRY AVENUE: 3 stories </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
►<b>Miracle on Beaudry Avenue: WHY L.A. UNIFIED'S GRADUATION RATE IS EXPECTED TO SOAR THIS YEAR</b><br />
By Howard Blume | LA Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp91naaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1KSXK8s</a><br />
<br />
Feb. 24, 2016 :: The beleaguered Los Angeles Board of Education had
that rare moment Tuesday when it could celebrate good news that verged
on the spectacular: The nation's second-largest school system seems
headed for a record graduation rate despite more rigorous standards and
despite fears — as recently as last week — that half of students would
not make it into their caps and gowns.<br />
<br />
Although this turnaround has raised eyebrows among outside observers, it
was welcome balm at the school board meeting for officials accustomed
to catcalls for the ills of the long-struggling school district.<br />
<br />
Board member Ref Rodriguez was "thrilled."<br />
<br />
"I'm encouraged," said George McKenna. "I'm really enthusiastically encouraged."<br />
<br />
The projected graduation rate could rise as high as 80%, compared with last year's 74%, those presenting the update said.<br />
<br />
"We're shooting for the stars," said Supt. Michelle King.<br />
<br />
Doubts were few.<br />
<br />
Monica Ratliff voiced hers almost as an afterthought, and only because
McKenna, who chaired the meeting, asked her if she had anything to say
before he gaveled it to a close.<br />
<br />
"I love the progress that has been made," Ratliff began. But "are these
credit recovery courses really rigorous [college-preparation] courses?
How do we know? What is our evidence? How do we make sure the … diploma
is the same for everyone?"<br />
<br />
Chief Academic Officer Frances Gipson stopped just short of saying that
the academic rigor was completely undiluted. In an interview after the
meeting, she noted that these efforts to get foundering students quickly
back on course through online classes and other means are overseen by
L.A. Unified teachers.<br />
<br />
"It's still L.A. Unified teachers working with L.A. Unified students," she said.<br />
<br />
In other words, the standards should be comparable to those of the
teachers who flunked these same students in required classes not so long
ago.<br />
<br />
Former school board member David Tokofsky saluted the urgency but
questioned how much students were learning as they crammed to make up
course credits.<br />
<br />
"Credit recovery is not content recovery," said Tokofsky, who coached a
championship academic decathlon team at Marshall High School.<br />
<br />
The potential crisis was years in the making.<br />
<br />
In 2005 district officials, under pressure from community groups,
decided that all students, starting with the class of 2016, would have
to pass the courses needed to qualify for a four-year state college. To
be eligible to apply, students also would have to earn at least a C in
each class.<br />
<br />
But students were not hitting those marks. And last year, the school
board lowered the standard to a D for the college-prep classes. About
half of students weren't hitting this target either as recently as
December.<br />
<br />
Instead of backing down from the requirements, district educators from
the top down began what Gipson likened to "emergency-room" triage.<br />
<br />
At Tuesday's meeting, Gipson and other senior administrators went
through a long list of efforts being made, including having emissaries
from district offices travel to each school to ask about individual
students and what special programs they are taking part in.<br />
<br />
Online classes were a key part of the formula. They require at least 60
hours of seat time — and passing unit tests — to get credit for a
semester of work, Gipson said.<br />
<br />
Schools had varying approaches. Verdugo Hills High School was allowing
students to finish course work on computers at home but noticed that
some students were getting stuck at night. So the school assigned a
teacher to work evenings, someone who could be contacted for help.<br />
<br />
Another novel method at many schools is negotiating a contract with a
teacher to change a student's grade, from an F to D — if the student
takes on additional work that would have resulted in a D had the student
done the job the first time.<br />
<br />
Board President Steve Zimmer said he's concerned that students who are
back on track could still slip off again before June. And he wants to be
sure the district sticks with students who have no hope of a June
ceremony.<br />
<br />
But he, too, was pleased.<br />
<br />
"It's evident we're changing the way we work," he said. "And that's really positive for the families that need us the most."<br />
<br />
______________<br />
<b><br />
►Miracle on Beaudry Avenue: WHY LAUSD'S PROJECTED GRADUATION RATE SHOT UP 9 POINTS IN 1 MONTH</b><br />
By Kyle Stokes | KPCC 89.3 | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp91oaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1KSTPJ5</a><br />
<br />
February 23 2016 :: When second semester classes came to an end in
January, barely half of the 32,000 seniors in Los Angeles Unified high
schools were on-track to graduate at the end of this year.<br />
<br />
Now, six weeks later, 63 percent of L.A. Unified seniors are on-track to
earn diplomas, a district memo shows — and another 17 percent are only
one or two courses behind.<br />
<br />
But what looked like a sudden shift in the numbers is the result of what
district officials described Tuesday as part of a year-long,
district-wide effort to ensure off-track high school seniors earn the
credits they need to get their diplomas.<br />
<br />
Specifically, the updated numbers include for the first time students
who made up credits during the fall semester. Some even finished their
credit recovery work over winter break, said L.A. Unified Chief Academic
Officer Frances Gipson.<br />
<br />
But only 43 percent of this year’s seniors are currently on-track to
graduate with a C average or better — a bar students must clear to be
eligible for admission at University of California or California State
University campuses.<br />
<br />
Superintendent Michelle King has set a goal that 100 percent of L.A.
Unified students graduate on-time, but efforts to increase the number
predate her time in the district’s top job.<br />
<br />
Last August, the district “decentralized” its efforts to ensure all
students met all of the so-called “A-G requirements,” giving local
school leaders the autonomy to determine how to meet students’ credit
recovery needs in their differing neighborhoods, Gipson said.<br />
<br />
And starting in mid-January, counselors began sending certified letters
to parents of every student in the Class of 2016 who was off-track.<br />
<br />
"It’s evident we’re changing the way we work,” L.A. Unified school board president Steve Zimmer during a Tuesday meeting.<br />
<br />
Preliminary figures showed 74 percent of L.A. Unified's Class of 2015
graduated on-time. On Tuesday, district officials and school board
members expressed cautious optimism that the Class of 2016 might top
that mark, but Gipson did not want to make any predictions.<br />
<br />
“Credit recovery’s like the emergency room and we want to attend to that
and make sure [the student is] healthy and well,” Gipson said. “It’s
about the health of our education system and making sure we have
rigorous instruction, quality instruction.”<br />
<br />
Students who’ve fallen behind are recovering lost credits in a range of
ways, district officials said Tuesday. Since August 2015, L.A. Unified
students had enrolled in more than 11,900 courses through an online
credit recovery program called Edgenuity; they'd completed more than
2,900 semester courses.<br />
<br />
But the district also offers more traditional face-to-face instruction
that helps students make up those credits. Gipson said her team is still
sorting through the data to determine the breakdown of how many
students are enrolled in online, classroom-based and blended credit
recovery courses respectively.<br />
<br />
Students who end up in credit recovery programs often are among a
school’s most vulnerable or at-risk, said Jessica Heppen, who directs
research on teaching and learning technology at the American Institutes
for Research.<br />
<br />
Heppen conducted a study on ninth graders in Chicago who had failed a
first semester Algebra course, comparing how these students fared in
face-to-face and online credit recovery courses. The results of her
study were mixed; while students in face-to-face courses recovered the
credits at somewhat higher rates, students in online courses appeared to
have taken away somewhat more content knowledge.<br />
<br />
But either way, "we don’t have a lot of evidence that they really had a
launching point in order to be more successful in mathematics going
forward,” said Heppen.<br />
<br />
While expressing optimism at the numbers district officials discussed
Tuesday, L.A. Unified board member Monica Ratliff closed Tuesday’s
session by raising similar questions:<br />
<br />
“Are these credit recovery courses really rigorous A-G courses? How do we know? What’s our evidence?"<br />
<br />
______________<br />
<br />
►<b>Miracle on Beaudry Avenue: ARE LAUSD STUDENTS REALLY READY FOR COLLEGE?</b><br />
The Times Editorial Board | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp91paaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/24uvYpc</a><br />
<br />
Feb 26, 2016 :: In a burst of optimism, the Los Angeles Unified school
board voted in 2005 to require all students in the district to pass a
full set of college-prep courses in order to graduate high school.
Recognizing that it would be difficult and time consuming to prepare for
such a change, the board announced that the rule wouldn't take effect
for 12 years. That time is now up; beginning this school year, every
student who hopes to graduate must for the first time earn a grade of D
or better in a set of courses that includes four years of English and
three years of math.<br />
<br />
But it was a poorly conceived mandate from the start. It wasn't a
surprise to most observers that this ruling from on high didn't
magically improve instruction, curriculum or learning. Nor was it
terribly surprising when the district announced in December that because
of the new rules, it expected to face a huge dip in its graduation rate
this year — from the 74% it had reached after years of trying, down to a
gloomy 54%. And it would have been a lot worse than that if the board
hadn't previously dropped an even more onerous requirement that students
get a C or better in all those courses, which would qualify them for
admission to the California State University system.<br />
<br />
That was where things stood until last week, when the seemingly magical
happened. Although there have been only a few weeks of school since the
December report, L.A. Unified announced that suddenly the expected
graduation rate is up to 63% and might go as high as 80%.<br />
<br />
How did this come about? Thanks largely to the online “credit-recovery”
courses that students were allowed to take in order to pass courses they
previously had failed. And though the district probably had no choice
but to allow this lest its own bad policymaking unfairly rob students of
a diploma, some legitimate questions are now being raised about whether
all these students have truly mastered the material that had previously
eluded them.<br />
<br />
Probably no one frets about dropouts more than Russell Rumberger,
director of the California Dropout Research Project at UC Santa Barbara,
and he takes a skeptical view of online credit-recovery programs. Not
that there aren't good ones, he says, and he acknowledges that there are
online courses that suit the learning styles of some students. But
there are also quick-fix models that do not impose the kind of rigor and
standards that students would find in a classroom. He's seen online
English courses that conferred an A grade after requiring a single book
and about 12 hours of computer work, as opposed to the five books and
more than 100 hours of instructional time that a regular English class
would have required.<br />
<br />
L.A. Unified says that's not what's happening and that it has done
quality control to ensure that its credit-recovery classes are
meaningful. Students spend about 60 hours on the courses, officials say,
and must pass unit tests to get credit. Students are overseen in their
work by teachers.<br />
<br />
Still, there's some apparent concern even on the board about the speed with which the district turned the numbers around. <br />
<br />
“I love the progress that has been made,” said board member Monica
Ratliff at a meeting this week. But “are these credit-recovery courses
really rigorous courses? How do we know? What is our evidence?”<br />
<br />
Setting high standards for graduation is a fine idea, but they must be
achievable or else they can be counterproductive. And once they're set,
students must be helped to meet them fair and square. Not through
shortcuts or last minute brush-ups. That means building a solid scaffold
of curriculum, instruction and other programs that improve actual
learning, which was supposed to be the goal all along.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead3"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
Vergara on Appeal: TEACHER TENURE BACK ON TRIAL IN CALIFORNIA </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<b>THE RATIONALE BEHIND TEACHER LAYOFFS IS ONCE AGAIN AT STAKE IN THE GOLDEN STATE.</b><br />
<br />
By Lauren Camera | US News and World Report | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp91saaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1QE46oh</a><br />
<br />
Feb. 24, 2016, at 4:33 p.m. :: A California appellate court is set to
hear oral arguments Thursday in a case that could dramatically shift the
state's education landscape.<br />
<br />
In 2012, a group of nine California students filed a lawsuit against the
state, arguing that its teacher tenure, seniority and layoff policies
resulted in unequal student outcomes and therefore violated the state's
constitution.<br />
<br />
The case, Vergara v. California, garnered national attention and was
just the latest in a slew of suits that took aim at teachers unions.<br />
<br />
The students argued that, among other things, California's two-year time
period for anointing a teacher with tenure is too short; its procedure
for dismissing ineffective teachers is too difficult; and its layoff
policy, which is based on seniority and often called "last in, first
out," doesn't take into account how effective teachers are.<br />
<br />
Last year, a judge ruled in the students' favor, but delayed the actual
banning of the policies pending appeals – a process that begins with
Thursday's arguments.<br />
<br />
On Wednesday, the two national teachers unions sought to get out ahead
of the case, issuing statements castigating the students' suit.<br />
<br />
"The Vergara v. State of California lawsuit is an example of using our
court system for political goals," said Lily Eskelsen García, president
of the National Education Association, the country's largest teachers
union. "Due process policies such as tenure are an important job
protection that teachers value highly. These policies don't prevent bad
teachers from being fired; they prevent good teachers from being fired
for bad reasons."<br />
<br />
The American Federation of Teachers chimed in as well.<br />
<br />
"In reality, rather than trying to recruit, support and retain teachers –
particularly for the students most in need – it aimed to strip teachers
of basic job protections," said Michael Powell, a spokesman for the
union. "The suit is wrong, on both the law and the facts."<br />
<br />
However, new survey data from Teach Plus, an education advocacy group,
show that a majority of principals in California agree with the
plaintiffs when it comes to teacher layoffs.<br />
<br />
_____________<br />
<b>●●smf NOTE:</b> <span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">from the New York Times by Sam Dillon</span> | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp91taaaaaac/">http://nyti.ms/1QE4S4R</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">May 21, 2011 - INDIANAPOLIS — A handful of outspoken teachers helped
persuade state lawmakers this spring to eliminate seniority-based layoff
policies. They testified before the legislature, wrote briefing papers
and published an op-ed article in The Indianapolis Star.<br />
<br />
They described themselves simply as local teachers who favored school
reform — one sympathetic state representative, Mary Ann Sullivan, said,
“They seemed like genuine, real people versus the teachers’ union
lobbyists.” They were, but they were also recruits in a national
organization, Teach Plus, financed significantly by the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation.<br />
<br />
For years, Bill Gates focused his education philanthropy on overhauling
large schools and opening small ones. His new strategy is more
ambitious: overhauling the nation’s education policies. To that end, the
foundation is financing educators to pose alternatives to union
orthodoxies on issues like the seniority system and the use of student
test scores to evaluate teachers. <i>[article continues…]</i></span><br />
______________<br />
<br />
Out of more than 500 principals from across the state, 69 percent said
they are dissatisfied with the state's current teacher layoff system,
while only 11 percent reported being satisfied.<br />
<br />
What's more, 71 percent of principals who had been at their schools for
five or more years reported losing teachers due to layoffs. And when
those principals were asked whether they had lost a teacher even though
he or she was better than another teacher with more seniority, 72
percent said such a scenario had occurred.<br />
<br />
The most common complaints about the current policy included principals'
inability to create a strong teaching staff and an overall feeling that
the system reflects negatively on the teaching profession.<br />
<br />
"Seniority-based layoffs are what holds our profession back from respect
and progress," one principal commented in the survey. "We are doing a
great disservice to our students and communities when we honor tenure
and seniority above doing right by our kids."<br />
<br />
Indeed, 63 percent of respondents said they think a layoff system based
on a teacher's seniority is viewed negatively by people considering
joining the profession, while only 11 percent of respondents think it's
viewed positively.<br />
<br />
"The seniority system makes education look unprofessional when compared to other professions," a different principal said.<br />
<br />
Still, both principals and teachers aren't in favor of completely negating the importance of seniority.<br />
<br />
"Our teachers deserve to be honored for their years of commitment,
dedication and cumulative expertise," one principal responded.<br />
<br />
Principals indicated they'd prefer teacher layoffs be determined 69
percent by a teacher's performance and 31 percent by seniority. Notably,
a 2015 Teach Plus report involving a survey of more than 500 California
teachers found that on average, they were in favor of a system that
weighted performance and seniority equally.<br />
<br />
Principals also are worried about superintendents using a layoff system
that incorporates effectiveness to dismiss high-performing senior
teachers over high-performing but less experienced teachers purely for
budgetary reasons, since senior teachers are typically paid the most.<br />
Another common concern was that current teacher evaluation systems need
to be strengthened before moving toward a layoff policy that
incorporates teacher performance.<br />
<br />
"There needs to be a common performance tool created that can truly
measure a teacher's performance over a period of years," one principal
wrote. "Then, and only then, can we successfully weigh a teacher's
performance and decrease the need to [lay off] by seniority."<br />
<br />
Teachers unions have harped on this point for some time now, arguing
that evaluation systems that use student test scores – which many states
adopted in the wake of the Obama administration's Race to the Top grant
program and No Child Left Behind waivers – have proved unreliable so
far as states continue to refine and change their testing regimens.<br />
<br />
In Powell's statement Wednesday, he said that instead of layoff
policies, the teaching profession would be better suited by focusing on
improving hiring practices, especially in the midst of a nationwide
teacher shortage.<br />
<br />
"With enrollment in teacher training programs plunging, a high
percentage of new teachers leaving the profession in the first five
years and the retirement of large numbers of seasoned educators, it's
irrational to try and further deplete their ranks or make teaching an
unattractive profession," Powell said.<br />
<br />
In the wake of the original ruling, teacher unions have also pointed out
that states with the highest academic performance actually have some of
the strongest seniority protections for teachers, including Maryland
and Massachusetts, and that multiple studies show two-thirds of the
factors contributing to student outcomes are actually issues that occur
outside the classroom, like poverty, family background and inadequate
housing.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, civil rights groups – including the Lawyers' Committee for
Civil Rights Under Law, the Education Law Center, the Southern Poverty
Law Center and others – have underscored that the real culprit in
depriving students of a quality education, especially low-income and
minority students, is inadequate school funding.</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead4"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
WHERE'S THE COLOR IN KIDS' LIT? Ask The Girl With 1,000 Books (And Counting) </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
NPR Morning Edition | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp91waaaaaac/">http://n.pr/1S8DPUG</a><br />
Listen to the Story: 3:41 | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp91xaaaaaac/">http://n.pr/1pfTbLD</a><br />
Published February 26, 20165:14 AM ET <br />
<br />
DAVID GREENE, HOST: Marley Dias is 11 years old. She loves reading. But
she noticed that a lot of the books at school were about white boys. Or
dogs. Or, like the award-winning children's novel, "Shiloh," they were
about white boys and their dogs. We asked Marley to elaborate on what
bothered her.<br />
<br />
MARLEY DIAS: Basically, it was the lack of diversity in my fifth-grade
class. We were only reading books such as "Where The Red Fern Grows,"
"Crash," the "Shiloh" series and "Old Yeller." So I noticed that. Then I
was frustrated because I was never reading books about black girls or
any different type of character so I went home and I told my mom, and
she said, well, what are you going to do about it? So I decided to start
a campaign in which black girls are the main character and then give
those books to various schools.<br />
<br />
GREENE: Wow. You're 11 years old, and you just decided, this is a problem and I'm going to take it on myself.<br />
<br />
MARLEY: Yes, yes I did.<br />
<br />
GREENE: And just tell me why it was important to you and why you think
it's important for 11-year-olds, you know, to be reading books that have
more diversity?<br />
<br />
MARLEY: Well, I think it's important in general for kids to be reading
books with diversity. When you read about character that you can connect
with, you'll remember the things that they learned. So if I like hair
bows and the character I'm reading about likes hair bows, I will
remember what he or she learned in that book because I have something in
common with them.<br />
<br />
GREENE: And so it was not a matter of you wanting books to be about
black girls, you just wanted the characters to be people who you could
relate to more.<br />
<br />
MARLEY: Yeah, I just - I think that it was definitely about access. At
home, I could read those books and I could read as many as I wanted, but
when I came to school it wasn't really available for me to read.<br />
<br />
GREENE: OK so you take it upon yourself and you start collecting books
that have more diverse characters in them. Where were you getting these
books? Were you buying them, or, what was happening?<br />
<br />
MARLEY: No, we weren't buying them, we were getting donations from
people who saw the campaign on social media. And I think that it's a lot
better when they give books because then they know where their money's
going. We did get some money donations, which is definitely helpful for
us when we travel, and we had to hire people to help log books because
there's so many.<br />
<br />
GREENE: Were you sort of the boss? Were you kind of giving them instructions on how you wanted this to be done?<br />
<br />
MARLEY: Yes, I am, but because I have school I can't spend, like, the
day helping opening books all the time, but I try my best because I
don't want to just be the boss and be the representative. I want to be a
part of every aspect of the work that I created. I just don't want to
be, like, the big boss who doesn't do much.<br />
<br />
GREENE: I love that. That seems like a very good lesson to learn in life
very early on. What's been the most memorable moment so far since
you've started doing this?<br />
<br />
MARLEY: That's a tough one. Well, of course when we reached 1,000 books,
which is so big of a deal, it was really awesome. And then when I went
on the "Ellen" show - I've never been on TV or done anything, like, that
made me famous or anything in any respect. It's just - all of it really
is super important and super special.<br />
<br />
GREENE: So the bottom line - you were trying to collect a thousand books
and give them away, and you kind of blew right through your goal and
have collected a lot more, which is awesome. Do you have a new goal now?<br />
<br />
MARLEY: We don't have a new goal, but I do have a bigger idea now that
we've reached the goal. It's that we have school boards assigning books
where it's very diverse and it's not just one type that they're trying
to focus on, it's all different characters, all different races, all
different genders. So that's definitely one of the big things that I
want to achieve because I know that I'm definitely not the only kid or
student out there who's experiencing this problem.<br />
<br />
GREENE: Marley, you've probably heard this before - you're a very impressive young woman.<br />
<br />
MARLEY: Thank you.<br />
<br />
GREENE: Best of luck to you, and thanks for taking the time to talk to us about this.<br />
<br />
MARLEY: No problem.<br />
<br />
GREENE: She is only 11 years old. That's Marley Dias, and you heard her on MORNING EDITION from NPR News.<br />
<br />
<br />
►The thing NPR Ed wanted to know? Her take on a subject she now knows
well: books about black girls. Here are her top five picks.<br />
<br />
• <b>BROWN GIRL DREAMING</b> by Jacqueline Woodson<br />
<br />
Age level: Grades 6-8<br />
<br />
Genre: Autobiography<br />
<br />
Why Marley recommends it: "It's definitely one of my favorites,
mainly because I am a very avid reader and it was one of the first books
I ever had a challenge reading. I know that sounds not really good
because then you couldn't understand it. But it was like the first time
that I ever fully had to wait and think through something and take my
time, which I think is definitely something important because you have
to be patient.<br />
<br />
"It's also a poetry book and I think that poetry is cool even though
I don't really write poetry that much. I do think it's cool to read it.
And it's a very important book and there's a lot of themes in the book.
There's a lot of ways to interpret it, but it's about the '60s and '70s
and Jim Crow laws in South Carolina and New York and how a girl talks
about her family and racism and how they experience it."<br />
<b><br />
• ONE CRAZY SUMMER</b> by Rita Williams-Garcia<br />
<br />
Age level: Grades 3-5<br />
<br />
Genre: Historical fiction<br />
<br />
Why Marley recommends it: "The black girls that I know ... thought
that this was one of the best books about black girls. I haven't
finished reading it yet. I know it's kind of disappointing that I
haven't read one of the most popular books that we've been getting. It's
about three girls who go to see their mother, who they haven't seen
ever since they were babies. So, they go to visit the summer with her
and they have a whole giant adventure."<br />
<b><br />
• PRESIDENT OF THE WHOLE FIFTH GRADE</b> by Sherri Winston<br />
<br />
Age Level: Grades 3-5<br />
<br />
Genre: Fiction<br />
<br />
Why Marley recommends it: "It's about a girl named Brianna Justice
who runs for fifth-grade president." Marley explains that the main
character is following in the footsteps of her role model, "who's a
cupcake baker from the same town in Michigan that she's from. So, it's
about her whole journey to become president of the whole fifth grade.
It's a series and there's President of the Whole Sixth Grade as well."<br />
<b><br />
• ROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY</b> by Mildred D. Taylor<br />
<br />
Age level: Grades 5-8<br />
<br />
Genre: Historical fiction, classic<br />
<br />
Why Marley recommends it: "I like this one because it's a classic
book in general and it's one of the most famous black girl books ever.
The main character, she's very independent. She's very strong. She's
very family-oriented and she protects her family. So, that's definitely
one of the main things that the book is popular for. It has a very
important life lesson: to be protective of the things you have, even
though you might not be 100 percent grateful for it, and to always stand
up for what you believe in, even if you're the only one. So, I think
those are definitely good themes that could help girls — and boys —
learn how to represent their voices when there's a problem."<br />
<br />
<b>• PLEASE, BABY, PLEASE</b> by Spike Lee, Tonya Lewis Lee and Kadir Nelson<br />
<br />
Age level: Ages 2-5<br />
<br />
Genre: Comedy<br />
<br />
Why Marley recommends it: When it comes to books for little kids,
Marley has a tie: Please, Baby, Please and Please, Puppy, Please.
"They're really funny and sweet little books about a baby who is being a
little troublemaker and then about a dog who's being a little
troublemaker. They're funny and they're sweet and kids enjoy them."<br />
<br />
Marley continues to accept donations. You can send books to:<br />
59 Main Street, Suite 323, West Orange, NJ 07052<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead5"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
SOLUTIONS FOR STRESSED-OUT HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<b>WITH GROWING EVIDENCE THAT STUDENTS ARE SUFFERING
FROM THE INTENSE COMPETITION FOR COLLEGE ADMISSION, SCHOOLS AROUND THE
COUNTRY ARE RETHINKING EVERYTHING FROM TESTS TO CLASSES TO START TIMES</b><br />
<br />
By NIKHIL GOYAL | Wall Street Journal | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp91zaaaaaac/">http://on.wsj.com/1QEfccV</a><br />
<br />
Feb. 12, 2016 1:28 p.m. ET :: Last year, at the West
Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District in central New Jersey,
superintendent David Aderhold decided that students had had enough.
District staff had recommended mental-health assessments for more than
120 middle- and highschool students for depression, anxiety and suicidal
thoughts—a pronounced increase from the previous year. In a letter to
parents last fall, he wrote, “I cannot help but think that we may be
failing [our students] by reinforcing an educational system that
perpetuates grades at the expense of deep and meaningful learning.”<br />
Mr. Aderhold isn’t alone in questioning the high-pressure environment at many schools.<br />
<br />
With growing evidence that students are suffering from the intense
competition for college admission, schools around the country are
rethinking everything from tests to classes to start times.<br />
<br />
Mr. Aderhold, whose district near Princeton University includes 9,800
students, has enacted reforms. He abolished midterms and final exams and
instituted a no-homework policy during breaks and some weekends. It
hasn’t all gone smoothly. Some parents have complained, worried that the
changes will leave their children unprepared for elite colleges.<br />
<br />
Other schools are making similar changes. Last year, the board of
education of Montgomery County Public Schools in Rockville, Md., one of
the largest and highest-ranking districts in the U.S., voted to
eliminate high-school final exams and to replace them, starting next
fall, with in-class projects and tasks. Some schools have scrapped
Advanced Placement classes, saying that they contribute to academic
pressure.<br />
<br />
Others are aiming to give students more opportunities to explore their
passions, work on real-world projects and collaborate and learn from
other students of all ages. The idea is that education must be for life
and “school needs to stop getting in the way of curiosity,” said Ira
Socol, an educator at Albemarle County Public Schools in
Charlottesville, Va.<br />
<br />
The Albemarle district has added music studios and spaces for hackers
and “makers” to its middle and high schools in the past several years so
that students can take charge of their own learning and do
interdisciplinary, hands-on work. At one middle school, students built
tree houses in the cafeteria, learning problem-solving and technical
skills along the way. Students can now sit in the tree houses to eat
lunch, congregate and relax. The schools have also begun to gravitate
away from traditional exams and toward portfolio-based assessments.<br />
<br />
To deal with the problem of sleep deprivation, some schools have adopted
later start times. In 2014, researchers at the University of Minnesota
examined data collected from more than 9,000 students at eight high
schools in Minnesota, Colorado and Wyoming that had made this shift. The
study found that when schools started at 8:30 a.m. or later, teenagers
reported lower rates of depression and substance use, fewer car crashes,
less absenteeism and tardiness, and higher test scores. In November,
the Seattle School Board voted to require city high schools to move
start times from 7:50 to 8:45 a.m., making it one of the largest
districts in the country to implement the change.<br />
<br />
College and university administrators have started to take notice as
well. In January, a report from the Harvard Graduate School of Education
called for a fundamental reimagining of college admissions. Endorsed by
more than 80 college presidents, deans, professors and high-school
administrators—including every Ivy League admissions dean—the report
argued that colleges must value ethical and intellectual engagement,
“deflate undue academic performance pressure” and “redefine achievement
in ways that create greater equity and access for economically diverse
students.”<br />
<br />
The recommendations included: discouraging students from overloading on
AP or International Baccalaureate classes; asking candidates for
admission to describe only two or three meaningful extracurricular
activities on their applications, to show that the colleges value
quality over quantity; and evaluating whether the SAT and ACT
standardized tests should be optional.<br />
<br />
The reformers hope that these steps will ease the high-stakes
achievement culture. As Mr. Aderhold of West Windsor-Plainsboro told me,
“We’re not producing widgets. We’re producing citizens of the world.”<br />
<br />
—Mr. Goyal is the author of “Schools on Trial: How Freedom and
Creativity Can Fix Our Educational Malpractice,” to be published Feb. 16
by Doubleday.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ABOLISHED HOMEWORK? THIS. - LA Times <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp91Haaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1N8eSS5</a> <br />
<br />
VERGARA LAWSUIT, CHALLENGING TEACHER JOB PROTECTIONS, GOES TO APPEALS COURT- LA Times <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp91Iaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1LnF0Ol</a> <br />
<br />
HOW TO RAISE HAPPY TRANSGENDER KIDS - LA Times <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp91Jaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1XT1fO2</a> <br />
<br />
JOE THE PLUMBER TAKES ON PUBLIC EDUCATION <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp91Kaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1KTBgUW</a> <br />
<br />
SOLUTIONS FOR STRESSED-OUT HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp91Laaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1TGHGbs</a> <br />
<br />
Tuesday morning, March 1st: SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS TOWN HALL MEETING IN PACOIMA <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp91Maaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1KIs99C</a> <br />
<br />
April 4th/Save the Date|YOUR FEEDBACK IS NEEDED: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MEETING ON THE FUTURE OF HIGH SCHOOL EXIT EXAM <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp91Naaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1PXcOkg</a> <br />
<br />
MOODY'S ASSIGNS Aa2 TO LAUSD GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS; OUTLOOK IS STABLE</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• Tuesday morning, March 1st 8 a.m.: SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS TOWN HALL MEETING IN PACOIMA<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp91Maaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1KIs99C</a><br />
<br />
• March 1, 2016 - 10:00 a.m. - CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND EDUCATIONAL EQUITY COMMITTEE MEETING | Agenda:<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp91Saaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1LNJ7yc</a><br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp900aaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp901aaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp902aaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp903aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp904aaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp905aaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas54jacp906aaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px Verdana, sans serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-36664203342536025512016-02-21T13:00:00.000-08:002016-02-21T13:00:11.108-08:00No more croaking
<br />
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<span style="color: #e1127d; font: bold 18px Verdana, sans serif;">
4LAKids: Sunday 21•Feb•2016
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In This Issue:
</span>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">DESPITE NEW REQUIREMENTS, L.A. UNIFIED'S PROJECTED GRADUATION RATE SOARS</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">COMPLAINT ACCUSES MAGNOLIA CHARTERS OF ILLEGAL USE OF FUNDS</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">COURT'S MOVE TO GIVE TWO NONPROFITS ACCESS TO STUDENTS' PERSONAL DATA IGNITES PRIVACY DEBATE</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but
not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other Sources</span></td>
</tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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Featured Links:
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1DXaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved!</a> </td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1DYaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKidsNews:
a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
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<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
In my geezerhood I spend a lot of time in doctor’s
offices. Not PhDs or EdDs like any self-respecting education activist,
but MDs.<br />
<br />
While I was seated on an exam table wearing one of those drafty robes I
was explaining to a doctor’s assistant – who had asked what it is I do -
that I am a mucky-muck with the PTA. She was surprised; they don’t have
PTA at her kids’ school. <br />
<br />
“Do they still have the PTA?” she asked?<br />
<br />
This didn’t call for my elevator speech. She was being paid. I had a
captive audience. I could give her The Full Monty: My Founders’ Day
Speech.<br />
<br />
One hundred nineteen years ago last Tuesday, on Feb. 17th, 1897, two
phenomenal women invited a bunch of the similarly engendered and
inclined (plus a very few men) to a conference in Washington DC – to a
Congress of Mothers.<br />
<br />
One of the women, ALICE McLELLAN BIRNEY was an activist for Universal
Free Kindergarten – a radical cause at a time that was rampant with
radical causes like Women’s Suffrage, Free Silver, Organized Labor and
Prohibition.<br />
<br />
The other woman, PHOEBE APPERSON HEARST was the wife of a U.S. Senator
and the mother of an only child – William Randolph Hearst, the upstart
newspapaer publisher who the very-next-year would lead the U.S. into a
war with Spain.<br />
<br />
It would be easy to say that Mrs. Birney was the brains behind the
enterprise and Mrs. Hearst was the money – but they were both very smart
and influential women.<br />
<br />
Mrs. Birney: “I asked myself: How can the mothers be educated and the
nation made to recognize the supreme importance of the child?”<br />
<br />
The word went out, nationwide. Two hundred were expected and over two
thousand attended that first Congress of Mothers. This at a time when
women stayed home and managed domestic affairs and rarely if ever
traveled alone – let alone venturing cross-country to attend conferences
and conventions.<br />
The First Five Causes of that first Congress of Mothers are laid out in the agenda and call to action: <br />
1).The creation of Kindergarten classes<br />
2).The creation of child labor laws<br />
3).Hot Lunch programs<br />
4).Juvenile Justice System<br />
5).Mandatory immunizations<br />
<br />
That first congress led the formation of local congresses and Children’s Study Circles across the nation.<br />
<br />
The Los Angeles Federation of Mother’s Clubs was started by 1900 – and
soon began a nursery and free milk program for poor families working in
the downtown factories and sweat shops. They worked with the LA City
Schools and – to the great credit of both organizations – created the
first school-based health clinics in the nation.<br />
<br />
By 1899, the third Congress of Mothers was addressed by the President of
the United States. That 3rd Congress is generally acknowledged as the
moment when pediatric medicine and children’s public health were born,
as scholars, academics and the public became engaged around the issues
of the well-being, education and health of children.<br />
<br />
The turn of the twentieth century was not as progressive and enlightened
as we (or Mrs. Hearst+Birney) – would like it to have been. Schools
were segregated – and so was the organization that became PTA.<br />
<br />
The Congress of Mothers soon included fathers and teachers as partners –
but persons of color, especially in the South: Not so much.<br />
<br />
Another truly outstanding woman, SELENA SLOAN BUTLER formed the Congress
of Colored Parents and Teachers in Georgia in 1911. That organization
became a national organization also- and it was not until 1970 (16 years
after Brown v. Board of Ed) that the two organizations merged to form
National PTA.<br />
<br />
Mrs. Butler went on to serve in the Hoover Administration, advising on
children’s issues and during World War II formed a cadre of nurse
volunteers. After the war she went England to form nursery schools – and
died in Los Angeles in 1964.<br />
<br />
In the interim PTA became the largest and most respected children’s
advocacy organization in the nation, promoting universal kindergarten,
extension of free public education beyond the eighth grade to include
public high schools, an independent juvenile justice system, child labor
laws, the school lunch program, seatbelts and car seats and school
nurses and sex ed – and advocated the administration of the polio
vaccine in schools – eliminating that disease in the U.S.<br />
<br />
Our Founders, Mrs. Birney, Mrs. Hearst and Mrs. Butler, got us started
down a strange and wondrous journey, advocating for our kids and in so
doing, for all kids. The coda says we speak for All Children with One
Voice.<br />
<br />
As we did in 1897 and as we do in 2016.<br />
<br />
Mrs. Birney said: “To be better you must be different” and “Let us
have no more croaking as to what cannot be done; let us see what can be
done, and above all, see that it is done.”<br />
<br />
She spoke of the things we hold dear – but don’t call by those names
anymore: “The National Congress of Mothers, irrespective of creed, color
or condition, stands for all parenthood, childhood, homehood.”<br />
<br />
There still is a PTA, and our work is not done.”<br />
<br />
<br />
NOTHING QUITE SAYS ‘THERE IS AN ENGAGED ADULT LOOKING AFTER YOU’ THAN A
REGISTERED LETTER FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYING YOU MIGHT NOT
GRADUATE. In the past few weeks there has been a brouhaha over seniors
who might not graduate (“All Hands on Deck”), alleviated by an “all
clear” message this week.( “Despite new requirements, L.A. Unified's
projected graduation rate soars”) This is a turn-around of totally
unexpected speed+precision, a type of maneuver usually impossible on the
Good Ship LAUSD. It is easy is be suspicious of the
scorekeeper/cheerleaders –we hope it is true! <br />
<br />
The CAHSEE is gone; if ‘almost overnight’ A-G is no longer the problem
then we need only occupy ourselves with whether graduating seniors have
met the Service Learning, P.E., Arts and Health Education Requirements.
Stay tuned. <br />
<br />
<br />
THE PORTER RANCH GAS LEAK IS OVER, The LA School Report says LAUSD has
no plans when to return students to their schools, the LA Daily News
says they do. Go figure.<br />
<br />
<br />
NO ONE IS QUITE SURE what the impact of Justice Scalia’s death will be on Friedrich’s v. CTA. <br />
<br />
AND SOME FACELESS BUREAUCRAT at the City of LA’s own BONC+DONE (¿a
vaudeville act/a C&W duo/a pair of zany drive-time DJs?) seems
intent in preserving the bureaucracy’s freedom to be bureaucratic at all
cost!<br />
<br />
<br />
I WAS HEADED INTO MY LOCAL MARKET to buy coffee yesterday and there was
the inevitable seasonal card table o’ Thin Mints, Do-si-dos and
attendant Girl Scouts – with sashes and badges and change-for a-twenty.
I stopped to peruse the wares and noticed that the packaging+labeling
was slightly different than the ones purchased at the Beaudry Building
last week. <br />
<br />
I mentioned this to the Cadette in charge – and she looked at me sympathetically – the sad elderly victim of cruel fraud. <br />
<br />
“Those,” she said – slathering on the vitriol (Who knew Girl Scouts did vitriol?) “…were Orange County cookies!”<br />
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
DESPITE NEW REQUIREMENTS, L.A. UNIFIED'S PROJECTED GRADUATION RATE SOARS </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
By Howard Blume | LA Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1EGaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1TyKI2q</a><br />
<br />
Feb. 20, 2016 :: For years, Los Angeles school officials have
suggested that miracle academic turnarounds would be unsustainable and
even suspect, and that real and lasting gains for the academically
lagging school system would be a step-by-step journey.<br />
<br />
On Friday, that gospel changed.<br />
<br />
L.A. Unified now claims it has, almost overnight, averted a looming
graduation crisis and could be on the path to its most diplomas ever.<br />
<br />
"We've made dramatic gains," said Frances Gipson, the district's new head of instruction.<br />
<br />
The early grim news had arrived in December. At the time, only 54% of
seniors were projected to graduate based on stiffer requirements that
took effect for this year. The figure would represent a free fall from
last year's 74% rate — despite more than a decade of preparing for the
higher standards.<br />
<br />
Then came the seeming impossible. As of the beginning of February —
after a three-week winter break and one month of school — the estimated
graduation rate rose to 63%. And officials say they are optimistic the
rate will rise much higher, perhaps to 80%.<br />
<br />
"We continue to break new ground, as we prepare our first graduating
class to meet the new requirements," said a report sent Thursday to the
Board of Education. "The LAUSD family has 'all hands on deck,' and has
rallied around our graduates with providing supports needed to ensure
their success."<br />
<br />
The district set aside $15 million for a variety of programs and
strategies, but one clear star of the effort is online courses. Students
are logging on and quickly earning credit for classes they flunked in
the past.<br />
<br />
"This does raise questions about the integrity of the system," said UCLA
education professor Pedro Noguera. "A number of school districts around
the country are using online classes for credit recovery. It's
partially responsible for the increase in the national graduation rate
that everyone from the secretary of education to the president has been
celebrating."<br />
<br />
"It's still kind of an unknown," he added. "Obviously, you're not doing
kids a service if you just graduate them and they're not prepared."<br />
<br />
Gipson said the district has worked to make sure that academic rigor has been maintained.<br />
<br />
At least one measure, from outside the district, shows that this year's
seniors were not soaring academically when they took state standardized
tests as juniors. On the English language arts test, only 45% met the
state's learning goals. In math, the number was 19%.<br />
<br />
The district's new graduation standards long have been a source of
debate. This year's seniors are the first who must pass the series of
classes that would make them potentially eligible for a four-year state
college. In these classes, the district mandates a passing grade of D or
better.<br />
<br />
The standards have come under attack from factions with almost opposite
views on how to make sure students' academic coursework is meaningful.<br />
<br />
Some insist the standard is too lax because students need a grade of C
or better in these courses to be eligible for admission to the UC or the
Cal State systems. The new district standard falls short of that.<br />
<br />
Others are concerned that the new standard is too demanding. For
example, students must pass intermediate algebra. The state requires
California high school graduates to pass only beginning algebra.<br />
<br />
Some critics also are concerned that the focus on a college-prep
curriculum will limit the opportunity for students to take electives,
such as calculus or photography.<br />
<br />
"I think that the requirements were excessive and, apparently, the
district is finding ways to work around them," said Gary Orfield,
co-director of the Civil Rights Project at UCLA. "Given the terrible
cost of dropping out, I don't think that this is a bad idea for the
present."<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead3"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
COMPLAINT ACCUSES MAGNOLIA CHARTERS OF ILLEGAL USE OF FUNDS </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
by Karen Wolfe | PSConnect | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1Fqaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/213e1z4</a><br />
<br />
February 16, 2016 :: A public school teacher and a parent in Orange
County, California, filed a legal complaint today against Magnolia
Charter Schools accusing the charter organization of violating state and
federal law by improperly using state and federal funds, maintaining
poor internal controls and financial accounting, and utilizing
nepotistic vendor selection.<br />
<br />
The complaint describes a revolving door between the Magnolia board and
its vendors, and even shared business addresses. The complaint asserts
that the California Department of Education has “failed to take
meaningful action” despite its own findings of misdeeds.<br />
<br />
“It's like the state screaming, 'Come and get this money that's supposed
to be for our schools. We’ll look the other way while you spend it on
other things,’” said complainant Tina Andres, a Santa Ana teacher. “It
just invites corruption and fraud. That’s not what charter schools are
supposed to do.” Andres’ son attends a charter school in Orange County.<br />
<br />
Andres joined Jose Moreno, an Anaheim parent, and Amsterdam &
Partners LLP law firm on the complaint which was filed with the
California Department of Education under the Uniform Complaint Procedure
process. It can be viewed following.<br />
<br />
The complaint calls for a comprehensive investigation by the State
Department of Education. It cites findings made last year by the state
in an audit of Magnolia including that 69% of Magnolia's financial
transactions were unaccounted for; that Magnolia routinely awards large
contracts to vendors that have overlapping connections with their own
employees and board of directors; and that Magnolia has illegally used
hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to pay for visas for Turkish
nationals.<br />
<br />
The complaint states that all three of these activities are hallmarks of
Gülen charters. Magnolia has denied ties to Gülen, an organization
under investigation by the Turkish and United States governments. <br />
<br />
Magnolia is headed by Caprice Young, former president of the board of
the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), and founder of the
powerful lobby, the California Charter Schools Association. Under
Young's leadership, Magnolia runs 11 schools, including eight in LAUSD,
and recently submitted petitions for eight more schools in Anaheim,
LAUSD, Garden Grove, Fremont, and Oceanside. The complaint states that
if all eight charter schools were to be approved, the cost to the state
of California would be in the billions of dollars.<br />
<br />
The complaint presses the regulatory authorities to take immediate
action before Magnolia's additional charters could be approved.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1Fraaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">To download a PDF of the original complaint, please click here</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead4"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
COURT'S MOVE TO GIVE TWO NONPROFITS ACCESS TO
STUDENTS' PERSONAL DATA IGNITES PRIVACY DEBATE </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
By Pat Maio | San Diego Union Tribune/reprinted in the LA Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1FAaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1RVG1i9</a> <br />
<br />
Feb 21, 2016 | San Diego :: School districts throughout the state are
warning that students' personal data will soon be accessed by two
nonprofit organizations as part of a federal court case involving
special education services, sparking an outcry from parents and
lawmakers over privacy rights.<br />
<br />
The data — including Social Security numbers, mental health records and
home addresses — has been sought by the California Concerned Parents
Assn. and the Morgan Hill Concerned Parents Assn., which is suing the
state Department of Education.<br />
<br />
The groups allege that the state is not providing a free and appropriate
public education to children with disabilities, as is required by law.<br />
<br />
School districts began notifying parents this week that the data would
be provided to comply with a recent court ruling in the case.<br />
<br />
"I was literally out of my mind," said Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, a
Democrat who serves the 80th District in southern San Diego. She learned
of the court ruling over the weekend.<br />
<br />
"They don't need all of this information."<br />
<br />
Parents can object to the data dump by April 1 via the Education
Department's website, cde.ca.gov, or the California Concerned Parents
Assn.'s website at californiaconcernedparents.org.<br />
<br />
Peter Tira, an Education Department spokesman, said it's unclear whether
objecting would prevent a student's data from being released.<br />
<br />
"It's up to the court to make that determination," he said. "Nothing has been turned over."<br />
<br />
Representatives of the California Concerned Parents Assn. could not be
reached for comment, but a statement on the group's website said the
nonprofit is "very concerned about the privacy of all students in the
state."<br />
<br />
"We would like parents to understand that we had offered to mediate a
settlement with the California Department of Education many times and
have offered to receive the information" with fake names, the statement
said. "The attorneys for the CDE refused, which forced the judge to make
this ruling."<br />
<br />
In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller in Sacramento
imposed several measures designed to protect the information, including
that fewer than 10 people be allowed to search student records and that
attorneys and consultants will have access only to records through
judicial overseers.<br />
<br />
Still, parents, administrators and state officials said that's not enough.<br />
<br />
Gonzalez joined Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore) and
Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Glendale) to introduce legislation designed to
ensure that personal information such as Social Security numbers are
protected at the school district level.<br />
<br />
"It's time to clean up some of this stuff," she said.<br />
<br />
The San Diego Unified School District has posted information on its
website about the order and how it might affect the district's 128,000
students, spokeswoman Linda Zintz said.<br />
<br />
"At this point, we're asking schools to let parents know about the
ruling," she said. "We'll look at other strategies to make sure all
parents are informed."<br />
<br />
Sue Kroncke, director of special education with the Escondido Union High
School District, said officials are trying to determine who must comply
with the ruling and how it will be handled.<br />
<br />
"We are still trying to make sense of this," said Kroncke, adding that
uncertainty remains on whether the order affects all 8,000 students in
her school district or only the 800 students who are classified as
having special education needs.<br />
<br />
She said that she previously thought that such data was protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.<br />
<br />
"We operate in good faith that we will keep information private," she
said. "This ruling was quite a surprise to all of us in education."<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
MOODY'S ASSIGNS Aa2 TO LAUSD GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS; OUTLOOK IS STABLE <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1F7aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1oCxPrK</a> <br />
<br />
DISENFRANCHISING PARENTS, HECKUVA DIRECTIVE, DONE …or the continuing (mis)adventures of DONE+BONC! <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1F8aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1UcuknI</a> <br />
<br />
COMPLAINT ACCUSES MAGNOLIA CHARTERS OF ILLEGAL USE OF FUNDS <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1F9aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1TqIH7m</a> <br />
<br />
smf tweets: Does all this half-off candy at the supermarket represent sad broken hearts and lost love?<br />
Or just a happy bargain on chocolate?<br />
<br />
¡Not so fast all you pundits!: DID THE TEACHERS UNIONS PIN THEIR HOPES ON ANTONIN SCALIA GOING ROGUE? <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1Gaaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1OcAxZD</a> <br />
<br />
George Skelton: WHY VETERAN TEACHERS AREN'T SURPRISED YOUNG PEOPLE ARE SHUNNING THE PROFESSION <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1Gbaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1KlCLLo</a> <br />
<br />
Dan Walters: SCALIA'S DEATH LIKELY SAVES TEACHERS UNIONS IN DUES CASE | The Sacramento Bee <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1Gcaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/20WywgE</a> <br />
<br />
A FRAGMENTED SYSTEM FOR CHECKING THE BACKGROUNDS OF TEACHERS LEAVES STUDENTS AT RISK <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1Gdaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1PNaWbH</a> <br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Tues., February 23, 2016 - 2PM | COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE - <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1Gyaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/217wUAI</a><br />
<br />
Thurs., Feb 25, 2016 | 10AM Februray Meeting of the Bond Oversight Committee | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1Gzaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond</a><br />
<br />
Thurs., February 25, 2016 4PM | MIDDLE GRADES COLLABORATIVE - LEARNING GROUP SESSION #1 - “4:00-5:30pm.<br />
Location: Nightingale Middle School Auditorium 3311 N. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, 90065 | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1GAaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1oVwjRE</a><br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1DZaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1D0aaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1D1aaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1D2aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1D3aaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1D4aaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas4Jlacp1D5aaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px Verdana, sans serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-32236690352002522972016-02-14T08:45:00.000-08:002016-02-14T08:45:07.299-08:00You ain't heard nothin' yet
<br />
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<span style="color: #e1127d; font: bold 18px Verdana, sans serif;">
4LAKids: ♥ Day 14•Feb•2016
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<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px Verdana, sans serif;">
In This Issue:
</span>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">GRANADA HILLS CHARTER HIGH WINS LAUSD ACADEMIC DECATHLON. MARSHALL IS 2ND; FRANKLIN 3RD</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">IT'S 'ALL HANDS ON DECK' AS LAUSD SAYS NEARLY 1 IN 2 SENIORS NOT ON TRACK TO GRADUATE</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">GOV. JERRY BROWN OPPOSES $9-BILLION SCHOOL BOND MEASURE</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">LAUSD BANS IMMIGRATION RAIDS ON ITS CAMPUSES</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but
not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other Sources</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px Verdana, sans serif;">
Featured Links:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVUiaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">► Friends4smf :: The GoFundMe campaign</a> </td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVUjaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Follow 4 LAKids on Twitter - or get instant updates via text message by texting</a> </td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVUkaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved!</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVUlaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKidsNews:
a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
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<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
A tip o’ th’ 4LAKids hat to defending national
champion Granada Hills Charter High which won the LAUSD Academic
Decathlon. Marshall was 2nd; Franklin 3rd. El Camino Real, Garfield,
Bell, Van Nuys, Grant, Narbonne, Hamilton, North Hollywood, Cleveland
and Lincoln also will go on to state competition. Onward! And congrats
to all the decathletes and their coaches+parents+fans from every school
in the competition – you are winners all!<br />
<br />
<br />
GRAVITATIONAL WAVES are distortions or 'ripples' in the fabric of
spacetime caused by some of the most violent and energetic processes in
the Universe. One hundred years ago Albert Einstein predicted the
existence of gravitational waves in his general theory of relativity. On
Thursday scientists announced that on September 14, 2015 at 5:51 a.m.
Eastern Daylight Time (09:51 UTC) they heard the gravitational waves
created by two black holes colliding 1.3 billion light years
away(space)/ago(time). <br />
<br />
Based on the observed signals, scientists estimate that the black holes
for this event were about 29 and 36 times the mass of the sun. About 3
times the mass of the sun was converted into gravitational waves in a
fraction of a second—with a peak power output about 50 times that of the
whole visible universe – arriving on earth as a simple chirp …which
rose to the note of middle C before abruptly stopping.<br />
</span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
This is the way the future begins</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
This is the way the future begins</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
This is the way the future begins</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<i>Not with a bang but a chirp.</i></span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
Everything changes. The quantum shifts. And suddenly the infinite
silence of space has sound – and we can hear father than we can ever
see. Al Jolson: “You ain’t heard nothin’ yet”.<br />
<br />
<br />
THE DEATH OF JUSTICE SCALIA CHANGES A GREAT DEAL. After oral arguments
in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, it appeared likely
that an ambitious effort to defund public sector unions would gain five
votes on the Supreme Court. Now this effort only has four votes.
Moreover, because the plaintiffs in this case lost in the court below, a
decision affirming the lower court in an evenly divided vote is
effectively a victory for organized workers. | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVUmaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/20wONmR</a><br />
<br />
<br />
I GOT A TERSE E-MAIL from a fellow troublemaker/co-conspirator on
Wednesday: “This my friends, is one reason why Johnny D is still walking
around in black…and not orange.” A link followed to an Arcadia Patch
story announcing the federal guilty plea and downfall of former LA
County Sheriff Lee Baca | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVUnaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Sowm4y.</a>
Every moment is a teachable moment. There are moral+object+abject
lessons here about ethical behavior and karma and abuse of power+civil
rights …though the actual plea copped-by-the-top-cop was lying to an FBI
agent. The U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California is new
to the job; she has had her hands full with the terrorist attacks in San
Bernardino and the LA County Sheriff and mortgage+Medicare fraud and
drug dealing and human trafficing. But sooner or later she will get to
the alleged contract rigging and misuse of federally regulated bond
funds between Apple, LAUSD and Pearson in the iPad Affair. <br />
<br />
I remind everyone who will listen that the Meredith Wilson musical “The
Music Man” was the story of a glib fast-taking con-artist from out of
town with an ersatz doctorate who bilks an inept dysfunctional school
board out of money to fund a nonexistent educational program.<br />
<br />
And that Jaime Aquino suggested that iPads could make up for there not being enough musical instruments.<br />
<br />
These are relatively minor ripples in the fabric of spacetime – but
sooner or later, sometime/somewhere an orange jumpsuit awaits for Johnny
D.<br />
<br />
<br />
OF ALL THE SCHOOL REFORM INITIATIVES debated within LAUSD in my time
here, from LEARN+LAMP to Open Court to Clear Expectations to No Child
Left Behind; small schools and small learning communities and all the
woebegone testing+accountability AGT metrics and even
(disruptor-of-disruptors): Charter Schools – none has been so
heavily+hotly debated, met-about, commented-upon and kvelled-over than
the A-G Graduation Requirements. <br />
<br />
In the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education Records
[Collection number 1923 at the UCLA Library Special Collections |<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVUoaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/20vBRxQ]</a> there are 1311 linear ft. (2666 boxes) of stuff ranging from 1875-2012. <br />
<br />
Amongst them are: <br />
<br />
● Box 750 Legal Board Reports. 2005 May 10-2005 June 14.<br />
Scope and Content: On May 24, 2005, Senator Richard Alarcon addressed
the Board on Mr. Huizar's Resolution to Create Educational Equity in Los
Angeles through the Implementation of the A-G Course Sequence as Part
of the High School Graduation Requirement. Later in the meeting, Ms.
Isabel Rutledge of Community Coalition and Ms. Sandy Rodriguez of South
Central Youth Empowered thru Action addressed the Board on Mr. Huizar's
A-G Resolution for Educational Equity.<br />
● Box 2086, Folder 1 Ad-Hoc Committee. 2001 October 30-2009 March 19.<br />
Scope and Content: Special Ad-Hoc Committee Agendas covering the following subjects: ……Provisions of the A-G Resolution….<br />
● Box 835, Folder 1 A-G Initiative. 2008 February 15-2008 April 8.<br />
Scope and Content: A 15-unit pattern of high school courses known as A-G
is necessary for entrance to a California State University or
University of California institution. In June 2005, the Board approved a
resolution stating that all students entering the ninth grade in 2012
be required to complete the A-G course sequence in order to graduate
from high school. This Research Brief on the Implementation of the A-G
Initiative summarizes the first year implementation of the A-G
Initiative. A presentation of the methods and findings occurred during
the Regular Board Meeting on April 8, 2008.<br />
● Box 1,087-1,098: Agendas and Notes for the following regular and augmented committees: ….. A-G Requirements……<br />
● Box 1171, Folders 5-13, Box 1172, Folders 1-3 Curriculum. 1922 July 31-2005 May 26.<br />
Scope and Content: Course of Study materials for the following:
…..University of California A-G Requirements … Comparison of the
District's Curriculum Grades 9-12 with the Model Curriculum Standards of
the California State Department of Education and Secondary School
Guidelines for Instruction.<br />
● Box 1294, Folders 3-6, Box 1295, Folders 1-3<br />
Graduation Requirements. 1962 January 15-2008 March 27.<br />
Scope and Content: Correspondence and reports concerning graduation
policies, requirements, implementation of the A-G initiative, revisions
and modifications.<br />
● Box 2000, Folder 8 Tracking College Admission. 2006 June 13-2006 June 29.<br />
Scope and Content: Secondary Instructional Support Services Division
proposal that the Board designate the National Student Clearinghouse as a
recipient of directory information in order to track college enrollment
of LAUSD graduates. The Division describes this information as critical
to the implementation of the A-G initiative and targeting resources to
address low "college going" rates<br />
<br />
<br />
My point here is that there’s a lot of boxes there, a lot of files and
meaningful discussion and good work in a lot linear feet - and a lot of
well-documented “We saw this coming and we told you so” leading up to:
‘IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK' AS LAUSD SAYS NEARLY 1 IN 2 SENIORS NOT ON
TRACK TO GRADUATE.<br />
<br />
My Facebook friend, former schoolboard member Julie Korenstein writes:
“Oh my mandatory A-G! What a surprise! Students are not going to
graduate. I don't think anyone knows or remembers but I brought an
amendment to this horrible policy allowing parents to opt out their
child from A-G if they chose to do so. I think my amendment was buried
and forgotten!”<br />
<br />
I know+remember, Julie. A thru G was always a ticking time bomb – based
mixed-metaphorically on the impossible promise of 100% Graduation and
the unattainable premise of All Kids College Prepared. <br />
<br />
When A-G was adopted there was a belief that A thru G was working in San Jose. It wasn’t and it never did. <br />
<br />
One of the best teachers I know (with an Ed.D. degree, no less!) never
took an algebra class in her life. (I took Algebra I three times – which
eventually qualified me to be on the Algebra Textbook Adoption
Committee!) <br />
<br />
Dr. V. says that nobody fills binders and files with never-to-be-revisited materials better than LAUSD.<br />
<br />
I am not suggesting that we go back and open all those boxes and relive
those discussions – or go back and take some other divergent path in the
yellow wood. I am simply asking that we get real. Not lower
expectations but rather open our expectations. <br />
<br />
“Open expectations,” in says on The Offbeat Bride website, “get met beyond what you could have come up with or hoped for.”<br />
<br />
<br />
Happy Valentine’s Day (avoid Northside Chicago parking garages*) and Happy President’s Day.<br />
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf<br />
<br />
<br />
*Best avoid Chicago altogether, the schools and school finances are a mess! | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVURaaaaaac/">http://theatln.tc/20sSUjT</a> / <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVUpaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1SpVQP7</a></span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
GRANADA HILLS CHARTER HIGH WINS LAUSD ACADEMIC DECATHLON. MARSHALL IS 2ND; FRANKLIN 3RD </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<b>EL CAMINO REAL, GARFIELD, BELL, VAN NUYS, GRANT,
NARBONNE, HAMILTON, NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CLEVELAND AND LINCOLN ALSO GO ON TO
STATE COMPETITION.</b><br />
<br />
by Howard Blume | LA Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVUOaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/242RJfA</a><br />
<br />
Feb 12, 2016 8:55 PM:: Defending national champion Granada Hills
Charter High School won this year’s academic decathlon in the Los
Angeles Unified School District, officials announced Friday night.<br />
<br />
Granada Hills will continue to the state competition, but it won’t be
alone. Other district high schools competing will be Marshall, which
finished second in L.A. Unified; Franklin, which finished third; El
Camino Real; Garfield; Bell; Van Nuys; Grant; Narbonne; Hamilton; North
Hollywood; and, for the first time, Cleveland and Lincoln.<br />
<br />
Granada Hills has six district titles. The top district teams are always
favorites in the state and national competitions. Over the last 20
years, schools from L.A. Unified have won 20 state contests and 16
national titles. Granada Hills has four national crowns.<br />
<br />
"We are so proud of each and every one of you for your sacrifice,
diligence and hard work," L.A. schools Supt. Michelle King said in a
statement. "L.A. Unified has a long and storied history of success. For
the teams heading to the state decathlon, undeniably, they will
represent the best of the best.”<br />
<br />
Each participating school fields a team of nine students.<br />
<br />
The group has to represent a range of grade-point averages. Three
students, in the “honor” category, have a grade-point average of 3.75 or
above. (A 4.0 is an “A.”) Three other students (the “scholastic”
category) have a GPA ranging from 3.0 to 3.74. And the last three
(“varsity”) have GPAs of 2.99 or below.<br />
<br />
The most successful teams benefit from both high achievers and students
who were under-achieving before taking on the rigorous decathlon
challenge.<br />
<br />
The competition put students through paces in 10 areas: speech,
interviews (prepared and impromptu), essay, art, economics, language and
literature, mathematics, music, social science and “super quiz.” Only
the super quiz takes place in public.<br />
<br />
In that part of the competition, Granada Hills delivered a perfect score
of 5,400 points. Marshall placed second with 5,175 points.<br />
<br />
The study topic this year was India.<br />
<br />
The members of the Granada Hills team are Melissa Santos, Aishah Mahmud,
Joshua Lin, Mark Aguila, Jorge Zepeda, Isha Gupta, Julian Duran,
Christopher Lo and Mayeena Ulkarim. The coach is Mathew Arnold.<br />
<br />
Lin took the top prize in the honor division. Abeer Hossain from
Marshall High School was the highest scorer in the scholastic division.
Alex Munoz from Franklin High School was the highest scorer in the
varsity division.<br />
<br />
The winners were announced at an awards ceremony at Hollywood High.</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead3"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
IT'S 'ALL HANDS ON DECK' AS LAUSD SAYS NEARLY 1 IN 2 SENIORS NOT ON TRACK TO GRADUATE </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
by Craig Clough, LA SCHOOL REPORT | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVU0aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1QcgZMq</a><br />
<br />
Posted on February 11, 2016 5:07 pm :: Only roughly one in two LAUSD
high school seniors is currently on track to graduate, and the district
is scrambling to get extra assistance to an estimated 15,000 students in
danger of being left behind this June.<br />
<br />
According to internal district reports obtained by LA School Report, an
estimated 54 percent of seniors are on track to meet their “A through G”
requirements. The actual graduation rate could be even lower as there
are several other requirements to graduate.<br />
<br />
While the estimate is a stark drop from last year’s all-time high of 74
percent, it has been known for years that the district was facing a
steep decline this year, when stricter graduation requirements went into
effect.<br />
<br />
But while the drop was anticipated, the recent internal reports showing a
27 percent plunge from last spring’s rate elicited an alert from the
superintendent directing urgent new steps, including weekly updates from
staff and letters sent monthly to parents, starting in February,
informing them of the necessary courses that need to be completed.<br />
<br />
The district would not disclose how many seniors had received “off
track” letters this month. According to data available in October, the
district had 33,420 seniors in the 2015-16 school year, meaning an
estimated 15,373 would currently be off track for graduation.<br />
<br />
The new estimate does not reflect progress by a $15-million credit
recovery program begun last fall that puts students in specials classes
after school and during breaks to help them pass classes they previously
failed. District leaders in November had reported an extremely high
participation rate in the program and predicted a high pass rate, which
if proves true could land the 2016 graduation rate close to last year’s.<br />
<br />
Still, despite the optimism over the ongoing credit recovery program,
Superintendent Michelle King wrote in a January email to local district
superintendents, “This is ‘all hands on deck.'”| <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVU1aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1KiVCGO</a><br />
<br />
<br />
The email was sent a week after she was installed as superintendent, and
King also created a timeline that calls for regular updates to her
office as well as benchmarks for the district to meet between now and
the end of the semester.<br />
<br />
►Spring Semester A-G Monitoring Plan timeline | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVU2aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1WlawNA</a><br />
<br />
King inherited a number of major district problems, but perhaps none
more urgent than the pending graduation crisis. In the memo, King said
that “my top priority is ensuring that all students graduate and
complete A-G requirements.”<br />
<br />
She added, “This [54 percent estimate] will likely increase in the
coming weeks as a result of the constant monitoring, additional
resources to schools, and ongoing credit recovery efforts you have
coordinated. Nonetheless, if even one student fails to graduate, that is
one too many — we cannot rest until every student graduates
college-prepared and career-ready.”<br />
<br />
Another district report obtained by LA School Report includes a
school-by-school breakdown of estimated graduation rates and shows that
some schools are facing a daunting challenge.<br />
<br />
►School by School Breakdown | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVU3aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1O9B6Dx</a><br />
<br />
The Foshay Learning Center (91 percent) and Francisco Bravo Medical
Magnet (81 percent) are well ahead of last year’s 74 percent graduation
rate for the district, while others like Dorsey High (41 percent) and
Verdugo Hills High (43 percent) are far behind.<br />
<br />
The new A-G graduation standards were drawn up by the board in 2005. The
standards, which require students to pass a series of classes making
them eligible for admission into California’s public universities, go
into effect for the first time this year. The 2005 board thought that 11
years was enough time for the district to improve its curriculum
efforts to meet the raised bar, but it was not.<br />
<br />
In the face of the pending graduation dropoff, the school board amended
the requirements in June so that students only need to earn a “D” in the
A-G classes and not the “C” that would be required for college
eligibility starting in 2017. The move was a significant concession by
the board, as the entire purpose of the A-G curriculum was to get more
students into college. This year’s class was always to be allowed a “D”
to meet A-G requirements.<br />
<br />
The June resolution reaffirming the board’s commitment to A-G called on
the superintendent’s office to develop a long-term plan set to begin in
the 2016-2017 school year, leaving the class of 2016 caught somewhat in
the middle and without much help but for the credit recovery program.<br />
<br />
An A-G task force also produced a comprehensive report in the fall that
calls on detailed and wide-ranging improvements the district needs to
make to improve A-G completion, but much of it is also broader and
long-term without much immediate help for the class of 2016.<br />
<br />
The new 54 percent estimate — which includes all data from the fall
semester — is a bump from the last available district estimate, which in
October showed 49 percent of seniors were on track with A-G. But with
only marginal improvement over the fall semester, it is clear that the
credit recovery program is key to making any significant increase before
the spring semester concludes.<br />
<br />
Frances Gipson, the district’s chief academic officer, wrote in an email
to LA School Report that the credit recovery program is going well.<br />
<br />
“Superintendent King is monitoring our A-G progress with focused weekly
meetings and updates,” said Gipson, who is in charge of the A-G
implementation plan.<br />
<br />
“Students are currently enrolled in recovery options and are also
successfully completing advanced courses. Our approach is about access,
accomplishment and providing a personalized opportunity for our
scholars.”<br />
<br />
For credit recovery, each of the six local district superintendents was
given the freedom to craft their own plan using a number of options,
part of a decentralization effort that was put into place by former
Superintendent Ramon Cortines. Each plan rolled out at a slightly
different time throughout October and November, depending on the
district.<br />
<br />
Many of the credit recovery options are computer-based, like Edgenuity,
which is being used on a wide scale. Students take the classes on
Saturdays, during free periods or after school. The computer courses
either have a teacher adding some instruction to go along with the
computer program, known as blended learning, or it is or an all-online
course, known as virtual learning.<br />
<br />
In the fall, a high level of seniors missing A though G courses were
signed up. For example, Gipson — who at the time was the Local District
East superintendent before being promoted to her current role — reported
that every senior short of an A-G course had been signed up for credit
recovery in her district.<br />
<br />
While Gipson reported that credit recovery is still going well in 2016,
she did not offer any estimates as to what level it may impact the
graduation rate.<br />
<br />
“Our counselors and teachers are amazing. Local school leadership teams
are rallying around our graduates, and our data points continue to
increase,” Gipson said. “For example, over the winter break more than
800 student courses were recovered through our A-G localized plans.”<br />
<br />
The credit recovery program, if it turns out to be as successful as has
been predicted by district officials, is being achieved through the
relatively modest cost of $15 million.<br />
<br />
When asked directly in the fall why the district hadn’t done anything
like it before, Gipson said, “As we are coming out of one of the worst
financial times in educational history, as a leader I’m happy it is
happening now for kids and we can put the resources behind it to make
sure it happens for kids.”<br />
<br />
</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVU4aaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">►This article with all data embedded</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead4"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
GOV. JERRY BROWN OPPOSES $9-BILLION SCHOOL BOND MEASURE </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
by Melanie Mason | L.A. Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVU6aaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1R00kZv</a><br />
<br />
Feb 12, 2016 :: Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday came out against a
$9-billion school bond measure that will go before voters in November,
erecting a political hurdle for advocates of new spending on school
construction.<br />
<br />
"I am against the developers' $9-billion bond," Brown said in a
statement to The Times. "It's a blunderbuss effort that promotes sprawl
and squanders money that would be far better spent in low-income
communities."<br />
<br />
Brown has hinted in the past at his displeasure with the ballot proposal.<br />
<br />
When he unveiled his budget plan last month, the governor said the bond
measure would not change the state program that determines how school
facilities are built and maintained. That process prioritizes districts
that submit early applications for projects — which Brown said favors
affluent districts over cash-strapped ones.<br />
<br />
"The Legislature could do a better job than the developers who put that one together," Brown said at the time.<br />
<br />
But lawmakers' efforts to craft a smaller bond have stagnated.<br />
<br />
Representatives for Senate leader Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) and
Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) confirmed that legislators
will not be voting on an alternative measure in time to meet state
election deadlines for the June primary ballot.<br />
<br />
Outright opposition from Brown could prove politically damaging for the
larger proposal. The governor notches high marks from Californians: 60%
of registered voters approve of his job performance, according to a
January poll by the Public Policy Institute of California.<br />
<br />
But the $9-billion bond has racked up its own cadre of influential
supporters, including the California Chamber of Commerce, the State
Building and Construction Trades Council of California and Tom
Torlakson, the superintendent of public instruction. Nearly a dozen
legislators also have endorsed the measure.<br />
<br />
Under the proposal sponsored by the Coalition for Adequate School
Housing, a group promoting new construction, and the California Building
Industry Assn., most of the money would go toward building and
upgrading K-12 facilities.<br />
<br />
The proposal includes $2 billion for community college projects.<br />
<br />
"California is facing at least $20 billion in projected school
facilities needs over the next decade, and we have sponsored this bond
to make sure school districts can continue to partner with the state to
create quality learning environments for all students," David Walrath of
the Coalition for Adequate School Housing said in a statement.<br />
<br />
"Our measure will continue this important school bond program that has
been supported by the past three governors, and which our supporters —
including the business community, school districts, elected officials
from both sides of the aisle and labor — all agree is needed to ensure
California's students have modern and safe classrooms," he said.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead5"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
LAUSD BANS IMMIGRATION RAIDS ON ITS CAMPUSES </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
By Colleen Curry | VICE News <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVU8aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1oaVcbH</a><br />
<br />
February 10, 2016 :: The school board of the Los Angeles Unified School
District unanimously adopted a resolution on Tuesday that bans US
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from coming onto school
property without permission — a move meant to signal to immigrant
students and their families that they are secure while on campus. <br />
<br />
ICE agents haven't attempted to look for students at the district's
schools, but board members said that some families expressed concern
after ICE detained more than 120 people last month in raids across the
country that were meant to identify and deport illegal immigrants. This
sparked rumors that raids were planned on Los Angeles schools, prompting
LA Unified Superintendent Michelle King to issue a statement that said,
"Neither the Los Angeles Unified School District nor the Los Angeles
School Police Department is aware of any planned raids or other action
by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at any LA Unified school site.
The District welcomes all students and all families and is committed to
supporting their right to live, learn and work in their communities."<br />
LAUSD is the country's largest school district by enrollment, and has
frequently advocated on behalf of its immigrant students, including
calling on the federal government to pass immigration reform
legislation.<br />
<br />
Steve Zimmer, president of the LAUSD Board of Education, said that he
and the other board members wanted to reassure worried families in
passing the resolution.<br />
<br />
"The vitriol and hate that presently permeates the immigration debate,
combined with a regrettable change in US Immigration and Customs
Enforcement practices, made it necessary for the Board of Education to
take a strong stand in solidarity with our families and our
communities," Zimmer said in a statement released after the vote. "Our
message is simple and direct: our schools are safe, welcoming and
embracing for all families."<br />
<br />
The resolution specifically mandates that ICE agents must get approval
from the school superintendent ahead of time if they need to visit
campuses for a specific reason, such as evaluating a school's foreign
exchange programs, but they will not be granted access on unannounced
visits or given student data without clearance.<br />
<br />
The resolution cited a "heightened sense of fear and anxiety" among
district students and families, as well as the need for school grounds
to welcome families who have questions about immigration. It instructed
district staff to not inquire about a student's or family's immigration
status or provide information about them to ICE.<br />
<br />
Teresa Borden, a staff member at the immigration advocacy group Carecen,
said that the group had consulted with the school board about the
unease that January's ICE raids triggered in the immigrant community.<br />
<br />
"When something like that occurs, it ignites fear — generalized fear in
the community," she said. "There are parents who keep their children
from school, parents who don't go to their jobs because of that fear."<br />
<br />
Schools are one of the main places that immigrants interact with
government bureaucracy, she said, so it's important to maintain trust
between them. Caracen, which has had a long working relationship with
LAUSD, regularly sends out advocacy teams to schools with high numbers
of immigrant parents to explain to them what their rights are, and the
group works to ensure that they continue allowing their children to
attend school.<br />
<br />
"We know that ICE has some internal directives that consider schools and
churches sensitive locations, so they're not likely to raid those
locations, but we also know that a lot of our community is not
necessarily trusting of what an organization like ICE has to say given
what their function is," Borden said, adding that advocates see the new
resolution "as a very positive sign."<br />
<br />
Zimmer echoed those concerns, saying that that parents should not be
afraid to send their children to school or to fill out the necessary
forms to participate in school activities. He also said the resolution
demonstrated the board's opposition to the recent ICE raids and its
"support of humane immigration reform."<br />
<br />
Other school districts, including the San Francisco Unified School
District, have also publicly promised not to allow immigration agents to
carry out raids on school property.<br />
<br />
"The San Francisco Unified School District, like the City of San
Francisco, is a sanctuary. We do not ask students or families about
their immigration status," SFUSD Superintendent Richard A. Carranza said
in a statement last month. "We are committed to serving all children
and to maintaining a safe and productive learning environment."</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
THE SIMPLY BREATHTAKING CONSEQUENCES OF JUSTICE SCALIA'S DEATH | ThinkProgress / Think Friedrich v. CTA <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVUmaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/20wONmR</a> <br />
<br />
GRANADA HILLS CHARTER HIGH WINS LAUSD ACADEMIC DECATHLON. Marshall is
2nd; Franklin 3rd. El Camino, Garfield, Bell, Van Nuys, Grant, Narbonne,
Hami, NoHo, Cleveland & Lincoln also go on to state AcaDeca<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVVpaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1O8wlKa</a> <br />
<br />
SOCCER GAMES TEACH SCIENCE AND MATH, GOOD BEHAVIOR TO BOOT<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVVqaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1PuzYOF</a> <br />
<br />
STANDARD & POORS UNDERMINES THE ARGUMENT THAT CALIFORNIA BUDGET SPENDING IS UP <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVVraaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1oabFwl</a> <br />
<br />
MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS FOUNDATION FUNDS COLUMBUS MIDDLE SCHOOL'S EXPANDING MUSIC PROGRAM <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVVsaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1LlvWEq</a> <br />
<br />
WOULD A STATE TAKEOVER OF THE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT HELP CHICAGO?<br />
The Atlantic - <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVURaaaaaac/">http://theatln.tc/20sSUjT</a> <br />
<br />
LAUSD BANS IMMIGRATION RAIDS ON ITS CAMPUSES <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVVtaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1V9BaIQ</a> <br />
<br />
IT'S 'ALL HANDS ON DECK' AS LAUSD SAYS NEARLY 1 IN 2 SENIORS NOT ON TRACK TO GRADUATE <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVU4aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1oaTUO3</a> <br />
<br />
L.A. TEACHERS UNION WINS DUES INCREASE, VOWS TO BATTLE FOES OF TRADITIONAL PUBLIC EDUCATION <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVVuaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1KfOICd</a> <br />
<br />
GOV. JERRY BROWN OPPOSES $9-BILLION SCHOOL BOND MEASURE <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVVvaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1oaGaTA</a> <br />
<br />
A Momentary Lapse or Abusive Teaching? AT SUCCESS ACADEMY CHARTER, A STUMBLE IN MATH AND A TEACHER’S ANGER ON VIDEO <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVVwaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Tgskex</a> <br />
<br />
“@AASATotalChild: "The zip code continues to be one of the biggest predictor of academic achievement in schools"<br />
<br />
from Ed100 - PREPARATION AND CERTIFICATION: HOW TO MAKE A TEACHER<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVVxaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1nZYUV2</a> <br />
<br />
Op-Ed/Patt Morrison asks: AN INTERVIEW WITH LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT MICHELLE KING <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVVyaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/20p80a2</a> <br />
<br />
CHARTER SCHOOLS SAY L.A. UNIFIED IS UNFAIRLY SCRUTINIZING THEIR CAMPUSES + UNDULY SCRUTINIZING CHARTER APPLICATIONS <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVVzaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Xj6y9l</a> <br />
<br />
L.A. SCHOOL BOARD OKS FIRST STEPS FOR HALE EXPANSION AT HIGHLANDER SITE, REJECTS CHARTER SCHOOL <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVVAaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1PDfFwl</a> <br />
<br />
INITIATIVE TO ELIMINATE CHARTER SCHOOLS IN CALIFORNIA CLEARED FOR SIGNATURE GATHERING <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVVBaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1nYEdJc</a></span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
February 16, 2016 - 10:00 A.M. - BUDGET, FACILITIES AND AUDIT COMMITTEE <br />
<br />
February 16, 2016 - 4:00 P.M. - SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL CLIMATE COMMITTEE <br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVUqaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVUraaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVUsaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVUtaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVUuaaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVUvaaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas3lLacpVUwaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px Verdana, sans serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-41722603446067898922016-02-07T11:45:00.000-08:002016-02-07T11:45:13.446-08:00Good grief, Campbell Brown!
<br />
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<span style="color: #e1127d; font: bold 18px Verdana, sans serif;">
4LAKids: Sunday 7•Feb•2016 Super Bowl•101SlowJam
</span>
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<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px Verdana, sans serif;">
In This Issue:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">WHO'S REALLY BEHIND CAMPBELL BROWN'S SNEAKY EDUCATION OUTFIT?</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">20th STREET ELEMENTARY PARENTS GATHER 'PARENT TRIGGER' SIGNATURES A SECOND TIME AFTER LAUSD DOESN’T MAKE CHANGES</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">THE BIG (D)EASY: A GOOD REASON TO NOT GO TO NEW ORLEANS JUST IN TIME FOR MARDI GRAS!</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">SUPER QUIZ A BATTLE ROYAL: Academic decathlon Super Quiz is a sport unto itself — with the fans to prove it</span></td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but
not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other Sources</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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Featured Links:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQCyaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">► Friends4smf :: The GoFundMe campaign</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQCzaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Follow 4 LAKids on Twitter - or get instant updates via text message by texting</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQCAaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved!</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQCBaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKidsNews:
a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
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<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
The big LAUSD news this week is about a blog. Not this one. It’s about LA School Report.<br />
<br />
LASR founder Jamie Alter Lynton claims LASR is NOT a blog, it’s an
online news site. (4LAKids in not a blog either – it’s The New York
Times. Only it’s just online. And it’s about public education in general
and LAUSD in particular.) JAL also claims that LASR is nonpartisan and
independent.<br />
<br />
• First: Anything that advertises itself as non-partisan is in all probability: Partisan. <br />
• Second: A “partisan” is a member of an irregular military force formed
to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of
occupation by some kind of insurgent activity. Therefore+consequently a
“non-partisan” is: A foreign power or an army of occupation.<br />
• And Third: LASR is dependent on Jamie Lynton writing the checks to the
reporters and whatnot – much like the LA Times is dependent on various
foundations funded by the Broad Foundation to fund their Education
Matters Initiative. Or whoever’s initiative Education Matters is.<br />
<br />
This week, Campbell Brown and her non-partisan+independent news site
(The 76 Million) took over writing the checks at LASR. But I’ve gotten
ahead of myself; let’s go back to the beginning!<br />
<br />
<b><br />
JAMIE ALTER LYNTON</b> was (the past tense is from her LASR bio | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQDcaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1KxifXT)</a>
a journalist and television news producer and executive for 15 years in
her early career, working at CNN, CBS and CNBC. She served as a VP and
LA Bureau Chief of Court TV, and managed its educational division.<br />
<br />
Her mother was the first woman elected official in Chicago history. Her
brother Jonathan Alter is a cable news pundit/charter school proponent
and was a featured talking head/public education disdainer in “Waiting
for Superman.” Her husband Michael Lynton, former chairman of Pearson
PLC’s Penguin Group, is the CEO of Sony Pictures. Other relatives are
ambassadors and political appointees as becomes well-connected alumni of
All the Right (private) Schools.<br />
<br />
Lynton started+bankrolled LA School Report in 2012 to “help inform the
public about the inner-workings of the Los Angeles Unified school
district” as “a news site whose first goal would be to demystify the
inner workings of public education”. <br />
<br />
There were ethical missteps. Lynton supposedly came to the fray to
expose school board campaign spending and abuses – and then contributed
substantial campaign donations to the Community Coalition – the
political action committee which supported pro-®eform agenda candidates.
She hired a decidedly partisan editor, Alexander Russo …but then
parted with him over internal (Lynton v. Russo) politics. <br />
<br />
Lynton brought Michael Janofsky, a veteran of the New York Times,
onboard at LASR as executive editor – and the bias+partisanship eased
…though it never went away.<br />
<br />
Lynton was close to then Superintendent Deasy – she served on the LA
Fund Deasy’s “Robin Hood” fundraising board; LASR supported Deasy’s
initiatives and tenure - and LASR benefited from insider information and
access. <br />
<br />
(Ironically, the North Korean hack of the Sony e-mails produced
intriguing evidence of Lynton and LASR’s connections to Deasy+Co and
$chool ®eform Inc.: Venture capitalist and Alliance Charter Schools
board co-chair Antony Ressler, on the District 1 LAUSD School Board
Election: “10000 votes for School board race... Crazy that we have a
publicly elected school board... This is NOT what democracy is supposed
to be. No one in LA cares TR” - e-mail to Jamie Alter Lynton on Jun
5, 2014, at 10:04 PM | WikiLeaks Sony Hack #126221 | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQDdaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1L6lxMM)</a><br />
<br />
LA School Report capitalized on Lynton’s Court TV experience and covered
the Vergara Trial wall-to-wall with decidedly pro-plaintiff/pro-Deasy
reporting.<br />
<br />
LASR often crossed the line into good and even excellent reporting;
4LAKids has often re-blogged LASR stories when they got it right, wrong
…or occasionally preposterous. When the iPad and MiSiS crises unraveled
and Deasy’s doomed superintendency inevitably imploded LASR was in there
digging for the story – sometimes breaking news ahead of The Times and
KPCC. By the time of the Jefferson High School/Cruz v. CA Fiasco (and
the junket to Korea) LASR was asking for Deasy’s head.<br />
<br />
Once Deasy was gone Jamie Lynton’s interest in LAUSD waned. The
Hollywood Reporter reported last February that “Sony CEO Michael Lynton,
55, has decided to move to New York and expects to do so shortly.
That's motivated partly by wife Jamie's desire to live there…” <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQDeaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Jny1m8.</a><br />
<br />
InsidePhilantropy.com reports that “Michael Lynton and his wife Jamie
move their philanthropy through the Lynton Foundation. The Lynton
Foundation has primarily focused on New York City outfits recently. This
is especially noteworthy, given Jamie's interest in LAUSD...” <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQDfaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Peeo0R</a><br />
<br />
<b><br />
THEN, LATE LAST SUNDAY EVENING AT 11:01 PM THE FOLLOWING EMAIL CAME FROM LA SCHOOL REPORT EXECUTIVE EDITOR MICHAEL JANOFSKY:</b> <br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Subject: A change at LA School Report</span></span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
I apologize for the mass email, but it's the best way to inform all of you a bit of news.</span></span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
After 2 1/2 years as managing editor, I am no longer working for LA
School Report. Its founder has merged it with reform-minded Campbell
Brown's The 74, a change that was related to me only a few days ago. As
part of the new arrangement, I learned I was removed as editor, with LA
School Report and The 74 installing a replacement. </span></span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
In my time as editor, I've worked closely with many of you, and I want
to say how much I've appreciated your professionalism, your collegiality
and your willingness to help us understand contentious, controversial
and complicated issues affecting LA Unified. As an editor and occasional
writer who has worked only for news organizations that favor neither
one side of an issue or the other, I always tried my best to steer LA
School Report down the middle, keeping it as fair and neutral as
possible. I know some of you might disagree, but I am proud of the work
we did. </span></span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
I'm especially indebted to those who were always eager to respond to
our questions in a timely manner and to help us understand the issues
more deeply. Thank you.</span></span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
I've learned a great deal from all of you, and I thank you for that, as well. </span></span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
I wish all of you the best.</span></span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Michael Janofsky</span></span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
BY 9AM MONDAY MORNING FEB 1st THE LA SCHOOL REPORT GUSHED WITH THE BREATHTAKING NEWS: <br />
<br />
►<b>LA SCHOOL REPORT ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH ED NEWS SITE, THE 74</b><br />
<br />
Posted on February 1, 2016 8:57 am by LA School Report<br />
<br />
The 74 and LA School Report – two rapidly growing education news sites –
will partner to expand coverage of education in Los Angeles and
America’s second-largest school district, the founders of the sites
announced today….<br />
<br />
::<br />
<br />
►<b>LA SCHOOL REPORT WELCOMES NEW EXECUTIVE EDITOR LAURA GREANIAS</b><br />
<br />
Posted on February 1, 2016 8:58 am by Laura Greanias<br />
<br />
LA School Report didn’t exist when I was an editor at the Los Angeles Times, but I wish it had….. <br />
<br />
::<br />
<br />
►<b>BIG NEWS: FROM LA SCHOOL REPORT FOUNDER JAMIE ALTER LYNTON</b><br />
<br />
Posted on February 1, 2016 9:00 am by Jamie Alter Lynton<br />
<br />
Dear Readers:<br />
<br />
I am thrilled to announce today a partnership between LA School Report and the online education news site The 74…<br />
<br />
::<br />
<br />
Almost immediately the LAUSD media universe+blogosphere was overwhelmed
with the news – and email boxes and text message folders overflowed with
the effluvia of The End of (a small corner of) The World As We Know It.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><b>But wait, you ask, who is THE 74 – when it’s at home…?</b></i><br />
<b><br />
ANNOUNCING THE 74 BY CAMPBELL BROWN </b><br />
<br />
June 23, 2015 :: I am excited to announce the launch of a project I’ve
been working on for some time now. As profiled in The Wall Street
Journal today (Campbell Brown to Launch Non-Profit Education News Site
That Won’t Shy From Advocacy - <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQDgaaaaaac/">http://on.wsj.com/1Rfzbni0),</a> The Seventy Four, a non-profit, non-partisan news site about education, is now a reality.<br />
<br />
There are 74 million children under the age of 18 in the United States.
And the unfortunate reality is that for many of these children, the
public education system is broken.<br />
<br />
Our mission at The Seventy Four is to lead an honest, fact-based
conversation about how to give America’s 74 million children the
education they deserve. <br />
<br />
<br />
●●smf: Note the celebrity Cult-of-Personality first person singular pronoun “I”, gone plural/royal: “Our mission…”<br />
<br />
<i><br />
<b>…Wait: didn’t Campbell Brown used to be a CNN anchorperson?</b></i><br />
<br />
Alma Dale Campbell Brown (born June 14, 1968) is an American television
news reporter and anchorwoman. She served as co-anchor of the NBC news
program Weekend Today from 2003 to 2007, then hosted the series Campbell
Brown on CNN from 2008 to 2010. Brown won an Emmy Award as part of the
NBC team reporting on Hurricane Katrina. Since 2013 she has served as an
education reform and school choice activist. Wikipedia <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQDhaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Q2uXjX</a><br />
<br />
Campbell Brown, like Jamie Lynton, went to The Right Schools. She was
expelled from the Madeira School, a private, non-denominational
college-preparatory boarding school for girls located in McLean,
Virginia, for sneaking off campus to go to a party. Her tenure at NBC
and CNN was not without controversy; she left under a cloud.<br />
<br />
Brown has become an outspoken advocate for school choice and education
reform. In June 2013, Brown founded the Parents Transparency Project, a
nonprofit watchdog group on behalf of parents seeking information and
accountability from the teachers’ unions and New York Department of
Education on actions impacting children in school. Brown has also
focused on reforming teacher tenure policies through the judicial
system. She wrote a number of op-eds voicing her support for the
successful Vergara v. California case in 2014, which overturned
California’s teacher tenure, dismissal, and seniority policies. She
celebrated Vergara as “A historic victory for America’s kids” and
previewed the national ramifications of the ruling, saying, “It would be
no surprise to see parents in New York and elsewhere take the cue of
the Vergara plaintiffs and take matters into their own hands.” <br />
<br />
Brown also serves on the board of Success Academy Charter Schools, a New
York City charter school network – enmeshed in its own flavor of
Charter-Schools-forcing-out-Special-Education-Students controversy. <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQDiaaaaaac/">http://nyti.ms/20gVPw4</a> | Source: Wikipedia /The74million.org/CampbellBrown.com<br />
<br />
MOTHER JONES WROTE: “Before Brown left CNN three years ago, her evening
news show carried a memorable tagline: ‘No bias. No bull.’ She can't say
the same for her foray into the education wars.” | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQDjaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1T5Hcwq</a><br />
<br />
<br />
DIANE RAVITCH wrote in her blog: “The LA School Report has long been a
partisan supporter of charters, Deasy, Broad, and all other parts of the
privatization agenda. Under a new editor, the LA School Report became a
neutral source. Now that editor has announced he is leaving because the
LA School Report has merged with Campbell Brown’s “The 74.” <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQDkaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1PHpEo1</a>
And elsewhere: “If people like Campbell Brown really cared about poor
kids, they would fight for small class sizes, arts teachers, school
nurses, libraries, and improved conditions for teaching and learning.
They don’t.” | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQDlaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1K5xI1o</a><br />
<br />
<br />
LAUSD SCHOOLBOARD PRESIDENT STEVE ZIMMER WROTE, in a self-admittedly inflammatory response to Michael Janofsky’s email: <br />
</span><blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
“It is no accident that Campbell Brown is coming to join Eli Broad in
the effort to dismantle LAUSD and eviscerate democratically elected
school boards and public sector unions across the nation. Now that the
Los Angeles Times education coverage is funded by Broad, Wasserman, and
Baxter and that the School Report will now be controlled by Brown and
her funders, truth itself as it relates to public education in Los
Angeles will be filtered through an orthodox reform lens at every turn.
After the Times editorial leadership essentially told me that agenda was
as important as accuracy in their coverage of the Board and of the
district, I knew we were in a different place. Tonight, I understand
that even more.”</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
In case you missed it, Zimmer wrote: <b>“…the Times editorial leadership
essentially told me that (®eform) agenda was as important as accuracy in
their coverage of the Board and of the district".</b><br />
<br />
[Zimmer’s email is available+recommended in its entirety here: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQDkaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1PHpEo1</a> ]<br />
<br />
<br />
The vaunted business-model applied to public-education paradigm has
reached a new phase. First there were mom+pop/parent+educator charter
school entrepreneurial start-ups. Then there was the franchising and
growth-model mass marketing driven by venture capital – leading to
corporate model charter management organizations as the MBAdults and
hedge funders and KIPP and Green Dot and the Alliance contested market
share+return-on-investment. The war for hearts+minds is not being won in
the ballot box, let’s head for the courts while we
subvert+compromise+buy+pay-for the independent media; whatever that was.
The next step is Mergers+Acquisitions and Leveraged Buy Outs,
packaging+bundling the privatized +deregulated assets as investment
securities. Credit default swaps and collateralized debt obligations,
anyone? Rupert Murdoch says that public education is a $50 billion a
year money-making-opportunity.<br />
<br />
LA School Report slipping deeper into the quicksand of $chool ®eform
Inc. is really not earth shaking; though 4LAKids must note that one of
the first stories in the New+Improved LASR was an interview with
(former) Mayor Tony. And seeing that Mayor Tony is on my mind, his
attraction to television news personalities and the carnal temptation of
Ms. Lynton and Ms. Brown cannot go unremarked upon. <br />
<br />
Almost immediately after the merger+acquisition of LA School Report by
The 74, the new+improved LASR and the LA Times got into a Twitter fight
over which one broke the Parent-Trigger-at-20th-Street-Elementary-School
story first …because who broke the charter school-news story first IS
apparently truly earth shaking in the nonpartisan+independent education
media.<br />
<br />
The 74 million US schoolchildren, the 9 million California school age kids and the 643,493 LAUSD students are who really matter.<br />
<br />
“And if people like Campbell Brown really cared about poor kids, they
would fight for small class sizes, arts teachers, school nurses,
libraries, and improved conditions for teaching and learning.”<br />
<br />
That’s what matters.<br />
<i><br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf</i><br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
WHO'S REALLY BEHIND CAMPBELL BROWN'S SNEAKY EDUCATION OUTFIT? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<b>THE FORMER CNN ANCHOR SAYS HER NONPROFIT SEEKS TO
PROTECT KIDS FROM PREDATORS IN THE CLASSROOM. ITS REAL AGENDA MAY BE
UNION-BUSTING.</b><br />
<br />
By Andy Kroll, Mother Jones | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQDjaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1T5Hcwq</a><br />
<br />
Tue Oct. 29, 2013 5:00 AM EDT :: Early one morning in July, former CNN
anchor Campbell Brown appeared on MSNBC's Morning Joe, pen in hand,
notes fanned out in front of her. Viewers might have mistaken her as a
fill-in host, but Brown had swung by 30 Rock in her new role as a
self-styled education reformer, a crusader against sexual deviants in
New York City public schools and the backward unions and bureaucrats
getting in the way of firing them. "In many cases, we have teachers who
were found guilty of inappropriate touching, sexual banter with kids,
who weren't fired from their jobs, who were given very light sentences
and sent back to the classroom," Brown, the mother of two young sons,
explained.<br />
<br />
Brown was there to plug her new venture, the Parents' Transparency
Project, a nonprofit "watchdog group" that "favors no party, candidate,
or incumbent." Though its larger aim is to "bring transparency" to how
contracts are negotiated with teachers' unions, PTP's most prominent
campaign is to fix how New York City handles cases of sexual misconduct
involving teachers and school employees—namely by giving the city's
schools chancellor, a political appointee, ultimate authority in the
process.<br />
<br />
Shortly after it was launched in June, PTP trained its sights on the New
York mayoral race, asking the candidates to pledge to change the firing
process for school employees accused of sexual misconduct. When several
Democratic candidates declined, perhaps fearing they'd upset organized
labor, PTP spent $100,000 on a television attack ad questioning whether
six candidates, including Republican Joe Lhota and Democrats Bill de
Blasio and Anthony Weiner, had "the guts to stand up to the teachers'
unions." The spot stated that there had been 128 cases of sexual
misconduct by school employees in the past five years, suggesting that
nothing had been done in response. "It's a scandal," the ad's narrator
intoned. "And the candidates are silent."<br />
<br />
Before founding PTP, Brown raised this issue in a Wall Street Journal
op-ed in July 2012. But what she failed to disclose was that her
husband, Dan Senor, sits on the board of the New York affiliate of
StudentsFirst, an education lobbying group founded by Michelle Rhee, the
controversial former Washington, DC, chancellor. Rhee made a name for
herself as public enemy No. 1 of the teachers' unions and has become the
torchbearer of the charter school movement. In 2012, her "bipartisan
grassroots organization" backed 105 candidates in state races, 88
percent of them Republicans. (Senor was also the spokesman for the
Coalition Provisional Authority following the invasion of Iraq and
served as a foreign policy adviser to Mitt Romney in 2012.)<br />
<br />
Writing in Slate, Brown, a veteran journalist, confessed to being naive
about the standards for revealing a potential conflict of interest: "If
you live in the overlapping world of politics and media, as I am
learning, anything less than full transparency can potentially do you
in." She still managed to get in a few digs at the unions. "I failed to
disclose," she wrote, "because I stupidly did not connect the teachers'
unions' opposition to charter schools to their support for a system that
protects teachers who engage in sexual misconduct."<br />
<br />
But there is much more about PTP that is less than transparent,
including its sources of funding and its overall agenda. As a 501(c)(4)
nonprofit, PTP may keep its donors' identities secret and spend money in
electoral campaigns, so long as political activity doesn't consume the
majority of its time and money.<br />
<br />
Despite its nonpartisan billing, Brown's nonprofit used Revolution
Agency, a Republican consulting firm, to produce the mayoral attack ad.
Its partners include Mike Murphy, a well-known pundit and former Romney
strategist; Mark Dion, former chief of staff to Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.);
and Evan Kozlow, former deputy director of the National Republican
Congressional Committee. The domain name for PTP's website was
registered by two Revolution employees: Jeff Bechdel, Mitt Romney's
former Florida spokesman, and Matt Leonardo, who describes himself as
"happily in self-imposed exile from advising Republican candidates."<br />
<br />
Brown failed to disclose that her husband sits on the board of the New
York affiliate of Michelle Rhee's education lobbying group.<br />
<br />
Another consulting firm working with Brown's group is Tusk Strategies,
which helped launch Rhee's StudentsFirst. Advertising disclosure forms
filed by PTP list Tusk's phone number, and a copy of PTP's
sexual-misconduct pledge—since scrubbed from its website—identified its
author as a Tusk employee. (Tusk and Revolution declined to comment.
Brown referred all questions to her PR firm—the same one used by
StudentsFirst.)<br />
<br />
What about Brown's allegation that the New York schools did nothing
about 128 cases of sexual misconduct? It turns out that in 33 of those
cases, the employee in question had been fired, the New York Times
reported. Many of the others were disciplined.<br />
<br />
Brown's group paints the unions as the main obstacles to a crackdown on
predators. Yet Randi Weingarten, the president of the American
Federation of Teachers, says that the union's New York City chapter
already has a zero-tolerance policy in its contract, and that AFT only
protects its members against "false allegations." New York state law
also mandates that any teacher convicted of a sex crime be automatically
fired. It is the law, not union contracts, that requires that an
independent arbitrator hear and mete out punishment in cases of sexual
misconduct that fall outside criminal law. The quickest route to
changing that policy may be lobbying lawmakers in Albany, not hammering
teachers and their unions.<br />
<br />
Before Brown left CNN three years ago, her evening news show carried a
memorable tagline: "No bias. No bull." She can't say the same for her
foray into the education wars.</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQEhaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">The Seventy Four, founded by controversial advocate, takes over LA School Report - LA Times</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
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<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
20th STREET ELEMENTARY PARENTS GATHER 'PARENT
TRIGGER' SIGNATURES A SECOND TIME AFTER LAUSD DOESN’T MAKE CHANGES
</span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
By Adolfo Guzman-Lopez | KPCC 89.3 | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQFbaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/20CrVYJ</a><br />
<br />
February 3, 2016 :: Saying they're fed up by the slow pace of change,
parents at a southeast Los Angeles elementary school have gathered
signatures for "parent trigger" petitions for the second time to force
the Los Angeles Unified School District to turn the campus over to a
charter school operator. <br />
<br />
It's the first time that California's parent trigger law has been used
as a tool to force change twice at the same school. The law, which was
passed in 2010, compels school districts to carry out a major overhaul
of a campus – including turning over to an outside operator – if a
majority of parents seek the change. <br />
<br />
Parents at 20th St. Elementary School first organized in 2014, but
decided not to formally submit their petition when LAUSD administrators
proposed an improvement plan that included promises to improve the
administration of the school, provide teachers with professional
development, and use data to measure teaching and learning.<br />
<br />
“They said, ‘don’t turn them in; let’s drop the plan. Let’s see how we
can all work together and make changes,'” said Lupe Aragon, whose
daughter attends fourth grade at 20th St. Elementary. <br />
<br />
During the last round of state testing*, just 19 percent of the school's
students met standards in English and 20 percent met standards in math.
Aragon said she and other parents had been frustrated by the school's
continued low-performance and lack of rigor displayed in her daughter's
and other student's course work.<br />
<br />
“She was taking home math problems that were basically for first and
second graders, additions that were only one digit,” Aragon said. <br />
<br />
Now, 20th St. Elementary parents – along with the activist group that
helped craft the law and has worked to organize parents at schools
around the state – argue that the district has failed to fulfill any of
the improvement plan's commitments. <br />
<br />
“Parents basically felt like once they took the pressure off the system
that the petitions represented, the system went right back to ignoring
them,” said Seth Litt, executive director of the activist group, Parent
Revolution.<br />
<br />
In particular, the parents submitting the petition allege that LAUSD has
failed to appoint a new principal with a strong track record on school
improvement and to provide the training to school staff that it had
promised. <br />
<br />
LAUSD officials would not comment on the petition other than to say school district administrators are reviewing the documents.<br />
<br />
The petition, which was submitted to LAUSD Superintendent Michelle King
earlier this week, contains signatures from families of 58 percent of
the students in the school. <br />
<br />
Now it’s up to L.A. Unified to verify the signatures. Once that’s done
it’ll be up to the board to approve a charter school operator.<br />
<br />
Since the parent trigger law went into effect in 2010, Parent Revolution
says that petitions have been submitted to force change in schools in
six California schools, including three in Los Angeles. Threat of parent
trigger petitions have also been used as a bargaining tool to promote
changes in an additional five schools, including the first attempt at
20th St. Elementary.<br />
<br />
<br />
* smf: There has been no state testing with scores that count for over
two years; the Parent Trigger Law requires timely state testing to
identify candidate schools.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead4"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
THE BIG (D)EASY: A GOOD REASON TO NOT GO TO NEW ORLEANS JUST IN TIME FOR MARDI GRAS! </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
The 2016 NCCEP (National Council for Community and
Education Partnerships)/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop (CBW) took
place January 31-February 3, 2016 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside in
New Orleans, Louisiana.<br />
<br />
The CBW is a distinctly different learning opportunity from the
NCCEP/GEAR UP Annual Conference. The CBW is where grantees roll up their
sleeves and have extended conversations with experts in the field and
their peers about how to advance the cause of college access and
success.<br />
<br />
From the CBW program:<br />
<br />
▲EXCEL Workshop E5: PRINCIPALS OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT<br />
Gain the Knowledge and Skills to Guide Effective Change Management Strategies That Will Improve Outcomes for Your Organization <br />
• Speakers: John Deasy, Superintendent-in-Residence, The Broad Academy<br />
• Christina Heitz, Managing Director, The Broad Academy<br />
Overview: Managing change is one of the most complex tasks of a leader.
GEAR UP practitioners who seek to drive improvements in their programs
often face resistance to change. This resistance is an entirely normal
reaction. People value their current reality and the habits that
reinforce it for many good reasons. Because change implies loss,
discomfort, and distress,<br />
<br />
GEAR UP practitioners must effectively manage others’ desire to hold on
to the familiar and to be exempt from change. In this interactive skills
session, participants will explore means of establishing credibility as
a change leader, investing others in the purpose of a change, and
building a clear vision of the unfamiliar destination that we are
leading others towards.<br />
<br />
Objectives: In this workshop you will:<br />
• Gain an understanding of the success factors of change management.<br />
• Learn how to make a persuasive case for change and engage key stakeholders.<br />
• Engage in best practices in leading change.<br />
<br />
●● A 4LAKids correspondent emailed these two cents worth from the conference: <br />
Fri, Feb 5, 2016 2:48 pm :: REPORT FROM THE US DOE GEAR UP CONFERENCE FOR SUPERINTENDENTS IN NEW ORLEANS THIS WEEK:<br />
<br />
College Board, Obama, branding social justice with Common Core, testing,
etc. …and Deasy was the leader and the "expert". Broad people
introducing Deasy to Supes.<br />
<br />
• All of the "great American schools" are charter<br />
• LAUSD is the leader in social justice <br />
• Yesterday Deasy led supes in professional development on the nine steps of educational reform<br />
• data data data Deasy was analyzing poetry by numbers. <br />
</span> <br /><br />
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<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
SUPER QUIZ A BATTLE ROYAL: Academic decathlon Super
Quiz is a sport unto itself — with the fans to prove it
</span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
by Sonali Kohli | LA Times |<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQFdaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1K6AUdp</a> <br />
<br />
Feb 7, 2016 :: The fans from Van Nuys High School craned their necks,
team members' names scrawled across their faces, looking for their
fellow students.<br />
<br />
As the team started filing in, the two rows of students in the bleachers
waved signs and chanted the coach's name: "Abreu! Abreu! Abreu!"<br />
<br />
They were cheering for their school's academic decathlon team.<br />
<br />
Los Angeles Unified School District schools completed the annual
decathlon Saturday with the game show-style Super Quiz event at the
Roybal Learning Center downtown. It's the only event that allowed an
audience. And they came out in full force, with hundreds of parents,
students and school officials filling the gymnasium's bleachers.<br />
<br />
Angel Abreu, a Van Nuys High history teacher and the school's decathlon
coach since 1989, offered his students extra credit to attend the
competition's grand finale, the Super Quiz. They were surrounded by
teachers, principals and teachers from 58 participating schools.<br />
<br />
The Super Quiz consists of three rounds of 12 questions — during each
round, three students from each team sat huddled in folding chairs on
the gym floor, knees touching, Scantron test forms balanced on their
laps. The students had 10 seconds after the announcer read a question to
talk to one other and mark an answer. Up to two right answers could be
counted for each team.<br />
<br />
As announcer and former KTLA news anchor Emmett Miller read the answers
after each question, the proctors sitting with each team raised signs to
show how many of the students had correct answers, and the crowd
erupted in cheers and whoops.<br />
<br />
"May I beseech you, please, to keep your voices down," Miller said at one point.<br />
<br />
Sometimes it was so loud even during the questions that students from
Cleveland Charter High School used sign language to tell each other
which answer letter to choose, team captain Mariana Castellanos said.<br />
<br />
A number of competitors were also athletes, but some students and parents said Saturday's crowd outdid the fans at their games.<br />
<br />
"It was very exciting, yeah, it's kind of like a sport," said Melania Gomez, whose son Jorge competed for Bell High School.<br />
<br />
Granada Hills Charter High School, the defending national decathlon
champions, unofficially won the L.A. Unified Super Quiz with a perfect
score of 72. Some say Saturday's quiz is a good indication of who will
place in the overall competition, even though it's a relatively small
portion of the entire score.<br />
<br />
The winners of the competition will be announced officially Friday, and
teams with the highest overall scores will advance to the statewide
competition.<br />
<br />
The decathlon consists of seven multiple-choice tests plus three
"subjective" tests — a speech, interview and essay — and finally the
Super Quiz.<br />
<br />
Every year the decathlon has a theme running through the subjects — art,
economics, literature, math, music, science and social science. Super
Quiz asks questions in all those areas except math.<br />
<br />
Last year's theme was energy; this year's is India.<br />
<br />
Joshua Silva and Jordan Silva (no relation), both seniors at West Adams
Preparatory High School, said they didn't know much about India before
they started studying over the summer. Joshua knows the colonial history
of the country, but became more familiar with spicy foods at the
decathlon lunch practices, which happened often, he said.<br />
<br />
Students at other schools said they learned the music — not just the
Bollywood songs known to some Americans, but classical music whose
patterns they had to learn for the tests.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
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<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
JAN. 2015 REVENUES: INCOME TAXES MODESTLY UNDER PROJECTIONS <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQHiaaaaaac/">http://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/Article/Detail/168</a> …<br />
<br />
SCHOOL BUDGET HEADS UP! LAO: California revenue dips, possible sign of ‘revenue deterioration’ to come <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQHjaaaaaac/">http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article58276623.html</a> …<br />
<br />
AT LONG LAST, PUBLIC EDUCATION ENTERS THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES! - TED
CRUZ: "When Heidi's first lady, the French fries are coming back to the
cafeteria!" <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQHkaaaaaac/">http://bzfd.it/1Prq55I</a> .<br />
<br />
Subject: A CHANGE AT LA SCHOOL REPORT <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQHlaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/2038lza</a><br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Tuesday morning, February 9, 2016 - 10:00 a.m. - REGULAR BOARD MEETING - INCLUDING CLOSED SESSION Items<br />
<br />
Tuesday morning, February 9, 2016 - 1:00 p.m. - REGULAR BOARD MEETING<br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQCCaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQCDaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQCEaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQCFaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQCGaaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQCHaaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas2aAacpQCIaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px Verdana, sans serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-28598122755588886392016-01-30T21:00:00.000-08:002016-01-30T21:00:06.373-08:00Gauchos; My favorite Girl Scout cookies
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<span style="color: #e1127d; font: bold 18px Verdana, sans serif;">
4LAKids: Sunday 31•Jan•2016
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<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px Verdana, sans serif;">
In This Issue:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">MAGNET SCHOOLS: No longer famous, but still intact</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">FROM L.A. UNIFIED TEACHER TO SUPERINTENDENT: Who is the real Michelle King?</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">CALIFORNIA LAWSUIT APPEAL PURSUES CLAIM OF INADEQUATE EDUCATION FUNDING</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT GETS PERFECT SCORE ON AP CALCULUS EXAM -- 1 OF 12 IN THE WORLD TO DO SO</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but
not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other Sources</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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Featured Links:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL6xaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">► Friends4smf :: The GoFundMe campaign</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL6yaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Follow 4 LAKids on Twitter - or get instant updates via text message by texting</a> </td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL6zaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved!</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL6Aaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKidsNews:
a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
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<td align="LEFT" width="322"><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
When some loud braggart tries to put me down</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
And says his school is great</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
I tell him right away</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<i>"Now what's the matter buddy</i></span><i><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Ain't you heard of my school?</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
…It's number one in the state!"</span></i><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
Congratulations to the student-athletes of Narbonne High School football
team for winning the 2015 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF)
Division 1-A State Football Championship. <br />
<br />
Narbonne High Wins Historic CIF State Football Title | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL6Zaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1m21RDd</a><br />
<br />
This is the first time that a school from LAUSD has won the state title
in the 99-year history of the CIF. Congratulations also go to head coach
Manuel Douglas , his coaching staff, principal Gerald Kobata, and the
outstanding seniors on the team who are – every-last-one-of-‘em – going
on to community colleges or universities, many on full scholarships.
Congratulations also to all the students and faculty and Narbonne
alumni. You are champions all – and Gauchos forever!<br />
<br />
<br />
And introducing a new subject without changing it: It is Girl Scout Cookie Season!<br />
<br />
I was at the School Board’s Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday,
minding everybody else’s business, when the Narbonne football team was
honored for their state championship and student athleticism. <br />
<br />
There was a presentation on the Governor’s Proposed Budget+Legislative Agenda - <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL60aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1PZIEtZ</a>
- …and the usual Oliver Twistian “Please, sir, can LAUSD have some
more?” commentary. LAUSD’s own Washington DC lobbyist gave a
presentation on Federal Legislation+Budget - <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL61aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Qy82JW</a> - and here an interesting development developed.<br />
<br />
It seems that the feds have allocated a sizeable ($80 million) budget
increase to Charter Schools… and a not-so-sizeable one ($5 million) to
Magnet Schools.<br />
<br />
Why, pray tell, School Boardmember Schmerelson asked, did charters get a bunch and magnets only get a little?<br />
<br />
Well, Joel Packer (the LAUSD lobbyist), said, The National Charter
School Association has more and more-effective lobbyists in Washington
than the Magnet School Association. <br />
<br />
Here I looked up from answering emails and shopping for slippers at
Zappos: A D.C. lobbyist was arguing that some D.C. lobbyists are more
successful/better funded/better connected than others? The playing
field in the lobbies of Congress and corridors of power is not level?<br />
<br />
I Was Shocked! – believing as I do that democracy+fair play are as
universally clung to as expense account lunches, Georgetown cocktail
parties, tasseled loafers and Air Force One cufflinks among the K Street
crowd.<br />
<br />
But to my surprise, the astonishment among the board of education was
not that charter school association lobbyists were more successful than
magnet association lobbyists – their surprise was that there is a magnet
school association – and that they and/or LAUSD is not represented
on-or-by it.<br />
<br />
“We love our magnet schools!” It was argued by the board and by
Superintendent Michelle King that LAUSD Magnet schools/centers
outperform their host counterparts, other LAUSD schools and charter
schools. <br />
<br />
• In the most recent English-Language Arts (ELA) Smarter Balance
Assessment, 65 percent of Magnets scored higher than the state average. <br />
• On the Math assessment, 56 percent of Magnets scored higher than the state average. <br />
• Currently, over 67,000 students attend one of LAUSD’s 198 Magnet programs. <br />
• If LAUSD’s Magnet program were its own district, it would rank as the
54th largest school district in the nation and 5th largest in the state
…larger than the Detroit or Boston or San Francisco School Districts. <br />
<br />
Gentle reader, the above data+results prove LAUSD’s Magnet Program’s
popular acceptance+success …and we are data-driven+outcome-oriented,
right?<br />
<br />
Except all those data and results and facts and outcomes are meaningless
against the claims trump(eted) by Charters. (And like The Donald,
charter schools dominate the conversation even when they are not in the
room!) They frame the discussion; they must be better! They have the
brand: They are Charter Schools. To return to the musical wisdom of
Brian Wilson and Mike Love: “Rah rah rah rah sis boom bah!” They have
more+better+better-paid lobbyists. They are louder. Their volume knob
goes to eleven.<br />
</span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
When I'm drivin' in my car</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
And that man comes on the radio</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
He's tellin' me more and more</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
About some useless information</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Supposed to fire my imagination…</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
When I'm watchin' my T.V.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
And that man comes on to tell me</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
How white my shirts can be</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
But he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
The same cigarettes as me</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
<br />
LIBRARY AMNESTY: From February 1 – 14, 2016, the Los Angeles Public
Library (LAPL) will welcome back its overdue books and the people who
love them. During these two weeks only, you can return overdue
materials to any of the 73 libraries and LAPL will forgive your past and
present fines. Your record will be cleared and you can use your
library card again. LAPL Misses You - FAQ | Los Angeles Public Library <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL63aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/20zMGR9</a><br />
<br />
<br />
The L.A. Times, in its newest profile of new superintendent Michelle
King, (From L.A. Unified teacher to superintendent: Who is the real
Michelle King? - follows) seems to imply in the lead paragraphs that
King’s elevation is a victory for Beaudry insiders and District staff. <br />
<br />
In other words: The Bureaucrats Won …and of course, bureaucrats in the
Times and Eli Broad’s thinking, are champions of the status quo and
enemies of disruptive ®eform. <br />
<br />
I don’t agree – though I can understand how insiders and outsiders alike
might see it that way. I certainly understand the bureaucrats feel
relief that John Deasy – an attack dog who didn’t believe anything worth
replicating happened before his arrival on the scene – and Ray
Cortines, who in his first two iterations at LAUSD was occupied with
budget-cutting and rightsizing – are behind us. <br />
<br />
(Ray v.3.0 was about damage control; he excelled at that!) <br />
<br />
Bureaucrats are essential in an organization – a bureaucracy – as large
as LAUSD; they are both the glue and lubrication that keep the moving
parts functioning together. The collective noun, or Term of Venery
(think a Pride of Lions or a Murder of Crows) applicable here is a
Necessity of Bureaucrats.<br />
<br />
Michelle King has been a kindergartener and an elementary, middle and
high schooler in the District. She was a cheerleader. She has been a
teacher’s aide and a teacher and an administrator and a principal. She
has been a bureaucrat and a functionary, a cog in the machine – and a
thread in the tapestry. She has been an LAUSD parent. <br />
<br />
It is too early to know for sure but the hope is that We All Won. She is
one of us – We the District – and we have high expectations of her.<br />
<br />
To which I add the advice to her and all of us that goes without saying but must be said: “Don’t screw up!”<br />
<br />
<br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
MAGNET SCHOOLS: No longer famous, but still intact </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
By CHRISTINE H. ROSSELL - from Education Next | Spring 2005 / Vol. 5, No. 2| <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL67aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/23z24zT</a> <br />
●●smf: Sometimes the news isn't necessarily new ...this from ten years ago <br />
<br />
The year was 1968. Martin Luther King had been assassinated, and
American cities were erupting in flames because of King’s violent death
and the decades-long smoldering resentments from racism. In a small city
far away from the churning ghettos of Detroit and D.C., a small public
school was about to enter the racial hubbub and become part of education
history.<br />
<br />
That fall, McCarver Elementary in Tacoma, Washington, hung out its
shingle inviting students from anywhere in the city to enroll, breaking
the link between school assignments and residential location and
becoming the nation’s first “magnet” school. Thus began a nationwide
experiment to integrate public schools using market-like incentives
instead of court orders. (See sidebar, “In the Beginning.” <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL68aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/23z24zT)</a><br />
<br />
The following year, 1969, the country’s second magnet school opened–this
one, more appropriately, in Boston, soon to be an epicenter of the
race-based school wars. But, like its West Coast counterpart, the
William Monroe Trotter School, in Beantown’s poor Roxbury section, was
built as “a showcase for new methods of teaching”–enough of a showcase,
it was hoped, to attract white children to a black neighborhood for
their schooling. It was an odd idea, but one whose time seemed to have
come. Within a decade there would be hundreds of such magnet schools all
over the country.<br />
<br />
The idea was simple enough: draw white students to predominantly black
schools by offering a special education with a focus on a particular
aspect of the curriculum, such as performing arts, or Montessori, or
advanced math, science, and technology. Federal and state agencies,
anxious to avoid the growing messiness of coercive integration measures
like forced busing, directed new resources toward these magnets,
encouraging their pioneering academic programs and giving grants for new
facilities. Glossy brochures were mailed to parents and press releases
to local media. The hope was that these well-funded, themed schools
would ignite a passion for learning as well as spark a movement to
voluntarily integrate schools.<br />
<br />
The names alone give a sense of the new schools’ range and optimism–the
Thomas Pullham Creative and Performing Arts magnet (in Prince George’s
County, Maryland), the Copley Square International High magnet (in
Boston), the School 59 Science magnet (also called the “Zoo School,” in
Buffalo), the Greenfield Montessori magnet school (in Milwaukee), the
Central High School Classical Greek/Computers Unlimited magnet high
school (in Kansas City). Even older and well-established “examination
schools,” such as Boston Latin and City Honors (in Buffalo), would soon
claim magnet status to avail themselves of new students and additional
funds.<br />
<br />
AN EARLY EXPERIMENT IN “CHOICE”<br />
<br />
The first magnets appeared as the school desegregation battles were
heating up. In 1969, the year William Monroe Trotter opened in Boston, a
federal court ordered the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district in
North Carolina to use busing to desegregate its schools. The use of
crosstown busing to accomplish desegregation was unprecedented–and the
case went right to the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the highly
controversial forced integration program in 1971. A federal district
court in Boston, paying insufficient attention to the ideals of the
Trotter school, introduced a forced busing program in 1974 that set off
demonstrations and riots. The court order also prompted the city’s
educators to include magnets in their formal, citywide forced busing
plan the following year. Thus was born the first “forced busing plan
with magnet options.”<br />
<br />
Coming as they did, in the midst of several different national
desegregation crises, early magnet schools offered a relatively
uncontroversial–and peaceful–means of integrating schools. And the
magnet movement got an early boost from two federal district court
decisions in 1976, in the aftermath of the discord in Charlotte and
Boston. In approving magnet-driven, voluntary desegregation programs in
Buffalo and Milwaukee, the courts seemed more than willing to accept
reasonable alternatives to the forced dissolution of geography-based
school assignments.<br />
<br />
Though it was another decade before the first southern school district
(in Savannah) was allowed to desegregate its school system with a
voluntary magnet-school plan, the new schools were soon opening almost
everywhere–or, at least, everywhere that public school systems needed to
stem the white-flight resegregation that was overtaking many urban
school districts, mostly in the North. By 1981, there were some 1,000
such magnet schools in the United States; by 1991, there were over
2,400. (See Figure 1/ <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL68aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/23z24zT)</a><br />
<br />
These new schools proved to be a remarkably robust and popular trend in
school choice. In a study I undertook in 1989, I found that 12 percent
of the elementary and middle school magnet programs in my sample
specialized in basic skills and/or individualized teaching; 11 percent
offered foreign language immersion; 11 percent were science-, math-, or
computer-oriented; 10 percent catered to the gifted and talented and 10
percent to the creative and performing arts; 8 percent were traditional,
back-to-basics programs (demanding, for instance, dress codes and
contracts with parents for supervision of homework); 7 percent were
college preparatory; 7 percent were early childhood and Montessori. (The
remaining preferences, each under 7 percent, included
multicultural/international, life skills/ careers, and
ecology/environment.) At the high school level, the programs tended to
be either career-oriented (medical careers, law and criminal justice,
communications and mass media, hotel
and restaurant) or schools with some sort of entrance criteria. The
Magnet Schools Association of America, based in Washington, D.C.,
reports a similar distribution of program themes in today’s magnet
schools.<br />
<br />
My analyses of the success of these magnets in actually attracting
whites indicate that school structure and racial composition was
important. Predictably, the most popular magnet school structure was a
dedicated magnet, where everyone in the school had chosen it and all
were in the magnet program. These “perfect” magnets, however, were the
least common, because creating them requires that an entire school be
emptied out and children assigned elsewhere or a new school be built.
The next most popular magnet structure, and the most common today, is a
program-within-a-school. Only students who chose the magnet program are
in it, but there is also a neighborhood population assigned to the
school that is not in the magnet program. The racial composition of the
magnet program is different from the school that houses it and is
usually around 50 percent white.<br />
<br />
The least-popular magnet structure in black neighborhoods is a
“whole-school-attendance-zone” magnet: everyone in the school is in the
program, but the school has a neighborhood population assigned to it.
That these schools and their magnet programs tend to have a racial
composition closer to that of the neighborhood–majority minority–only
reduces their attractiveness to whites. However, according to most
surveys, although whites prefer majority white schools, a sizable,
albeit smaller, number will choose schools where whites make up somewhat
less than half of the student body.<br />
<br />
STAYING POWER AND AN EVOLVING MISSION<br />
<br />
Even as courts across the country began releasing school districts such
as Kansas City, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Savannah, Buffalo, and Boston
from long-running desegregation orders during the 1990s, magnet schools
continued to thrive. My 1991 randomized national sample of 600 school
districts indicated that the 2,400 magnet schools in the United States
were operating in 229 different school districts.<br />
<br />
And it would appear that their ranks continue to swell despite the
declining number of districts operating under court-ordered
desegregation plans. The directory published by the Magnet Schools
Association of America lists more than 3,000 magnet or theme-based
schools as members.<br />
With desegregation waning as a public goal, however, magnet schools have
maintained support by attaching themselves to the school-choice
movement. For instance, the Magnet Schools of America web site now makes
a classic choice-based argument on behalf of magnet schools–that being
allowed to choose a school will result in improved satisfaction that
translates into better achievement. Thus, although proponents of magnet
schools have not disavowed the desegregation goal that is the program’s
roots, they currently place almost equal emphasis on magnets as
instruments of school choice.<br />
<br />
One of the reasons for the sustained growth of magnet schools is the
federal government’s steady financial support for the idea. Magnet
schools were originally funded as tools of desegregation under the
Emergency School Assistance Act from 1972 to 1981. In 1981 they were
folded into the Chapter 2 block-grant program, but explicit federal
support for magnet schools as desegregation tools resumed in 1985 with
the authorization of the Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP),
included in the Education for Economic Security Act. Under the new
program, however, magnet schools not only had to aid desegregation, but
also had to focus on improving the quality of education in order to
qualify for funds. The Magnet Schools Assistance Program still exists,
now run by the Office of Innovation and Improvement in the Department of
Education, and with the same twin goals of fostering integration and
choice.<br />
<br />
Funding for magnet schools is also part of the No Child Left Behind Act
of 2001, housed in the portion of the law bannered “Promoting Informed
Parental Choice and Innovative Programs.” Funding has not kept pace with
either inflation or the growth in magnet schools, but neither has it
withered away. (See Figure 2/ <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL68aaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/23z24zT)</a>
The MSAP appropriation was $75 million in 1984, rose to $108 million in
1994, and remained at $108 million in 2004. Though the program falls
under the law’s choice provisions, the federal government still
considers magnets an important aspect of desegregation policy, defining a
magnet school as one that “offers a special curriculum capable of
attracting substantial numbers of students of different racial
backgrounds.<br />
<br />
THE MONEY BITE<br />
<br />
Perhaps the greatest challenge to magnet schools now comes from fiscal
constraints at the state level. Where desegregation has become a
secondary goal, resource-rich magnet schools are often a target for cuts
when money is tight. States such as Missouri, Ohio, and Michigan have
challenged court-ordered desegregation plans in order to reduce their
financial and legal liability. But even states such as Massachusetts,
Maryland, and California that were never parties to a desegregation
lawsuit have been cutting funds for magnet schools. The Prince George’s
County, Maryland, school district, for example, eliminated magnet
programs at 33 schools in the fall of 2004 because of state funding
cutbacks. (smf notes: This was before Deasy’s tenure at Prince George’s
County schools.) The only theme programs that will be kept are the
Montessori, French immersion, and creative and performing arts, and they
will no longer be called magnets.<br />
<br />
Indeed, there is probably no school district with an extensive system of
magnet programs that has not closed at least one or two magnets because
of a budget crunch. In fact, many magnets are the victims of their own
success: by the 1990s most neighborhood schools had the science labs and
computer technology that had once made magnets unique. Even McCarver in
Tacoma removed “magnet” from its name in 1998 and, as a result of No
Child Left Behind, became a School in Need of Improvement.<br />
<br />
Connecticut is an important exception to this trend, but that is because
since 1996, the entire state has been under a state supreme court order
to desegregate. Using a complicated formula approved by the court, the
state funds magnet schools that accept students from several different
districts (at a minimum there must be two) at a per-pupil rate that
increases as the number of districts sending students increases–an
attempt to bring central-city minority students and white suburban
students together in the same school. Thus the scheme eschews outright
racial quotas, but achieves some of the diversity that quotas would
create.<br />
<br />
CHALLENGES FOR THE FUTURE<br />
<br />
Though finances will always be a magnet school’s primary concern, the
greatest threat to the magnet system going forward is the same as that
which gave magnets their early jump-start: the courts. Even the No Child
Left Behind Act’s requirement that school districts adopt a voluntary
desegregation plan, for instance, may conflict with legal precedents set
in most federal appeals courts. In 2001 only the federal appeals court
covering the states of Connecticut, New York, and Vermont had upheld the
use of race in student assignment or magnet school admissions in school
districts not already under court order; it did so on the grounds that
the state had a compelling interest in racial diversity. But even in
that circuit, several school districts and one state (Connecticut) have
continued to avoid the use of racial quotas in magnet admissions because
they believe using them invites a legal challenge.<br />
<br />
The 2002 U.S. Supreme Court decision outlawing the use of racial quotas
at the University of Michigan–but approving the use of race as one of
many factors in admissions decisions–has had little impact on magnet
schools, mainly because most had already abandoned the use of quotas.
And most school districts now recognize that using explicit racial
quotas in magnet admissions when desegregation orders have been lifted
is risky. When the court-ordered desegregation plan in Prince George’s
County was ended in 2002, the superintendent formed a panel of experts
on magnet schools that was thought to be politically and ideologically
diverse. Our task was to figure out what to do about magnet school
admissions criteria.<br />
<br />
All of us were in agreement that race could no longer be used in magnet
admissions. We devised a plan in which the district was divided into
three subdistricts of roughly similar racial and socioeconomic balance.
Students, regardless of their race, could choose any magnet school in
their subdistrict. We hoped that racially diverse student bodies would
result from the individual choices of students, but there was no way to
guarantee it. Since then, as noted above, state funding cuts have
prompted the district’s administration to dramatically reduce the number
of magnet schools, keeping only the most popular. Similar choices are
being made in other districts, where some magnets survive while others
are being closed.<br />
<br />
Districts throughout the country are responding in one of two ways:
either adopting a race-blind system of admissions, thus converting the
magnet to a themed school of choice; or constructing a system whereby
race is only one of several factors considered in admission. The former
is more likely to happen in school districts that have very few whites
left and in districts that have had strong appeals court opinions
rejecting the use of race altogether. The latter is more likely to occur
in school districts such as Fort Wayne, Indiana, that have enough
whites left to actually integrate a number of magnet schools and where
there has been no strong circuit court decision rejecting the use of
race.<br />
<br />
It is remarkable, perhaps, that despite the reduction in state funding
and the elimination of explicit racial quotas, the total number of
magnet schools has not declined. I would suggest three reasons for their
resilience. First, the great triumph of the civil-rights movement was
its success in getting whites to support the principle of racial
diversity in the schools. In districts that still have enough whites to
make integration feasible, magnet schools are viewed as an effective way
to achieve that diversity, even in districts where court orders have
been lifted or never existed. Second, magnet schools have been
incorporated into the school choice movement as a means of improving
achievement and into No Child Left Behind as a way of increasing the
opportunities available to children in low-performing schools. Third,
parents like school choice. Although undoubtedly there are some who
enroll their children in a theme-based school in order to enable them to
pursue a passion,
most parents are probably interested in theme-based education as a means
of igniting a passion. Magnets have thus developed strong
constituencies locally and nationally and, for the foreseeable future,
remain an important, if less often noticed, feature of the American
education
landscape.<br />
<br />
• Christine Rossell is a professor of political science at Boston University.<br />
<br />
<br />
●●smf’s 2¢: The LAUSD Magnet program is the legacy of Theodore T. "Ted"
Alexander, Jr., for whom the Alexander Science and Math Magnet School in
Exposition Park is named. Alexander was responsible for district
integration after a 1977 court order required Los Angeles schools to
desegregate, a ruling that prompted a citywide fight over mandatory
busing.<br />
<br />
To help defuse community opposition to busing, Alexander supervised the
establishment of magnet schools. The magnet campuses achieved
integration by attracting students of all races from across the city
with specialized classes that included science, journalism and curricula
for the academically gifted.<br />
- from Alexander's LA Times obituary <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL69aaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/20yEXCR</a></span> <br /><br />
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<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
FROM L.A. UNIFIED TEACHER TO SUPERINTENDENT: Who is the real Michelle King? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
by Howard Blume | L.A. Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL7daaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1nUgPwB</a> <br />
<br />
Jan 28, 2016 :: At the announcement that Michelle King had been
promoted from deputy superintendent to the top leadership position at
the huge and troubled Los Angeles Unified School District, the small
throng gathered at district headquarters rose to its feet in applause.<br />
<br />
The ovation was a "Survivor"-like salute to a member of the tribe. Here
was someone who had navigated a high-stakes, politically treacherous
enterprise in which, this year alone, 60,000 employees will spend more
than $7 billion in taxpayer-supplied money to give 650,000 students a
better chance at succeeding in life.<br />
<br />
This very district, after all, had educated King since kindergarten. It
provided her first job, as a teacher's aide, while she was still at
Palisades High School. And for almost 30 years it has provided her
livelihood.<br />
<br />
Applause, however, doesn't necessarily mean she's the best person for the job.<br />
If there's not much recent public evidence by which to evaluate King's
suitability for one of the most important positions in education, it's
because 10 years ago the district swallowed King into the upper reaches
of its labyrinthine bureaucracy.<br />
<br />
In a home movie of her life, that would be the point at which we switch from vibrant color into grainy black and white.<br />
<br />
"It is hard to tell who's the real Michelle because she is always so
dutiful to her bosses," said one source who requested anonymity. "I
can't remember a time when she said: 'This is what I think.' It was
always the party line."<br />
<br />
King's earlier career provides some insight.<br />
<br />
Take, for example, another show of support that came in 2002, when King
walked into her first faculty meeting after being promoted from vice
principal to principal at Hamilton High in Los Angeles' Palms
neighborhood.<br />
<br />
"The entire faculty burst into a standing ovation," says retired teacher Shelley Rose. "I've never seen it before or since."<br />
<br />
Hamilton, it seems, had been tearing itself apart. The district had set
up two magnet schools on the home campus as part of a strategy to lure
back white students who had fled public schools. Some staff complained
that the combined campus favored the wealthier, whiter magnets.<br />
<br />
The staff already had confidence in King. As an assistant principal, she
had "bridged all of the factions," says Merle Price, a former deputy
superintendent.<br />
<br />
As principal, she reassured the magnets that they could remain
independent, while also addressing grievances from the neighborhood
school, Price says.<br />
<br />
<br />
She also began to even out class sizes, so that the magnets no longer had far fewer students.<br />
<br />
"Michelle united the faculty, boosted morale, and righted the ship
almost immediately," says Barry Smolin, an English teacher. "A lot of it
had to do with her calm demeanor, her willingness to hear all sides of
an issue and make informed decisions based on sometimes conflicting
perspectives — and her genuine concern for students and teachers."<br />
<br />
One way she showed that concern, former colleagues say, was by letting
teachers with nonconformist styles do things their way — an approach
that has been notoriously foreign to some administrators.<br />
English teacher Dan Victor, now retired, remembers telling King that a
schoolwide assembly she'd called conflicted with his plan to prepare
students for an Advanced Placement test the next day.<br />
<br />
"Why don't you do what you think is best," she said.<br />
<br />
He kept his students in class.<br />
<br />
At least by some important measures her approach worked.<br />
<br />
In each of the three years before King became principal, Hamilton's test
scores had fallen short of the state's target for how much the school
was supposed to improve.<br />
<br />
After she took charge, the scores surged well past these annual goals.<br />
<br />
Hamilton High performed better under Michelle King<br />
<br />
She didn't solve all of Hamilton's problems, though.<br />
<br />
The home school continued to perform below the state average and a large
divide remained between the higher scores of whites and more prosperous
students and those of low-income blacks and Latinos.<br />
<br />
That "achievement gap" remains one of the most significant challenges in the district she now runs.<br />
<br />
::<br />
<br />
In thinking of the forces that shaped her, King recalls the riots of
1992 when, as a young teacher, she stood in her hillside home in South
Los Angeles' largely African American, largely upscale View Park
neighborhood, watching large swaths of Los Angeles burn.<br />
<br />
Her father had become a lawyer while she was still a child. Her mother
worked for the county. Together they provided their daughter with a
sheltered life.<br />
<br />
"It was assumed and expected you would go to college," King says. "My
father looked at my report cards. We were taught to respect our teachers
and that we would get good grades."<br />
<br />
She attended L.A. Unified schools, including Palisades High, where she
was a top student and a cheerleader and one of the few blacks at a
school whose student body was mainly wealthy and white.<br />
After attending UCLA, her first teaching assignment was in the San
Fernando Valley, a world apart from the worst poverty of the L.A. basin.<br />
<br />
King was not oblivious to social ills, but her understanding deepened,
she said, as she watched the video of police officers beating Rodney
King, followed by the trial that acquitted them.<br />
<br />
The community rage that followed made an impression, firing up a long-standing instinct to help foundering students push ahead.<br />
<br />
In high school she'd become a student aide because she liked helping students who were struggling. She also tutored at UCLA.<br />
<br />
Later, she moved through teaching jobs at Porter Junior High and Wright
Middle School while shepherding her own three daughters through school.<br />
<br />
Sometimes that meant making choices. The first time King was offered the
principal's job at Hamilton she turned it down. Her marriage by then
was in trouble, and, even after the divorce, King was determined not to
miss back-to-school nights or lose the family's tradition of long Sunday
dinners, at which the girls could talk out the issues of their lives,
she says.<br />
<br />
When one of her daughters wanted to attend a girls school, King enrolled her in the private Archer School in Brentwood.<br />
<br />
King says that watching how the all-girl school empowered her daughter
made her believe in the value of single-gender schools — an option she
has said she wants to expand in L.A. Unified.<br />
<br />
Beyond that, King hasn't detailed specific new initiatives she'll
suggest for the district, nor has the school board articulated how it
plans to measure her success.<br />
<br />
In recent years, success has meant remaining in the background and carrying out orders.<br />
<br />
"Michelle never really had a chance or opportunity to stand out or share
her thoughts," says longtime PTA leader Scott Folsom. "She is always
quiet in meetings. I have never heard her disagree with or question the
company line."<br />
<br />
King acknowledges this trait.<br />
<br />
"I've always followed the direction of my superintendent," she says. "I
might not agree with him, but ultimately I'm a soldier and it's their
ship. It's their vision and I'm going to follow it."<br />
<br />
And, she says, she's learned from each superintendent she's served.<br />
<br />
As Supt. Ramon C. Cortines' chief of staff, and later as chief deputy
superintendent, she learned to "communicate and communicate and overly
communicate, particularly with the Board of Education."<br />
As head of operations for Supt. John Deasy, who replaced Cortines, and
then was replaced by him after resigning under pressure in October 2014,
King learned from "his unrelenting focus on youth and poverty," she
says.<br />
<br />
King also cites two readings that have influenced her approach to management.<br />
<br />
The first befits a former science teacher: "Turning Research Into Results" by Richard Edward Clark and Fred Estes.<br />
<br />
"I believe you gather data before you strike out," King says.<br />
<br />
The other is "Leadership from the Middle: A System Strategy" by Michael Fullan.<br />
<br />
Even now that she's at the top, being in the middle is where she seems most comfortable.<br />
<br />
Those who know her best describe a regular-gal charm, a "margarita
buddy" who got visibly embarrassed at the raunchier parts of the Spike
Lee-produced movie "The Best Man," a person who likes to bowl and is
pretty good at it.<br />
<br />
Colleagues say she's easy to be with, a team player.<br />
<br />
King says her devotion to collaboration was instilled early, as a new
UCLA graduate in an intern program that shoved an unproven teacher in
front of a room of seventh-graders ready to test her.<br />
That trial by fire seared something into her mind. If her colleagues
hadn't rallied to support her, she could have failed, King says. It
taught her that educators need to rely on each other.<br />
<br />
She wants to apply that same lesson to a fractured school system with a
team that now includes parents and district critics. That, she says, is
why the board hired her.<br />
<br />
"They have charged me with bringing the district together," she said.<br />
<br />
<i>- Times staff writers Zahira Torres and Sonali Kohli contributed to this report</i></span> <br /><br />
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<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
CALIFORNIA LAWSUIT APPEAL PURSUES CLAIM OF INADEQUATE EDUCATION FUNDING </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
By Michael Collier | EdSource Today | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL7baaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1KhRGWF</a><br />
<br />
January 27, 2016 | As they presented oral arguments before an appellate
court Wednesday, attorneys in a high-profile lawsuit hoped that justices
will allow them to go to trial to prove that by inadequately funding
public schools the state is violating California students’
constitutional right to a quality education.<br />
<br />
The three justices on the 1st District Court of Appeal in San Francisco
must rule within the next 90 days on whether to overturn a ruling by an
Alameda County Superior Court judge who dismissed the case, Robles-Wong
v. California, on grounds that there’s no constitutional right to an
adequately funded education. In that ruling, Judge Steven Brick said the
Legislature has the right to set funding levels as it chooses.<br />
<br />
The case consolidates two lawsuits filed in 2010 — Campaign for Quality Education v. California and the Robles-Wong case.<br />
<br />
In a session lasting more than an hour, justices on the court focused on
the issue in the lawsuits’ core claim, that insufficient funding levels
are denying children their constitutional right to an education that
prepares them to participate fully in economic and civil life.<br />
<br />
The justices focused on the key idea of the concept of quality, while
the attorney for the state, Joshua Sondheimer, said the state does not
oversee quality.<br />
<br />
Steven Mayer, an attorney for the plaintiffs in Robles-Wong, told the
justices that the state Supreme Court has held that education is a
constitutional right in the state, “and a violation of that right has
occurred.”<br />
<br />
The Legislature defines quality education in establishing high academic
standards but it hasn’t provided enough funding so that all students can
meet those standards, Mayer said.<br />
<br />
While a ruling by the three justices won’t be issued for several weeks,
it could be groundbreaking if the justices decide that a quality
education is constitutionally guaranteed.<br />
<br />
Justice Peter Siggins acknowledged that under the state’s current system there is “a disparity of opportunity” for students.<br />
<br />
Mayer said that a minimal level of state funding, which Proposition 98 guarantees, doesn’t ensure quality education.<br />
<br />
“We can’t have a system where half the students are not proficient,”
Mayer argued, and pointed out that California students consistently rank
near the bottom of the nation in academic performance. Furthermore,
more funding, not simply redistributing funding, is needed, he added.<br />
<br />
Sondheimer argued that there is “no qualitative level for education in the state Constitution.”<br />
<br />
That prompted Justice Martin Jenkins to assert that “there must be a qualitative element in every classroom.”<br />
<br />
Plaintiffs in the Robles case are the California School Boards
Association, the California State PTA, the association of California
School Administrators, the California Teachers Association, the Youth
& Education Law Project at Stanford Law School and 60 individuals,
including the lead plaintiff, Maya Robles-Wong, who was a junior at
Alameda High School when the suits were filed. The Campaign for Quality
Education suit was filed by Public Advocates Inc., which represented
five nonprofits serving low-income, minority families. <br />
<br />
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Steven Brick dismissed both lawsuits
in December 2011. In his rulings, Brick acknowledged students’
fundamental right to an education, but he said the state Constitution
does not require the Legislature to fund public education at a specific
level. The plaintiffs appealed the decision to the state appeals court
in San Francisco, and the court combined the two lawsuits into one.<br />
<br />
Last week, the California School Boards Association released a report on
public school spending levels: California’s Challenge: Adequately
Funding Education in the 21st Century | bit.ly/1KNFyrl <br />
<br />
The new figures updated the ones based on decade-old published studies,
which the association submitted as evidence in the Robles case.<br />
<br />
The new report asserts that the $64 billion that Gov. Jerry Brown
proposes to spend on K-12 schools in the 2016-2017 school year to
implement the Common Core, other state standards and to fulfill the
eight priorities of the Local Control Funding Formula, would fall tens
of billions of dollars short of what is needed for the state to ensure
that every child has access to quality learning.<br />
<br />
John Fensterwald contributed to this report.</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead5"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT GETS PERFECT SCORE ON AP
CALCULUS EXAM -- 1 OF 12 IN THE WORLD TO DO SO </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
By Hailey Branson-Potts – L.A. Times | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL7gaaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1NHRzOU</a><br />
<br />
Jan 28, 2016 :: The call from Lincoln High School’s principal’s office came unexpectedly, as they often do.<br />
<br />
Cedrick Argueta’s friends joked that he might be in trouble. Cedrick didn’t think so.<br />
<br />
He was right. <br />
<br />
It turned out that Cedrick, the son of a Salvadoran maintenance worker
and a Filipina nurse, had scored perfectly on his Advanced Placement
Calculus exam. Of the 302,531 students to take the notoriously
mind-crushing test, he was one of only 12 to earn every single point.<br />
<br />
“It’s crazy,” Cedrick said. “Twelve people in the whole world to do this and I was one of them? It’s amazing.”<br />
<br />
Since word of his feat has spread, the lanky 17-year-old senior – who
described himself as a quiet, humble guy – has become something of a
celebrity at Lincoln High, a school of about 1,200 students in the
heavily Latino Lincoln Heights neighborhood.<br />
<br />
At a school assembly, students shouted, “Ced-rick! Ced-rick!” when
Principal Jose Torres announced his score. Friends started calling him
“One of Twelve.”<br />
<br />
And Torres said this week that he might as well become the teen’s
booking agent, laughing as he held up a typed schedule of Cedrick’s
media interviews.<br />
<br />
“It’s mind-blowing,” said Torres, who has worked within LAUSD for 31
years. “It’s the first time I’ve had something of this magnitude. A lot
of kids expected him to be the one.”<br />
<br />
VIDEO: Meet The Kid Who Got A Perfect Score On The AP Calculus Exam <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL7haaaaaac/">http://lat.ms/1nuQGUy</a><br />
<br />
Cedrick and his classmates took the AP Calculus AB exam, a 3-hour and
15-minute test administered by the nonprofit College Board for possible
college credit, in May.<br />
<br />
Cedrick learned over the summer that he had scored a 5 – the top score –
on the exam but had no idea he’d gotten every single question right
until last week.<br />
<br />
In a letter to Torres last week, the College Board called it a “remarkable achievement.”<br />
<br />
As far as math whizzes go, Cedrick is unassuming. He likes to play
basketball with his buddies, and his favorite reading of late was the
Harry Potter series. Knowing he was going to do television interviews
this week, he donned a blue LHS hoodie and sneakers.<br />
<br />
Math has always just made sense to him, he said. He appreciates the
creativity of it, the different methods you can take to solve a problem.<br />
<br />
“There’s also some beauty in it being absolute,” Cedrick said. “There’s always a right answer.”<br />
<br />
When asked about his perfect exam score, Cedrick just thanked everybody else in his life.<br />
<br />
“It just sort of blew up,” he said. “It feels kind of good to be in the
spotlight for a little bit, but I want to give credit to everybody else
that helped me along the way.”<br />
The Times' new initiative to inform parents, educators and students across California >><br />
<br />
Cedrick is the son of Lilian and Marcos Argueta, both of whom came to
the United States as young adults – she from the Philippines, he from El
Salvador. Lilian, a licensed vocational nurse, works two jobs at
nursing homes. Marcos is a maintenance worker at one of those nursing
homes. He never went to high school.<br />
<br />
Lilian Argueta, pausing during one of her shifts this week, said her
son’s accomplishment is still sinking in. He texted her when he found
out, and she told him it was great but, she said, she didn’t understand
the magnitude until reporters started calling.<br />
<br />
Argueta said that she always told Cedrick and his younger sister to
finish their homework and to “read, read, read,” but that they knew
she’d be proud of them whether or not they got straight A’s.<br />
<br />
“I’m just thankful,” she said. “God gave me two perfect kids.”<br />
<br />
To celebrate, the Arguetas took Cedrick to Roy’s, his favorite
restaurant in Pasadena, where he ordered a big pork shank. He was still
excited about the free souffle the waiters brought him after learning
his score.<br />
<br />
On Wednesday, Cedrick hung out in the classroom of his calculus teacher,
Anthony Yom, which is decked out with signs that say “Mathlife” and a
picture of Homer Simpson.<br />
<br />
All 21 of Yom’s AP Calculus students who took the exam last year passed;
17 got the highest score of 5. It was the third year in a row that all
of Yom’s kids passed the test.<br />
<br />
Yom, 35, said he treats his students like a sports team. They’d stay
after school, practicing problem solving for three or four extra hours,
and they’d come on weekends. On test day, they wore matching blue
T-shirts sporting their names, “like they’re wearing jerseys to the
game,” Yom said.<br />
<br />
“I think they don’t want to disappoint each other,” Yom said. “Talent
can only take you so far. These kids put in so many hours.”<br />
<br />
Yom said he knew most of his kids would score 5s, but even he was blown
away by Cedrick’s perfect exam. The odds of such a thing, he said, are
like winning the lottery.<br />
<br />
As if that weren’t enough, Cedrick also earned perfect scores on the
science and math sections of the ACT exam last year, he said. This year,
he’s taking four more AP exams, including the Calculus BC segment.
Friends are pushing him for a repeat perfect performance.<br />
<br />
“There’s a lot of pressure,” he said, laughing.<br />
<br />
Cedrick graduates in June and hopes to attend Caltech and become an engineer. For his family, a scholarship would be a godsend.<br />
<br />
Cedrick’s got big plans. He wants to maybe “design something really
cool.” He wants to have his name on something that’s known around the
world.<br />
<br />
But this summer, he just wants to hang out with his friends.</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
PARENTS GETTING ONBOARD WITH IMMUNIZATION MANDATE :: SI&A Cabinet Report<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpMdqaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1SiYTZw</a> <br />
<br />
LAUSD BOARD TOLD CHARTERS ATTRACTING MORE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAN MAGNETS <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpMdraaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1OXMyWv</a> <br />
<br />
OBAMA OUTLINES $4 BILLION ‘COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR ALL’ EDUCATION PLAN <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpMdsaaaaaac/">http://wapo.st/1m4bdOK</a> <br />
<br />
CSBA Report: CALIFORNIA'S CHALLENGE: Adequately Funding Education in the 21st Century<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpMdtaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1KNFyrl</a> <br />
<br />
CALIFORNIA LAWSUIT APPEAL PURSUES CLAIM OF INADEQUATE EDUCATION FUNDING <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpMduaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1PM2Llf</a> <br />
<br />
OLD NEWS IN A NEW BLOG: Former Houghton Mifflin Exec Reveals How Pearson Unfairly Won the LAUSD iPad Deal<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpMdvaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1P3UjIe</a> <br />
<br />
??? Rumor Seeking Confirmation/Denial: Paul Pastorek - in charge of
Education Initiatives at the Broad Foundation - is outta there.<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead7"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Tues. February 2, 2016 - 10:00 a.m.- CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND EDUCATIONAL EQUITY COMMITTEE <br />
<br />
Tues. February 2, 2016 - 2:00 p.m. - EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND PARENT ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE <br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL6Baaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL6Caaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL6Daaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead8"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL6Eaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL6Faaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maas1cOacpL6Haaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<br /><br /><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px Verdana, sans serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He serves on numerous school district advisory and
policy committees and has served as a PTA officer and governance council
member at three LAUSD schools. He is the recipient of the UTLA/AFT
"WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd Kiesel Memorial
Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday deserve. •
In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions and feedback
are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the original author
and/or publisher. All other material copyright © 4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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smfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07274713309220069575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6722630.post-76354682339556989562016-01-23T20:00:00.000-08:002016-01-23T20:00:03.191-08:00Squirmishes
<br />
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<span style="color: #e1127d; font: bold 18px Verdana, sans serif;">
4LAKids: Sunday 24•Jan•2016
</span>
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<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px Verdana, sans serif;">
In This Issue:
</span>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">LAUSD’s
New Supe: WHY DON’T ANGELENOS TRUST HOMEGROWN TALENT? Unfortunately, To
Make It Big In L.A., You Often Have To Go Make Your Mark Elsewhere</span></td>
</tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">TIME TO BREAK UP GIANT SCHOOL DISTRICTS + smf’s 2¢</span></td>
</tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">NOTED JOURNALISM ETHICIST - WHO WROTE THE BOOK ON THE SUBJECT - SAYS L.A. TIMES IS "TRAPPED IN A MASSIVE CONFLICT OF INTEREST"</span></td>
</tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">CALIFORNIA THREATENS TO TAKE MONEY FROM SCHOOLS WITH UNDER-VACCINATED KIDS</span></td>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but
not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other Sources</span></td>
</tr>
<tr><td height="10"><img height="10" src="http://app.topica.com/images/pixel.gif" width="1" /></td></tr>
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> EVENTS: Coming up next week...</span></td>
</tr>
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<tr valign="TOP">
<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><span style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> What can YOU do?</span></td>
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<br /><br />
<span style="color: #0077ff; font: bold 12px Verdana, sans serif;">
Featured Links:
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<td width="13"><span style="color: #e1127d; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHlbaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">► Friends4smf :: The GoFundMe campaign</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHlcaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Follow 4 LAKids on Twitter - or get instant updates via text message by texting</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHldaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved!</a> </td>
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• </span></td>
<td align="LEFT" width="140"><a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHleaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">4LAKidsNews:
a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous
rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc.</a> </td>
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<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
The moon is full. The surf is up. The tides are king.
The weather on the right coast is frightful – triggered in part by our
own Pacific Ocean El Niño – which is thankfully delivering snowpack to
the left coast Sierra along with chaos to the Atlantic Seaboard. <br />
<i><br />
…and what is a seaboard anyway?</i><br />
<br />
Politics is a spectrum disorder. Its professional practitioners and the
pundits thereof (...with the extra-added-detraction of the former
governor of Alaska) are in Iowa, New Hampshire and on cable news – in
utter lunar/lunatic synchrony. Because one New York City billionaire
espousing “New York values” is never enough, Michael Bloomberg is
considering a ‘what-the-hey’, billion dollar run. The pro football
playoffs are into their penultimacy. Pearson LLC – the largest
education company and the largest book publisher in the world – failing
because of errors in management, ethics and software design – is laying
off employees and its CEO. (Needless to say, its stock is on the rise.)
The Newport-Mesa School District is paying its assistant superintendent
extra retirement benefits to not retire. Glendale Unified has
discovered that poetry encourages English language learners. Governor
Brown gave his State-of-the-State address and for once educators and
budget nerds did not
hang on his every word, hoping for a scrap. (Never mind that financial
markets from Beijing to Wall Street are tanking!) Bankruptcy and
municipal/school district ‘emergency control’ have turned out as toxic
as a cup of green tea at the Pine Bar of London’s Millennium Hotel for
kids in Michigan. The State of Illinois is contemplating ‘emergency
control’ for Chicago City Schools – the birthplace of big-city mayoral
control.<br />
<br />
Refugees are drowning on the beaches and straining the borders in Europe
and detention centers here; Cubans are marooned in Costa Rica and Pink
Floyds’ Wall may be the musical answer to the karaoke question: “What’s
next?” And something is amiss with the LAUSD audit …or is it?<br />
<br />
And the same folks at Caltech who took away Pluto are giving us a new Planet Nine. Somewhere. Out there.<br />
<br />
And Glenn Frey is gone. My favorite Eagles song is <b>Ol’ 55</b> – which is really a Tom Waits song. </span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
“Well, my time went too quickly…”</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<b>¿Well, what can a poor boy do…?</b></span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
Except to sing for a rock 'n' roll band</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
'Cause in sleepy London town</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
There's just no place for a street fighting man</span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
No </span><br /><span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<br />
…or you can <b>volunteer to help out in LAUSD’s Academic Decathlon</b>. They
need help next Saturday on January 30th and beyond as judges, proctors,
assistants, readers and general volunteers. See: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHlzaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1QlfU1k</a><br />
Or contact Cliff Ker<br />
LAUSD – Academic Decathlon<br />
c/o Beyond the Bell<br />
333 S. Beaudry Ave, 29th Floor<br />
Los Angeles, CA 90017<br />
Voice (213) 241-3503<br />
Fax (213) 241-7562<br />
Email: <a href="mailto:cliff.ker@lausd.net">cliff.ker@lausd.net</a><br />
<br />
<br />
And then just keep on keepin’ on. <br />
<i><br />
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf</i></span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead2"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
LAUSD’s New Supe: WHY DON’T ANGELENOS TRUST HOMEGROWN
TALENT? Unfortunately, To Make It Big In L.A., You Often Have To Go
Make Your Mark Elsewhere </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
By Joe Mathews | Connecting California Columnist in Zócalo Public Square | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHlBaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1ZHuUJv</a><br />
Republished as: <b>Why Can’t Los Angeles Trust Its Own? </b>in the Jan 22 L.A. Daily News<br />
<br />
January 21, 2016 :: Last week, Michelle King was appointed
superintendent of L.A. Unified, California’s largest school district.
But can we really trust her to lead the Los Angeles schools? After all,
she’s from Los Angeles.<br />
<br />
Actually, that understates how suspiciously local King is. As a child,
she attended L.A. Unified schools. Then she got degrees from UCLA and
Pepperdine (and is even now working on a doctorate at USC). She has
spent her 30-year career in the L.A. school system, as a science
teacher, principal, and top deputy to the last two superintendents.
Heck, she even sent three children to L.A. schools.<br />
<br />
If she were any good, wouldn’t she have lived or worked someplace else?<br />
<br />
Is that a ridiculous question? Yes, but it mirrors much of the reaction
in Los Angeles to her appointment. While politicians and interest groups
released official statements full of praise, everyone from education
professors to newspaper editorialists whispered their disappointment
that L.A. Unified had hired someone so achingly local and low profile.
One mover-and-shaker lamented to me that while there is a Michelle King
on Wikipedia, it’s the co-creator of the TV drama The Good Wife.<br />
<br />
This is supposed to be the era when we celebrate the local—local
produce, local bookstores, local governance. But in Southern California,
we’re not so excited about locally grown leaders. It’s the dark side of
being a globally connected and welcoming place. We have for so long
been a city of stars from someplace else that we have little faith in
those boring grinds who are actually from here, painstakingly pay their
dues and then have the temerity to think they might run things.<br />
<br />
And so King, who probably knows L.A. Unified better than any living
being, was labeled a disappointing fallback choice. Los Angeles elites
had been hoping for a star from the outside—a political figure like the
Obama cabinet member Julian Castro or a member of Congress who could
transition into schools; or some gilded creature from the
billionaire-backed reform movement; or a high-profile superintendent
from a city like Miami or St. Louis—both of which, it should be noted,
have far fewer residents than L.A. Unified has students.<br />
<br />
Of course, Los Angeles’ contempt for its own is not new. Los Angeles’
locally grown police chief Charlie Beck, for all his progress in
crime-fighting and diversifying his force, labors under the sense that
he’s not in the same class of out-of-town predecessors. Once an internal
candidate, always an internal candidate.<br />
<br />
And no matter who you are, making the New York Times has always been a
far bigger deal than getting written up in the Los Angeles Times—even
before our local paper was downsized by out-of-town owners. And
Hollywood has organized itself as an exclusive club that keeps regular
Angelenos at a remove; even in 2016, the entertainment industry remains
so distant from the diversity around it that it has turned the Academy
Awards, with another slate of all-white acting nominees, into a national
joke. When our movie stars do philanthropy, it’s more likely to be
directed to South Sudan than South L.A.<br />
<br />
Los Angeles also has a nasty habit of outsourcing thorny problems: When
our big institutions get into trouble, we don’t knuckle down and fix
them ourselves. We bring in outsiders to fix them. Over the past
generation, our sheriff’s department, police department, the Dodgers,
and elements of our transportation and school district have had to be
taken over, or put under trustees. “Too much of the city has been taken
into receivership,” the author D.J. Waldie has written of L.A.<br />
<br />
I’ve experienced L.A. self-contempt personally. When a source or friend
is introducing me to some powerful L.A. figure, I’m struck at how little
access my years of journalistic work in Southern California buy—and at
how many doors suddenly swing open when it’s mentioned that I went to
college at Harvard.<br />
This is supposed to be the era when we celebrate the local—local
produce, local bookstores, local governance. But in Southern California,
we’re not so excited about locally grown leaders.<br />
<br />
In this context, the reaction to King’s appointment, while frustrating,
is hardly surprising. You could argue that she’s the best prepared L.A.
Unified leader in a long time—having been a success as teacher,
principal, and administrator, most recently as a top aide to the past
two superintendents. Her expertise ranges from science education, to
instructional reform, to student discipline. And she’s hardly following
giants; the district has had eight superintendents in 20 years, many of
them outsiders, including a Navy admiral who had little idea what he was
doing.<br />
<br />
And while elites don’t know her well—she was presumably too busy working
to write lots of op-eds and give speeches—regular people in L.A.
schools do. As the L.A. School Report site pointed out, King was far and
away the most frequently mentioned person in the district’s online
survey of what kind of new superintendent parents, staff, and teachers
would want.<br />
<br />
This community support, however, counted as a strike against her in
editorials by the Los Angeles Times and L.A. Daily News after her
appointment. Both papers damned her credentials with faint praise (the
Times editorial called her “obviously capable” twice) and advised her to
pick fights and make enemies—the kind of tactics that backfired on her
predecessor and former boss, John Deasy. The only thing more
condescending than the editorials was a column in which the Times’ Steve
Lopez said the school board “decided on someone who has been a good,
low-profile soldier rather than a strong, independent voice, and for now
at least, I find that disappointing.”<br />
<br />
And I find Lopez’s notion that a good local can’t be strong and independent to be maddening. And out of touch.<br />
<br />
The reality is that, with all our diversity and strange ways of
governance (from ballot initiatives to our hundreds of regulatory
commissions), California’s institutions are getting more
complicated—making it harder for outsiders to step in. And with all of
L.A. Unified’s challenges, from its hundreds of thousands of poor
students to its big projected deficits, there may be no California
government more complicated and important.<br />
<br />
In other school districts, local leaders or those elevated from the
ranks have succeeded. There may be no better big-city school district in
the state than Long Beach, run for the last 14 years by Chris
Steinhauser, who was both student and teacher in the schools he leads.
In San Francisco, Richard Carranza, who was the top deputy of his
predecessor, has done so well that L.A. Unified sought to recruit him
before choosing King. At San Diego Unified, Cindy Marten, a local
elementary school principal elevated to superintendent three years ago,
has made some political mistakes but also has pleasantly surprised many
with dramatic changes to culture, training, and personnel, including the
replacement of more than 70 principals and vice principals.<br />
<br />
Of course, L.A. Unified presents a bigger challenge. Which is precisely
why a woman tough enough to negotiate the L.A. district as parent,
teacher, and administrator for 30 years stands a better chance of
succeeding than just about anyone else.</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead3"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
TIME TO BREAK UP GIANT SCHOOL DISTRICTS + smf’s 2¢ </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
By Walt Gardner in EdWeek | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHlFaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1PoDFlU</a><br />
<br />
January 18, 2016 7:35 AM :: The beginning of the new calendar year is a
propitious time to question whether the nation's largest school
districts can ever deliver a quality education ("Principals' Union Says
Mayor de Blasio Has Lost Focus on Students," The New York Times, Jan.
11, and "What new L.A. schools chief Michelle King needs to do now," Los
Angeles Times, Jan. 15). <br />
<br />
The New York City and Los Angeles school systems, the largest and second
largest, respectively, are cases in point. Both have consistently
shortchanged students they are supposed to educate. I maintain that they
are ungovernable and will remain ungovernable because of their size.
I'll take each district separately.<br />
<br />
The union representing the 6,000 members of the Council of School
Supervisors and Administrators has gone on record that it has lost
confidence in the Bill de Blasio administration. (In New York City, the
mayor is the head of public schools.) Principals in 94 of the
district's lowest-performing schools complain that they are swamped with
paperwork, meetings and micromanagement, to the point that they cannot
do what they believe is best for their students.<br />
<br />
The district's chancellor, Carmen Farina, counters that autonomy has to
be earned. When it isn't, principals are replaced. To date, roughly one
third of principals in these underperforming schools have fallen into
that category. Adding to the problem is that the number of complaints
received by the special commissioner of investigation has reached an
all-time high of 5,566. Although graduation rates are at record levels
at 70 percent, taxpayers have not forgotten the New York Post's articles
titled the "EZ-Pass" scandal that documented grade tampering and
questionable summer-school programs ("The phoniest statistic in
education," Thomas Fordham Institute, Jan. 13). <br />
<br />
The situation in Los Angeles is not much better. When Superintendent
John Deasy resigned in Oct. 2014, he was replaced by Ramon Cortines as
interim superintendent. Deasy's tumultuous three-and-a-half-year tenure
was characterized by a botched $1.3 billion plan to give iPads to
640,000 students in 900 schools and by his testimony in the
controversial Vergara v. State of California case. Although test scores
and graduation rates improved slightly, the LAUSD is reeling from
declining enrollment and a precarious financial status. On Jan. 11,
Michelle King was named the new superintendent after a five-month
nationwide search.<br />
<br />
The district has long been known for heated politics and an assertive
teachers' union. The school board's members have only exacerbated
matters by failing to understand their job as elected overseers, which
is why there have been eight superintendents over the last 20 years.
Some have been outsiders and some insiders. But neither has mattered.
This time the board selected King, the consummate insider, because of
her experience as a student, teacher, high-school principal, and senior
administrator in the district.<br />
<br />
I don't think anything significant will ever change in New York or Los
Angeles unless both school systems are broken up into smaller, more
manageable districts. Behemoths cannot fulfill their obligations to all
stakeholders, no matter who is at the helm. I'm not saying that
dismantlement will result in miracles. But I believe that smaller
school districts will be in a far better position to serve students and
parents because they are more nimble and more attuned to their
constituents.<br />
<br />
My proposal is not original. Over the years, there have been several
such proposals, but to no avail. For example, on Oct. 7, 2014, a
petition was circulated by the California Trust for Public Schools to
break up the LAUSD, but it met with fierce resistance from vested
interests ("Break up the Los Angeles Unified School District,"
GoPetition). On Mar. 30, 2015, Education Next called for an overhaul of
the New York City school district ("New York City's Small-Schools
Revolution"). If the goal is to create a governing structure that works
for students, shuffling leaders will not do the job. Something more
fundamental needs to be done. If not now, when? <br />
<br />
●Walt Gardner taught for 28 years in the Los Angeles Unified School
District and was a lecturer in the UCLA Graduate School of Education.
Follow Walt Gardner on Twitter.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>●●smf’s 2¢:</b> Quoting: “My proposal is not original. Over the years, there have been several such proposals, but to no avail.”<br />
<br />
<i>Really??</i><br />
<br />
1. Drawing on a comment from an EdWeek reader <i>“Been There, done that!”
</i>In 1969, New York State devolved the New York City school system into 32
self-governing school districts, each with their own community school
board - for over thirty years the decentralized system staggered, the
lowest performing districts became patronage pools for the local
electeds, scandal after scandal, the middle class districts thrived, the
"haves" prospered and the "have-nots" were ignored.<br />
<br />
Prior to 2002, the NYC Board of Education ran the schools, supervised
the 32 sub-districts and appointed the Chancellor (Superintendent). On
June 30, 2002, Mayor Bloomberg secured authority over the schools from
the New York State legislature, which began the era of "mayoral control"
over the city schools. The mayor then changed the name of the schools
agency from the Board of Education to the Department of Education, a
mayoral agency. <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHlGaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1UgSoDS</a> <br />
<br />
Mayor Bloomberg began reorganization and reform efforts. The community
school boards were abolished and the Board of Education was renamed the
Panel for Educational Policy, a twelve-member body of which seven
members are appointed by the mayor and five by Borough Presidents. [<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHlHaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Pt2sW2]</a>
When asked what recourse parents had if they didn’t like the way he was
running the schools, Mayor Bloomberg infamously said: “They can ‘boo’
me at parades!”<br />
<br />
2. The NYC Principal’s Union isn’t asking for the District to be broken
up, they are asking for an end to mayoral control. It’s not the same
difference!<br />
<br />
3. If LAUSD were to be broken up, how do were guarantee that the results
of the 1969 NYC Schools break-up aren’t replicated on the Left Coast?<br />
<br />
4. And how will we equitably assign the $20.6 billionin bonded indebtedness held by LAUSD to multiple school districts?<br />
</span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead4"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
NOTED JOURNALISM ETHICIST - WHO WROTE THE BOOK ON THE
SUBJECT - SAYS L.A. TIMES IS "TRAPPED IN A MASSIVE CONFLICT OF
INTEREST" </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
by Karen Wolfe from PSConnectNow.org |<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHlMaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1QahtPQ</a><br />
<br />
January 18, 2016 :: A member of a Facebook group that discusses
education asked journalism ethics expert Peter Sussman about the LA
Times coverage and posted this. Shared with their permission:<br />
<br />
I asked a journalist friend about the ethics of the L.A. Times taking
money from Eli Broad while editorializing in favor of his project.<br />
<br />
His response:<br />
<br />
PETER SUSSMAN: "Was I tagged because this is such a tough ethical issue to parse? <br />
<br />
"It is not.<br />
<br />
"With this kind of entanglement with the subject of its news
stories, the Times has given up the right to expect any trust or
credibility for its journalism on education. They are trapped in a
massive conflict of interest, and no amount of pro forma disclosure will
fix that. It's so sad to see what has happened to that once-great
publication.<br />
<br />
"You can add to the comment that trust and credibility are the
life's blood of journalism, and without it, a "news" organization is no
different than any other partisan in public disputes, with the added
problem that there is no major paper to hold it accountable, although in
this case a blogger has apparently stepped into the breach. People have
jeopardized and lost their jobs for defending their editorial
independence and standing up to such conflicts of interest.<br />
<br />
"I haven't read the background on the issue you've highlighted, but
if all your information is accurate, the Times' problem extends beyond
opinions to reporting, however well-intentioned their education
reporters are."<br />
<br />
<br />
--Peter Sussman, retired longtime San Francisco Chronicle editor.
Sussman has held a number of positions in the Society of Professional
Journalists, the nation’s oldest, largest and most broadly based
association of journalists. He was a 15-year member of the Society’s
national Ethics Committee and was a co-author of the organization’s 1996
Code of Ethics, which had generally been considered the primary ethics
code for the profession for almost two decades.<br />
<br />
<b><br />
●●smf’s 2¢:</b> Sussman’s comments have gone slightly viral in the
anti-®eform blogosphere, picked up and commented upon by Diane Ravitch
in her blog: <br />
“This is not a small question. How can we have freedom of the press if
billionaires buy the media and/or subsidize the coverage that directly
affects their interests? | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHlNaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/23kl9We.</a> <br />
A commenter opines: “This oligarchic virus has infected the entire LA
Times and is not confined to just Education news. This is no longer
journalism, but rather it is an advertisement for charter schools run by
the privatizers…”<br />
– and excoriated by ®eformista cheerleaders including Alexander Russo who was briefly the editor of L.A.School Report. [<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHlOaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1UhvNHa</a> - or is that an ‘everybody-does-it’ apologia?] <br />
<br />
<br />
Sussman himself is probably a little cranky; he questions recent changes to the SPJ Code of Ethics – but<br />
recent events at ABC and CBS and NBC News (…and everything at Fox News) opens the journalism biz to scrutiny. <br />
The New York Times is being questioned by journalists over “ethically
dubious” Iran tour packages the paper is offering with the apparent
approval of the Iranian government. <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHlPaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1Qk4JpL.</a> <br />
Pearson Publishing used to own the Financial Times and the Economist. <br />
And then there’s Rupert Murdoch.<br />
<br />
Just because you’re cranky doesn’t mean you’re a crank. <i>And when the ®eformistas and the ©harter $chool Crowd Howl….<br />
</i></span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
“I saw the best minds of future generations destroyed by blandness,
neglected unheeded unheard unseen, tested by testers and subjected and
examined, write not who you are but who you think I think you should be,
credit derivative swapped into the supply side, toasted and sent naked
into the world, college unready and career unprepared, stoned immaculate
with an order of fries and a medium drink.” </span></div>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<i><br />
…methinks we’ve touched a nerve!</i></span> <br /><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead5"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
CALIFORNIA THREATENS TO TAKE MONEY FROM SCHOOLS WITH UNDER-VACCINATED KIDS </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
<b>166 SCHOOLS IN CALIFORNIA HAVE MORE THAN 25 PERCENT
OF THEIR KINDERGARTNERS ENROLLED AS CONDITIONAL ENTRANTS; 107 ARE IN THE
LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT.</b><br />
<br />
Rebecca Plevin | KPCC 89.3 | <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHmeaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1SbrFt5</a><br />
<br />
January 21, 2016 :: In an effort to get more kids vaccinated on time,
the state of California says that it will financially penalize schools
that wrongly admitted a high percentage of kindergartners who were
overdue for their second dose of the measles vaccine.<br />
<br />
The state acted because its data analysis indicates that many schools
are erroneously enrolling kindergartners who are overdue for one or more
vaccinations and by law should be excluded from class until they're up
to date with their shots.<br />
<br />
Incoming kindergartners can be admitted as "conditional entrants" if
they are not fully immunized but not overdue for any shots, or if they
have a temporary medical exemption. Last fall, more than 24,000
kindergartners were conditional enrollees statewide, according to data
released by the California Department of Public Health. Nearly half of
them were in Los Angeles County schools.<br />
<br />
Public Health says it analyzed a sampling of conditional entrants from
the 2014-15 school year last spring, and found that nearly 94 percent
had not received the minimum number of vaccine doses required for the
"conditional" classification. <br />
<br />
Under a new policy published in July, state auditors will now review
schools with 2015-16 conditional kindergarten admission rates above 25
percent. The auditors will check whether these schools received state
payment for attendance of students who should have been excluded from
class for not meeting the conditional admission criteria.<br />
<br />
If children entered school with only one of two required measles shots
and had not received their second shot within three months, as required
by state law, the guidelines require auditors to verify the students
were excluded from class. If they were not excluded, the policy says the
auditors should "disallow the [average daily attendance payment] for
any days after three calendar months and ten days from the first dose
until the date of the second dose."<br />
<br />
The California Department of Education says it will audit 166 schools
statewide for having more than 25 percent of their kindergartners
enrolled as conditional entrants; 107 are in the Los Angeles Unified
School District. <br />
<br />
Public Health is also helping local health departments educate school
staff on the proper use of conditional entrance criteria for measles.<br />
<br />
Officials say the new rules are partly a response to the measles
outbreak that began at Disneyland in Dec. 2014. It sickened 131
Californians and shined a light on the low vaccination rates in some
communities.<br />
<br />
The number of conditional entrants statewide and in L.A. County were
down by about one-third this fall from the 2014-15 school year. Public
Health partly credits the threat of the financial penalties, first
communicated to schools last summer, for the reduction. <br />
<br />
Ellen Morgan, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Unified School District,
denies that the new rules spurred the district to track conditional
enrollments more carefully. Rather, "we have always strived to utilize
all our resources to comply with immunization policies," she says,
noting that district officials review vaccination records and "run
bi-monthly immunization reports to keep track of when the next doses of
immunization are due," among other tactics.<br />
<br />
Morgan says the district is not concerned that the state's crackdown could reduce its attendance reimbursements.<br />
<br />
"We are confident that we will be able to review student records and
assist parents and guardians obtain the resources needed," she says.<br />
<br />
While the overall number of conditional entrants is down, numerous L.A.
Unified schools still enrolled a high percentage of conditionals for the
2015-16 academic year. At Union Avenue Elementary, 57 percent of the
school's 236 kindergartens were classified as conditional. At Virginia
Road Elementary, 55 percent of the school's 81 kindergartners were
conditional. At Stanford Primary Center, which only has pre-kindergarten
and kindergarten classes, 75 percent of the 170 kindergartners were
conditional entrants.<br />
<br />
KPCC and the Center for Health Reporting last year reported that while
state law compels schools to track conditional entrants and exclude
those who don’t get fully vaccinated, L.A. Unified was failing to track
all of them. In the wake of KPCC's story, the school district said it
was hiring more permanent and temporary nurses to bolster its tracking
efforts.</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHmfaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">INTERACTIVE: Look up the latest data for kindergartens across SoCal</a> </td>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ttlHead6"></a>
<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
WI-FI ENABLED BUSES LEAVE NO CHILD OFFLINE: Coachella
Unified Superintendent, a Former LAUSD Music Teacher, Strives to Close
the Digital Divide <br />
<br />
2016 LAUSD Academic Decathlon Volunteer Application + Job Description <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHlzaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1QlfU1k</a> <br />
<br />
INCENTIVE PAY TO KEEP NEWPORT-MESA UNIFIED OFFICIAL FROM RETIRING HAS TOPPED $273,000 <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHmoaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1PdZM2P</a> <br />
<br />
KIDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD FIND COMMUNITY, LEARN ENGLISH THROUGH POETRY <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHmpaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1QrAoHL</a> <br />
<br />
LAUSD AUDIT SHOWS DISTRICT DEBT OUTSTRIPS ASSETS BY $4.2 BILLION +smf's 2¢ <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHmqaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1PdZvwM</a> <br />
<br />
ILLINOIS REPUBLICANS PROPOSE TAKEOVER OF CHICAGO SCHOOLS FROM MAYOR ...AND EVENTUAL RETURN TO ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHmraaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1NsjIJE</a> <br />
<br />
FOUR KILLED IN SASKATCHEWAN SCHOOL SHOOTING<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHmsaaaaaac/">http://nyti.ms/1NrT184</a> <br />
<br />
CALIFORNIA THREATENS TO TAKE MONEY FROM SCHOOLS WITH UNDER-VACCINATED KIDS <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHmeaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1SbrFt5</a> <br />
<br />
TIME TO BREAK UP GIANT SCHOOL DISTRICTS + smf’s 2¢ <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHmtaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1ZL4WtO</a> <br />
<br />
NOTED JOURNALISM ETHICIST WHO WROTE THE BOOK ON THE SUBJECT SAYS L.A. TIMES IS TRAPPED IN A MASSIVE CONFLICT OF INTEREST<br />
"@LATeducation receives funding from a number of foundations...Under
terms of the grants, the Times retains complete editorial control" <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHmuaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1V3pR4F</a><br />
<br />
COURT OF APPEAL TO HEAR ARGUMENTS IN VERGARA LAWSUIT NEXT MONTH <br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHmvaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/1ZEROq7</a><br />
</span> <br /><br />
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<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
EVENTS: Coming up next week... </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
►Tuesday, January 26, 2016 - 2:00 P.M.<br />
<b>BOARD OF EDUCATION/COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE </b><br />
1. Welcome and Opening Remarks: Dr. George McKenna, Chairperson<br />
• Special Recognition: Narbonne High School Football Team<br />
2. State Legislative Budget Update: Ms. Leilani Yee, Director of Government Relations<br />
• Federal Legislative Update: Mr. Joel Packer, The Raben Group<br />
3. Discussion: Public Records Act Requests: Ms. Christine Wood, Office of General Counsel<br />
4. Public Comment<br />
5. Adjournment<br />
<br />
<br />
►Thursday, Jan 28, 2016 – 10 A.M.<br />
REGULAR MTG OF <b>THE SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND CITIZENS’ OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE</b><br />
<br />
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________<br />
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHlfaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/bond/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241-5183<br />
____________________________________________________<br />
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:<br />
<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHlgaaaaaac/">http://www.laschools.org/happenings/</a><br />
Phone: 213-241.8700</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHlhaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;"> • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR</a> </td>
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<span style="color: #3300cc; font: bold 13px Verdana, sans serif;">
What can YOU do? </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:<br />
<a href="mailto:Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net">Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-8333<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Garcia@lausd.net">Monica.Garcia@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6180<br />
<a href="mailto:Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net">Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-5555<br />
<a href="mailto:George.McKenna@lausd.net">George.McKenna@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6382<br />
<a href="mailto:Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net">Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6388<br />
<a href="mailto:Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net">Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6385<br />
<a href="mailto:Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net">Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-6387<br />
...or the Superintendent:<br />
<a href="mailto:superintendent@lausd.net">superintendent@lausd.net</a> • 213-241-7000<br />
...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: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHliaaaaaac/">http://bit.ly/dqFdq2</a> • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at <a href="mailto:mayor@lacity.org">mayor@lacity.org</a> • 213.978.0600<br />
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHljaaaaaac/">http://www.govmail.ca.gov/</a> <br />
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.<br />
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!<br />
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Volunteer in the classroom.
Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child -
and ultimately: For all children.<br />
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE. <br />
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at <a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHlkaaaaaac/">http://registertovote.ca.gov/</a><br />
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!</span> <br /><br />
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<a href="http://4lakids.c.topica.com/maasZ8jacpHllaaaaaac/" style="color: blue; font: normal 11px Verdana, sans serif;">Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?</a> </td>
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<span style="color: #333333; font: normal 10px Verdana, sans serif;">
Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD and was
Parent/Volunteer of the Year for 2010-11 for Los Angeles County. • He is
Past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and has represented
PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee for
over 13 years. He currently serves as Vice President for Health, is a
Legislation Action Committee member and a member of the Board of
Directors of the California State PTA. He serves on numerous school
district advisory and policy committees and has served as a PTA officer
and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. He is the
recipient of the UTLA/AFT "WHO" Gold Award and the ACSA Regional Ferd
Kiesel Memorial Distinguished Service Award - honors he hopes to someday
deserve. • In this forum his opinions are his own and your opinions
and feedback are invited. Quoted and/or cited content copyright © the
original author and/or publisher. All other material copyright ©
4LAKids.<br />
• FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. 4LAKids makes such material available in an effort to advance
understanding of education issues vital to parents, teachers, students
and community members in a democracy. We believe this constitutes a
'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.<br />
• To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: <a href="mailto:4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com">4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com</a> - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBSCRIPTION LIST E-mail <a href="mailto:smfolsom@aol.com">smfolsom@aol.com</a> with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you. </span>
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