Don't Panic Yet.

4LAKids: Sunday, March 1, 2009 In This Issue: • ABT: 5 CHALLENGERS VIE FOR L.A. MAYOR'S SEAT • ABT: VILLARAIGOSA, TEACHERS UNION AGREE ON L.A. SCHOOL BOARD CHOICES • Obama's Budget: Education | OBAMA SPOTLIGHTS EDUCATION DEFICIT + A BIGGER FEDERAL ROLE IN COLLEGE FUNDING + STUDENT LOAN COMPANY SHARES PLUNGE • NO UNIFORM VIEW ON SCHOOL UNIFORMS: L.A. Councilmember Jose Huizar promotes school uniforms for LAUSD schools. • HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest of the Stories from Other Sources • COLLEGE AID DEADLINES + EVENTS: Coming up next week... • What can YOU do? Featured Links: • FLUNK THE BUDGET, NOT OUR CHILDREN Website • PUBLIC SCHOOLS: an investment we can't afford to cut! - The Education Coalition Website • 4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved! • 4LAKidsNews: a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc. Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" is about the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. It is also about - and inextricably linked to - the McCarthy witch hunts of the 1950's. I first saw The Crucible in a student production at Hollywood High School. Centuries removed from Salem and a decade from McCarthy I learned about Salem and McCarthy and human nature in the darkness of the theater. [see: 'Chatsworth High Cancels Fall Play, But Spirit Lives On in Young Actors' ] It was lesson I'd heard before, Chicken Little redux. Ancient and not-so-ancient history and Golden Books have only so much to say. At the time it was all so much metaphor and long-ago. It was The Sixties and we were so far beyond all that! The circles of the metaphor complete again and witch hunts continue; suspicion and overreaction is a dark force as much a part of the human condition as antimatter not-so-obviously is of the cosmos. The Rooney Affair - a nadir of adult misbehavior (and inapropos response) towards children has triggered a culture of zero tolerance - of 'never again!' - with hard-and-fast rules and irreversible consequences within LAUSD. The trouble with zero tolerance/no exceptions is always the unforeseen. There is always the student with the steak knife; the drill team member with the wooden rifle. Of late there have been a number of incidents, some well publicized, some not, of alleged adult misconduct. Teachers and administrators are summarily removed from their classrooms and schools and 'reassigned': banished to hidden cubicles in educational Siberias to read the paper, do crosswords and/or soduko from 8 to 3. While the District investigates the charges and allegations. For months on end. I am not referring to people like Steven Rooney; Mr. Rooney (not guilty until adjudged otherwise) is in jail awaiting trial. I am not going to weigh in here about the misdeeds or lack thereof of any these individuals. I am not in a position to judge - some of them are my friends. I am arguing for my friends because that's what friends do. But I am going to rail about the process. Every one in the Reassignment Gulag are professionals - instructed not to contact students or professional colleagues - whose reputations are subjected to question, rumor and innuendo. "We're not supposed to talk about it, but…" Some are fodder for the media. And some are the sort of excellent educators who really make a difference in the lives of students. Some are accused not of inappropriate behavior but of failure to follow process; administrival violations of someone else's interpretation of the rules. And some did dumb stupid things. Their investigations are handled by individuals who do so in addition to their other duties - at the same time as those duties are increased by budget cuts. And, I might add, when those duties are added to by the absence of the alleged wrongdoers from the scholl and classroom. There is a rank suspicion of of CYA and a whiff of office politics about all of this - and of damage control. Or undoing past wrongs done in other times. Let us remember: LAUSD is "us". None if this is injustice on the scale of the Inquisition or of Dickensian proportion. But the parallels are there to be drawn. We can do better. Please let us proceed, not with haste - but deliberately - to professional outcomes. DATA DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION/BEAN COUNTERS COUNTING THE MAGIC BEANS: In a domain awash with new books about Ed Reform Dr. W. Norton Grubb from UC Berkeley posits that when we link money to outcome we may be using the wrong tools to measure the wrong things. The challenge is neither about funding nor data. It’s beyond numbers …about more compound, complex and abstract factors. See K-12, A New Formula for Success. ALL THE REST IS ABOUT THE BUDGET AND THE ELECTION. My advice here is to vote like the future depends on it. It does. ¡Onward/Hasta adelante! - smf ►SPECIAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING EXPLORES TOUGH BUDGET OPTIONS LAUSD News Release February 26, 2009 — Los Angeles — The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) faces a cumulative $894 million budget deficit for the 2008-09 and 2009-2010 school years, Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines told members of the Los Angeles School Board on Thursday during a special meeting on the District’s dire fiscal picture. “As we explore all options, we are cutting the Central Office, Local Districts and other offices first. Teaching and learning happen in the classrooms and we are doing everything we can to minimize the impact of these cuts on classrooms but the severity of the current situation requires us to look at everything. As we right-size and restructure this District, we will continue to give priority to our schools and provide our students with the instruction they need to continue making progress,” he said. Among the Superintendent’s recommendations: • A 30 to 50 percent reduction of funding for the District’s Beaudry headquarters and the eight offices of the local district superintendents. • Reduction in management positions and staff throughout the District. • Reduction in leased space for administrative offices. • Reduction in maintenance, custodial and transportation services. • Potential reduction in some educational programs. LAUSD Chief Financial Officer Megan Reilly elaborated on the specifics of the District budget, provided a timeline and gave an update of the state and federal budget as well as the stimulus funds expected from Washington, D.C. “We are in survival mode, but we will do everything we can to minimize the impact on our classrooms,” she said. The school board is expected to vote on proposed March 15th notifications at the next scheduled meeting, Tuesday, March 10th. ►Don't Panic Yet: LAUSD CUTS TARGET NON-TEACHING PERSONNEL By Miriam Hernandez | KABC-TV Thursday, February 26, 2009 -- LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The L.A. Unified School District is facing a new budget crisis, the result of cuts to education in the new state budget agreement. District officials are struggling with some painful decisions. At Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters, employees brace for the pink slips. Fifteen-hundred people will get notifications by mid-March. "We're fearful, so you know we have to start saving for that three months," said LAUSD employee Cheryl Lindsey. "Who has that three-month salary that they say you should have in the event you do get laid off?" The chief financial officer gives dismal figures to the school board. Classrooms will be hit, but the emphasis will be on non-teaching personnel. "Out of classroom support staff Mr. Cortines mentioned, we have become aware over 5,000 certified are out of the classroom," said LAUSD Chief Financial Officer Megan Reilly. "We are looking very hard at that before we go into the classroom." School funding is pegged on the state budget. Ninety percent of school money comes from Sacramento. The recent slashes leave LAUSD with a shortfall of $894 million. And that is only for now. Over the next three years, the gap could widen. "We need to be sensitive because I will be recommending sending notification to a great many employees and I want us not to confuse notification with losing a job," said LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines. The superintendent encourages older workers to take early retirement. That would spare some jobs. Decisions are being made under pressure. The teachers union just signed a deal to preserve hard-fought health benefits. They say that deal could be tabled if teachers are cut. Yet some teachers see the writing on the wall. "Some people are looking to move, I know a couple of my friends are moving," said teacher Elizabeth Isralowitz. "Other teacher friends are moving back to the East Coast, where they're not laying off teachers, and hoping to get their jobs back over there." Cortines urges workers not to panic yet: "Because the district will be different when we finish this process at the end of June going forward to the next year." ABT: 5 CHALLENGERS VIE FOR L.A. MAYOR'S SEAT from the Los Angeles Newspaper Group Thursday, February 26, 2009 - Five long-shot challengers to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa tackle everything from crime to transportation to the environment for the upcoming March 3 election. 4LAKids picks up their comments on SCHOOLS - because its 4LAKids - and MEASURE B AND THE ENVIRONMENT - because kids tell us that is the issue! ► PHIL JENNERJAHN | http://www.philjennerjahn.com/ MEASURE B AND THE ENVIRONMENT: I can't think of anything special the Mayor has done for the environment. And Measure B is literally organized crime by the Mayor and the IBEW. They are trying to cram this bad idea down people's throats and sneak it by the voters in a lightly contested election. The mayor and the IBEW have shown NO history of being trustable with this size of contract or this amount of money. Because it is no-bid and non-competitive, the cost will skyrocket. I am afraid if it passes, most of that money will disappear into the IBEW and the Mayor's pockets. Measure B is a huge tragedy in the making. Some people are going to vote for it. It should get ZERO support. SCHOOLS: The Mayor has no business trying to run the schools. He needs to stay out of it. It is true that many schools here are underperforming, but the Mayor has no "magic touch" with anything and needs to stay away. I think the LAUSD is too large and might benefit from being broken down into more manageable parts. ► CRAIG RUBIN | www.craigx4mayor.org MEASURE B AND THE ENVIRONMENT: The mayor has a huge carbon foot print flying around the world and doing anything but his job. He even flies to Palm Springs Measure B is a way to bankrupt the DWP and force it to be privatized. It doesn't allow for open bidding and it is exclusively for one union. I think it is a bad measure and would suggest people vote against it. SCHOOLS: I will have to evaluate my relationship with each school on an individual basis. I would support the schools by visiting them and speaking with our local children, but leave the leadership of the LAUSD to do their job. ► WALTER MOORE | www.waltermooreformayor.com. MEASURE B AND THE ENVIRONMENT: You'll have to be more specific about the claims he makes about environmental achievement regarding the DWP. If he's referring to Owens Valley, I believe that project was begun under the prior administration as a result of the city losing a lawsuit. As for the "clean trucks" program at the ports, that program is tied up in court because Villaraigosa insisted on including an unreasonable and unnecessary requirement in that program: employees only. He refuses to let independent contractors participate. That is unfair, and show he puts special interests (reserving trucking work for union employees) above the public interest (clean air). I support solar power, but oppose Measure B for several reasons. First of all, it unjustifiably grants the DWP a monopoly or near monopoly. This serves no legitimate public interest, and would needlessly drive up costs. Second, Villaraigosa never bothered to compare the costs of this proposal to alternatives like wind power and nuclear. Third, voting for Measure B is like signing a blank check: It would commit us to 400 megawatts of solar power, regardless of how expensive or impractical it turns out to be. That's a bad idea in the best of times; it's a horrible idea in a recession. SCHOOLS: The City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) are two completely separate governmental entities. Villaraigosa wasted about a year of time trying to take over the LAUSD. In accordance with our state constitution, the courts ruled he could not do so. If I'm elected Mayor, I will obey our constitution, not try to take over the schools. As for the Mayor's supposed involvement with a handful of schools, I would put an end to that charade. Once I'm elected Mayor, Villaraigosa can run for school board. ► DAVID HERNANDEZ | www.dave4la.com MEASURE B: The DWP in not in a position to handle the work required in Measure B. The immediate challenges to service and the safety of IBEW members preclude them from diverting any resources away from the job at hand. The push to replace the failed and aging transformers which lead to the massive black outs in Los Angeles last summer have a very significant flaw. They failed to replace the conductors leading into the transformers. The line workers have already been told to expect massive demands for overtime due to the crisis which will be on us when the demand goes up. Every year line workers are injured due to failed wooden poles which are in many cases 50 years old. These injuries result in costly Workers Comp claims not to mention the health of the IBEW member. No on Measure B. LAUSD and the Community Colleges are already installing Solar. Lets expand on the industry already in place and create training and jobs in the Solar field right here in Los Angeles. SCHOOLS: I disagree, he has NOT failed to take over LAUSD. His unconstitutional frontal assault with AB1381 failed as a result of a legal challenge but his end around assault succeeded. The political transformation of the school board was a result of the Mayor raising $2 million for Tamara to win her seat. Once in place the new President ("All politics is racial") Monica Garcia and new board members set about to sabotage the former Superintendent David Brewer and replaced him with the Mayor's man Ray Cortines. The take over is complete. As Mayor my position will be to provide a safe environment around the school. The politics have been very detrimental to the learning environment. Until such time we have a city free of challenges, my focus will be on the responsibility of the city not the school district. _____________ ●● smf's 2¢:There are ten -count 'em- ten candidates on the ballot including the mayor. He has refused to debate any of them because he feels assured he will win handily in the primary. He's right about probably winning; he's wrong about not debating. It's nice HE feels assured …it's dangerous if WE THE PEOPLE do. Yes, the long shots would gang up on him - but there's plenty to gang up on. Gangs to start. Measure B. And L and R. AB1381. Mirthala Salinas. A Million Potholes/A Million Trees/Ten Thousand Policemen. His relationship with developer Richard Muerelo. Q: Does a public official's frequent flyer miles belong to him - or to the people? Antonio Villaraigosa says he's kept his promises; it depends on how one defines "kept". [from "KEEP." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (intransitive verb) 3d: to refrain from revealing ] ▲4LAKids' ENDORSEMENTS: • Mayor: ABT - Anybody but Tony. smf is voting for David Hernandez. • School Board 4: Steve Zimmer • School Board 6: Louis Pugliese • Measure B: 9 out 10 candidates, Laura Chick and 4LAKids agree: NO. ► Headlines that made us catch our breath: MAYOR STEPS DOWN OVER CARTOON (LATimes 2/28/09) Alas, another mayor; another city. smf/4LAKids is no fan of Antonio. Read what his fans say. ABT: VILLARAIGOSA, TEACHERS UNION AGREE ON L.A. SCHOOL BOARD CHOICES A POTENTIALLY COSTLY BATTLE IS AVERTED IN THE LOW-KEY CAMPAIGN. THREE SEATS WILL BE FILLED TUESDAY. By Howard Blume | from the Los Angeles Times February 27, 2009 - A looming costly rematch between the mayor of Los Angeles and the teachers union over control of the school board has fizzled into a guarded truce. The result is a low-key election that finds Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the potent United Teachers Los Angeles endorsing the same candidates despite uncertainties about how they or their backers hope to guide reforms in the nation's second-largest school system. Issues looming over the race include the proliferation of charter schools and the role of teachers in helping to run campuses. On the ballot Tuesday are three of seven Board of Education seats for the Los Angeles Unified School District. One race is all but settled: In District 2, which circles the city's core, school board president Monica Garcia is running unopposed. The other two races could be dictated by the union's financial backing, especially because the mayor and other powerful players have remained largely on the sidelines. For the mayor, the detente avoids a bruising fracas with a union whose support (along with that of other unions) he would want in a potential bid for the governor's office. The union still is spending money on the school races, but because it does not have to fight Villaraigosa, it can save funds for other politicking and to augment a strike fund as protracted contract talks continue. A political war nearly was engaged in District 4, which stretches across most of the Westside as well as the southwest San Fernando Valley and much of Hollywood. Attorney and longtime Democratic consultant Ben Austin was bidding strongly for the support of Villaraigosa, former Mayor Richard Riordan and billionaire education philanthropist Eli Broad. Some union leaders distrusted Austin's employment with Green Dot Public Schools, the charter organization that, with Austin's help, engineered the conversion of Locke High to a charter school that is no longer represented by the union. The impending slugfest evaporated when Austin failed to qualify for the ballot because of a campaign snafu. In anticipation, however, of a well-funded Austin campaign, UTLA leaders united behind teacher and community activist Steve Zimmer, even though, they said, they also respected Mike Stryer, another teacher in the race. The UTLA leadership wants its horse to win, in part, to send the message that union support remains crucial. And, in relative terms, its money dominates. On Zimmer's behalf, the union has poured in $258,618 so far, according to city records, the largest independent-expenditure campaign for an office in this municipal election. Zimmer had a comparatively modest $58,376 in donations under his own control. Stryer's total of $71,596 includes his own $30,000 loan. Hollywood resident Zimmer, 38, is a 1992 Teach for America recruit who has become a fixture at Marshall High in Silver Lake. Besides teaching at Marshall, he founded and runs the Comprehensive Student Support Center to provide health services to students and their families. Stryer, 47, has a varied career that includes developing international sales and marketing strategies as a senior executive at Applause (which made toys under license with Disney) and Variflex (which makes in-line skates and other recreational products). Stryer's passion for education prompted a career change, he said. He's taught social studies-related courses for six years at Fairfax High. Stryer emphasizes his corporate financial background as a needed attribute on the school board. Zimmer contends that his budgeting experience with nonprofits and service agencies is more directly relevant. In District 6, in the eastern San Fernando Valley, Nury Martinez, 35, offers deep local political roots and union sympathies. In 1989, as a San Fernando High student, she led a rally in support of striking teachers and, at a January union rally, she pledged to "do it again" if teachers don't receive a fair offer. She worked in a succession of campaigns and political field offices -- and won election in 2003 to the San Fernando City Council. Since 2007, she's been the executive director of the local nonprofit Pacoima Beautiful, whose grant-funded efforts include an environmental education program for high school students. UTLA has spent $27,824 in support of Martinez to date. Her opponent, former L.A. Unified teacher and Sun Valley resident Louis Pugliese, 58, teaches education courses at Cal State Northridge and served on a local charter school board. He's also an appointee to the city's Commission for Children, Youth and Their Families. Pugliese, who ran two years ago for the board when he lived in another district, touts his deeper experience in education. He filed suit unsuccessfully to remove Martinez's ballot designation as "environmental educator." The mayor has endorsed Martinez and Zimmer. Any outcome will leave intact a 2-year-old majority generally allied with Villaraigosa. It was the current board that gave the mayor the right to spearhead reforms at 10 campuses that opted to take part. And these board members also have nurtured ties with UTLA, which raises unsettled questions. Union President A.J. Duffy said he'd like a cap, for example, on the number of charter schools, which are public schools run independently of the school district. The mayor's broad support base includes civic and education leaders set on rapid charter expansion. Duffy also wants to unionize the vast majority of charters that are nonunion, which also worries key Villaraigosa supporters. The union and the nonprofit that runs the mayor's schools also have clashed -- civilly, so far. The union contends that the mayor's team has not yet fully honored a pledge to give teachers substantial authority at schools. Obama's Budget: Education | OBAMA SPOTLIGHTS EDUCATION DEFICIT + A BIGGER FEDERAL ROLE IN COLLEGE FUNDING + STUDENT LOAN COMPANY SHARES PLUNGE ►OBAMA PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON EDUCATION DEFICIT: He wants U.S. to have highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. by Frank James | from the Los Angeles Times February 25, 2009 — Reporting from Washington — President Obama on Tuesday laid out a series of challenges for the nation to meet in job training and college attainment, part of an effort to give every child a "complete and competitive education." The president, in his first address to a joint session of Congress, said his administration would provide the support needed to give the U.S. the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. He said there was a vital need for Americans to complete more years of education if the nation is to compete globally. "Right now, three-quarters of the fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school diploma," Obama said. "And yet, just over half of our citizens have that level of education. We have one of the highest high school dropout rates of any industrialized nation. And half of the students who begin college never finish. "This is a prescription for economic decline, because we know the countries that out-teach us today will out-compete us tomorrow. That is why it will be the goal of this administration to ensure that every child has access to a complete and competitive education -- from the day they are born to the day they begin a career." By one measure used by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, in 2005 the U.S. had a 76% high school graduation rate, putting it behind Hungary, Greece, Ireland and the Slovak Republic. To change that trend, Obama made the extraordinary call for Americans who presumably haven't finished high school, or only have high school diplomas, to commit to getting an additional year of school. "And so tonight, I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship." Not surprisingly, educators welcome Obama's address. Jonathan Schorr, partner at San Francisco-based NewSchools Venture Fund, which aims to improve public education, said, "That is terrific; anything that moves us in the direction of more of our students attending college is welcome and recognizes the economic realities we're living in." Nancy Shulock, executive director of the Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Policy at Sacramento State University, said, "We're finally picking up on the urgency of the educational crisis in this country." Meeting Obama's goal of making the U.S. the world leader in college graduates by 2020 would require a major push. According to the Census Bureau, the percentage of American adults of all ages with a four-year bachelor's degree was estimated at 17.1%, based on a recent three-year survey ending in 2007. Obama also said that if Americans commit to community service, "we will make sure that you can afford a higher education." Though he didn't offer details, he mentioned legislation co-sponsored by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah). Called the Serve America Act, it would make ServeAmerica Corps participants eligible for educational awards. ___________________________________________________ ►A BIGGER FEDERAL ROLE IN COLLEGE FUNDING: The proposal would tie Pell Grants to inflation for the first time and make the government the direct lender for all federally backed student loans. By Gale Holland | from the Los Angeles Times February 27, 2009 -- The government proposes to take on a greatly expanded role in making college affordable and in ensuring that students earn degrees or credentials. Pell Grants would be tied to inflation for the first time since their inception, providing annual raises for recipients. The grant program also would be turned into a entitlement program with guaranteed funding, like Social Security or Medicare. "We're ending the era of zero responsibility, and making an investment critical to our economic future," Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a conference call with reporters. Pell Grants are the bedrock of college aid, but soaring tuition and fees over the last two decades have eroded their value. Twenty years ago, the grants covered 50% of the cost of education at a public college, including room and board, and 20% at a private college. By 2008, the figures had slipped to 32% of public college costs and 13% of private costs. President Obama also proposes that the government become the direct lender for all federally backed student loans, ending subsidies to private lenders and saving the government $4 billion annually. The subsidized program provided $56 billion in loans to 6 million students last year. The government's direct loan program provided $14 billion in loans to 1.5 million students. Kevin Bruns, executive director of America's Student Loan Providers, opposed the proposal, saying guaranteed loans from private lenders had been "a rare source of stability for families. Now is not the time to talk about abolishing them." Obama is seeking to significantly boost Perkins loans, which colleges award to students with unexpected expenses. The money had been allocated to a limited number of institutions under a formula that favored older, more established private colleges and excluded community colleges, said Sandy Baum, senior policy analyst for the College Board. Under Obama's proposal, that money would be available to 2.7 million students at all 4,400 higher- education institutions. The president resisted calls to raise loan limits, which some analysts said could trigger spiraling tuition or over-borrowing. In another initiative, the president is seeking $2.5 billion to partner with states in programs to keep college students on track until they finish their education. Just under half of the nation's college students obtain a degree or certificate, Baum said. Obama also called for simplifying the complicated financial aid application process, but he did not say how he would do it. Several analysts said they are waiting to see details in what could be the pivotal element in the plan. "If they don't simplify the system, it will never be as effective as it could be," Baum said. Many higher-education advocates praised the budget proposals. "It goes beyond anything any of us could have wished for," said Barmak Nassirian, associate executive director of the American Assn. of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, and a frequent critic of higher-education funding schemes. "It's visionary," he said. "You'd have to go back to Lyndon Johnson to find a commitment to education like this. This isn't just more money, it's intelligently spent money." ___________________________________________________ ►STUDENT LOAN COMPANIES' SHARES PLUNGE ON OBAMA PROPOSAL - The president's budget plan calls for direct government funding of student loans, cutting out private industry. by Tiffany Hsu | from the Los Angeles Times February 27, 2009 -- President Obama's proposal for direct government funding of student loans -- cutting out private industry -- sent shares of Sallie Mae, Student Loan Corp., Nelnet Inc. and other college loan companies plunging Thursday. For-profit vocational schools, such as Corinthian Colleges Inc., DeVry Inc. and ITT Educational Services Inc., also saw their stock prices drop. Their students often rely on government-backed loans from private lenders. Currently, students needing funds typically borrow money directly from the government or from banks and other lenders such as Sallie Mae that issue loans subsidized or backed by the government. Obama's budget proposal for the 2010 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, calls for cutting out the middlemen by eliminating subsidies to lenders. The administration believes that the move to the Department of Education's Direct Loan Program could save more than $4 billion a year. Analysts said the proposal was another blow to the nearly $90-billion student loan market. Lenders have struggled recently with a credit crisis and accusations of manipulative policies, spotty disclosure and deceptive practices. In some cases, for example, lenders have pretended to represent schools' financial aid offices. Although some analysts said the proposal might not survive its trip through Congress, it seems to indicate that private student lenders are facing an uphill battle with the new administration. Sallie Mae, known officially as SLM Corp., saw shares dive $2.59, or 31%, on Thursday to $5.80. Nelnet Inc.'s stock plummeted $5.83, or 54%, to $4.91. Student Loan Corp., a unit of Citigroup Inc., dropped $11.63, or 22%, to $41.51. Sallie Mae worked closely last year with the government to ensure that students had access to federally backed loans without putting the burden on taxpayers, said Al Lord, SLM's chief executive. The company manages a $169-billion student loan portfolio and services more than 10 million borrowers. "We are committed to delivering and servicing federal student loans, regardless of their funding sources," he said. Student Loan Corp. argued against the Obama proposal, saying that "healthy competition leads to choice, innovation and high standards of service." Nelnet contended that student loan programs should "maintain the benefits of choice and competition, and should not contribute significantly to the national debt." Private companies lent $78 billion to students in the 2007-08 school year, said Mark Rodgers, a Citigroup spokesman. Shares of several owners of private colleges also dropped Thursday, although experts said they were unsure whether Obama's proposal was to blame. But the suggested shift away from government-backed private loans isn't a crippling move, said Lorena Valencia, who runs the financial aid program for ITT Tech in Torrance. Most of the students get loans from Sallie Mae or its competitors, she said, but the school also provides information on direct government loans. "Since we present all the options to students and leave the choice to their discretion, there wouldn't be either a positive or negative impact on the school," Valencia said. The timing is not good for some private lenders who have been hobbled by loan defaults after graduating students fail to find jobs in the worsening economy, said Emily Peters, a personal finance expert for consumer website Credit.com. "Financing for student loans has fallen through the cracks in the last few months, with higher default rates and struggling companies," Peters said. "This is definitely changing the landscape for a whole industry already in flux, though there's still a potentially strong market for private loans." NO UNIFORM VIEW ON SCHOOL UNIFORMS: L.A. Councilmember Jose Huizar promotes school uniforms for LAUSD schools. By Gloria Angelina Castillo, Eastern Group Publications Staff Writer (Eastside Sun, Northeast Sun, etc) February 26, 2009 -- The streets near Luther Burbank Middle School in Highland Park become a river of blue and white at the end of the school day. Luther Burbank is one of several schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) that requires students to wear uniforms—but other schools could soon follow if Councilman Jose Huizar (CD 14) has his way. On Feb. 18, Huizar introduced a motion to call for the City’s support of a school uniform policy in LAUSD. “There are many benefits for having uniforms at schools,” Huizar told EGP by phone. “When I was on the school board I noticed a difference between schools that did not have uniforms and those that did. Those that did were more orderly, more purpose driven and had better academic achievements. The administration and teachers also felt more comfortable and less concerned with gang activity,” he said, explaining why he thinks uniforms are a good idea for L.A. schools. Huizar says school uniforms avoid gang colors on-campus, and non-student gang members from blending-in with students. The councilman also says the school uniforms make good economic sense for parents who are struggling to afford the basics of food and shelter. But most importantly, he says school uniforms help teachers and students focus on academics. For Luther Burbank Middle School Principal John Samaniego, the sea of blue uniform clad students walking home after school primarily means safety. “When they walk home after school that’s when most problems occur—if they’re not in uniform,” Samaniego told EGP. Samaniego, who just last year was principal at an elementary school near downtown Los Angeles says he was not a school uniform advocate until he became principal at the middle school, now he sees “the validity.” “In middle school and high school there is a meaning for wearing a black shirt,” he says. “It means you’re going to get in a fight and you can’t see blood on it.” ●●smf's 2¢: I am wearing a black shirt as I type these words. Now I know why. But the Vice Principal at Benjamin Franklin High School, where Luther Burbank Middle School students will later attend, is not too enthusiastic about the idea of requiring his students to wear uniforms. Vice Principal Jorge Garcia says enforcing uniform rules is not easy. “I know that at [Luther] Burbank Middle School they’ve had a little bit of a problem getting kids to wear the uniform.” Garcia said 95 percent of his students follow Franklin’s dress code, but five percent break the rules and wear hats, spaghetti straps and show mid-drifts. “We don’t allow gang related attire,” Garcia said. “But there is a small percent that always break the rules.” While uniforms are not something to dread, Garcia said it would be a “little bit of a task [to implement and enforce].” Samaniego agrees that enforcement is difficult: the school’s dean spends a lot of time being the school-uniform police, and that is not his job. He says last year parents could opt-out of the school uniform requirement, but this year they changed the system to one of “loaners” in which students who do not come to school in the appropriate shirts can borrow one. Currently, the Luther Burbank uniform is the same for boys and girls: a white-collar shirt or a royal blue t-shirt, with navy blue pants or denim jeans. Samaniego says it is the parents who come to school meetings who are the most supportive of the uniform requirement, and adds that uninvolved parents are the ones who do not make their children wear their uniforms. “It’s cheaper to wear the uniform,” Samaniego said. “It’s the initial investment that’s the hard part. But parents need to just realize that the investment will last the whole year and be the more feasible route.” Huizar says state law requires local school districts that adopt a school uniform policy must provide help to students who cannot afford them. He says he is confident the private sector will step up to help provide uniforms for low-income students. Almost 10 percent of public schools in the country use school uniforms and the result has been an increase in academic achievement and a decrease in violence and disciplinary problems, according to a Huizar press release. Hilda Ramos was among a group of adults parked last Friday on Meridian Street waiting to pick up students. She was there to pick up her sixth-grader grandson Victor Lopez and his friend. “I think it’s better,” Ramos says about the uniforms. “That way they know a responsibility—because that’s what it is, a responsibility—to come to school in a uniform.” She says Luther Burbank’s uniforms shouldn’t be a burden if parents are willing to look for discounts. “Depending on where I shop, but the cheapest place I’ve found the shirts is at Fallas Paredes for $5.99,” Ramos said. She says that they should use uniforms at Franklin too. “They can avoid gangs coming over and starting problems,” Ramos said. Her grandson Victor says he sometimes doesn’t want to wear a uniform but he would like to continue the school uniform policy at Franklin. Anthony Cruz, 23, wore a uniform when he went to Berendo Middle School (near downtown). His two younger sisters currently attend the two schools in Highland Park. One is in the seventh grade at Luther Burbank and wears a uniform; the other is in the eleventh grade and does not. “They have never complained,” Cruz said. “There’s nothing bad about uniforms, it can work both ways.” Cruz says uniforms help keep “certain things in check.” “Especially in this area,” states Cruz who believes that wearing the wrong thing could make students targets of nearby gangs. Gang violence is the reason why City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo says he has come out in support of school uniforms. “School uniforms by themselves will not solve all school safety problems, but they are an essential contributing factor to discipline and safety,” Delgadillo said in a press statement. According to Rick Coca, Director of Communications for Huizar, several local schools in Northeast Los Angeles require uniforms, including: Aldama Elementary, Rockdale Elementary, Annandale Elementary, Garvanza Elementary, San Pascual Elementary, Yorkdale Elementary, and Toland Way Elementary. Schools in Boyle Heights that require uniforms are: Breed Elementary, Sheridan Elementary, Sunrise Elementary, Stevenson Middle School, and Hollenbeck Middle School. Roosevelt High School is scheduled to use school uniforms starting next year, according to Coca. Huizar said all of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s Partnership for LA Schools require uniforms. ●●another 2¢: I like Jose Huizar but I recommend he look up that part of the state constitution about how city councils can't run school districts. There's some interesting recent case law on that provision that came into effect after he left the Board of Ed. A motion to call for the City’s support of a school uniform policy in LAUSD is a waste of his, his staff's and his colleague's time and wastes the taxpayers money …and irritates the curmudgeons in the blogosphere HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest of the Stories from Other Sources PARENTS ♥ MRS. THOMAS Taft High School rally in support of Principal Sharon Thomas, who was among six employees reassigned this week for allegedly not reporting a hazing incident in a timely matter. CHATSWORTH HIGH CANCELS FALL PLAY, BUT SPIRIT LIVES ON IN YOUNG ACTORS Picking up the threads of 'Quilters' by Sandy Banks Opinion: INNOVATION WILL DRIVE NEW FEDERAL FUNDING FOR EDUCATION By Ted Mitchell and Reed Hastings LET’S KEEP EDUCATION THE PRIORITY "Between my memories of my experience there and the experiences I've had as the parent of a student in the Los Angeles Unified School District, I'm not at all surprised to learn that the administrators at Porter may have bungled an attempted drug sting" THE MAY 19 BALLOT MEASURES The State Legislative Analyst’s Office has prepared a summary and analysis for each of the six measures. The Secretary of State has now posted the ballot summaries, arguments for and against, and other information. The view from Cuba: PREVÉN 10 MIL DESPIDOS EN LOS ÁNGELES, CALIFORNIA | LA SCHOOLS TO LAY OFF THOUSANDS Prensa Latina/ The Cuban Press Agency K-12: A NEW FORMULA FOR SUCCESS In a new book W. Norton Grubb from UC Berkeley posits that when we link money to outcome we may be using the wrong tools to measure the wrong things National Review: OBAMA GIVES FAILING SCHOOLS A PASS, The day of reckoning has arrived — except for teachers’ unions. BEVERLY HILLS ‘OPPORTUNITY PERMIT’ STUDENTS REMAIN IN LIMBO Cortines: “UNITE, TAKE OVER THE SCHOOLS” BUDGET SHORTFALL THREATENS ACADEMIC DECATHLON Countdown: THE COMING BALLOT FIGHT + CONSTITUTIONALLY UNCONVENTIONAL - The political establishment is already starting to gear up for the budget-centric special election on May 19 PTA ADVOCATES FINANCE REFORM EDUCATION HIGHLIGHTS FROM ASSEMBLY EDUCATION CHAIR BROWNLEY VAN NUYS HIGH MUSIC TEACHER HONORED AS INSPRITATION (Sic) …and apparently spelling doesn’t count at the Daily News PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION RULING ON EXPO LINE CROSSINGS @ DORSEY & FOSHAY + LAUSD SLAMS ‘CLOSED DOOR’ PROCESS UTLA SECONDARY VICE PRESIDENT SPEAKS TO WEARY TEACHERS The news that didn't fit from March 1st COLLEGE AID DEADLINES + EVENTS: Coming up next week... NEED CASH FOR COLLEGE? FAFSA & CALGRANTS DEADLINE IS TOMORROW MARCH 2! 2.0 GPA + 2 forms + 1 deadline = FREE CASH FOR COLLEGE! by Assembly Education Chair Julia Brownley | from the AD41 Newsletter California’s economy depends on its ability to compete on a global level. That means investing in an educated workforce. Yet, some of our brightest young people don’t see a college education in their future only because they lack funds for tuition and expenses. That’s why I teamed up with the Los Angeles Unified School District last month to send out recorded phone messages to 48,214 high school seniors notifying them of this opportunity to get free cash for college. I also had my District Office contact all the other school districts in the 41st AD to offer assistance in getting the word out to their seniors on this important state grant program that is still funded. Cal Grants are one of the smartest ways to get cash for college. It’s money you don’t have to pay back. And it’s guaranteed. If you know a high school senior, recent graduate, or community college transfer student who meets the simple academic, financial and eligibility requirements, he or she just needs to submit two forms by March 2. All the information is available online at http://www.calgrants.org. smf adds: Monday is also the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) deadline http://fafsa.ed.gov ________________________________________ Wednesday Mar 04, 2009 Valley Region High School #9: Groundbreaking Ceremony Time: 1:30 p.m. Location: Valley Region High School #9 at Robert Fulton College Preparatory School 15020 W. Saticoy Street Van Nuys, CA 91405 Wednesday Mar 04, 2009 South Region High School #7: Preliminary Environmental Assessment (PEA) Hearing Time: 6:00 p.m. Location: Gage Middle School 2880 E. Gage Ave. Huntington Park, CA 90255 Thursday Mar 05, 2009 Esteban E. Torres High School (East LA HS #2): Fun Fence Art Exhibit Time: 2:00 p.m. Location: Hammel Elementary School 438 North Brannick Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90063 *Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________ • SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE: http://www.laschools.org/bond/ Phone: 213-241-5183 ____________________________________________________ • LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR: http://www.laschools.org/happenings/ Phone: 213-893-6800 • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR What can YOU do? • E-mail, call or write your school board member: Yolie.Flores.Aguilar@lausd.net • 213-241-6383 Marlene.Canter@lausd.net • 213-241-6387 Tamar.Galatzan@lausd.net • 213-241-6386 Monica.Garcia@lausd.net • 213-241-6180 Julie.Korenstein@lausd.net • 213-241-6388 Marguerite.LaMotte@lausd.net • 213-241-6382 Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net • 213-241-6385 ...or your city councilperson, mayor, the governor, member of congress, senator - or the president. Tell them what you really think! • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at mayor@lacity.org • 213.978.0600 • Call or e-mail Governor Schwarzenegger: 213-897-0322 e-mail: http://www.govmail.ca.gov/ • Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school. • Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it! • Get involved at your neighborhood school. Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child. • Register. • Vote. Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them? Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD. He is immediate past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and represents PTA as Vice-chair on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee. He is a Community Concerns Commissioner, Legislation Team member and a member of the Board of Managers of the California State PTA. He serves on various school district advisory and policy committees and has served a PTA officer and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. • 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. • 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 as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. 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. • To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: 4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBCRIPTION LIST E-MAIL smfolsom@aol.com with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you.

The genie, the bottle, and Abel Maldonado.

4LAKids: Sunday, Feb 22, 2009 In This Issue: • SCHWARZENEGGER SIGNS CALIF. BUDGET PACKAGE + BUDGET TIMELINE + ET TU ARNOLD? (The last cut is the sleaziest) • CALIFORNIA STATE PTA RESPONDS TO STATE BUDGET + SUPERINTENDENT CORTINES RESPONDS TO THE STATE BUDGET • THE NATIONAL AGENDA: E D U C A T I O N • N O W IS THE TIME TO ADVOCATE FOR ARTS EDUCATION IN LAUSD! • HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest of the Stories from Other Sources • EVENTS: Coming up next week... • What can YOU do? Featured Links: • FLUNK THE BUDGET, NOT OUR CHILDREN Website • PUBLIC SCHOOLS: an investment we can't afford to cut! - The Education Coalition Website • 4LAKids Anthology: All the Past Issues, solved, resolved and unsolved! • 4LAKidsNews: a compendium of recent items of interest - news stories, scurrilous rumors, links, academic papers, rants and amusing anecdotes, etc. Early Thursday morning, as the sun crept over the horizon and began to light the rice paddies and shipping canals of the Sacramento Delta, as the dawn lit up the windows and warmed the burgundy carpet of the senate chamber, State Senator Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria) was the most powerful man in California. His name was on the lips of everyone - and everyone wanted to be his friend. The governor took him to lunch the day before. He held the moment - his moment - and he did not blink. He put his key in the slot and pressed the button. Aye. His moment was not as much a Profiles in Courage moment as it was a Devil and Daniel Webster moment. Tragical realism. His new friends would slap his back. His old friends would hiss and cloak themselves as senators do to plot his undoing. The Ides of March might come as early as this weekend at the State Republican Convention for Abel Maldonado. Three wishes. If you had three what would they be? It's a game older than the one thousand and one nights that first put the genie in the bottle. 1. World peace. 2. Universal free preschool. 3. A wage and system that honors and respects the importance of teachers and teaching. Abel chose these: 1. No increase to the gasoline tax. 2. No pay raises for legislators in times of recession. 3. Open primaries in California. The first would please his constituents and his former friends in the Republican caucus. The second a political move - a "why didn't we think of that?" flash of do-gooderey by folks who had been misbehaving for 106 days straight. The third will send all the politicians to their caucuses, red and blue, conspiring for Abel's downfall. Figuring out new and believable ways to say "I voted for it …but I don't support it!" And the budget itself? This dramatic dawn's-early-light solution that solves all the ills of the state? Notwithstanding its egregious and unconscionable failure to serve the people and the children of California — beyond that it tests and mixes the metaphors of cans of worms, nests of snakes and bolts of unraveling fabric with strings attached. We have traded in the precipice and the abyss for reliance upon the voters to sort the mess out — driven by mass mailers, campaign ads, talking heads and special interests: the misbegotten misleading the misled. The time bomb is already ticking: 86 days 'till the May 19 election — if the voters don't approve all bets are off. ¡Nonetheless Onward/Hasta adelante! - smf ____________________ GOVERNOR SIGNS BUDGET BILL, SOFTENS SCHOOL FUNDING CUTS: Takes action to further reduce spending and solve current budget gap from the Kansas City Infozine Wednesday, February 18, 2009 - Topeka, KS - Governor Kathleen Sebelius has signed the 2009 budget bill and vetoed several components, solving the current budget gap and protecting public schools from the drastic cuts proposed by the Kansas House of Representatives. “While I agree with the Legislature that reducing the 2009 budget by more than $300 million is appropriate, I believe that with so much of the school year already behind us, the cuts proposed to public schools are too deep,” Sebelius said. ●●Smells like leadership to me. - smf SCHWARZENEGGER SIGNS CALIF. BUDGET PACKAGE + BUDGET TIMELINE + ET TU ARNOLD? (The last cut is the sleaziest) ► SCHWARZENEGGER SIGNS CALIF. BUDGET PACKAGE The Washington Post Saturday, February 21, 2009 -- SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) signed on Friday a package of bills designed to close California's $42 billion budget shortfall for the next 1 1/2 years. The signing ceremony was closed to reporters, and Schwarzenegger made no public comments. The budget compromise requires voter approval of five ballot measures during a May 19 special election. Those measures would set a cap on state spending and institute a rainy-day fund, authorize the state to sell bonds based on future lottery revenue, shift money from certain social programs and guarantee billions more for schools. A sixth measure, placed on the ballot as part of last-minute deal-making to pass the budget package, would be a constitutional amendment to freeze lawmakers' pay when the state runs a deficit. ad_icon Another constitutional amendment, planned to go before voters next year, would create an open-primary election system. The compromise deal, which is intended to cover the state's spending needs through the rest of this fiscal year and next, cuts $15.1 billion from programs, primarily education, and raises $12.8 billion in revenue, mostly through increases in the sales tax, personal income tax and vehicle license fee. ______________________ ►THE CALIFORNIA BUDGET: A TIMELINE FOR THE EVENTS TO COME With Schwarzenegger's signature today, taxes will begin to rise in April. In May, voters will be asked to pass judgment on budget-related issues in a special election. By Michael Muskal | From the Los Angeles Times February 20, 2009 - Now that the Legislature has narrowly passed a package of bills to deal with California's $42-billion financial crisis, there are a number of red-letter days ahead: LAST FRIDAY: Not wasting any time, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signs the package of bills. The financial package includes tax hikes, spending cuts and borrowing billions of dollars more. APRIL 1: The new taxes begin to kick in. The sales tax increases by 1 penny on the dollar; Californians will be affected depending on how much they spend. For example, a Californian who earns $25,000 a year would pay an extra $163 in sales tax yearly, according to the Legislature. At the top, those earning more than $1 million a year would likely see their sales-tax payments go up by $2,800 a year. Other tax increases include: -- Vehicle license fees would double to 1.15% of value. -- Personal income taxes would increase by a quarter of a percentage point. The surcharge would add $53 to the tax paid by those on the low end of the economic ladder and $2,250 for those earning $1 million with two dependents. -- The dependent tax credit is reduced by $210. According to a legislative analysis of those four tax increases, an average family of four with an annual income of $75,000 would pay $963 more a year in taxes. MAY 19: Voters will weigh in on ballot proposals related to the budget deal. If the proposals are rejected, the state could face a hole in its spending plans. Specifically, voters will be asked to approve the four temporary tax hikes in the budget. Voters will also be asked to move $226 million from mental health programs and $608 million from programs aimed at children younger than 5 years old. They will be offered the opportunity to put a cap on future state spending -- but only if the tax hikes just passed stay in place for four years instead of two. On borrowing, voters will be asked to approve borrowing of $5 billion against future lottery proceeds. Voters will also get to decide a constitutional amendment to eliminate salary increases for state officers, including the governor and Legislature, in years with a projected budget deficit. JUNE 2010: Voters will be asked to adopt an open primary system. This would list all candidates running for a nomination on a single ballot instead of by party. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party, would run against each other. The open-primary proposal was designed to win state Sen. Abel Maldonado's support for the budget. Republican moderates such as Maldonado often have trouble winning GOP primary elections. ___________________________ ►ONE LAST STAB TO THE BUDGET FROM GOV. SCHWARZENEGGER'S VETO PEN Opinion LA Blog from the LA Times by Patt Morrisson My oh my. This is about as transparent as Saran Wrap in sunlight. After spending weeks calling on the Legislature to stop playing politics and pass a budget, what does Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger do? He signs the budget, all right. But not before he uses his veto pen to whack 10% out of the budgets of four other state constitutional officers -- attorney general, controller, treasurer and secretary of state (all Democrats) -- along with the Board of Equalization (mostly Democrats). This smacks not just of penny-pinching but of pique. A judge ruled that Schwarzenegger did not have the authority to order furloughs for these elected officials' employees as he did for other state workers, so evidently he's doing with his line-item veto what the court told him he didn't have the authority to do by executive order. On top of that, he whacked nearly two-thirds out of the budget for the lieutenant governor, John Garamendi -- a Democrat who's running to succeed Schwarzenegger -- but he didn't snip a penny from the budget of the insurance commissioner, Steve Poizner -- a Republican who's running to succeed Schwarzenegger as governor. JUST HOW MUCH IS ALL THIS THRIFT GONNA COST YOU? Handy-dandy tax increase calculator widget. CALIFORNIA STATE PTA RESPONDS TO STATE BUDGET + SUPERINTENDENT CORTINES RESPONDS TO THE STATE BUDGET ►CALIFORNIA STATE PTA RESPONDS TO STATE BUDGET PTA Press Release Feb 20 -- SACRAMENTO - California State PTA President Pam Brady issued the following statement today in response to the budget adopted by state lawmakers and signed today by the Governor. "This budget does not value the children of California. Instead, it puts on entire generation of children - and the state's very future - at risk. "Some new revenues are part of this budget, and for that we acknowledge the Governor and legislators for recognizing the need to take a balanced approach to the state's budget crisis. Even so, the severe cuts that are included in the final budget threaten our state's commitment to a world-class education. "These cuts are almost certainly going to drive California - already a dismal 47th - to the bottom among all states in per-pupil spending. That means cutting teachers, arts, classroom materials, counselors, nurses, small class sizes, and much more that children need to succeed in school and life. "California cannot afford to go backward in its commitment to children and students, especially in challenging economic times. "In the coming weeks, we will continue to analyze the details of the budget package, including several statewide initiatives that will be placed on the May 19 ballot as part of the budget deal. "And California State PTA will continue to advocate for legislators and the Governor to develop a farsighted budget plan and process - a plan with vision, a plan that is a reflection of the hopes and dreams of the next generation, and a plan that is truly focused on the future of our state." • everychild.onevoice. :: The California State PTA has nearly 1 million members throughout the state working on behalf of public schools, children and families, with the motto, "Every child, one voice." The PTA is the nation's oldest, largest and highest profile volunteer organization working to improve the education, health and welfare of all children and youth. The PTA also advocates at national, state and local levels for education and family issues. The PTA is nonprofit, nonsectarian and noncommercial. ______________________________ ►SUPERINTENDENT CORTINES RESPONDS TO THE STATE BUDGET: LAUSD BUDGET UPDATE AS OF 2/18/09: Subject to change based on updates from the State from the office of Superintendent Ramón C. Cortines OVERVIEW 1. Based on current projections from the State, our projected district shortfall is between $600 and $700 million and the prospects do not look any brighter for future years. We also do not know if we will have class size or categorical flexibility, so we must prepare for the worst case scenario. 2. My philosophy for moving forward will be the same as the 2000 Plan adopted by the Board a) Central offices are to be right-sized and to focus on core operations, monitoring and oversight b) The local districts are to provide support and service to schools c) The schools are the heart of our District and are where teaching and learning takes place 3. Federal Stimulus money will provide some temporary relief, since the money is for one time expenses (spread over two years). Flexibility and use of this money still has not been determined. a) Although the stimulus money has yet to be finalized, I will recommend that the majority of any unrestricted resources to be set aside to protect the schools. CENTRAL – RIGHT-SIZED We will be streamlining the central office to ensure the majority of our resources are at the school site. 1. I have recommended a 30% reduction in most central offices. We are in the process of reviewing the budgets and discussing how to implement our decentralized governance model. 2. Further, I am considering a recommendation to reduce the work year for most non-school based employees. Besides providing substantial savings, it will emphasize that our highest priority is support of the local school. 3. We are also reviewing outside contractors with the goal of substantially reducing costs and administered accounts. LOCAL DISTRICT OFFICES SUPPORT AND SERVICE TO SCHOOLS Via the decentralization of the central office, the local district offices will be responsible for working with their schools to ensure each school receives the service and support they need. 1. However, I am recommending that local district offices be cut up to 50%. I will expect my leaders in the local districts to work smarter to target services to the schools that need the most support. 2. While we have benefited from many ancillary programs that support our student population, we must now cut some of these programs to focus our limited resources on our core instructional program. LOCAL SCHOOLS – WHERE TEACHING AND LEARNING TAKES PLACE My approach is to build a school district from the classroom out, so that we can minimize the impact on teachers. The percentage of cuts will be the lowest at the school level, but given the cumulative size of our school budgets, the dollar amount will be large. 1. Since we don't have all of the necessary budget information from the State, we must be conservative by noticing a potentially larger number of certificated employees on March 15th a. All certificated administrators will be notified b. Since central and local district certificated employees have rights to the classroom, we will need to notify some permanent teachers. c. To ease the impact on our novice teachers, we have implemented an aggressive early retirement incentive program (ERIP) NEXT STEPS February 26th: 2009-10 Budget Development process with recommendation for March 15th letters March –June: Hold public reviews of the budget to ensure we all agree on our priorities Addendum: COUNCIL OF GREAT CITY SCHOOLS – UPDATE ON STIMULUS PACKAGE 2/17/09 Disclaimer – details have not been finalized on how and when the funds will be allocated to LAUSD, especially the State Fiscal Stabilization funds Overview of Federal Stimulus Package by Jeff Simmering, CGCS Five major types of aid to be expended over a 2 yr period (potential for flexibility to spread over 3 yrs) 1. Non Categorical Aid – State Fiscal Stabilization: $40B for education (broadly defined) 1. Proportionally allocated based on split b/w K-12 and higher education state reductions 2. Distribution of funds will vary state by state, but can be used to backfill state cuts 3. Distributed on per capita basis 4. Use of funds are based on ESEA, IDEA, Perkins, School modernization or repair 2. Categorical IDEA: $12.2 B ($11.3B traditional part B, $400M early Childhood, $500M infant and toddler) 1. 50% of funds can be used to offset Spec Ed use of General Funds 3. Categorical Title I: $13B ($10B Regular, $3B School Improvement) 1. Allocated by targeted and equity formulas 2. 95% will be passed through to LEAs 3. 1% used for State Administration 4. 4% school improvement activities 4. Secretary Bonus or Incentive: states that have made good progress will be awarded $5B ($2.5 allocated on basis of Title I) 1. Progress defined as states that are increasing equitable distribution of teachers, improved data systems, and improved assessments 5. School Construction Bonds - $22B tax subsidizes or bonding authority 1. After you sell your bonds the interest that you pay will be given a tax credit 2. Can be used as new construction and land acquisition Council of Great City Schools estimate of stimulus for LAUSD (over two years) • Title I: $398M • IDEA: $168M • Ed Tech: $9.7M • State Stabilization has not been determined Key Takeaways for LAUSD 1. We will need to be flexible in our projections until we receive the final allocations from the State 2. We need to be conservative with our projected use of our funds, because we do not know the magnitude of the cuts that from the State 3. Stimulus funds are one time funds, so we can not rely on using them to cover ongoing expenses 4. Depending on the cuts from the State, we will use the majority of the funds to help schools offset some of their reductions ●●smf's 2¢: [re: 3a] "Although the stimulus money has yet to be finalized, I will recommend that the majority of any unrestricted resources to be set aside to protect the schools." The words 'set aside' are worrisome, but I am assured by a school board member that the superintendent's intent is not to 'set aside' or 'squirrel away' this money like the bankers did with their bailout – but to spend it on programs like Class Size Reduction – which retains rather than lays off teachers and is therefore simulative to the economy. For more information about the California State PTA THE NATIONAL AGENDA: E D U C A T I O N From whitehouse.gov President Obama and Vice President Biden believe that our kids and our country can’t afford four more years of neglect and indifference. At this defining moment in our history, America faces few more urgent challenges than preparing our children to compete in a global economy. The decisions our leaders make about education in the coming years will shape our future for generations to come. Obama and Biden are committed to meeting this challenge with the leadership and judgment that has been sorely lacking for the last eight years. Their vision for a 21st century education begins with demanding more reform and accountability, coupled with the resources needed to carry out that reform; asking parents to take responsibility for their children’s success; and recruiting, retaining, and rewarding an army of new teachers to fill new successful schools that prepare our children for success in college and the workforce. The Obama-Biden plan will restore the promise of America’s public education, and ensure that American children again lead the world in achievement, creativity and success. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION • ZERO TO FIVE PLAN: The Obama-Biden comprehensive "Zero to Five" plan will provide critical support to young children and their parents. Unlike other early childhood education plans, the Obama-Biden plan places key emphasis at early care and education for infants, which is essential for children to be ready to enter kindergarten. Obama and Biden will create Early Learning Challenge Grants to promote state Zero to Five efforts and help states move toward voluntary, universal pre-school. • EXPAND EARLY HEAD START AND HEAD START: Obama and Biden will quadruple Early Head Start, increase Head Start funding, and improve quality for both. • PROVIDE AFFORDABLE, HIGH-QUALITY CHILD CARE: Obama and Biden will also increase access to affordable and high-quality child care to ease the burden on working families. K-12 • REFORM NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND: Obama and Biden will reform NCLB, which starts by funding the law. Obama and Biden believe teachers should not be forced to spend the academic year preparing students to fill in bubbles on standardized tests. They will improve the assessments used to track student progress to measure readiness for college and the workplace and improve student learning in a timely, individualized manner. Obama and Biden will also improve NCLB's accountability system so that we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them. • SUPPORT HIGH-QUALITY SCHOOLS AND CLOSE LOW-PERFORMING CHARTER SCHOOLS: Barack Obama and Joe Biden will double funding for the Federal Charter School Program to support the creation of more successful charter schools. The Obama-Biden administration will provide this expanded charter school funding only to states that improve accountability for charter schools, allow for interventions in struggling charter schools and have a clear process for closing down chronically underperforming charter schools. Obama and Biden will also prioritize supporting states that help the most successful charter schools to expand to serve more students. • MAKE MATH AND SCIENCE EDUCATION A NATIONAL PRIORITY: Obama and Biden will recruit math and science degree graduates to the teaching profession and will support efforts to help these teachers learn from professionals in the field. They will also work to ensure that all children have access to a strong science curriculum at all grade levels. • ADDRESS THE DROPOUT CRISIS: Obama and Biden will address the dropout crisis by passing legislation to provide funding to school districts to invest in intervention strategies in middle school -- strategies such as personal academic plans, teaching teams, parent involvement, mentoring, intensive reading and math instruction, and extended learning time. • EXPAND HIGH-QUALITY AFTERSCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES: Obama and Biden will double funding for the main federal support for afterschool programs, the 21st Century Learning Centers program, to serve one million more children. • Support College Outreach Programs: Obama and Biden support outreach programs like GEAR UP, TRIO and Upward Bound to encourage more young people from low-income families to consider and prepare for college. • SUPPORT COLLEGE CREDIT INITIATIVES: Barack Obama and Joe Biden will create a national "Make College A Reality" initiative that has a bold goal to increase students taking AP or college-level classes nationwide 50 percent by 2016, and will build on Obama's bipartisan proposal in the U.S. Senate to provide grants for students seeking college level credit at community colleges if their school does not provide those resources. • SUPPORT ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS: Obama and Biden support transitional bilingual education and will help Limited English Proficient students get ahead by holding schools accountable for making sure these students complete school. • RECRUIT TEACHERS: Obama and Biden will create new Teacher Service Scholarships that will cover four years of undergraduate or two years of graduate teacher education, including high-quality alternative programs for mid-career recruits in exchange for teaching for at least four years in a high-need field or location. • PREPARE TEACHERS: Obama and Biden will require all schools of education to be accredited. Obama and Biden will also create a voluntary national performance assessment so we can be sure that every new educator is trained and ready to walk into the classroom and start teaching effectively. Obama and Biden will also create Teacher Residency Programs that will supply 30,000 exceptionally well-prepared recruits to high-need schools. • RETAIN TEACHERS: To support our teachers, the Obama-Biden plan will expand mentoring programs that pair experienced teachers with new recruits. They will also provide incentives to give teachers paid common planning time so they can collaborate to share best practices. • REWARD TEACHERS: Obama and Biden will promote new and innovative ways to increase teacher pay that are developed with teachers, not imposed on them. Districts will be able to design programs that reward with a salary increase accomplished educators who serve as a mentors to new teachers. Districts can reward teachers who work in underserved places like rural areas and inner cities. And if teachers consistently excel in the classroom, that work can be valued and rewarded as well. HIGHER EDUCATION • CREATE THE AMERICAN OPPORTUNITY TAX CREDIT: Obama and Biden will make college affordable for all Americans by creating a new American Opportunity Tax Credit. This universal and fully refundable credit will ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans, and will cover two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university and make community college tuition completely free for most students. Recipients of the credit will be required to conduct 100 hours of community service. • SIMPLIFY THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR FINANCIAL AID: Obama and Biden will streamline the financial aid process by eliminating the current federal financial aid application and enabling families to apply simply by checking a box on their tax form, authorizing their tax information to be used, and eliminating the need for a separate application. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES Obama and Biden will work to ensure the academic success of students with disabilities by increasing funding and effectively enforcing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and by holding schools accountable for providing students with disabilities the services and supports they need to reach their potential. Obama and Biden will also support Early Intervention services for infants and toddlers, and will work to improve college opportunities for high school graduates with disabilities. N O W IS THE TIME TO ADVOCATE FOR ARTS EDUCATION IN LAUSD! Once the state budget is actually handed down from Sacramento it will likely be immediately implemented by LAUSD. NOW is the time speak out. By Mark Slavkin Former LAUSD school Board member Mark Slavkin, currently Vice President for Education of the Music Center has put together some talking points for supporters and advocates of arts education In LAUSD to make to School Board members and Superintendent: • In the two months since LAUSD implemented a "budget freeze," 428 planned arts programs and projects have been put on hold, denying thousands of students and teachers access to invaluable arts learning opportunities. • In-class arts instruction is great, but that alone does not replace having students work with professional artists and see professional performances. • The total budget for these programs is only $1.4 million, an inconsequential amount in the context of the LAUSD budget, but a "make or break" financial impact for the participating arts organizations. • LAUSD created the Arts Community Partners Network, invited organizations to participate, and facilitated the process for schools to access these vital resources. This has been a true "win-win" partnership, that has allowed LAUSD to build new relationships with a diverse range of community institutions. • Over 85 nonprofit arts organizations relied on LAUSD's commitment to plan their own staffing and program budgets for the current year. Now, without any real discussion or collaboration with its' partners, the District has pulled the financial rug out from under these organizations, putting many at risk of closure. • We need LAUSD leaders to come forward and solve this problem. If we continue to wait to see what the Legislature does to resolve the state budget situation, it will be too late. The decision will have been made for you, and invaluable arts resources in Los Angeles will simply be gone. ••smf's 2¢; The lesson and history of the WPA and The Arts during the Great Depression must be remembered. There is very little more stimulative to the local economy and national welfare than putting arts and artists in schools. LAUSD Contact Information Ramon Cortines Superintendent Los Angeles Unified School District 333 South Beaudry Avenue, 24th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90017 Mailing Address P.O. Box 3307 Los Angeles, CA 90051 Tel: 213-241-7000 Fax: 213-241-8442 superintendent@lausd.net School Board Members have the same address General Fax Numbers for all Board Members: 213-241-8953 or 213-481-9023 MARGUERITE POINDEXTER LAMOTTE Board Dist. 1 (South Los Angeles and Mid-City) marguerite.lamotte@lausd.net 213-241-6382 Fax: 213-241-8441 MONICA GARCIA Board President, Board Dist. 2 (Downtown, Central City, East Los Angeles) monica.garcia@lausd.net 213-241-6180 Fax: 213-241-8459 TAMAR GALATZAN Board Dist. 3 (East San Fernando Valley) tamar.galatzan@lausd.net 213-241-6386 Fax: 213-241-8979 MARLENE CANTER Board Dist. 4 (Westside and Hollywood) marlene.canter@lausd.net 213-241-6387 Fax: 213-241-8453 YOLIE FLORES AGUILAR Board Dist. 5 (East Valley, Eagle Rock, Northeast LA) yolie.flores.aguilar@lausd.net 213-241-6383 Fax: 213-241-8467 JULIE KORENSTEIN Board Dist. 6 (West San Fernando Valley) julie.korenstein@lausd.net 213-241-6388 Fax: 213-241-8451 DR. RICHARD VLADOVIC Board Dist. 7 (San Pedro, Wilmington, Carson, Watts) richard.vladovic@lausd.net 213-241-6385 Fax: 213-241-8452 HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest of the Stories from Other Sources AFTER BUDGET BATTLE, BASS HAS NEWS FOR HER ALMA MATER: The Assembly speaker, visiting Hamilton High School, says the blueprint includes 'devastating' cuts to education. By Catherine Ho | LA Times February 21, 2009 -- As her colleagues attended a budget-signing ceremony in Sacramento, state Assembly Speaker Karen Bass was a world away as she visited her alma mater in West Los Angeles on Friday morning to address a younger but no less demanding group. GET LIT PLAYERS BRING POETRY’S EMOTIONS TO OTHER LA TEENAGERS : Troupe performs original works, compares Henry Wadsworth Longfellow with hip-hop artist Talib Kweli, and recites lively versions of Ezra Pound, Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks and Edgar Allan Poe. By Scott Gold | LA Times February 20, 2009 -- For as long as he can remember, Dario Serrano's life was all screeching tires and echoing gunshots, babies' cries and barking dogs, a symphony, as he puts it, of "hood rats and gangsters," of "vatos vatos and payasos" -- dudes and numskulls, loosely translated. By high school, he'd pretty much given up on himself. He bounced around between three schools. He started selling pot, though he always seemed to smoke more than he sold. His GPA fell to 0.67, which is about as bad as you can get and still be showing up. Literature, it is fair to say, was not resonating. "I mean, 'The Great Gatsby'?" he says incredulously, and when he puts it like that, Lincoln Heights does feel pretty far from Long Island. NO DAY 107, BUT COUNTING DOWN TO THE NEXT ELECTION SacBee CapitolAlert: Shane Goldmacher | Capitol Alert Coordinator Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today will sign the budget package that the Legislature passed early Thursday morning. Then comes the list of line-item vetoes. [smf: The gov signs at 1PM, the list of line item vetoes should be available after that. California government is only transparent after the fact] Of course, as Jim Sanders reports in today's Bee, more money woes could be in the state's future as the economy continues to falter. Day 106 | 6:17 AM: SENATE APPROVES BUDGET PLAN! The state Senate voted early Thursday to approve a massive budget package of tax increases, spending cuts and borrowing to close a $40 billion deficit after granting major concessions to one holdout Republican senator. STATE HELD HOSTAGE Sacramento Bee cartoonist Rex Babin: "Nobody move or the State gets it!" STIMULUS BILL PROMOTES STABLE, ADEQUATE FUNDING SCHOOL FUNDING UPDATE from National Access Network, Teachers College, Columbia University smf: ‘Adequate’ is never enough and ‘promotes’ is not ‘provides’. However… 17 February, 2009 - The $789 billion federal stimulus bill, which was passed by Congress last weekend, allocates roughly $100 billion for educational purposes. This figure is almost double the U.S. Department of Education’s $59.2 billion discretionary budget---and gives promise to education advocates that the Obama administration will live up to its commitment to reform and improve education in the United States. Shortly after the compromise was announced, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s office issued a statement emphasizing the importance of “strategic investments in education,” stating that education is “one of the best ways to help America become more productive and competitive.” More Budget Stuff at: 4LAKids-A state without a budget, A government without a clue. EVENTS: Coming up next week... Tuesday Feb 24, 2009 SOUTH REGION MIDDLE SCHOOL #6: Construction Update Meeting Time: 6:00 p.m. Location: Normandie Elementary School 4505 S. Raymond Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90037 Tuesday Feb 24, 2009 CENTRAL REGION HIGH SCHOOL #13 (Taylor Yard): Construction Update Meeting Time: 6:30 p.m. Location: Glassell Park Elementary School 2211 W. Avenue 30 Los Angeles, CA 90065 Tuesday Feb 24, 2009 VALLEY REGION BELLINGHAM ES ADDITION: Pre-Demolition Meeting Time: 6:30 p.m. Location: Bellingham Primary Center Multi-Purpose Room 6728 Bellingham Ave. North Hollywood, CA 91606 Thursday Feb 26, 2009 SOUTH REGION HIGH SCHOOL #15: Pre-Demolition Community Meeting Time: 6:00 p.m. Location: Dana Middle School - Auditorium 1501 S. Cabrillo Ave. San Pedro, CA 90731 Questions re the above: 213.893.6800 *Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________ • SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE: http://www.laschools.org/bond/ Phone: 213-241-5183 ____________________________________________________ • LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR: http://www.laschools.org/happenings/ Phone: 213-893-6800 • LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR What can YOU do? • E-mail, call or write your school board member: Yolie.Flores.Aguilar@lausd.net • 213-241-6383 Marlene.Canter@lausd.net • 213-241-6387 Tamar.Galatzan@lausd.net • 213-241-6386 Monica.Garcia@lausd.net • 213-241-6180 Julie.Korenstein@lausd.net • 213-241-6388 Marguerite.LaMotte@lausd.net • 213-241-6382 Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net • 213-241-6385 ...or your city councilperson, mayor, the governor, member of congress, senator - or the president. Tell them what you really think! • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at mayor@lacity.org • 213.978.0600 • Call or e-mail Governor Schwarzenegger: 213-897-0322 e-mail: http://www.govmail.ca.gov/ • Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school. • Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it! • Get involved at your neighborhood school. Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child. • Register. • Vote. Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them? Scott Folsom is a parent leader in LAUSD. He is immediate past President of Los Angeles Tenth District PTSA and represents PTA as Vice-chair on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee. He is a Community Concerns Commissioner, Legislation Team member and a member of the Board of Managers of the California State PTA. He serves on various school district advisory and policy committees and has served a PTA officer and governance council member at three LAUSD schools. • 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. • 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 as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. 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. • To SUBSCRIBE e-mail: 4LAKids-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com - or -TO ADD YOUR OR ANOTHER'S NAME TO THE 4LAKids SUBCRIPTION LIST E-MAIL smfolsom@aol.com with "SUBSCRIBE" AS THE SUBJECT. Thank you.