Sunday, September 13, 2015

No quota on humanity



4LAKids: Sunday 13•Sept•2015
In This Issue:
 •  The new Common Core test results: DON’T PLAY THE BLAME GAME!
 •  WHY THE WASHINGTON STATE SUPREME COURT RULING MATTERS: The origins of a surprisingly simple decision that could have major implications
 •  LAUSD NEARING $6 MILLION SETTLEMENT WITH APPLE, PEARSON OVER INSTRUCTIONAL CONTENT ON iPADS
 •  Editorial: A CHARTER SCHOOL EXPANSION COULD BE GREAT FOR L.A.
 •  HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other Sources
 •  EVENTS: Coming up next week...
 •  What can YOU do?


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 •  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.
In between the corporate demise of LA Times publisher Austin Beutner, the new Common Core Test Scores and the International Migrant Crisis – there must be a story in there somewhere! Add to that Washington State Supreme Court’s outlawing charter schools and the renewed brouhaha over “Dr.” John’s expense account and you have enough stories to make an issue! (…or issues to make a story.)

But first a correction:
TAKE A DAY OFF! TAKE 2! TAKE 3 or 4! The representation in last week’s 4LAKids that the annual rescheduling of the Admission Day Holiday was somehow the work of the LAUSD-UTLA contract was incorrect; it is apparently the work of the LAUSD-clerical staff contract. Which leaves us with SEIU, CSEA and the Teamsters as likely suspects. 4LAKids apologizes after-the-fact for getting the first bit wrong …and apologizes in advance for not clarifying which contract requires the bogus holiday observance.

This coming Monday Sept 14th and next Wednesday Sept 23 are “Unassigned Days” (no classes in session) that align with the Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. To be clear: 4LAKids has no problem with observing the Jewish New Year (acknowledging a Higher Authority than the union contract and the ed code!) But Admission Day? Really?


4LAKids IS WARY OF WANDERING TOO FAR into the LA Times/Austin Beutner affair. [LA TIMES PUBLISHER+CEO TO BE REPLACED http://bit.ly/1KZuAlY] Everything that happens in the world is not the direct result of ®eform Agenda Public Education Policy, Big Business Corporate Shenanigans and the undue influence of Eli Broad & Company. But sometimes it seems that way. The protests from the likes of former Mayor Tony over Beutner’s fall-from-power echoes the same messages over John Deasy’s denouement. | http://bit.ly/1FEAgvL


THE TIMES PUBLISHED AN EXCELLENT EDITORIAL about how we shouldn’t pay all that much attention to the new Common Core test scores [WHAT WILL COMMON CORE TEST RESULTS SHOW? Comparing old+new results like comparing apples+porcupines | http://bit.ly/1OvoWaf] and then proceeded to slice+dice them every way possible.[ NEW CALIFORNIA TESTS PRESENT SOBERING PICTURE OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT http://bit.ly/1J1oJXw]

The news was not good, we had been warned that it wouldn’t be – it’s a different test testing different skills in a different way using different metrics. We don’t erase the Achievement Gap by changing the test and/or distributing iPads and/or going wall-to-wall charter schools.

But the sky isn’t falling either. [This Sunday’s Times’ editorial relapse into Dr. Deasyland and Babbiting boosterish paean to Eli Broad notwithstanding: A CHARTER SCHOOL EXPANSION COULD BE GREAT FOR L.A.]


AND THE REFUGEE/MIGRANT CRISIS CONTINUES – with the Hungarian government mobilizing troops to keep the displaced persons out while the German government mobilizes troops to welcome them in. All along the way there are stories of Good Samaritans doing their small part, one good deed at a time. Meanwhile the wars rage on and the borders overflow and the rhetoric becomes more shrill and the razor wire is stretched tighter …and children are the victims.

¡Onward/Adelante/L'shanah tovah! - smf


The new Common Core test results: DON’T PLAY THE BLAME GAME!

“SBAC SCORES SHOULD NOT BE PUBLISHED IN THE UPCOMING SCHOOL REPORT CARDS. PUBLISHING THE SCHOOL’S SCORES IN THE REPORT CARDS WILL MAKE THE SCORES EVALUATIVE BY THE VERY NATURE OF DOING SO AND WILL MISINFORM PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.”

From the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles Weekly Update for the Week of September 14, 2015 | bit.ly/1UKiYUV

10 Sept 2015 :: The California Department of Education released the first year’s results of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) tests in English language arts/literacy and math on September 9, 2015. AALA understands that comparing SBAC scores to previous state assessments is like comparing the proverbial apples to oranges.

Moreover, it appears students did not fare well overall. This may be attributed to the newness of the test, the increased level of technology, the delayed arrival of the technology to many schools, the challenges of bandwidth infrastructure at many schools and because the professional development provided thus far lags behind the teaching and learning needed to parallel it with the California’s Common Core-aligned tests. Most importantly, the scores are baseline, not for stakes, nonevaluative and are meant to be used for the purpose of strengthening pedagogy.

To access the scores, please follow this link: CAASPP Results.

AALA is concerned that, in the public’s eye, the scores have quickly become evaluative for administrators and teachers. Teachers make a fair point when they tell principals that if the results are indeed intended to improve practice and alignment, why publish them? Therefore, context is of great importance in this matter to maintain a keen perspective and to provide administrators the appropriate, genuine and required levels of supports.

There has been a significant influx of new principals since the transition to and implementation of the Common Core State Standards began in earnest some three years ago. Since beginning their assignment, these principals have served TWO general superintendents, probably TWO local District Superintendents, TWO Deputy Superintendents of Instruction and more-than-likely, THREE Instructional Directors, THREE ELA and THREE math coordinators from the Educational Service Centers now known as Local Districts. In the process, freezes were imposed, and then lifted, no substitutes were allowed for professional development purposes on Mondays and Fridays, conference approvals required myriad approvals and scrutiny and the operational demands kept coming!

Thus, situational awareness, empathy and understanding are needed to ensure administrators are receiving the necessary supports to empower and facilitate the process of being the instructional leaders the District expects them to be. Herewith are some questions from AALA for the District’s Leadership:

● How is the District going to streamline the duties and responsibilities of administrators to optimize instructional leadership?

● How soon will District Leadership realize that additional assistant principals are a mandatory part of the equation to improve student achievement?

● How will the professional development provided by the District and the Local Districts be differentiated to meet the needs of English learners, standard English learners, students with disabilities, gifted and talented students?

● How is the District stabilizing leadership at every level of the organization to enhance a coherent, unified and articulated professional development plan?

● How are the District and the Local Districts differentiating professional development to meet the needs of the constituents served by the Local District?

● How is the District organizing for effort and allocating the required professional development funds to ensure Districtwide alignment with the California Common Core curriculum and the tests?

It is predictable that scores will rise as teachers and administrators become more familiar with the Common Core standards, and students become familiar with the more complex questions on the examinations. For example, in 2003, when the California Standards Tests were introduced, 30% of 3rd graders and 40% of 5th graders scored proficient and above in English/Language Arts. Ten years later, 45% percent of 3rd graders and 60% percent of 5th graders scored at a proficient level. Some of this improvement can be attributed to familiarity with testing structures and procedures.

It is AALA’s position that SBAC scores should NOT be published in the upcoming school report cards. Publishing the school’s scores in the report cards will make the scores evaluative by the very nature of doing so and will misinform parents and community members. There is no doubt transparency and accessibility to the public is important. Therefore, the school report card can link the public to the website repository with a CLEAR disclaimer that the scores are nonevaluative.


WHY THE WASHINGTON STATE SUPREME COURT RULING MATTERS: The origins of a surprisingly simple decision that could have major implications
By Martha Carey from edushyster2012 | http://bit.ly/1FyDv7L

September 9, 2015 :: Something unusual happened in Washington state late last week. Charter schools came out on the losing end of a lawsuit. In fact, charter schools, as they are currently defined, funded and organized, were actually ruled unconstitutional by that state’s Supreme Court. And the basis of that decision was surprisingly simple. The charter school law that narrowly passed Washington in 2012 was found to be in violation of the state’s constitution precisely because charter schools have private boards.

UNCOMMON SCHOOLS ≠ COMMON SCHOOLS

The constitution in that state clearly defines public schools as schools that operate via taxpayer funds, and which are *under the control of the qualified voters of the school district.*The Supreme Court just ruled that *because charter schools [under the new charter law] are run by an appointed board of nonprofit organization and thus are not subject to local voter control, they cannot qualify* as public schools as defined in Washington’s constitution. Which means funding them violates the law – as noted in the ruling: *money that is dedicated to common schools is unconstitutionally diverted to charter schools.*

What happens next will be pretty fascinating. Several charter organizations and charter operators are calling for a special session of the state legislature to *fix* this pesky problem. Others, including the Washington State Education Association, are expressing vindication and are urging legislators to address the poor state of public school funding once and for all.

Each state’s charter school laws are distinct, and some are far vaguer than others. In Pennsylvania, where I live, the charter school law put into effect in 1997 allows for charter schools to be run as entirely independent entities within a school district, and allows for those charter schools to receive public funds from the state in order to operate.

SCHOOLS-AS-FRANCHISES

The Pennsylvania model of loose policy regulation of charter schools and essentially no oversight by the electorate is in alignment with the language of minnesota-welcome-e1332613731772the earliest charter school law, passed in Minnesota in 1991. The premise there was that public school districts were restricting choice by their stranglehold on schools-as-franchises in the education *market.* And the 1991 law promoted the notion that groups of parents, businesses, cultural organizations, etc. could get together and start schools that would give parents and students more education options, and the state and local districts would, correspondingly, divest themselves of the core responsibilities (and rules and regulations) for these schools, essentially allowing the *franchise* to organize and govern itself.

I first worked with several charters schools in St. Paul in 1996; in the five years between the charter school law passing and then, not only did a cluster of pretty random, curricular-specific charters (arts, music, science) spring up around the Twin Cities, but several quickly developed negative public reputations, mostly due to poor fiscal management.

Each state’s approach to charter laws is distinct, but this case seems to make a clear and compelling case about an idea that should be unifying: taxes to fund schools come from taxpayers who elect representatives at the state, local, and district levels who are our proxies in providing oversight and regulation over where those funds go.

A UNIFYING IDEA
The case in Washington should give both charter proponents and legislators pause, and hopefully will add fuel to cases now working their way up the legal numbers 2pipeline. Each state’s approach to charter laws is distinct, but this case seems to make a clear and compelling case about an idea that should be unifying: taxes to fund schools come from taxpayers who elect representatives at the state, local, and district levels who are our proxies in providing oversight and regulation over where those funds go. If the population of taxpayers is not content with that process, they can change the legislators, the funding structure, the tax structure, or all of the above, and this will directly and immediately impact schools.

But charter schools are actually exempt from this most democratic of processes, which is amazing when one considers that education is actually a property right (meaning students are both required to have an education and also cannot be denied an education without due process).

In most states, charters can put anyone they want to on their boards, can raise funds from anyone they want to, can be housed wherever they want to, can reject students whenever they want to, and can even opt out of giving accurate reporting on the most basic of items – including how many students they actually have – should they choose to. And the taxpayers whose money is being funneled to these charters do not have a say, an option, or a choice once these independently operated entities get up and running. The only hope is that there is some appointed or elected body that periodically reviews and, if they are found to be engaging in fraud, closes down charter schools. And then the students in those schools, of course, re-enter what remains of the public school system.

But what the case in Washington underscores most is the elemental choice made by charter proponents all those years ago, as they crafted the Minnesota legislation, variations of which are now on the books in 42 states.

AND AN ELEMENTAL CHOICE

But what the case in Washington underscores most is the elemental choice made by charter proponents all those years ago, as they crafted the Minnesota legislation, variations of which are now on the books in 42 states. The choice was: do we work together as a community to best provide the state-mandated education of all our citizens and do so in a way that continues to be overseen by the electorate, which may mean re-allocating resources and (gasp) raising taxes, or do we just let private groups of folks do their own thing, using our taxes, in the name of education?

●Martha Hope Carey lives in the Philadelphia area and recently completed her PhD in Urban Education at Temple University. Her dissertation research on urban charter teachers can be found at careythinking.org.


LAUSD NEARING $6 MILLION SETTLEMENT WITH APPLE, PEARSON OVER INSTRUCTIONAL CONTENT ON iPADS

Posted on LA School Report by Mike Szymanski | http://bit.ly/1Y0qZJK

September 11, 2015 3:32 pm :: LA Unified Superintendent Ramon Cortines said yesterday the district is close to finalizing a $6 million-plus settlement deal with Apple and Pearson over the botched iPad program.

In a statement this afternoon, the district confirmed that it was engaged in “cooperative discussions with our vendors” to resolve concerns about the companies’ contribution to the district’s Instructional Technology Initiative.

“Given the cooperative nature of these discussions, we anticipate there will be a settlement proposal for the LAUSD Board of Education to consider in the near future. the statement said.”

Even before sharing information about the pending deal with the school board, which must approve any final deal, Cortines revealed details of the settlement late yesterday, while attending a meeting of the district’s new technology task force.

“It’s not what I want,” Cortines told the task force. “It will be $6 million-plus, and I want to pour all of that back into technology.”

Cortines launched the new school year’s meetings for the ITI Task Force that will decide how to mix computer technology into the classroom instruction. He said he plans to take the money from the settlement and put a small amount aside for technology repair.

He also said he would propose that some of the money would be “set aside for grants for schools that write exciting grants.” He emphasized that he wanted to help the school with the most needs but also be fair throughout all six of the Local Districts.

“I don’t want to penalize the schools that begged, borrowed and sold cupcakes to bring technology to their schools,” he told the task force.

Cortines explained he would like to see a $1-to-$1 matching program for some schools with innovative technology plans. And, if there are schools that will use technology from elementary to middle school to high school, he would like to see a $2-to-$1 match from the district using the settlement money.

Previously, the district demanded a refund from Apple for iPads loaded with Pearson software as part of the failed $1.3 billion program to get an iPad to every LA Unified student.

The district’s chief legal advisor, David Holmquist, noted that Apple and Pearson had failed to deliver on the promise of “a state-of-the-art technological solution for [the district’s Instructional Technology Initiative] implementation” and noted that the district is “extremely dissatisfied.”

The district had asked for a multi-million dollar refund for the failed plan that led to the resignation of previous Superintendent John Deasy.
____________________

LAUSD IN TALKS WITH APPLE, PEARSON TO SETTLE SOFTWARE DISPUTE

by KPCC Staff | http://bit.ly/1gjTJuM

September 11, 2015 :: The Los Angeles Unified School District is negotiating a settlement that could end its dispute with Apple Inc. and Pearson Education over faulty software in iPads purchased from the computer giant.

The district told Apple in April that it would not spend another dollar on the Pearson software installed on its iPads and demanded a multimillion-dollar refund.

Teachers have complained about numerous problems with the Pearson software, including missing math problems and material that contained errors.

David Holmquist, LAUSD general counsel, said in a letter to Apple that it had promised a state-of-the-art solution for the district's Instructional Technology Initiative, the name for the iPad program. But Holmquist said the Apple and Pearson "have yet to deliver it."

Initially, the tablets were to go into the hands of each student in the district, but after problems with its rollout and mounting costs, the initiative was scaled back.

A Pearson spokesman told KPCC in September 2014 that there were important enhancements to add to the software “as there always will be” and that “no digital product should ever be considered complete."

LAUSD issued a statement Friday saying that the district is in “cooperative discussions with our vendors about resolving past concerns around the Pearson content.”

“Given the cooperative nature of these discussions, we anticipate there will be a proposal for the LAUSD Board of Education to consider in [the] near future,” the district stated.

The LA School Report first reported the settlement talks Friday.


●●smf’s 2¢: Not to make too much of the obvious, but the Apple-Pearson contract was paid out of school construction bond funds – and any settlement in the deal should be returned to that source. And there is the outstanding question being investigated by various law enforcement entities, including the FBI, as to whether the Apple-Pearson procurement was legal.


Editorial: A CHARTER SCHOOL EXPANSION COULD BE GREAT FOR L.A.
By The L.A. Times Editorial Board | http://lat.ms/1F7nPNZ

13 Sept 2015 :: Slightly more than a fifth of all students in the Los Angeles Unified School District are currently enrolled in charter schools. That number would rise to nearly half of the district's students if the early ambitions of a group of charter organizations and their benefactors come to fruition.

The rapid ramp-up, if successful, would bring the number of students in Los Angeles charter schools to nearly 300,000, more than twice as many as anywhere else in the country. And if the charter schools of L.A.'s future are like the ones of its past, this could be a great thing.

Studies by Stanford University have found that although charter schools generally have a mixed record, those in Los Angeles have brought about significantly better academic outcomes for students than traditional district schools. The district's largest and best-known charter school organizations — Green Dot Public Schools, Alliance College-Ready Public Schools and so forth — have dedicated themselves to bringing higher-quality education to low-income minority students who previously had no alternatives to their low-performing district schools. Those respected groups are reportedly involved in the expansion talks, as is the Broad Foundation, whose philanthropist founder, Eli Broad, has long donated to charter schools.

Charter schools are publicly funded but independently operated, and are free from many of the regulations that govern district schools. They're also free of sometimes stultifying union rules. The large charter presence in L.A. speaks volumes about the high levels of dissatisfaction with many of the district's regular public schools. Charter schools also have put significant competitive pressure on traditional schools, many of which have improved as a result, especially at the elementary school level.

Now, charter school organizations and their supporters seem ready to bet that within eight years, they can double their enrollment. It has taken two decades to build enrollment to the current level, but charter advocates say there is pent-up demand among families who believe their traditional public schools are improving too slowly or not at all. Waiting lists for charter schools in L.A. already exceed 40,000 applicants.
Not all charter schools are great schools, and if there is to be a massive expansion, it will be important to make sure that those that do not do a good job are fixed or closed. -

Of course, not all charter schools are great schools, and if there is to be a massive expansion, it will be important to make sure that those that do not do a good job are fixed or closed. Another issue is whether the charter operators — even the very good ones — can attract and retain enough high-quality teachers and administrators. It has never been done at this scale or in this time frame, and it would have to happen in the midst of a nationwide teacher shortage. And teacher turnover at charter schools is higher than at traditional public schools. That doesn't mean it can't be done, but it should be scrutinized along the way. The boldness of the plan should be applauded — poorly educated students can't wait forever for help — but charter leaders should move carefully if they are to be successful.
And there will undoubtedly be pushback from within the district. Some will come from the teachers union — United Teachers Los Angeles — which reviles charter schools and is dedicated to protecting its members' jobs at regular district schools. And some will come from L.A. Unified officials, who have long complained that the district loses state money when students decamp for charter schools, while charter operators contend that the district is simply unwilling to restructure itself to be more efficient.

One overriding principle should guide the school board as it considers new charter applications, and it has nothing to do with teacher jobs or the ramifications for the district's budget. It should be this: Will the charter applicant run a good school? Will it provide an excellent education for L.A.'s students? The needs of students, not those of the institution, are what matter.

The school district shouldn't seek to rein in charter growth, but it and the state should be doing a better job of overseeing such schools. There have been numerous reports that charter schools, in an effort to improve their test scores, have prodded their lowest-performing students to leave and return to traditional public schools. This never has been proved, but then again, no one has ever bothered trying to find out. The concerns have been worrisome enough, though, that new school board member Ref Rodriguez — a charter supporter and co-founder of a group of charter schools — wants the issue thoroughly investigated.

There also have been scattered cases of charter schools ensuring that they enroll only the most motivated and successful students by setting high bars for interested families, such as parent-volunteering requirements and long application essays. Efforts to cherry-pick students are unacceptable; charter schools are supposed to accept all comers, just as regular public schools do. (If too many apply, charter schools are supposed to use a lottery.) When they have been caught breaking or bending the rules, it has generally been by the media and student advocacy groups, not by the agencies responsible for approving and checking up on charter schools. The only serious official scrutiny that charter operators typically get is when they are issued the right to operate, and five years later when they apply for renewal. It would seem a more thoughtful approach could be developed.

A new era of charter schools is at hand, one in which they seek to be a bigger, more established player in the education arena rather than simply a model of how public schools might improve. But California law and policy need to be brought out of the 20th century. The state needs well-enforced rules requiring charters to keep their doors open to all students. Poor academic performance cannot be grounds for keeping a child from enrolling, or for telling him or her to leave. By all means, bring on more charter schools, as long as they are built on the principles of academic excellence and equal access for all.


I'm sure it will be a lovely museum, but: HOW TO TELL IF YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT IS INFECTED BY THE BROAD VIRUS



HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other Sources
The new Common Core test results: DON’T PLAY THE BLAME GAME!
http://bit.ly/1UFNqVB

The new Common Core test results: NEW CALIFORNIA TESTS PRESENT SOBERING PICTURE OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
http://bit.ly/1J1oJXw

LA COUNTY OFFICE OF ED+HEALTH DEPT ISSUES EMERGENCY HEAT ALERT IN EFFECT THRU FRIDAY 9/11
Let's be careful out there!
http://bit.ly/1K0myax

Editorial: LAUSD WON A LAWSUIT — but lost the moral high ground
http://bit.ly/1O2iYk0

2 MORE ON THE WASHINGTON STATE SUPREME COURT DECISION ON CHARTER SCHOOLS
http://bit.ly/1FyDv7L

DIANE RAVITCH+GERONIMO+F. SCOTT FITZGERALD’S THOUGHTS ON DEASY’S EXPENSE ACCOUNT
http://bit.ly/1OAuqR4

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: ¡OMG! THE NEW TEST SCORES ARE LOWER THAN THE OLD TEST SCORES! http://bit.ly/1OdNczE

WASHINGTON STATE’S CHARTER LIMBO: More on that charter schools ruling. http://bit.ly/1K6Lizj

More Beutner: LA TIMES PUBLISHER+CEO TO BE REPLACED
http://bit.ly/1KZuAlY

JOHN OLIVER’S GUIDE TO “EVERYTHING STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW FOR BACK TO SCHOOL”
http://bit.ly/1QmCdTZ

LA Unified selects 8 schools as models for technology expansion - LA School Report http://bit.ly/1NgcKvq

LAT Editorial: WHAT WILL COMMON CORE TEST RESULTS SHOW? Comparing old+new results like comparing apples+porcupines
http://bit.ly/1OvoWaf

CHARTER SCHOOLS SHOULDN’T BE LITMUS TEST FOR NEW CHIEF
http://bit.ly/1KZjPQI

“DON’T PANIC”, OFFICIALS SAY AS CALIFORNIA BRACES FOR LOWER STUDENT TEST RESULTS
…but “Thanks for all the fish?”
http://bit.ly/1XHc1YT

Ed Week: TEACHER EVALUATION – AN ISSUE OVERVIEW
http://bit.ly/1iuLzSc

LA Times: AUSTIN BEUTNER OUT AS L.A. TIMES PUBLISHER - Broad connection suggested
http://bit.ly/1M8KSuk

UPDATE: Tribune Publishing dismisses Los Angeles Times publisher and CEO - Chicago Tribune http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-austin-beutner-la-times-0909-biz-20150908-story.html

Breaking: Austin Beutner out as publisher of the LA Times.

Modern Sex Ed: CALIFORNIA WILL BE FIRST IN THE NATION TO TEACH HIGH-SCHOOLERS ABOUT CONSENT, VIOLENCE, RELATIONSHIPS
http://bit.ly/1LTNauC

Aiming low: STATE BOARD OF ED SETS K-8 ATTENDANCE GOAL AT 90% http://bit.ly/1K3oHng

WASHINGTON STATE SUPREME COURT RULES CHARTER SCHOOLS UNCONSTITUTIONAL
http://bit.ly/1KX0XSt

Learn From LA Unified: WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN ROLLING OUT TECHNOLOGY | The AIR Report, LAUSD’s response + smf’s 2¢
http://bit.ly/1O8ORq9


EVENTS: Coming up next week...
• REGULAR LAUSD BOARD MEETING – Tues. September 15, 2015, Including Closed Session Items - 5:00 p.m.
NEW BUSINESS FOR ACTION:
A. Board of Education Report No. 061-15/16 : Office of the Superintendent
(Consideration of Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) 2015-2018 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) Amendments.) Recommends the adoption of amendments to the 2015-2018 Local Control Accountability Plan. The LCAP allows the District to update its Annual Accountability Plan to meet the goals, services, and expenditures to support pupil outcomes and state priorities.
B. Board of Education Report No. 064-15/16 : Office of the Chief Financial Officer
(Unaudited Actuals Report for Fiscal Year 2014-15, Gann Limit Resolution, and Resolution to Adjust the Fiscal Stabilization Plan.) Recommends approval of submission of the annual statement of all receipts and expenditures of the District for the proceeding year to the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) as required under Ed Code 42100. Further approves adoption of Gann Limit Resolution and resolution committing to adjust the District’s fiscal stabilization plan by the submission of the First Interim Budget Report.

• Saturday, September 19 : INTERNATIONAL TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY 2015 | http://bit.ly/1O9mTf9
ARRRGGGGHHHH, Mateys!!

*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:
http://www.laschools.org/bond/
Phone: 213-241-5183
____________________________________________________
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:
http://www.laschools.org/happenings/
Phone: 213-241.8700


• LAUSD BOARD OF EDUCATION & COMMITTEES MEETING CALENDAR



What can YOU do?
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:
Scott.Schmerelson@lausd.net • 213-241-8333
Monica.Garcia@lausd.net • 213-241-6180
Ref.Rodriguez@lausd.net • 213-241-5555
George.McKenna@lausd.net • 213-241-6382
Monica.Ratliff@lausd.net • 213-241-6388
Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net • 213-241-6385
Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net • 213-241-6387
...or your city councilperson, mayor, county supervisor, state legislator, the governor, member of congress, senator - or the president. Tell them what you really think! • Find your state legislator based on your home address. Just go to: http://bit.ly/dqFdq2 • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at mayor@lacity.org • 213.978.0600
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: http://www.govmail.ca.gov/
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child.
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE.
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE at http://registertovote.ca.gov/
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!


Who are your elected federal & state representatives? How do you contact them?




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 12 years. He is Vice President for Health, 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.
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