Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” – Paraphrasing George Santayana Just months after assuming a majority of the LAUSD School Board, the charter supporters already find themselves embroiled in controversy. Their first selection for President, Ref Rodriguez, is facing felony charges and was forced to resign from the position. As […]
Archives for September 2017
Rules? Where we’re going we don’t need rules.
This is much ado about nothing” – Attorney Mark Werksman According to the Felony Complaint against Refugio (Ref) Rodriguez, he and his cousin allegedly conspired in a scheme that hid the source of almost $25,000 in campaign donations from the public. While a lawyer involved in the case maintains that this is “a small amount […]
On Deaf Ears: My Public Comment to the LAUSD Board
On September 12, 2017, the LAUSD School Board was set to take a vote to approve several charters for five-year renewals, including ICEF Innovation. However, before doing so they needed to hear public comment. The following are my remarks before the Board: We are told continuously that the purpose of charters is innovation and experimentation. […]
Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, See No Evil: The Failures of LAUSD’S Charter School Division
State law provides that an authorizer is not liable for debts, obligations [or] liabilities so long as [they] provide appropriate oversight. We believe we are providing appropriate oversight.” [emphasis mine] – José Cole-Gutiérrez As the District slides towards bankruptcy due to declining enrollment, the LAUSD School Board is set to act on another round of […]