Transparency is key.” – CCSA Email marked “Confidential” The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is not always a welcoming place for a person who needs accommodations. According to a report released on October 25, 2017, a child with a physical disability would be unable to enter through the main entrance of one-fifth of the […]
Mishandling Data to Create Failing Schools
How can schools designed to serve children with specific needs be judged by the same criteria as those serving the general population?
The Winners and Losers of the LAUSD Strike
In a School District currently defined by the fight between public education and privatization, both sides put everything on the line. Was it worth it?
Can the LAUSD Ensure Student Safety During a Strike?
The District is encouraging parents to send their students to school if the teachers’ union strikes. Will they be sending kids into mayhem?
As Strike Looms, LAUSD Special Education Practices Come Into Focus
With District leaders openly hostile towards the needs of students in special education classes, can the union extract essential changes?
Second Largest School District Faces Teachers Strike
There is currently an effort to call for a strike that pits adults versus adults when students and their families will bear the brunt of a strike action.“ – LAUSD School Board Having gladly accepted the title of “a gadfly at the school board meetings”, I have a natural tendency to be suspicious of the […]
How Have Charter Schools Affected Students with Special Education Needs
On February 20, 2018, the LAUSD School Board agendized the proposed Holding GHCHS Accountable to Their Charter as part of their Committee of the Whole meeting. The following is the written statement that I provided to the Board: Honorable LAUSD Board Members: This is Chanda Smith. She was an LAUSD student with special education needs […]
LAUSD Board Set to Consider “Holding GHCHS Accountable to Their Charter” Resolution
It’s hard to light a candle, easy to curse the dark instead” – Nightwish In order to prevent charter schools from discouraging parents from enrolling children with special education needs, the Office of the Independent Monitor required that the District prohibit them from asking for any special education paperwork prior to enrollment. As originally pointed […]
The Standoff Continues: GHCHS Doubles Down on Non-Compliance
Well I know what’s right, I got just one life In a world that keeps on pushin’ me around But I’ll stand my ground and I won’t back down” – Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty In the ten months since I first filed a complaint about Granada Hills Charter High School’s enrollment practices, there have […]
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. […]