Shut up! Sit down!” -Ben Stern Under Bennett Kaser’s leadership, the LAUSD’s Budget, Facilities and Audit (BFA) Committee exposed details of John Deasy’s iPad program that helped lead to the former Superintendent’s resignation. Kayser was rewarded for his efforts with a campaign to unseat him that was heavily funded by the California Charters School Association […]
Archives for 2015
The Learning Curve of the LAUSD Shutdown
I as Superintendent am not going to take the chance with the life of a student.” -Ramon C. Cortines In hindsight it is easy to look at the threat that was e-mailed to LAUSD Board members and say that the District overreacted by shutting down the schools for the day. Monday morning quarterbacks have the […]
We Are United: Why Missouri’s Proposed Bill Restricting Student-Athletes’ Free Speech Is Unconstitutional
By Adam Juratovac Adam is an attorney, founder of AthletesLTD, and Team Captain of Team On 3. He advocates for athetes’ rights on the field and in the classroom through AthletesLTD’s academic and life skill programs. FOLLOW ME: TWITTER: @JVACATTACK IG: @JVACATTACK FACEBOOK: @JVACATTACK Earlier this year I wrote about athletes’ free speech, particularly their right to show support for […]
Controlling Information
Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions. When there is no sharing of power, no rule of law, no accountability, there is abuse, corruption, subjugation and indignation.” -Atifete Jahjaga During the last Budget, Facilities and Audit Committee meeting […]
The LAUSD Board Strikes Out
Resolved, That the LAUSD Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles opposes the Broad Foundation plan and all initiatives that present a strategy designed to serve some students and not all students -Scott Schmerelson When a leaked copy of Eli Broad’s Great Public Schools Now Initiative was published by the Los Angeles Times, […]
Parents’ Guide To Charter Schools: How Do They Work?
By Name Withheld for job-security reasons First, a note: Are charter schools public schools? I describe them as private schools run with public money. The charter sector will insist that they’re public schools when it suits them and insist that they’re not public schools when it suits them. The common term for non-charter public schools […]
Saving Money by Shortchanging a Special Education
“For 13 years [we have] known what we should do for Special Education and we have ignored it as a district.” -Ramon C. Cortines, LAUSD Superintendent It cannot be denied that Special Education costs a lot of money. In fact, the Independent Financial Review Panel says that it “is one of the fastest growing parts […]
Saving Summer?
“Your Voice Counts.” -LAUSD When a LAUSD bureaucrat says that the District will call parents before a phone survey begins so that they will know when to “wait for the phone call,” it becomes apparent how little touch the bureaucracy has with reality. The J. F. Kennedy High School Theatre was more empty than full […]
Tax Spending Without Representation
“Charter schools allow parents, teachers and the community to transform our public school system.” -California Charter School Association As Eli Broad prepares to implement his plan “to reach 50 percent charter market share” within the LAUSD, now is the time for Angelenos to begin asking what this privately controlled system would look like. While Broad […]
An Attempt At Engagement Falls Flat
“The best way to predict the future is to create it” Steve Zimmer and George McKenna made clear where their loyalties lie when they joined Monica Garcia and Ref Rodriguez to block public access to the finalists in the search for a new Superintendent. At the October 13th Board meeting, Monica Ratliff proposed a resolution […]