Imagine this: a candidate for the school board who was constantly thinking of students, not hoping for a political stepping stone.
Imagine this: a candidate who thinks of students–not in the abstract–but as real children with names and faces, children she knows.
Imagine this: a candidate who doesn’t make absurd campaign promises because she understands the problems and needs of children, teachers, and schools.
That’s Monica Ratliff. She hated asking people for money. She taught her class every day instead of campaigning. She didn’t wring her hands and long for someone who had the power to make changes that helped students and teachers and schools..
She took responsibility and ran for the Los Angeles school board. She was the longest of long shots. She didn’t have powerful backers. She was outspent nearly 50-1. And she won. She is the real deal.
She is a challenge to the status quo.
She is the embodiment of the famous statement by Margaret Mead:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Teacher Mike Weston is running in Hillsborough, Florida! He needs our support!
A great post. Love the Margaret Mead quote.
I think we need to promote more teachers for school boards or parents who get what is happening to public schools. In AZ, we need to erase the majority of our legislators. They don’t seem to care what they are doing to our public schools. Many parents I speak to don’t know that the money goes with the students to charters or goes with the vouchers to private schools. My neighbor is a reading specialist in a school in our district. She said she is seeing more and more students come back from charters after the charters don’t want them due to LD or behavior problems. Another teacher friend whom I worked with and was forced out by an awful principal, went to a charter to teach. She only stayed a year. She said she knows scores were changed on tests. Another woman I know from church who works for a charter told me the charter hadn’t been evaluated for their financial activity in several years. Then they were, and everyone had to scramble to pull it together. No one is investigating any of this in AZ.
In Missouri a teacher cannot be on the school board in the district in which they teach, that would be a conflict of interest.
Duane, the District I live in has a teacher from another District on the board. She might be retired. I’m not sure. I do know that she supports teachers and commends them for extra activities they take on.
The last statement by Margaret Mead is the truest there is. It is the few who say “It is Possible” who make it happen. They lead the way. Let Monica Ratliff lead the way for future board elections across the U.S. in the future. Elect members who will do what is best not to supply friends who already have more than enough. Tell the corporate oligarchs that we have had enough of your foolish greediness now go make a real living if you can. Monica Garcia will no longer be board president of LAUSD again. The 4-3 vote by those controlled by the oligarchs is now 4-3 for educators. This will not be perfect as perfect does not exist but if we get 80% of the votes to be for the welfare of the students instead of 80-90% against this is good.
George, I have an interesting story to tell. This year my local school district was hiring a superintendent. I attended a parent forum to give my input and to hear what others had to say. Once there, the person from the hired placement firm was talking about his experience in recruiting superintendents. He said that they had placed the super. of LA who Bill Gates had had “on the shelf” (something like that). Basically it sounded like Bill Gates was the reason why he was a superintendent. It’s rather shocking that a super wealthy person can just bully their way into controlling a school district. It just made me sick.
Isn’t it nice that Jeb Bush, another member of the status quo, is going around to each state to promote junky, for -profit schools and the Common Core. It’s all about the kids…
http://www.michiganradio.org/post/governor-jeb-bush-urges-action-education
Notice that the state of Michigan’s Republican led legislature does not want to adopt common core. They are right, it is a give away to the federal government. They didn’t provide any money for the implementation of the Core.
The number one thing that Monica Ratliff and the board should do is fire Deasy and start on a real path to reform. Place our displaced teachers or give them an early buy out if they want to retire and deemphasize and reduce testing in LAUSD. None of the schools are being scrutinized as their are many violations of state and federal laws happening everyday. Enough of our public schools being turned over to charters, if a change is needed and wanted at a school, then the parents, teachers and administrators at that school should decide, not the principal, not the district. Decrease the power of the one(principal) and replace it with the power of the collective(stakeholders). REFORM NOT DEFORM.
“The number one thing that Monica Ratliff and the board should do is fire Deasy and start on a real path to reform…”
From your mouth to God’s ear.
Love your books, Dr. Ravitch, thanks for being involved at the local level. I agree with Paula re Deasy. We shall see. While this district was “not or me” I intend to run for Community College District in 2015 a wider district – more to come.
Privatizers in Los Angeles are changing tactics for 2015:
http://laschoolreport.com/whither-the-coalition/#more-8980
“Indeed, four LAUSD School Board seats are up for election in 2015: District 1, covering mostly South LA (currently represented by Marguerite LaMotte); District 3, covering the West San Fernando Valley (currently represented by Tamar Galatzan); District 5, covering a hodge-podge of neighborhoods from Silver Lake to Vernon (currently represented by Bennett Kayser); and District 7, covering San Pedro, Harbor Gateway and South LA (currently represented by Dr. Richard Vladovic)….
‘People in the reform community are talking about setting up a 501(c)4,’ he said. ‘Not an [Independent Expenditure campaign] that pops up every election cycle, but that exists in between elections building up a base.’
Named for a section in the tax code, 501(c)(4)s are non-profit organizations dedicated to promoting ‘social welfare’ that are increasingly being used by education organizations such as StudentsFirst who wish to be involved in political advocacy.
Unlike 501(c)(3)s, they are allowed to spend money on political campaigns and do not have to reveal all of their donors.”
http://atthechalkface.com/2013/05/30/alexander-russos-vicious-attack-on-weigand-elementary-school-teachers/
For Immediate Release: Parents and Teachers Decry flaws in the Parent “Tricker” Law
“Our Central Message is:
1.Call on lawmakers and LAUSD to make changes in the Parent “Trigger” Law to ensure all stake-holders have say in the type of changes they would like to see on a school site campus.
2.Demand Parent Revolution halt tactics that mislead parents into signing petitions.
3.Expose the flaws in the Parent “Tricker” law that disenfranchises parents and teachers from creating authentic academic change at their school sites.
4.NO more drive-through community engagement.”
Press Conference and Rally
Thursday, May 30, 2013
4:00 pm
Weigand Elementary School
10401 Weigand Ave
Los Angeles CA 90002
For More Information Contact:
Ingrid Villeda: ivilleda@yahoo.com
Jose Lara: josexlara@yahoo.com
In my town, parents are being dissuaded from being on the board! Parents with children in all schools AND teaching/admin experience! This letter sums it up:
BOE’s do not want dissension and questions. It doesn’t matter if we ask from the perspective of concerned parents. There is a clear-cut plan being implemented and parental involvement is not a serious part of the equation!!
This letter says it best: http://www.ctpost.com/opinion/article/Carmen-L-Lopez-Dissent-in-a-democracy-4558451.php