In an editorial, the Los Angeles Times again defended Superintendent John Deasy from critics who were appalled by the appearance of rigged bidding on a $1.3 billion tech contract.
The editorial shifts the debate, saying that somehow the disgruntled members of the school board are actually stooges for the teachers’ union, which the editorial writer obviously despises.
“At L.A. Unified, tensions are high and crisis is in the air. The relationship between Supt. John Deasy and the school board that oversees him is at what is perhaps an all-time low. Deasy is again muttering about quitting; others are grumbling that he should be fired.
“Not surprisingly, United Teachers Los Angeles, the teachers union, is practically giddy. The union has regularly lambasted the superintendent, calling his performance “anything but satisfactory,” suggesting he be placed in “teacher jail” like a teacher accused of misconduct would be, and making it clear that it would like him to resign. If Deasy resigns, the leadership no doubt figures, it can go back to the good-old days.”
The bulk of the editorial is devoted to attacking the union for seeking higher pay, defending the due process rights of its members, opposing scripted curricula, all actions that the editorialist denounces as self-interested and selfish, while Deasy was defending students. His personal PR team could not have said it better. His problems are the fault of those lazy, greedy teachers and their union, which (in the eyes of the LA Times editorial board) does not care about students.
The readers of the LA Times deserve better. It seems as though the editorialist will go to any lengths to shield Deasy from just criticism or to insist that he be held accountable for his actions. When in doubt, blame the teachers and their union.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Slay the messenger. Oh well.If I were an enterprising reporter or editorial writer I would be investigating a 1.3 billion no-bid contract that was to put it mildly; poorly executed. Nah, why bother? Rather I’ll beat up on teachers and crib my notes from Google. Sad. Before I became an adult, I thought adults had it together. Now I realize that many adults are brain addled youngsters who have never grown up. Now I know what becomes of them.
Alex Caputo-Pearl, the new leader of UTLA, is doing a good job in standing up to Deasy, and to the BoE, in favor of LAUSD teachers. His strong and direct views, of course, will be attacked by the reformers (Rheeformers), Broad and his cohorts, and his toadies like Karin Klein at the LA Times.
This series of editorials since last Sunday, laud the outrageously inept job that Deasy has done since coming to LAUSD as the puppet of Eli Broad who had him hired with no search. His shoo-in status proves to the taxpayers how important it is NOT to have any more Broad Academy-trained CEOs….and for the need to find an excellent academic, valid educator to fill this role. Someone like the proven academic leader, Carol Burris, would be a major boon for LAUSD. Burris trained at UCLA under the outstanding educator, Madeline Hunter. She is a proven administrator. This is the kind of leader LAUSD must have.
Today, the LA Times editorial which threatens that with the resignation or firing of Deasy, things could be worse, is sheer hyperbole. There are dozens of potential candidates throughout the US who could do the job…and they come with far less baggage than the Deasy/Aquino business team. LAUSD needs someone who had earned real credentials at an outstanding university, who has been a classroom teacher and an administrator, with proven excellent results.
Deasy must go! There must be a thorough house cleaning of LAUSD.
Colleagues…anyone can file a Grand Jury form asking for investigation of LAUSD. Just think if hundreds were to be filed today.
Form below…………………………………….
CITIZEN COMPLAINT FORM
DATE:
1. Who: Name:
Address:
City, State, Zip Code:
Telephone: ( ) Extension:
2. What: Subject of Complaint.
3. When: Date(s) of incident:
4. Where:
5. Why/How: Attach pertinent documents and correspondence with dates.
Complaint Guidelines Rev 01/17/2013
2.Briefly state the nature of complaint and the action of what Los Angeles County
department, section, agency, or official(s) that you believe was illegal or improper. Use additional sheets if necessary.
4. Names and addresses of other departments, agencies or officials involved in this complaint. Include dates and
types of contact, i.e. phone, letter, personal. Use additional sheets if necessary.
Communications from the public can provide valuable information to the Civil Grand Jury. Any private
citizen, government employee, or officer may submit a completed complaint form to request that the Civil
Grand Jury conduct an investigation. This complaint must be in writing and is treated as confidential. Prior to
submitting the Complaint Form to the Grand Jury office, please retain a copy for your records if needed.
Receipt of all complaints will be acknowledged.
If the Civil Grand Jury determines that a matter is within the legally permissible scope of its investigative
powers and would warrant further inquiry, additional information may be requested. If a matter does not fall
within the Civil Grand Jury’s investigative authority, or the jury determines not to investigate a complaint, no
action will be taken and there will be no further contact from the Civil Grand Jury.
The findings of any investigation conducted by the Civil Grand Jury can be communicated only in a formal
final report published at the conclusion of the Grand Jury’s term, June 30th.
Some complaints are not suitable for civil grand jury action. For example, the Civil Grand Jury has no
jurisdiction over judicial performance, actions of the court, or cases that are pending in the courts.
Grievances of this nature must be resolved through the established judicial appeal system. The Civil Grand
Jury has no jurisdiction or authority to investigate federal or state agencies. Only causes of action occurring
within the County of Los Angeles are eligible for review.
The jurisdiction of the Civil Grand Jury includes the following:
a.Consideration of evidence of misconduct against public officials within Los Angeles County.
b.Inquiry into the condition and management of the jails within the county.
c. Investigation and report on the operations, accounts, and records of the officers, departments or
functions of the county including those operations, accounts, and records of any special legislative
district or other district in the county created pursuant to state law for which the officers of the
county are serving in their ex officio capacity as officers of the districts.
d.Investigation of the books and records of any incorporated city or joint powers agency located in the
county.
Mail complaint form to: Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury
Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center
210 West Temple Street, Eleventh Floor, Room 11-506
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Great idea. Thanks for the information
Time to line up and do it!
Deasy must go and he will go.
#DUMP DEASY AND THE BOE, NOW!
I am suspicious of the duality of the LA Times messages lately. If I didn’t know better, I would say its a blatant attempt to sell more papers by creating this duality between its editorial reporter, Blume and the know nothing editorial staff of the paper. On one hand Blume appears to report issues with the LA district’s superintendent that here to fore he frankly avoided. On the other hand, the clueless editorial staff gives the ethically challenged superintendent a pass and praises his efforts as regards student achievement and attendance over the years at LAUSD. The editorial staff also blames everything wrong with the district before DZ on the teacher’s union. What’s going on here? Did Broad give confusing directions as to how the LA Times is supposed to respond to the DZ issue? At any rate, to say that all that was wrong with pre-DZ LAUSD was the union’s fault is simplistic and wrong. Get a clue LA Time Ed Staff, now go get your money from Broad.
I am just guessing but I think this is what is going on:
One of the reporters for the Times told me that it is in bankruptcy. In order to survive, the paper is probably forced to take the position of the oligarchs who are supporting it. In the case of education, this supporter could be Eli Broad.
I think the Times has been out of bankruptcy for at least a couple years. (Actually, it was Tribune Co., the parent, that was in bankruptcy.)
The LA Times shameful defense of Deasy is now just evil. Karma…where are you?
Some of us can work with our boyfriends and some of us cannot.
Here in Southern California, husband and wife team Ray & Charles Eames bettered the world through their prolific designs—many of which made their way into classrooms. But the Clippers’ Donald and Shelly Sterling? Not so much.
Karin Klein’s apparent crush seems to be obstructing her objectivity. In her eyes, the only thing wrong with LAUSD is the teachers union. Has she ever even talked to an LAUSD parent?
Or maybe her complete lack of connection to LA schools is the problem. Living in the ritziest community in Southern California, miles and miles away from Los Angeles, where the average list price of a home dropped last week to $4.6 million (http://www.trulia.com/real_estate/Laguna_Beach-California/) can cloud your judgment about what is best for OTHER people’s children. It’s certainly done that for the plutocrats she seems to know so well.
What is interesting, is that Karin Klein wrote an opinion piece months ago about how she opted her daughter out of standardized testing (an actionI am sure that Deasy would not approve of).
Yet she probably would not approve of poor people opting out.
Like Steve Jobs not wanting HIS kids to use Ipads.
There always seems to be a double standard.
The comments are generally against the editorial. Here is one of the most like ones:
SPTeacher
Rank 3189
40 to 45 students in a class- inflated reports and statistics that do not tell the real story- morale the lowest I have seen in 38 years of teaching- a megalomaniac wasting millions on iPads under the B.S. guise of “civil rights”- teachers pulled from classes for little good reason- a climate of fear and intimidation not seen since the Salem Witch Trials where people are guilty before proven innocent- a vengeful, mean-spirited public and media monster that has turned public servants into scapegoats- billionaires and greedy business interests fueling the fires of misconceptions, and a public that will not support public schools with the money necessary to do the job because the corruption downtown stinks to high heaven. Yeah, Sleazy Deasy has really improved LAUSD? Get a real clue, L.A. Times. The district is worse now than when I started. Honestly, your ignorance and lack of insight is enough to make an honest person puke. Pfffffft! This editorial is an affront to all professionals- if anything you should apologize to the teachers of Los Angeles for your stupidity and easily manipulated editorial board. I say, burn it down! Get militant teachers. It’s you or the. Gloves off!« less
From the bio page of Harvey I. Saferstein, the lawyer Deasy hired last week:
“Harvey has also represented persons and companies alleged to have been involved in criminal price fixing.”
and under “Representative Matters”:
“Currently representing a company in a bid-rigging investigation in Los Angeles County”
http://www.mintz.com/professionals/detail/name/harvey-saferstein
Does anyone think the LA Times isn’t aware of this? Could they be trying to help Deasy make himself a better exit deal – possibly before getting indicted on criminal charges?
Thanks Kim…and also today LA School Report chimes in with orgasimic comments by some insiders on how happy they were with Blume’s article, since it proves Deasy right in changing his mind.
They continue to spin it all like dervishes.
Sorry this is so long but here’s a comment by Jem Finch on an article about the LA Times editorial at http://laschoolreport.com/editorial-lausds-pre-deasy-days-werent-great-thought/#comments (and there are other good comments there)
Why is it that every LA TIMES article on the subject of education always relies on passive voice construction for its obvious advocacy of John Deasy?
Everything it says about him is qualified by a litany of all his worst traits (again, put in passive voice) but WHAT is the LAT really saying? Like the diehard Neo-Cons who continue to believe in the justness of the Iraq War with the argument, “Yeah, let’s not get too nostalgic about Saddam Hussein” as if that justifies the disaster that followed. That’s their get-out-of-jail-free card.
And the LAT editorial board plays that same card each time in their odious propping up of John Deasy.
As a National Board Certified Teacher, I am appalled that the LAT embraces Deasy’s pedagogy on my students.
Was Iraq ever in great shape? No. But what the Times advocates for us is grotesque coupled with leadership they would never accept for their own kids who are not in LAUSD. Be specific, LA TIMES,.WHAT EXACTLY about Deasy’s personality, philosophy or supervisory demeanor is exemplary and do you wish YOUR kids had at their schools?
Howard Blume wrote today about the pedagogically depressing route the iPads have taken:
“The early goal ‘was to just get the devices out, that was basically it, just get the devices out, use them as quick as possible … there were other goals …. they were talked about but they really didn’t get implemented,’ one technical specialist told evaluators.”
As recently as last month, what was John Deasy’s assessment of the iPad situation? He said the biggest problem was that it wasn’t rolled out FAST ENOUGH and if he could, he would push for iPads for everyone tomorrow.
This is Deasy’s notion of “the Surge” which would finally fix Iraq and his reputation.
Echoing the LAT’s editorial writer’s casual “So, yeah, teachers are angry, and many would be happy to see the superintendent go.”
So, yeah, LA TIMES, my students, my colleagues and my community can’t afford to be as lackadeasical [sic] as you and your passive editorial construction.
You may dis the UTLA (hilariously, I think they’re TOO weak and accommodating!), but all of you who have your kids in plush, unionized schools with little of the societal chaos my kids get exposed to, please continue to enjoy your Cadillac-driving, cable TV-watching Reaganesque “Teacher Welfare Queen” mythology
I’ll just quietly go back to sitting back in my 50-kid classroom to press TOY STORY II and pass out my ”Find-the-Animal” Wordsearch worksheet, read my romance novel and count the days until my next vacation. Yep. Just another day punching the old clock.
And, yeah, for the record: I agree. Sadam Hussein was an SOB.
Thanks for your heartfelt and continuous backing for the Shock and Awe of Beaudry with Deasy as our commander.
The teachers and kids will greet the LA TIMES editorial board as liberators.
Eventually. Or maybe. Or never.
The LA Times needs to read the Brookings study that concludes that Superintendents have almost no effect on student outcomes. http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2014/09/03-superintendents-chingos-whitehurst The Times did get one thing right. Teachers were giddy when Deasy’s incriminating ipad emails were disclosed. It’s always nice to see a bully get taken down.
Sups have huge effects on student outcomes when they keep firing their teachers, putting them in teacher jail, do not use Construction Bond money to repair substandard school buildings, feed them outdated food, and are general all around thugs who could not care less about students.
Who held a pistol to Deasy’s head and forced him to botch the bidding process? The teachers’ union? Really? Bovine scatology!
What are the names of these bottom feeders who pose as editorial writers for the LA Times? I did a quick search but couldn’t get names.
Karin Klein.
She also wrote an editorial endorsing Marshall Tuck for State Supt. He is the worm that owns charter schools, promises us complete privatization if he wins, was tossed out of the top job at Green Dot for financial shenanigans, and is close to Deasy, Broad, and Ben Austin. What a resume.
Tom Torlakson, the incumbent, is a public school teacher. Guess who has all the campaign funding from the billionaires?
If anyone wants to help here, send a few bucks to the Torlakson campaign. Find him online.
I have been a teacher for over 20 years. Most of my teaching career has been spent in East Los Angeles. Teaching in this community has never been easy. I don’t know what “nostalgia” I’m supposed to feel about the past. If the author had referred to the “good old days” when my classroom was swept, vacuumed and mopped regularly, I might agree. If the good old days meant having a full time librarian, psychologist, speech therapist and other support staff, I might agree. If the “good old days” meant not having brownish water come out of aging pipes most mornings, then I might agree. If the “good old days” meant having all the children’s bathrooms clean and available for over 1,000 students, stocked with soap and toilet paper, I might become nostalgic too. The fact is our learning and working conditions have never been worse. This became evident with the sweltering heat as schools’ primitive air conditioning systems broke down. But the author places no blame on our superintendent. No- it’s “greedy” teachers like me who purchase supplies for my classroom, including small brooms and baby wipes for kids to use. I remember the “good old days” when I didn’t need to purchase my very own roach motels to keep them from infesting learning materials in my closets during the summer and during the school year as a result of kids eating in the classroom. I really “miss” the days when I didn’t have to pay for my own quality professional development in order to keep up with new advances in education. Thank you L.A. Times for taking me back to the ” good old days.”
A TEACHER’S PERSPECTIVE ON
HOW THE I-PADS ACTUALLY
WORKED IN PRACTICE:
Apart from the corruption involved—
conflicts of interests; going thru the
motions of a sham bidding process
when the winner had already been
chosen, etc.—one thing people forget
is that the $1.3 Billion Ipad purchase
was a majorly dumb-ass idea on
so many OTHER levels it’s hard to believe.
First of all, the bond money Deasy
blew on the Ipad debacle was
meant for the construction and
repair of existing BUILDINGS and
related infrastructure. Deasy and his
allies made the looney argument
that the portable hand computers constituted
PART of the building infrastructure…
WTF???!!!
After a stretch like that, even most
pliant gymnast would be on muscle
relaxants for weeks.
Another consideration is that, in practice,
Deasy was warned by teachers (like
the one BELOW) about all the problems
that would crop up in the actual
implementation.
Mind you, these are problems that
played out, and still would have played
out…
1) even if spending a billion-plus dollars of construction
bond money on I-pads was legally allowable (it ain’t)
and
2) even if the entire process was conducted
on the up-and-up, with no corruption
or conflict of interests (it wasn’t).
The whole I-pad purchase was, again,
a majorly dumbass undertaking from
the get-go, and this, again, was pointed
out by UTLA, parents, and community members.
Right now, that same bond money that
was blown in the Ipad fiasco..
… that same money would have gone
to repair… for example…
desperately-needed air-conditioning in the older
LAUSD school buildings. Instead, it went to
I-pads, and this has meant that children are now
sitting in classes that are the equivalent
of ovens… drenched with sweat, unable
to even concentrate… in this brutal
heat wave that we’re enduring this week.
Thanks Dr. Deasy! (while Deasy sits in his
air-conditioned, luxury office on the 24th
floor of LAUSD Admin. building at
3rd and Beaudry downtown as this
plays out.)
Below is a link to an article on a blog
written by LAUSD teacher Martha
Infante—who teaches in South Central.
This is from her own individual blog.
In this blog post, she goes after OTHER aspects
of the Ipad debacle not covered in the
media — the fact that, apart from the
implementation of Pearson’s Common
Core testing, these I-pads were
completely useless.
Again, this is written from the
point-of-view of a the teacher on
the ground giving the actual skinny
on what actually went on with
how the Ipads performed:
Martha offers countless other criticisms:
—students getting robbed while
taking them home (as they have for
much less expensive items)
—With no policies and safeguards
in place, these devices would “disappear”
from schools and find themselves on the
black market. (they have);
—current and former administrators
refused to take responsibility for missing
computer devices”;
—students do not want to use
these devices with only Pearson
software installed on them;
—diversion of bond money that
should have gone for building repairs,
cleaning, resources, and overall
infrastructure, etc.;
—LAUSD greatly overpaid for them;
—each school’s wifi network could not
handle the usage by their entire student body.
Beyond that, there were practical uses
that were prevented by the Person/Common
Core programmed priority that went along
with, and were built in to these devices:
—No opportunity to Skype with schools
around the world,
—no ability to make “Prezis” ( (SaaS
use Ipads for class presentations
using presentation software and storytelling
tool for presenting ideas on a virtual canvas.)
— no general internet access to look stuff up.
—Once testing was over, these devices
were sent back to the district.
—teachers were totally left out of
the decision-making;
MARTHA INFANTE:
“No one asked us, the teachers, and every last prediction came true. When people started asking questions, they were silenced.”
(Regarding one of those being “silenced”, Martha hyperlinks to the times
article “LAUSD has enough yes-men; it needs Stuart Magruder,”
about a parent member of the Bond Oversight committee who voiced objections,
and was canned in Parliamentary maneuver by LAUSD Board Member
Tamar Galatzan… a corporate reformist whose campaign was
bankrolled by Eli Broad and Bill Gates, among others.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-magruder-20140617-story.html
Martha continues…
MARTHA INFANTE: “Now I start my school year with students sharing cell phones with each other to do research (contrary to popular belief, not all students from poverty have internet access). I research ways to write grants for a class set of kindles, because these are the most affordable and at least they can connect to the worldwide web.
“But worse, I suffer the insult of a Bostonian man telling me that he is more interested and invested in improving the lives of our students than I and thousands of others of educators are and have been.
“I am not content to let this ride out. My students don’t have a voice (yet) and I do. Stay tuned for more blogging this year, and thank you for reading.”
—————————————————-
Here’s the entirety of Martha’s blog article:
http://dontforgetsouthcentral.blogspot.com/2014/08/ipads-are-good-for-students-arent-they.html
Don’t Forget South Central: iPads Are Good For Students, Aren’t They?
————————————————–
————————————————–
“Don’t Forget South Central: iPads Are Good For Students. Aren’t they?
“If you believe technology can replace teachers, then yes. I do not believe it. Let me back up. Hi! My name is Martha Infante and I have been in education for 24 yea…
“As a career classroom teacher, it has been a surreal experience to live trough the transformation of my profession.
“If you believe technology can replace teachers, then yes. I do not believe it.
“Let me back up.
“Hi! My name is Martha Infante and I have been in education for 24 years. I love teaching. I would also love a class set of computers for my students to do research and projects, but our schools have been decimated in recent years with budget cuts and we are only now recovering. In fact, this is what got me started in blogging.
“Why is the iPad issue so controversial? It might be because our Superintendent John Deasy, who sees himself as a champion of civil rights, believes iPads will equalize educational opportunities for students from poverty. Not more teachers, counselors, clean buildings, resources, training…but iPads.
“The Los Angeles Unified School District, however, is paying $768 per device for its students, teachers and administrators, making it one of the nation’s most expensive technology programs.
“After we overpaid for these devices with bond money, they made their appearance in my school for one purpose only: to test children. No opportunity to Skype with schools around the world, no ability to make Prezis, no general internet access to look stuff up. Once testing was over, these devices were sent back to the district.
“What did we give up when choosing these expensive devices? Well, the money that could have gone to infrastructure went to iPads. As a result, schools have ant, roach, and rodent issues, broken classrooms and buildings, and few devices to use for instructional purposes.
“I have a real problem with not involving teachers in the conversation. My main concern was that students would get robbed (and possibly injured) while taking their iPads home. This happens regularly in the neighborhood where I teach, for much less valuable items.
“With no policies and safeguards in place, these devices would “disappear” from schools and find themselves on the black market.
“At Dymally Senior High, “current and former administrators refused to take responsibility for missing computer devices,” the report said.-LA Times
“Students will not want to use these devices with only Pearson software installed on them.
“Was each school’s wifi network enough to handle the usage by their entire student body?
“No one asked us, the teachers, and every last prediction came true. When people started asking questions, they were silenced.
“LAUSD has enough yes-men; it needs Stuart Magruder
“Now I start my school year with students sharing cell phones with each other to do research (contrary to popular belief, not all students from poverty have internet access). I research ways to write grants for a class set of kindles, because these are the most affordable and at least they can connect to the worldwide web.
“But worse, I suffer the insult of a Bostonian man telling me that he is more interested and invested in improving the lives of our students than I and thousands of others of educators are and have been.
“I am not content to let this ride out. My students don’t have a voice (yet) and I do. Stay tuned for more blogging this year, and thank you for reading.”