This just arrived in my email box:
LAUSD: Follow The Money by Joseph K
Mensaje se repite en Español)
I have to do this my way. You tell me what you know, and I’ll confirm. I’ll keep you in the right direction if I can, but that’s all. Just… follow the money.
-Deep Throat, “All the President’s Men” (1976)
What qualifies Bloomberg to buy a Board of Education three thousand miles distant? In New York with the help of the Gates Foundation, he closed more than 150 “failing schools” replacing them with smaller schools and charter schools. Sixty percent of these “new and improved” smaller elementary and middle schools now have lower passing rates than the schools they replaced. Just 38% of the students at elementary and middle schools created by the Bloomberg administration passed the reading exams, compared with 47% of students citywide. Former NYC School Chancellor Joel Klein, who raised proficiency rates by dramatically lowering expectations, pitched in another $25,000.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bloomberg-new-schools-failed-thousands-city-students-article-1.1119406#ixzz2LC0W0ylq
Jaimie Alter Lynton donated $100,000 to the Coalition. She, like Chernin, is on the board of Deasy’s fundraising nonprofit group. Lynton also launched L.A. School Report which is basically dedicated to extolling and promoting Deasy and electing both Anderson and Garcia while simultaneously denouncing the teachers’ union as the protector of pedophiles.
If you want to know the direction LAUSD School Board President Monica Garcia and new candidate Kate Anderson want to take the Los Angeles School District after the upcoming election, then follow the money. In this case following the money isn’t difficult because there is just so damn much of it. Start with an astounding quarter of a million dollars by Eli Broad, Superintendent Deasy’s mentor and puppet master, and another quarter million by fellow billionaire, Latino media magnate A. Jerrold Perenchio, formerly of Univision. Together they pushed “their” Coalition for School Reform’s coffers to $1.5 million. Then Mayor Villaraigosa who, along with Broad, was instrumental in bringing Deasy to LAUSD, called in the really big gun by brokering a deal with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who contributed an additional million dollars for the Coalition -money education historian Diane Ravitch called “repugnant and an affront to democracy.”
What qualifies Bloomberg to buy a Board of Education three thousand miles distant? In New York with the help of the Gates Foundation, he closed more than 150 “failing schools” replacing them with smaller schools and charter schools. Sixty percent of these “new and improved” smaller elementary and middle schools now have lower passing rates than the schools they replaced. Just 38% of the students at elementary and middle schools created by the Bloomberg administration passed the reading exams, compared with 47% of students citywide. Former NYC School Chancellor Joel Klein, who raised proficiency rates by dramatically lowering expectations, pitched in another $25,000.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bloomberg-new-schools-failed-thousands-city-students-article-1.1119406#ixzz2LC0W0ylq
Bloomberg’s schools share this attribute with Villaraigosa’s Partnership for Los Angeles Schools (PLAS), which have been a dismal failure. Roosevelt High School was divided into seven small schools in the name of “improvement” in 2007. Only one of the seven principals had previous experience as a principal. In 2009, Roosevelt teachers gave Villaraigosa and PLAS an “F” because they saw no improvement. Now in 2013, many school and community members are in open revolt. Enrollment has plummeted. The LA Weekly, citing API scores, noted that Roosevelt made Compton Unified look like the “district of the freaking month.”
Mayor Villaraigosa called Bloomberg, “the most important voice in education reform today” – education deform is more like it. The Coalition for School Reform may as well be in Deasy’s pocketbook. Megan Chernin is a major backer and the former head of charter operator LA’s Promise as is Steven Prough, the current head, who contributed $10,000 personally. How good is L.A.’s Promise in keeping its promises? In 2010, 91% of West Adams Prep students were not proficient in English and 82% were not proficient in math. Manuel Arts, which L.A.’s Promise had also “promised” to turn into a Garden of Eden had astoundingly high non-proficiency rates of 97% and 90% respectively in 2010. Their achievement rates seem inversely proportional to the glossiness of their marketing brochures.
Jaimie Alter Lynton donated $100,000 to the Coalition. She, like Chernin, is on the board of Deasy’s fundraising nonprofit group. Lynton also launched L.A. School Report which is basically dedicated to extolling and promoting Deasy and electing both Anderson and Garcia while simultaneously denouncing the teachers’ union as the protector of pedophiles.
Kate Anderson has called Deasy “the best superintendent this district has had in decades” and wants to make all schools as “great” as New West Charter School. New West is 62% white and Asian, 24% Latino, and 12% Black. Only 11% of its students are on free or reduced lunches. It boasts not a single English Language learner in the entire school. Special education statistics are unavailable for some mysterious reason. Let’s make all schools just like New West Charter School.
You want to know about Garcia and Anderson? Just follow the money.
Joseph K. is a 27-year veteran of LAUSD, a former mentor teacher twice named a Johns Hopkins University Teaching Fellow. He teaches the old-fashioned way – by ignoring standardized test scores. Instead of teaching bubbling, he tries to instill a love of knowledge and learning in his students and for this reason will probably be allowed to continue teaching for fifteen more minutes.
If you or someone you know has been targeted and are in the process of being dismissed and need legal defense, get in touch:
En Español
Tengo que hacer esto a mi manera. Tú me dices lo que sabes, y yo voy a confirmar. Te voy a mantener en la dirección correcta si puedo, pero eso es todo. Sólo … seguir el dinero.
-Deep Throat, “Todos los hombres del presidente” (1976)
Si desea conocer la dirección de la Junta Escolar de LAUSD Mónica García, y el presidente nuevo candidato Kate Anderson quiere tomar el Los Angeles Distrito Escolar después de las próximas elecciones, a continuación, seguir el dinero. En este caso, después de que el dinero no es difícil porque no es tan condenadamente mucho. Comience con un sorprendente cuarto de millón de dólares por Eli Broad, mentor Superintendente Deasy y titiritero, y otro cuarto de millón por el multimillonario hombre, magnate de los medios latinos A. Jerrold Perenchio, antes de Univision. Juntos empujaron “su” Coalición para las arcas de reforma escolar a $ 1,5 millones. A continuación, el alcalde Villaraigosa, quien junto con Broad, fue instrumental en traer a Deasy LAUSD, llamado en la pistola muy grande por negociar un acuerdo con New York el alcalde Michael Bloomberg, quien contribuyó con un adicional de millón de dólares por la Coalición de dinero educación Diane Ravitch historiador llamó a esto “repugnante y una afrenta a la democracia”.
¿Qué califica Bloomberg para comprar una Board of Education tres mil millas distante? En Nueva York, con la ayuda de la Fundación Gates, cerró más de 150 “escuelas fracasadas” sustituyéndolas por las escuelas más pequeñas y las escuelas charter. El sesenta por ciento de estos “nuevos y mejorados” más pequeñas escuelas primarias y secundarias ahora tienen menores tasas de aprobación que las escuelas a las que sustituyen. Sólo el 38% de los estudiantes de las escuelas primarias e intermedias creadas por la administración Bloomberg aprobó los exámenes de lectura, en comparación con el 47% de los estudiantes de toda la ciudad. El ex NYC Escuela canciller Joel Klein, que elevó las tasas de aptitud por bajar drásticamente las expectativas, lanzó otros $ 25.000.
Escuelas de Bloomberg comparten este atributo con la Asociación de Villaraigosa de Los Angeles Schools (PLAS), que han sido un fracaso total. Roosevelt High School fue dividido en siete escuelas pequeñas en el nombre de la “mejora” en 2007. Sólo uno de los siete directores tenían experiencia previa como directora. En 2009, los maestros de Roosevelt dio Villaraigosa y PLAS una “F” porque veían ninguna mejora. Ahora, en 2013, muchos miembros de la escuela y de la comunidad están en rebelión abierta. La inscripción ha caído en picado. LA Weekly, citando resultados del API, señaló que Roosevelt hizo Compton aspecto unificado como el “distrito del mes maldito.”
Alcalde Villaraigosa llamó Bloomberg, “la voz más importante en la reforma de la educación de hoy” – deformar la educación es más parecido. La Coalición para la Reforma Escolar puede también ser en cartera Deasy. Megan Chernin es un importante patrocinador y el ex jefe de la Promesa carta operador de Los Angeles como es Steven Prough, el actual jefe, quien contribuyó con $ 10.000 personalmente. ¿Qué tan buena es la promesa de Los Ángeles en mantener sus promesas? En 2010, el 91% de los estudiantes de West Adams Prep no eran competentes en Inglés y el 82% no eran competentes en matemáticas. Manuel Artes, que Promise Los Ángeles también había “prometido” para convertirse en un Jardín del Edén tenía asombrosamente altos de competencia no las tasas de 97% y 90% respectivamente en 2010. Sus tasas de rendimiento parecen inversamente proporcional al brillo de folletos de marketing.
Jaimie Alter Lynton donó 100.000 dólares a la Coalición. Ella, al igual Chernin, está en la junta de recaudación de fondos sin fines de lucro grupo Deasy. Lynton también lanzó Reporte de LA Escuela, que es básicamente dedicado a exaltar y promover Deasy y elegir a Anderson y García y al mismo tiempo denunciar el sindicato de maestros como el protector de los pedófilos.
Kate Anderson ha llamado Deasy “el mejor superintendente de este distrito ha tenido en las últimas décadas” y quiere que todas las escuelas como “grande” como Escuela Nueva Carta de Occidente. New West es el 62% de blancos y asiáticos, latinos 24% y el 12% Negro. Sólo el 11% de sus estudiantes son de almuerzos gratis oa precio reducido. No cuenta con un solo estudiante de Inglés en toda la escuela. Estadísticas de educación especial no están disponibles, por alguna razón misteriosa. Vamos a hacer todas las escuelas al igual que la Escuela Nueva Carta de Occidente.
¿Quieres saber acerca de García y Anderson? Sólo tienes que seguir el dinero.
Joseph K. es un veterano de 27 años de LAUSD, un maestro mentor ex dos veces nombrado Johns Hopkins University Teaching Fellow. Él enseña la manera pasada de moda – haciendo caso omiso de las puntuaciones de las pruebas estandarizadas. En lugar de enseñar burbujeante, trata de inculcar un amor por el conocimiento y el aprendizaje en sus estudiantes y por esta razón probablemente se le permitirá continuar enseñando durante quince minutos más.
Si usted o alguien que usted conoce ha sido blanco de ataques y están en proceso de ser despedido y la necesidad de defensa legal, póngase en contacto:

This should disgust – and frighten – you as an educator, assuming you still believe that public education is the very foundation of a democracy (or, in our case, a democratic republic). The entry is about Bloomberg, although it’s also about the LA school board race. Click on the Daily News story too – it will remind you how Bloomberg is ruining the lives of thousands of New York children.
LikeLike
I think it’s increasingly clear that the debate about the direction of American educational reform is no longer being fairly driven by any pretense to fact, substantiated research, or public opinion, but is now dominated by an open ideological agenda to destroy public education and teacher unions. Open public debate about educational reform increasingly resembles some sort of national mass propaganda campaign where the corporate model of reform enjoys strong political power supported by billionaire constituents, privately funded think tanks, and puppet support organizations, as well as access to mass media outlets at every level.
This attack on public education for private gain and power is only the most recent example of this broader ideological agenda in recent times. Other examples from the same wealthy folks and their ideological true believers include the attempts to privatize Social Security, eliminate the Estate (Death) Tax on the wealthy, and the deregulation of banking and mortgage lending which brought about the current economic super-recession and stagnation.
I do not believe it is an exaggeration to say that the battle for education today is at the forefront of whether the future of America is to become an outright plutocracy or is to retain some semblance of representative democracy. So unless you’re planning to learn Swedish and migrate, it’s time for everyone to drop whatever else you’re doing and get involved in a fight for the future of the country.
LikeLike
Wow. Powerful and dead-on. May I quote your post for my pre-service teachers?
LikeLike
Diane — our darling mayor also gerrymandered some of us out of Monica’s area so we couldn’t vote against her. I have not been able to vote for a member of our school board for the last two elections because he keeps moving us around. My neighborhood is known for being “red” or more to the left. So his shenanigans are never ending.
LikeLike
Here’s a piece discussing what Joan Kramer mentions about gerrymandering: http://la.indymedia.org/news/2012/10/256722.php
LikeLike
Bloomberg is also sticking his nose into the congressional special election in Illinois to replace Jesse Jackson Jr. Koch bros wanna be or just the new normal for oligarch pretenders? Politics in America are now openly for sale to the highest bidders and it looks more and more like the open air drug markets we see in lawless areas. The only thing that can stop this is major pushback from all citizens of all political persuasions. Ironic that we must nationalize our own government to have any chance of it working for the people first and foremost.
LikeLike
Lenny at perdaily is the best. He was falesly accused as a teacher for exposing students in high school with a second grade proficiency. Instead of hiding in a closet he has selfishly helped falsely charged and teachers denied their legal due process maintain their dignity and to fight their cases. I had teachers being falsely charged with child abuse for whistle blowing in 1997 by the State of California. Now, with Lenny’s database and information we know it is worse now than ever.
LAUSD is a “Cash Cow” according to former superintendent Ramon Cortines. Bloomburg and others putting large amounts of cash into these board races shows how corrupt the entire system is now. They want to control what the students learn and at the same time be able to control the flow of who gets the money in the general fund and the $27 billion school construction bond program. Think about this: If you charge 2-3 times the going rate for construction how much of the $27 billion would you freely give to your friends. Also, how would you like the toilet paper contract for 1 million/day? This is why the money is coming to LAUSD. LAUSD is a huge profit center as is education generally. Just look at the problems with private colleges and the corruption there, now coming to your local K-12 school systems. Aren’t you happy.
LikeLike
Hey! Lenny didn’t write this. I did! I also wrote this about our (scandalous) superintendent.
http://www.k12newsnetwork.com/2012/04/lausd-superintendent-of-schools-john-deasy-must-go/
LikeLike
ASNeill — I agree: “increasingly clear that the debate about … educational reform is no longer .. driven by … fact, substantiated research, or public opinion, but is … dominated by an open ideological agenda to destroy public education and teacher unions”.
Here’s my random “quickquide” take as to why now, why so much:
I think the “corporatizers” woke up recently and realized the writing is on the wall for all to see that the efficacy of these Charter schools is minimal at best. When factoring in the cost to society – direct in the form of public monies sequestered and indirect in terms of the diminishment of our extant public schooling system — once factored all together the value of charter schools is minimal. I think this evidence is compelling, but there is a lag before it is broadly known, but it’s now getting ‘out there’: it (awareness of the data) is nipping at their heels. From their take-over point of view, they need to burn the bridges of an alternative behind them, else folks will escape back once they realize the change they were offered is not. That’s the reason for the urgency, if they don’t destroy the vestige of public school alternatives available still, right now, awareness of the rickety “revolution” will be their downfall as folks flee back into the public schools. It’s do or die for them right now; they must make a push and win over their revolution because the evidence is catching up: the revolution is not as promised. For them, it’s about money, they want the revolution to succeed because it will net them boatloads of money. The ground troops who will bring them this success can only amass in their camp if they believe there is value to being there. There is not, and awareness through evidence of this is looming.
LikeLike
Bloomberg’s looking for a legacy outside of his mayorship. Disgusting display.
LikeLike
Here is the latest happening in AZ. Teachers have no chance if this passes. As it is now, if you are put on an improvement plan; you will be gone in a year. My Principal had her favorites. Many were young and did what they wanted with no recourse. Update on Bill Threatening Teachers’ Due Process Rights
The Arizona School Board Association (ASBA) recently brought forward a bill, HB2500, that will make significant policy changes on teacher evaluations, improvement timelines, notices of inadequacy, and dismissal of teachers without due process. AEA has been in discussions with ASBA and the bill’s sponosor, Rep. Doris Goodale, about amending the more punitive measures of the bill.
The two most concerning parts of the bill are: 1) While probationary teachers can be nonrenewed for any reason, they can’t be nonrenewed for inadequate performance unless they have completed a performance improvement plan. AEA does not want a probationary teacher to be told in April that he/she is inadequate and not be afforded the 45 instructional days to improve classroom performance. Currently, probationary teachers must be given notice that they are to be nonrenewed for inadequate instruction by January 15. This bill removes that deadline. 2) The bill removes due process immediately for a continuing teacher who has received the classification of “ineffective” by making them a probationary teacher in the same school year. The AEA believes that existing law enables school districts to dismiss teachers in this situation with due process within one year. It is important that teachers are able to maintain due process and have the ability to request a hearing or there is a possibility that someone can be “railroaded” by an evaluator for issues other than classroom performance.
The AEA believes that every student deserves a quality, caring, and committed teacher. Just as students need a stable and supportive learning environment to achieve academic success, teachers need a stable and supportive working environment to effectively teach. Having a fair due process and adequate instruction improvement time provides teachers with the support they need to develop their skills and insures that both students get quality instructors and teachers are afforded rights against unjust evaluations.
AEA will continue to advocate on behalf of Arizona’s teachers and students and will keep you updated on the progress of this legislation.
LikeLike
Here is the latest happening in AZ. Teachers have no chance if this passes. As it is now, if you are put on an improvement plan; you will be gone in a year. My Principal had her favorites. Many were young and did what they wanted with no fear of anything happening to them. Update on Bill Threatening Teachers’ Due Process Rights
The Arizona School Board Association (ASBA) recently brought forward a bill, HB2500, that will make significant policy changes on teacher evaluations, improvement timelines, notices of inadequacy, and dismissal of teachers without due process. AEA has been in discussions with ASBA and the bill’s sponosor, Rep. Doris Goodale, about amending the more punitive measures of the bill.
The two most concerning parts of the bill are: 1) While probationary teachers can be nonrenewed for any reason, they can’t be nonrenewed for inadequate performance unless they have completed a performance improvement plan. AEA does not want a probationary teacher to be told in April that he/she is inadequate and not be afforded the 45 instructional days to improve classroom performance. Currently, probationary teachers must be given notice that they are to be nonrenewed for inadequate instruction by January 15. This bill removes that deadline. 2) The bill removes due process immediately for a continuing teacher who has received the classification of “ineffective” by making them a probationary teacher in the same school year. The AEA believes that existing law enables school districts to dismiss teachers in this situation with due process within one year. It is important that teachers are able to maintain due process and have the ability to request a hearing or there is a possibility that someone can be “railroaded” by an evaluator for issues other than classroom performance.
The AEA believes that every student deserves a quality, caring, and committed teacher. Just as students need a stable and supportive learning environment to achieve academic success, teachers need a stable and supportive working environment to effectively teach. Having a fair due process and adequate instruction improvement time provides teachers with the support they need to develop their skills and insures that both students get quality instructors and teachers are afforded rights against unjust evaluations.
AEA will continue to advocate on behalf of Arizona’s teachers and students and will keep you updated on the progress of this legislation.
LikeLike
Is this disgusting or frightening? Yes. Is this about destroying public education and teacher unions? Yes. Is this an affront to a decent life in America? Yes. It is about all of these things and more as mentioned in the posts above. We can help by letting the voters of L.A. know what the score is, by letting parents, teachers, students, journalists, concerned citizens, etc. know what this is all about. Here’s my bit with a comprehensive essay on what corporate-state education reform is all about. Yes, it’s at 5700 reads/view. And that’s fantastic for a 9-page education piece. But is it enough? Post it. Share it. Pass it along. Email it. Etc. But do get it out there. Let’s galvanize… http://www.scribd.com/doc/106337306/THE-CHICAGO-PUBLIC-SCHOOLS-ALLERGIC-TO-ACTIVISM
LikeLike