The parent blogger who calls herself Red Queen in L.A. has written what must be the ultimate indictment of the troubled reign of John Deasy.
How has he survived in his job despite his any transgressions against students, teachers, and the district? Deasy enjoys the patronage of Eli Broad, who rules Los Angeles, and can count on the automatic support of a galaxy of Gates-funded organizations, like United Way and Educators4Excellence. They will demonstrate, they will demand, they will champion Deasy no matter what parents or teachers say.
It is hard to see how Deasy can survive in light of his long record of thumbing his nose at the school board he works for. At some point, they either fire or they should quit.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
LAUSD will need an exorcism when Deasy leaves http://www.examiner.com/article/lausd-will-need-an-exorcism-when-deasy-leaves?cid=db_articles
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Gathering up the sage from my garden now
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“The Testorcist”
When Deasy leaves LA
A priest must have his way:
To testorcise the LA schools
And drive away the testing ghouls;
To silence all the piercing wails
And put an end to Pearson mails;
To cast away the rotten core
Of Apple with a bidding war;
To make Deasybolus stay away
And let los Angeles have their say
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BREAKING – Radio show about Deasy’s future that just aired
PANEL:
— Karin Klein, Editor, L.A. Times
— Steve Zimmer, LAUSD Board Member
— Alex Caputo-Pearl, UTLA President
— Antonia Hernandez, Pres./CEO California Community Foundation
Link and listen to a replay of it here:
http://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/shows/which-way-la/will-superintendent-john-deasy-pass-or-fail?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kcrw%2Fww+%28Which+Way%2C+LA%3F%29
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LAUSD will need an exorcism in order to make DZ leave. He’s not leaving so fast.
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The handwriting was on the wall when he punished Ms. Patrena Shankling for doing her job.
Mediocrity can’t stand competence. He instinctively knew that someone like her made someone like him look bad.
So what does a ferociously incompetent manager do when a “lowly” employee shows him up just by doing her part so well?
Just what he did. Fire her.
That’s the coward’s way out. And nobody that craven should be Superintendent of LAUSD.
Just my dos centavitos worth…
😎
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I’M MOVING OVER ALLIE WALL’s COMMENTS, AS THEY ARE RELEVAT:
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I haven’t been here in a while… and
wow, things are kinda heating up…
Did Deasy really compare the length
of a teacher’s career to “height”?
And during a TV interview no less?
Wow… what a complete imbecile!
This is an example of the caliber of
Deasy’s intellect? I can’t believe
this “height” comparison hasn’t gotten
more coverage, or an article about it
all by itself.
Is that one of “Dr.” Deasy’s brilliant
insights that guides him as transforms
education in Los Angeles?
I guess what they say about him is true…
He really did get his PhD. out of a
Crackerjack box.
That host was no Mensa candidate, either.
He should have jumped all over that.
PBS must be hittin’ the skids.
Good arguments refuting him, Jack…
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I think these long off topic comments discourage the high level exchanges I’ve grown accustomed to on this blog.
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We all wander at times, but you are not required to read what you find to be irrelevant.
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My comment was about “Jack’s” comments. Meanderings that disengage readers from the topic of discussion. I find it disrespectful and frustrating. I’m so used to intelligent discussion here.
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He’s done it over and over the last few days. His comments get deleted and he puts new meanderings up again.
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Karen,
I respectfully disagree.
Each of the things I included had a purpose…
— Deasy on Tavis Smiley’s talk show saying that a teachers’ years of experience were as relevant as the inches of a teacher’s height in paying or retaining teachers… absurd on its face, but also a slap in the face to Zimmer’s 17 years on the job, and Ms. Ratliff’s 13 years on the job, and Kayser’s 30 years on the job…
— Deasy’s abusive treatment and firing of Ms. Shankling as recounted by her in the video, and all that says about Deasy
— South L.A. teacher Martha Infante’s on-the-ground testimony of how disastrously the $1.3 billion dollar I-pads were actually being implemented (apart from the corrupt bidding process and conflicts of interest)
— Deasy’s demagoguery in playing the “abused child” card at the Portola Middle School forum video, while ducking any hard questions, and basically his vicious treatment of those challenging him…
— Deasy’s arrogant torpedoing of the lower-class size motion, and his defiant public comments taunting the board, “You can’t make me lower the class size, so I’m not doing it.. nah nah-nah nah-nah nahhh… ” and including the video of Steve Zimmer’s speech for the lower class size motion.
I was trying to give a comprehensive picture… using video and on-line testimony… of why Deasy has to go.
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I totally understand and, on occasion, share your frustration, but it is much easier to skip over a comment that I might find superfluous. Sometimes, I have to admit, I find the off topic comment interesting and join the tangent. A few people have the ability to pull me in when I should have remained silent. Steve obviously has a more personal investment in LA action than I do (midwesterner). His comments, however long winded, did not appear to be off topic. Deasy’s survival depends on the actions of the Board, yes?
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Of course, I’m watching flies on the wall while you might feel like one of the flies. Perspective matters, which means I probably should be ignored.
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I could only listen to part of this KCRW radio interview…another Tavis Smiley-type biased interview. The interviewer sets it up in favor of Deasy within the first few seconds, and Karin Klein continues to go into raptures about Deasy. She waxes orgasmically and has in no way changed her tune from the Editorial Board, Broad perspecitive, that “it is the fault of the BoE that DZ cannot get his wonderful work done sinc ethey micro manage him”. They do not cooperate with him. They question him. Shucks and golly, folks, if only those stupid silly elected BoE members would only do as they are told.
I have no idea how or if Zimmer and Caputo Pearl could or would counter any of this pap. Perhaps one of you with a stronger stomach can let us know. Alex, do what is right for your rank and file members, the LAUSD teachers who bear the load of teaching the kids.
So SICK of it all. Fire Deasy, get rid of his insider Broadies, appoint a legit interim, do a national search with an impartial and broad based vetting group for a multitude of candidates, but do not interview nor hire ANY MORE Broad Academy crappers, and start over. Pay this crook and liar severance and be happy never to see him, nor Eli, nor Villaraigosa, again.
But immediately do an external independent audit before all the records have been excised/destroyed (most have been since the BoE weeks ago bought the multi million dollar MS software to do this VERY DIRTY DEED, and do a Grand Jury investigation of everyone involved with LAUSD, including Beaudry staff and administrators, and even the BoE members. The only people being investigated since Deasy arrived are teachers. I do not see teachers making any sweetheart deals, nor using Construction Bond money illegally and with abandon to enrich Apple and Pearson….and maybe some on the inside as well. Let’s find out.
BoE members….do not sit and suck your thumbs, or worse, collude again with Deasy and Broad as you did last Oct. 29. If the State can intervene in Jefferson HS MiSiS debacle, why can’t the State step in and see that the public, the California taxpayers, and the students, are protected from the privatizers and their lackeys who are milking LAUSD dry?
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Zimmer was pretty bad on the radio show.
He called Deasy a “catalytic leader” for change, and he meant it in a positive way. The only saving grace was Zimmer’s later comment that while we needed Deasy to start the process of change (we didn’t, Steve… oh how we did NOT), the crucial part of the process—implementation—is now immediately at hand, and that process requires someone who can collaborate with not just with the LAUSD Board, but with the 36,000 rank-‘n-file teachers… and Deasy has shown himself lacking in this area… so maybe… just maybe, on this basis, he won’t vote for Deasy to remain as supe.
That’s as close as he got to showing non-support of Deasy:
http://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/shows/which-way-la/will-superintendent-john-deasy-pass-or-fail?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kcrw%2Fww+%28Which+Way%2C+LA%3F%29
CLICK the link in the middle of the page, then go to the timeline at the top of the page to navigate to Steve’s “catalytic leader” comments at:
07:30
Oy vey!
My guess is that Steve is looking ahead to the next election, and while he knows he’ll never get support from privatizers… he might be figuring that if he does and says stuff like this (ABOVE), the Billionaire Boys Club will not actively oppose his re-election, or run another Kate Anderson / a Kate Anderson-like campaign when he’s up for re-election in 2017.
By the way, Steve tried this same, exact, conciliatory approach leading up to the 2013 election and look where it got him.
http://laschoolreport.com/zimmer-irate-over-reform-coalition-attacks/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-dreier/los-angeles-public-education_b_2798894.html
Oh and there’s this flier: (NOTE: Steve fought these layoffs, while his opponents Galatzan and Garcia were the ones pushing them)
Click to access CoalitionforSchoolReform_Mailer6_Zimmer_2.23.13.pdf
Steve’s situation and behavior are reminiscent of Aesop’s fable of “The Woodman and the Snake”.
http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/04/aesops-fables-insects-snakes-crabs.html
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“The Woodman and the Serpent (Perry 176)
“One wintry day a Woodman was tramping home from his work when he saw something black lying on the snow. When he came closer he saw it was a Serpent to all appearance dead. But he took it up and put it in his bosom to warm while he hurried home.
“As soon as he got indoors, he put the Serpent down on the hearth before the fire. The children watched it and saw it slowly come to life again. Then one of them stooped down to stroke it, but the Serpent raised its head and put out its fangs and was about to sting the child to death. So the Woodman seized his axe, and with one stroke cut the Serpent in two.
” ‘Ah,’ said he: ‘No gratitude from the wicked.’ ”
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Seriously, Steve… they’ll do it to you again in 2017… There’s hundreds of millions of dollars of schools/budgets that the privatizers have their eyes on… nay there’s BILLIONS if you extrapolate this to a national level. Given that, do you really think they’re going to say amongst themselves as 2017 approaches…
“Say, wasn’t Steve nice to our stooge Deasy that we installed in LAUSD? Didn’t he say nice things about Deasy back in October 2014? Given that, let’s stay out his re-election race, you know, to show our gratitude.” ?
Steve, Aesop was right. There’s “no gratitude from the wicked,” so get out your metaphorical axe, and “cut the Serpent in two!”
If you do that, Steve, you’ll have an army of grateful parents, citizens, and teachers willing to go to war on your behalf against them in the 2017 election… If not, you’ll have a mere handful willing to do so, with the rest saying, “He’s a wimp and a phony, and just plain stupid for sucking up to ‘the Serpent.’ “
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Jack…agree with you about Zimmer, and the prospect that he sways in the breeze because he intends to run for higher office.
“oy vey” indeed….
Zimmer…if you want to prove your worth as a representative of your district on the BoE…vote to get rid of Deasy, and Broadies, NOW.
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Redqueenia does a thorough job here, including the links/citations, of the Deasy history at LAUSD.
If indeed this pernicious, inept, and mendacious Superintendent is finally given his 30 days notice for cause, by the BoE, it is imperative for them to stay on a roll, and to fire all the others listed in a link herewith, whom Deasy chose as his personal henchmen and women. And to sweep clean all other Broadie trained, and/or Broadie sympathizers who are overpaid insiders, administrators, who do not add any substance to the education of the district’s over 650,000 students.. The long and foul arm of this billionaire must be cut off from interfering in LAUSD.
In a broad and clear search for a new superintendent, and staff, there must be public and professional input on all candidates. That means NO Blue Ribbon committee making the Riordan/Broad/Villaraigosa choices. Hope Mayor Garcetti urges this as well.
Until this all comes together, my wishful thinking, Mayor Garcetti, Governor Brown, The Ca. State AG, and the LA City Attorney, and the BoE, should join in starting an external independent audit of the entire Deasy fiduciary oversight period. The LA Grand Jury also should be investigating the many allegations of fraud and sweetheart deals.
Tomorrow at the BoE meeting, and Oct. 21, will show the voters if this BoE is serious about education in LA County, or is merely a Broad rubber stamp.
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Why is DZ given so many chances to screw up without any consequences, and why is it that when a teacher makes a mistake, he/she is shown the door especially if he/she is older and may have a disability? Why is DZ allowed to play with money like its Monopoly while teachers are struggling to make ends meet from one month to the next?
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Not enough has been reported on the issue of Deasy being responsible for positive changes such as lowered suspensions and higher graduation rates. These are both numbers games and the actual outcomes for student learning are unknown. It could be that students who are not suspended are in class but are negatively affecting the learning environment. It could also be that teachers are being pressured into passing students who previously would have failed. I don’t think either subject would be an easy topic for the union to discuss, but are the reality they face on a daily basis. It might be of interest to talk to high school students who attend LAUSD and find out what it’s like to attend school under these newly imposed conditions.
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It’s very easy to imagine pressure to pass students especially at the high school level. It was a regular topic of conversation around grade time with teachers being chastised for too many failing grades. Failure was never the student’s fault. How much can a teacher do to ensure that six classes of 30-35 students all pass a course? Add on to that textbooks that cannot leave the classroom because there is only one class set and limited computer access. I had a student freak out when I started to make comments on a paper. He could not afford the paper or printer ink to do another draft and could not even afford a flash drive and access to computers at school was very limited. (Watching these kids’ keyboarding skills was painful.)
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Red Queen’s article sums up the pinnacle of what “ed reform” stands for and Deasy is perhaps its poster child. Let’s start at the very beginning… here is a quote from Red Queen:
“Mendacity…”
“…Claiming a questionable PhD, supervised by Univ of Louisville’s former dean Robert Felner, a felon with little compunction about stealing money from The Children, and who shares personal financial ties to Deasy…”
Someone whose own education is “just to look good on paper” cannot be up to any good. Why is Deasy not treated like others have been (wasn’t the Bridgeport superintendent , Paul Vallas FINALLY FIRED from his job in Connecticut based on phony credentials)?
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The worst part of the radio show was the astroturf queen Antonia Hernandez blathering away about how Deasy’s the greatest thing ever, but it’s the other adults’ “bickering” that is the problem. She gives no real evidence or logic for her support, but just parrots her corporate masters’ and follows their marching orders.
UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl was good.
Listen to it at:
http://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/shows/which-way-la/will-superintendent-john-deasy-pass-or-fail?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kcrw%2Fww+%28Which+Way%2C+LA%3F%29
CLICK the link in the middle of the page, then go to the timeline at the top of the page to listen to, and navigate, and skip around, if you wish.
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Why is the United Way of Central Ohio listed as a funder, at the Fordham Institute website? Based on the consequence of charters to Catholic school survival, why is the Iams founders, the Mathiles, funding Fordham? And most puzzling, why is the Ohio Federation of Teachers listed as funders?
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United Way gets Gates Funding. But why is United Way funding a multimillion dollar, pro-charter, pro-voucher, pro-Common Core, pro-VAM foundation? Why the Ohio Federation of Teachers? Ask them.
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Doesn’t the Sup. have to take an oath to the school district? Since he is trying to dismantle it, and suing it, he would be breaking that oath and is not fit for duty.
Have a leader who is against the very organization he leads? As Spock would say, “highly illogical”.
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What Jack said — the part about the gratitude of the parents that is – in contrast with the gratitude of the wicked which should indeed, be heeded, never conceded to, and excised asap. (chop chop).
Speaking of tangents arrived at via Broad-scrutiny … did y’all know Randi W is a Broadie? I’m thinking this has to be common knowledge, but it wasn’t mine: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389×8630424
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RedQueen, that is an unfair characterization of Randi. She has had no contact with Eli Broad for years. She is the leader of the AFT, which is leading the attack against corporate reform. We do ourselves no good by shooting arrows in the backs of our leaders.
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OK, I am unfamiliar with this corner of the EdReform scene so I apologize if this is an unfair besmirching.
My characterization came from others, and is – with apologies – unfairly snarky; I should have said simply “a member of the Broad Academy faculty”. I linked to a thread of some while back wherein that was the characterization by the participants, replete with predictions that on cursory glance, seem to have come to pass. OTOH I have not researched more recent repudiations or corrections of the record; perhaps this is inaccurate. I hope I have not perpetuated an unfair or unrepresentative past.
You are suggesting, then, that – presuming it is not false that Randi was once on Broad’s faculty, that she is not an adherent of his principles now and that ‘people change’, or perhaps that they are not all-encompassing, that being on his faculty does not require subscription to the agenda-of-disruption, shall we call it?
Can you please clarify whether there is any message (and what it is) that can be fairly absorbed by Randi’s presence on Broad’s faculty?
TIA
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The list in this piece was really only meant as a very abbreviated, off-the-cuff bulleted list of Deasy’s perfidies. There are, as indicated and which I wish I’d left explicitly as an exercise to the reader to work out, far, far more instances of same. It’s like a law school exercise: list all the types of fallacies… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fallacies
In the blog posts’ comments no less than ‘The Trial’s’ novelist himself filled out the list considerably with the following:
FKJ. said:
October 13, 2014 at 3:51 pm
Let’s not forget Deasy throwing the entire staff of Miramonte teachers into a broom closet, basically, (actually a library in an unopened school) with no shred of evidence of ANY wrongdoing against them, let alone any allegations (an act which wrecked both teachers and students physically and emotionally, many for years afterwards) and left them there for the remainder of the year DESPITE all of them being officially cleared by the LA County Sheriff.
Let’s not forget Deasy’s unilateral disbanding of the District Advisory Committee (DAC) which for 30 years had overseen the spending of Title I funding, an unconscionable act which triggered a 2.5 BILLION DOLLAR lawsuit against LAUSD for the misuse of Title I funding.
Let’s not forget his disbanding of the school board committee led by Monica Ratliff which oversaw and was highly critical of his (utterly incompetent) implementation of his “iPad for Everyone” program in order to mute his malfeasance and, as I say, outright incompetence.
Let’s not forget his firing of a teacher for exercising her free speech rights while at a rally far from LAUSD while attending an Occupy LA demonstration in the evening, an unconstitutional act which brought the district a false termination lawsuit.
Let’s not forget his continued advocacy of using the virtually universally discredited Value-Added Model (VAM) for evaluating of teachers, an evaluation system based exclusively on standardized test scores discredited by everyone from Linda Darling Hammond of Stanford University to the conservative RAND Corporation and countless other studies between including one by the Economic Policy Institute.
Let’s not forget that VAM is based on an agricultural model, that students are not plants, and teaching is not agriculture.
Let’s not forget there are many different Value-Added Models (including Deasy’s own “Annual Growth Over Time” (AGT) and that the results one VAM rarely (if ever) correlates with another.
Let’s not forget Deasy’s randomly (and unilaterally) raising the poverty level of students which robbed 23 schools of hundreds of thousands of Federal Title I dollars each year. (LACES lost $400,000 that very first year alone. Now two years later, that would total over one MILLION dollars and that’s just one school of twenty three.)
Let’s also not forget his diverting (Federal) Title II and Title III money away from schools either.
Let’s not forget there was no national search to replace Deasy’s predecessor.
Let’s not forget Deasy was never even interviewed for the job.
Let’s not let the Board of Education forget.
Let’s not forget period.
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