Investigative reporter George Joseph writes in “The Nation” about the battle inside Los Angeles’ largest charter chain over whether teachers should be permitted to form a union.
A group of teachers at Alliance College-Ready Public Schools announced their wish to form a union last spring. Since then, the charter chain has fought them to prevent their efforts from succeeding.
This is a crucial battle for Alliance because its CEO is Daniel Katzir, who was executive director of the Broad Foundation for a decade. The business model for the Broad charter plan depends on having a non-union workforce with steady turnover and long working hours.
Broad’s goal of getting half the children in L.A. into charters would be disrupted if the teachers at Alliance were allowed to go union. Now Alliance is pulling out the stops to turn parents against a union and to intimidate teachers who might want to join.
And, of course, the chain insists it is private, not public (despite its name), and therefore not required to honor fair labor practices. When you read about the management ‘s tactics, the only missing ingredient is the Pinkerton private detectives, who were hired by management in the 19th century to infiltrate unions, disrupt them, and break up labor protests.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
there is an article about the relationship of the Clintons and Eli Broad….Schools Matter by Ken Derstine…….it includes an account of how Bill Clinton raised campaign money by allowing special people to spend a night in the Lincoln Bedroom……raised about ten million that way….some of it for Hillary’s 2008 campaign……Broad and some of his associates who were jailed for Oil related corruption were among the generous.
I am faulting Bernie for failing to engage Hillary’s sordid history with the 1 percent related to education.
The problem with charters, they want it both ways. When they are defending their siphoning of public funds, they say they are a public school, when they are fighting accountability or union encroachment, they say they are private. Either way they are scamming the public and getting away with it. Time for the public to WAKE UP!
Exactly what they are doing here in WA State, even though technically, charter schools don’t really exist anymore. They call themselves public & want public money, but then dodge information requests to see how their claims of “wonderful results” are occurring, or how they are spending the public money they did receive (and are now receiving once more via the Mary Walker School District Alternative Learning Environment money laundering scheme/money pass-through with a 4% cut & Gates money). All the ads by the DFER-funded PAC “Act Now for WA Students” are misleading, as if they are public schools & fighting for ALL public school students, when really they just want special funding for their less-than 800 students. They are silent when it comes to fully funding WA’s real public schools – the ones that take ALL kids rather than cap enrollment, cherry pick students, and offer gift cards & T-shirts to entice parents to enroll their kids in so-called charter schools that don’t really exist. No shame.
The number one claim of the charter supporters up here is that public schools don’t fit all kids and they need an alternative environment, never once admitting that 1) WA has MANY alternative learning environments already and 2) many more programs have been cut/schools closed because WA State has not fully funded K-12 education, and if public education was fully funded, many of those option schools and alternative programs could be up and running once again. Furthermore, WA state has a plethora of private schools – some small with certain themes, some larger with solid reputations, and, of course, the prep schools for the rich elites. We have no need for pseudo-public schools known as charter schools.
To stop being called out for playing the “both ways” game — the game where reformers wanted public funds but not public oversight — those invading our district began using the phrase “innovation schools” to argue that it was union regulations holding back a true educational innovation. It worked; the public bought it. Now massive public funding goes to schools so innovative that they manage to put most of that money into private pockets.
True. Their biggest innovations are the ways in which they have managed to profit off of (& squander) public monies. Or cherry pick kids by only offering the “applications” one day a year at a private country club or ward house…..
Thanks to this article from THE NATION … (here it is again)
http://www.thenation.com/article/the-struggle-to-unionize-within-las-biggest-charter-chain/
The Struggle to Unionize Within LA’s Biggest Charter Cha…
And the lengths that Alliance College-Ready Public Schools will go to stop it.
… I’ve just been getting up to speed on the latest efforts to suppress
unionization by the Alliance for College Ready Public Schools’
management,
Predictably, the management at Alliance, thru its lawyers, have
now played the “we’re private, not public” card in their attempt to
stop unionization efforts by its teachers.
Both PERB (California’s Public Employees Relations Board)
and the L.A. Superior Court gave the Alliance
management major smackdowns of its union suppression
activities, calling them blatantly illegal, and issuing an injunction
to cease all such activities forthwith.
Actually PERB did so initially, after the teachers provided
overwhelming evidence — much of it detailed in the
article from THE NATION — proving it.
PERB then went to the L.A. Superior Court to issue the
relevant injunctions.
Agreeing with PERB, the L.A. Superior Court did exactly that,
and in very strident terms.
So how did the Alliance management and its lawyers respond to
those big losses in court?
In court last December, their lawyers made the following argument:
Charter school teachers — such the ones working at the “Alliance
of College-Ready PUBLIC Schools” — cannot, after all,
legally ask California’s PERB (Public Employees Relations
Board) or the L.A. Superior Court for protection and assistance,
because ….
… the “Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools” are … wait for it …
not public schools and its teachers are not, in fact, public school
employees, and they are not, in fact, even working at public school
that is a branch of the California state government.
Last December, their lawyers argued in court that the Alliance
charter schools are “private sector” schools, and thus, as private entities,
the Alliance schools are exempt from both PERB’s and the L.A. Superior
Court’s jurisdiction, regulations, rulings, and/or any enforcement of
those rulings, and exempt for any and all state labor laws.
In short, it’s like those teachers are working at Walmart, or McDonald’s,
or Best Buy.
WTF???!!!
Well, at least this situation is forcing them to admit as much.
Does the public know that they’re making this argument?
Does the public know this is the (or an) ultimate objective of
the Broad-Walmart plan to convert the entirety of LAUSD
schools to this “private” charter school management, and
make its schools private sector actors / schools?
Does the public know that the California Charter Schools
Association is in lockstep with Alliance on this, in their
efforts to suppress unionization at its schools?
This should be front and center in all political campaigns,
especially Steve Zimmer’s upcoming fight against privatization
puppet Nicholas Melvoin. If Melvoin ever gets up and spouts
the “Charter schools are public schools line,” Steve and his
supporters should respond with what Alliance is doing.
http://www.allianceeducators.com/rather-than-take-responsibility-alliance-continues-legal-delays-elected-leaders-weigh-in/
This above letter from the group of teachers trying to start a
union — Alliance Teachers United — details this whole
“we’re private” line of defense: (CAPS mine)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
ALLIANCE TEACHERS UNITED:
“In an attempt to avoid taking responsibility for its illegal activities,
Alliance has filed numerous legal motions at both the Public
Employment Relations Board (PERB) and in LA County Superior Court.
“Alliance’s legal distractions center on two arguments.
1) Alliance is claiming it is not our employer:
• That the home office doesn’t have influence over our jobs
• That our schools are not controlled by the Alliance
• That home office has no control over our salary, benefits, effectiveness ratings, etc.
“2) Alliance is CLAIMING IT IS EXEMPT FROM STATE LABOR LAW, SAYING THE WE ARE NOT PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES when it comes to our organizing rights.
“Alliance is trying to complicate the situation with elaborate legal
distractions rather than respecting our rights to organize our union,
which is all we have been asking for since we began forming our union.”
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
IN 2014, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson survived a
vicious campaign to unseat him by privatization puppet Marshall Tuck
(formerly of Green Dot) and also from the California Charter Schools Association
to which Alliance belongs. Their motto, then and now, is:
“Charter schools are public schools. We’re just a different kind of
public school.”
Using this line, Tuck almost defeated Torlakson. Thus, this latest
bit of chicanery — executed by the same California Charter Schools
Association, who are key in this union suppression at Alliance —
is galling to both Torlakson and his supporters (i.e. me 😉 )
When Torlakson got wind of Alliance’s attempt to crush any
attempts to unionize by claiming “private sector” status, he
blew a gasket and sent an OPEN LETTER to the Alliance
management. He blasted their whole hypocrisy of
“We’re ‘public’ when it suits us one way, but ‘private ‘
when it suits us another way … and we and we alone get
to define and re-define such status whenever and wherever
we like it.”
… and the numerous ramifications this duplicity, and any
a court ruling in support of it would have … i.e. for Alliance’s
employees’ retirement, among other things.
Here’s the Torlakson letter:
Click to access 11-25-2015-Tom-Torlakson-Letter-to-Alliance.pdf
————————————————————-
TOM TORLAKSON: “Furthermore, I understand that, rather than complying
with PERB’s decisions, Alliance is now challenging PERB’s jurisdiction by
claiming that Alliance schools are private entities.
“There are concerns on at least two levels with such an assertion. First, this
strikes me as extremely odd since public funds are used to operate your
schools and your own self-selected identity clearly conveys that you are
‘public schools.’ This is in the title
” ‘Alliance of College-Ready Public Schools’
“In fact, charter schools have always been public schools.
“Second the assertion that you are a group of private entities raises
serious issues regarding your employees’ eligibility for membership in the
California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) and the California
Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS). Your claim that charter
schools are private entities will jeopardize their status as public schools.
“This could have far reaching, detrimental consequences for
charter school employees and students throughout the state. I believe the loss of
eligibility for CalSTRS and CalPERS membership will make
it difficult for charter schools to recruit highly skilled
teachers and administrators and would undermine the positive
outcomes Alliance and other charter operators are achieving with their students.
Membership in CalSTRS and CalPERS undoubtedly played a significant role
in most of your employees’ decision to work for Alliance. If you prevail, your
teacher employees could have to begin participation in the federal Social
Security program. Social Security does not provide the same level of retirement
security as CalSTRS.
“By seeking to exempt Alliance from the applicable laws of our state,
you could be creating problems not only for Alliance and its teachers,
parents and students, but, quite possibly, for charter schools in general.
“For these reasons, I encourage you to re-consider your legal arguments
and focus instead on a resolution that respects your teachers’ rights and
preserves their retirement.
“Consequently, I am asking the Alliance to comply with PERB’s decisions. To help
resolve these issues, as I have shared with you previously, I offer to facilitate a meeting
between union organizers and management to find ways that tensions can be reduced
and working together positively can be enhanced.”
“Sincerely,
“Tom Torlakson
“State Superintendent of Public Instruction”
————————————————————-
Here’s a video from the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) where they share “CHARTER SCHOOLS 101” — and my responses to the CCSA:
( 00:07 – 00:15)
( 00:07 – 00:15)
NARRATOR: “But what IS a ‘charter school’ ?
“Charter schools are innovative PUBLIC schools designed by educators, parents, or civic leaders … ”
——
Oh NO, they’re NOT, you lying sacks o’ sh%#!
That is most certainly NOT what your CCSA lawyers argued in court last December in your attempts to crush the teachers trying to organize at the Alliance chain.
You argued that they are “private actors” exempt from any jurisdiction of either PERB or the court system,
———
( 00:15 – 00:28)
( 00:15 – 00:28)
NARRATOR: ” … charter schools are held accountable by their authorizing body, usually a school board, the County Office of Education, or the State Board of Education.”
——
Oh NO, they’re NOT, you lying sacks o’ sh%#!
That is most certainly NOT what your CCSA lawyers argued in court last December in your attempts to crush the teachers trying to organize at the Alliance chain.
In court, you argued, that when it comes to teachers unionizing, those same political bodies mentioned — local/County/State Boards of Ed. — have the same authority to protect or support charter teachers right to unionize as they do over fast food workers, or retail clerks at Best Buy or Target.
———
( 00:28 – 00:31)
( 00:28 – 00:31)
NARRATOR: ” …and (charters are held accountable) by the parents who choose to send their parents to those schools.”
——
Oh NO, they’re NOT, you lying sacks o’ sh%#!
Even if 100% of the parents vote, or sign petitions supporting the goals of their teachers to form a union, THOSE SAME PARENTS HAVE ZERO SAY INTO WHETHER OR NOT THAT UNION IS FORMED.
———
———
( 00:53 – 00:101)
( 00:53 – 00:101)
NARRATOR: ” … (charters) are places where adults work together to BUILD A PROFESSIONAL CULTURE, a place where TEACHERS and parents HAVE A STRONG VOICE IN SCHOOL DECISIONS.”
—————-
Ha!
If those teachers even attempt to exercise that “voice,” they are either fired, or, should they try to unionize to protect their right to exercise that voice, are met with union-busting tactics right out of the 1800’s.
If the charter operators deem it so, that school has the same “professional culture” as the kitchen at McDonalds… and there’s nothing that the workers/teachers can do about it … or so the CCSA argued in court last December.
Here’s another letter of outrage to the Alliance management over its
“Were private, not public” legal maneuver from a prominent
California state official:
Click to access 11-24-2015-John-Chiang-Letter-to-Dan-Katzir.pdf
It’s from California’s State Treasurer John Chiang. At the end, he offers
to play Henry Kissinger in a meeting between Alliance’s management
and the teachers. This offer was futile as — similar to the (old) P.L.O.’s
view of Israel — the Alliance management doesn’t recognize the
union’s “right to exist”, so such a meeting, where those teachers would
be treated with respect, and recognized as potential equals, would
undermine the Alliance Management’s overall strategy and goals.
To them, teachers are the low-paid, powerless, easily-replaceable “help”.
Such a meeting will never happen unless it’s forced upon the
Alliance management from the outside — PERB, the courts, etc..
Click to access 11-24-2015-John-Chiang-Letter-to-Dan-Katzir.pdf
——————————————————
JOHN CHIANG:
“I am writing out of concern regarding Alliance College Ready
Public Schools’ (Alliance) assertion that employees of its
charter schools are not covered by the California Educational
Employment Relations Act (EERA).
“While I understand that Alliance is attempting to dismiss
litigation brought by the Public Employment Relations
Board (PERB) alleging violations of EERA,
I believe this gambit is not only legally
dubious, but will only serve to in
ject deep and costly acrimony into the student learning
environment that you and your teachers
have worked so hard to create.
“Not only does California law explicitly
provide that EERA applies to charter
schools, but each charter school in the
Alliance system has acknowledged that
applicability in its respective charter.
Moreover, both the National Labor Relations
Board (NLRB) and PERB have issued decisi
ons that support the conclusion that EERA,
rather than the National Labor Relations Act,
applies to California charter schools.
“Yet Alliance has opted to pursue a litigation strategy
that appears to contradict both California law and
Alliance’s own position as has been stated in its charters for years.
“At best, it will only serve to delay the inevitable need –
required by BOTH state and federal law – to promote a
fair and neutral environment for Alliance’s teachers to
self-determine whether they want collective bargaining.
At worst, your decision could put at jeopardy its continued
participation in many publicly-funded benefits and do
irreparable harm to Alliance and its students.
“As I am sure you are aware, there is a tension in California’s
charter school construct between the role of charter schools as a part
of the public school system and their operation by private, non-
profit entities. The more charter schools assert the dominance
of their existence as private entities, as Alliance is doing here,
the more they place at risk the significant benefits that come
to charter schools, their students, and their employees via their
identification as public schools.
“I have a better solution. As you know, the temporary restraining
order issued by Superior Court Judge Chalfant directs Alliance to
meet with UTLA. I believe convening
such a meeting and identifying a path forward
would be more beneficial to all interested
parties than pursuing the costly and time-consuming legal
strategy Alliance has chosen.
“Continuing your posture will only lead to draining resources
from Alliance and its schools and continuing the disruption
caused by the parties’ dispute.
“In light of Judge Chalfant’s order that Alliance meet
with its teachers on these issues, I am willing to convene
and facilitate a meeting between Alliance and UTLA to
discuss a fair and reasonable process to address the
unionization issues before you.
“Please let me know if you are amenable to such an effort.
Thank you for your consideration of my request. I look forward to
hearing from you at your earliest convenience.”
————————
Chiang’s still waiting for Katzir to respond.
Wish John Chiang was running for Gov of Cal….he is a great public servant…very smart and dedicated guy.
Did they really hire Pinkerton?! That’s terrifying. It makes me nervous just mentioning the name.
My oversight. Pinkertons were hired in 19th century
I misread, Diane. Sorry. I had been discussing the past and present of Pinkerton very recently with a banking acquaintance, and so jumped upon sight of the name. I don’t know whether to blame myself or the fact that I was trying to read text on a screen instead of the far superior medium, paper.
The propaganda video from the California Charter Schools Assoction (CCSA) — with which the Alliance chain is allied, and who is a key player in the union suppression of the group seeking to form a union (Alliance Educators United) — claims that …
( 00:53 – 01:01 )
( 00:53 – 01:01 )
NARRATOR: ” … (charter schools) are places where adults work together to BUILD A PROFESSIONAL CULTURE, a place where TEACHERS and parents HAVE A STRONG VOICE IN SCHOOL DECISIONS.”
———————–
Well, that’s not apparently the case. Indeed, contrast that claim to what’s below.
So WHY DO the Alliance teachers — Alliance Educators United — want a union? What are some of the issues?
Here’s an article answering some of those questions (and some videos from the teachers themselves at the end of this post)’
http://www.labornotes.org/2015/04/charter-teachers-take-whole-chain
Here’s some reasons from this Labor Notes article:
—————————————
LABOR NOTES:
The teachers want a say on such questions as class size and incorporating technology. They want to be able to speak up without fear of retaliation from management.
“You want to say something—with everything you know about teaching, working with students, your subject matter—about what doesn’t work,” said Michael Letton, a teacher at Alliance’s Stern Mass High School. “But you are afraid to say something, because you won’t be asked back next year.”
To discourage organizing, Alliance has needled (UTLA, the union with which the Alliance teachers wish to affiliate) for failing to shrink classes, raise pay, or resist layoffs in the public schools.
But the union (UTLA) tackled those problems head-on in its just-settled contract campaign (including a 10% permanent raise, class size reductions, improved working conditions, etc.). District teachers allied with parents and students shared demands like smaller classes and more support staff. On April 18, the union announced a tentative agreement featuring its first-ever language on class sizes and counselor ratios.
And UTLA has already organized several charters, where teachers won first contracts with due process and wage increases linked to experience rather than performance ratings.
Helping Alliance teachers organize “is one other example of how UTLA is supporting the schools L.A. students deserve,” said Vice President Betty Forrester. “We are raising the voice of educators. For us, it’s not a separate campaign.”
CLASSES OF 40
In March, teachers and counselors from 10 Alliance schools signed an open letter declaring their intention to organize. The company lashed back with letters to parents, claiming the union would hurt instruction by imposing a rigid, one-size-fits-all model.
But teachers say the opposite is true: that describes what it’s like to work for Alliance right now.
“With any charter organization, the pattern is a very corporate culture,” said history teacher Elena Goldbaum, who works at the chain’s Gertz-Ressler High School. “The decisions are made at the top. They are delivered to everyone else.”
Letton said class sizes used to be manageable back when he started at an Alliance high school in South L.A. But as years went by, the classes got larger, sometimes up to 40 students.
“I know there were students who could have done better, who should have done better,” he said.
Rather than raises based on years of experience, Alliance boasts that it offers performance bonuses—something corporate reformers have been trying to push onto district schools too. But Goldbaum said merit pay makes educators vulnerable.
“It intensifies the worry of teachers speaking out,” she said. “Just the fact that the power [to decide raises] rests in our superiors makes people feel unsure about expressing themselves.”
These problems show up in Alliance’s high turnover rate, which the union estimates is over 25 percent. “So many good teachers up and leave after two years,” Letton said.
————————————————————
Finally, here’s a YouTube video from Alliance Educators United:
Here’s another Alliance Educators United video about their struggles:
and another …
Contrast the estimated million plus dollars spent by United Teachers Los Angeles to ‘organize’ these young, charter teachers with the ZERO dollars spent by UTLA to defend veteran teachers. We have no idea how many charter teachers are credentialed. UTLA claims that 1,000 of its approximately 33,000 members are charter school teachers while our best estimate is that 5,000 experienced, credentialed teachers have been forced out. To this add the following analysis by Valerie Trahan and published by Dr. Mark Naison.
http://withabrooklynaccent.blogspot.com/
Here it is.
March 4, 2016
Valerie Trahan
2045 Emerson St Lower
Berkeley, CA
Retired Teacher
Masters in Education; Harvard University
510-689-6123
To: Dr.Linda Darling Hammond; Professor Emeritus Stanford University; (indadh@suse.stanford.edu)
Dr. Louis Freedberg; University California at Berkeley (lfreedberg@edsource.org)
Dr. Bill Koski; Stanford University; (bkoski@law.stanford.edu)
SUBJECT: A QUANTITATIVE AND STATISTICAL STUDY ON CALIFORNIA TEACHER SHORTAGES AND AGE DISCRIMINATION
Query: Is the California Teacher Shortage caused by an intentional age discrimination policy?
Subject Area 1: Referrals to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing for Discipline
Subject Area 2: Referrals to Peer Assistance and Review (PAR)
Subject Area 3: Los Angeles Unified School District Teacher Jail; Housed Teachers
This letter is in direct response to the Legislative Analyst Office Report on teacher shortages. This report was reported to media on March 1st, 2016.
http://edsource.org/2016/debate-surfaces-over-how-much-state-action-needed-to-ease-teacher-shortages/95302
1.The data used for this query was taken from Public Records Requests. The data acquired from the CTC is teachers referred for discipline between January of 2003 to August of 2014. On the list, their are 3771 teachers. We do not know why these teachers were referred or the disposition of their cases. However, we can do an empirical analysis and measure the probability that the demographics referred due to random or non random events. As a benchmark we will use the Biddle method(http://www.biddle.com/documents/twostats.htm). Utilizing the 1 Z proportion test or the binomial distribution test to measure the likelihood of the observed event. Methodology: I will perform the which is a recognized methodology to measure expected results vs. observed results. The also measures the actual standard deviation and whether the standard deviation meets the legal threshold for a prima facie case of discrimination. The 1 Z Proportion Test shows 6.54 standard deviations for teachers referred to the CTC over the age of 56. According to Biddle, (http://www.biddle.com/documents/twostats.htm) two to three standard deviations is used in Disparate Impact Cases and 5 Standard Deviations for Disparate Treatment Cases. I will use these recognized metrics for my
Our next test to probe discriminatory findings is the Heads or Tails Binomial Distribution Test. This test is also recognized to measure statistical discrimination as recognized by judicial courts. For the CTC Analysis (see attached) The heads or tails binomial distribution test shows 0.00 probability of a random event. This also is for teachers referred to the CTC for discipline over the age of 56.
2. Peer Assistance and Review. PAR is a popular teacher remediation program supported by School Districts and Unions to “improve teacher performance”. However, as you will see, persons referred to PAR have high degrees of education, thousands of hours of professional development, are above 50 years of age, and not coincidently the highest salaried teachers. We will begin with data on Los Angeles Unified School District’s use of PAR.
2A. Peer Assistance and Review Los Angeles Unified School District
2B and 2C Combined-Peer Assistance and Review San Francisco Unified School District and Oakland Unified School District
2C-1 Oakland Unified School District PAR- Binomial Distribution age 56 and over
3A. Teacher Jail Housed Teachers-Los Angeles Unified School District
Objective Findings:
1.The data from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing shows a bias towards persons over the age of 56 not explained by random events.
2A. The data regarding PAR from Los Angeles Unified School District shows racial discrimination towards African American Teachers and teachers over the age of 56. Again the numbers are not explained by random events, and suggest Disparate Treatment and Disparate Impact Discrimination.
2B and 2C. The data from San Francisco and Oakland Unified School District shows a bias towards teachers over the age of 56.
2C-1. The data from Oakland Unified School Districts use of Peer Assistance and Review in particular shows intentional age discrimination and not a chance of a random event.
3A. The data from Los Angeles Unified School District regarding “Teacher Jail” or Housed Teachers shows a massive age bias of teachers over the age of 40. In this query 93% of the Housed Teachers are over the age of 40.
Summary:
The teacher shortage in California is caused by deliberate age and in some cases racial discrimination in School Districts state wide. The Commission on Teacher Credentialing and Los Angeles Unified School District using teacher jail executed byCalifornia Education Code 44939(c) are deliberately forcing veteran teachers out of the profession.
The teacher shortage in California is also caused by the use of Peer Assistance and Review (codified in California Education Code 44500) to drive high salaried, highly educated, and veteran teachers out of the profession. The idea that teachers referred to PAR suddenly forgot how to teach is absurd on its face. Veteran teachers are lifelong learners and work constantly to maintain their content knowledge and pedagogy.
The financial motive for these policies is clear.1. For every maxed out salaried teacher that is removed, employers save a huge premium on salaries and benefits. 2. These policies weaken the institutional memory of school sites and force teachers in to retirement before they are fully vested in the system. 3. The precision of these polices are clear and the effects have been devastating. It is no wonder that teacher preparation programs in the state are in a heavy state of decline. In a profession where bullying, harassment, and the anti teacher narrative dominate the education debate, the honor of the profession has been tainted to a large degree. I challenge the recipients of this communication to re examine and amend their report to probe for age discrimination and cost cutting as the cause for the California Teacher Shortage. Having survived the horrid process of Peer Assistance and Review myself, and being forced into early retirement, I can speak on these issues with much authority.
Valerie Trahan
Masters Degree in Education
Harvard University
March 4, 2016
Valerie Trahan
2045 Emerson St Lower
Berkeley, CA
Retired Teacher
Masters in Education; Harvard University
510-689-6123
To: Dr.Linda Darling Hammond; Professor Emeritus Stanford University; (indadh@suse.stanford.edu)
Dr. Louis Freedberg; University California at Berkeley (lfreedberg@edsource.org)
Dr. Bill Koski; Stanford University; (bkoski@law.stanford.edu)
SUBJECT: A QUANTITATIVE AND STATISTICAL STUDY ON CALIFORNIA TEACHER SHORTAGES AND AGE DISCRIMINATION
Query: Is the California Teacher Shortage caused by an intentional age discrimination policy?
Subject Area 1: Referrals to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing for Discipline
Subject Area 2: Referrals to Peer Assistance and Review (PAR)
Subject Area 3: Los Angeles Unified School District Teacher Jail; Housed Teachers
This letter is in direct response to the Legislative Analyst Office Report on teacher shortages. This report was reported to media on March 1st, 2016.
http://edsource.org/2016/debate-surfaces-over-how-much-state-action-needed-to-ease-teacher-shortages/95302
1.The data used for this query was taken from Public Records Requests. The data acquired from the CTC is teachers referred for discipline between January of 2003 to August of 2014. On the list, their are 3771 teachers. We do not know why these teachers were referred or the disposition of their cases. However, we can do an empirical analysis and measure the probability that the demographics referred due to random or non random events. As a benchmark we will use the Biddle method(http://www.biddle.com/documents/twostats.htm). Utilizing the 1 Z proportion test or the binomial distribution test to measure the likelihood of the observed event. Methodology: I will perform the which is a recognized methodology to measure expected results vs. observed results. The also measures the actual standard deviation and whether the standard deviation meets the legal threshold for a prima facie case of discrimination. The 1 Z Proportion Test shows 6.54 standard deviations for teachers referred to the CTC over the age of 56. According to Biddle, (http://www.biddle.com/documents/twostats.htm) two to three standard deviations is used in Disparate Impact Cases and 5 Standard Deviations for Disparate Treatment Cases. I will use these recognized metrics for my
Our next test to probe discriminatory findings is the Heads or Tails Binomial Distribution Test. This test is also recognized to measure statistical discrimination as recognized by judicial courts. For the CTC Analysis (see attached) The heads or tails binomial distribution test shows 0.00 probability of a random event. This also is for teachers referred to the CTC for discipline over the age of 56.
2. Peer Assistance and Review. PAR is a popular teacher remediation program supported by School Districts and Unions to “improve teacher performance”. However, as you will see, persons referred to PAR have high degrees of education, thousands of hours of professional development, are above 50 years of age, and not coincidently the highest salaried teachers. We will begin with data on Los Angeles Unified School District’s use of PAR.
2A. Peer Assistance and Review Los Angeles Unified School District
2B and 2C Combined-Peer Assistance and Review San Francisco Unified School District and Oakland Unified School District
2C-1 Oakland Unified School District PAR- Binomial Distribution age 56 and over
3A. Teacher Jail Housed Teachers-Los Angeles Unified School District
Objective Findings:
1.The data from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing shows a bias towards persons over the age of 56 not explained by random events.
2A. The data regarding PAR from Los Angeles Unified School District shows racial discrimination towards African American Teachers and teachers over the age of 56. Again the numbers are not explained by random events, and suggest Disparate Treatment and Disparate Impact Discrimination.
2B and 2C. The data from San Francisco and Oakland Unified School District shows a bias towards teachers over the age of 56.
2C-1. The data from Oakland Unified School Districts use of Peer Assistance and Review in particular shows intentional age discrimination and not a chance of a random event.
3A. The data from Los Angeles Unified School District regarding “Teacher Jail” or Housed Teachers shows a massive age bias of teachers over the age of 40. In this query 93% of the Housed Teachers are over the age of 40.
Summary:
The teacher shortage in California is caused by deliberate age and in some cases racial discrimination in School Districts state wide. The Commission on Teacher Credentialing and Los Angeles Unified School District using teacher jail executed byCalifornia Education Code 44939(c) are deliberately forcing veteran teachers out of the profession.
The teacher shortage in California is also caused by the use of Peer Assistance and Review (codified in California Education Code 44500) to drive high salaried, highly educated, and veteran teachers out of the profession. The idea that teachers referred to PAR suddenly forgot how to teach is absurd on its face. Veteran teachers are lifelong learners and work constantly to maintain their content knowledge and pedagogy.
The financial motive for these policies is clear.1. For every maxed out salaried teacher that is removed, employers save a huge premium on salaries and benefits. 2. These policies weaken the institutional memory of school sites and force teachers in to retirement before they are fully vested in the system. 3. The precision of these polices are clear and the effects have been devastating. It is no wonder that teacher preparation programs in the state are in a heavy state of decline. In a profession where bullying, harassment, and the anti teacher narrative dominate the education debate, the honor of the profession has been tainted to a large degree. I challenge the recipients of this communication to re examine and amend their report to probe for age discrimination and cost cutting as the cause for the California Teacher Shortage. Having survived the horrid process of Peer Assistance and Review myself, and being forced into early retirement, I can speak on these issues with much authority.
Valerie Trahan
Masters Degree in Education
Harvard University
This is from “Morning Post”, March 17
STUDY FINDS CHARTER DISCIPLINE DISPARITIES: Charter schools suspend black students and students with disabilities at higher rates than other students, finds a new study from the Center for Civil Rights Remedies at the University of Los Angeles, California. The data, pulled from the federal Civil Rights Data Collection for the 2011-12 school year, covers more than 5,250 charter schools. More than 500 charter schools suspended black students at a rate that was at least 10 percentage points higher than the rate for white students, the report says. The same was found for nearly 1,100 charter schools suspending students with disabilities, compared to suspension rates for students without disabilities.