Archives for category: California
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

“Parent Trigger” Sets Parents Against Parents in Los Angeles

By dianeravitch
June 1, 2013 //
20

It has been three years since the passage of “parent trigger” legislation in California, and the law has produced nothing but strife among parents, teachers, and administrators. Corporate reformers backed by billionaires like to say that “kids can’t wait,” but the hostile “trigger” creates strife and the illusion of change, not better schools.

Good schools have a strong collaborative spirit among administrators, teachers, parents, and students. All work together towards a common goal of educating the children. Whatever strengthens the spirit of teamwork strengthens the school and builds its capacity.

The “parent trigger” by definition is a hostile act. It creates division and conflict. It sets parents against parents. It sets parents against teachers. It sets parents against administrators. It is a “trigger” and triggers kill.

In the latest “victory” for Parent Revolution, the organization that has received millions from the Walton, Gates, and Broad Foundations, the principal of Wiegand Elementary School in Los Angeles was ousted. Now parents are holding counter-demonstrations, and accusations are flying.

It is noteworthy that when Parent Revolution tried and failed to convert McKinley Elementary School in Compton, California, to a charter, the charter opened nearby, but few of the McKinley parents transferred their children to it. Parent Revolution’s only “success” thus far was in Adelanto, where they gathered enough signatures to convert Desert Trails Elementary to a charter; when parents tried to remove their signatures from the petition, saying they had been duped, a judge denied them the right to do so. One of the parent leaders in Adelanto is now an employee of Parent Revolution. Many of those who signed the petition no longer have children in the school.

The legislature should scrap this pernicious law. To begin with, public schools don’t belong to the parents of children now enrolled. They belong to the public, whose taxes built them and maintain them. Only duly elected and appointed officials should be empowered to privatize public property or to fire the school’s leader. The law as presently written is vigilante justice, which is seldom just. It allows Parent Revolution to sign parents up through deceitful tactics and force changes that cripple school communities. It is no accident that the “trigger” idea has been embraced by the reactionary group ALEC, which would like to eliminate public education altogether.

Categories ALEC, California, Los Angeles, Parent trigger

Jersey Jazzman on the Hess-Austin Kerfuffle: Haul Out the Fainting Couch

By dianeravitch
May 30, 2013 //
22

Jersey Jazzman is fast on the draw. Here he dissects Rick Hess’s defense of Ben Austin.

JJ wonders how Hess would feel if the parents of Newark and other cities in New Jersey–which have not had local control for two decades– were given a “parent trigger” to eliminate state control of their districts.

Good question:

Why is parent trigger swell when Parent Revolution organizes a parent petition to kick out the staff but not good at all when parents are denied the power to kick out their district superintendent?

Categories California, New Jersey

Was I Unfair to Ben Austin?

By dianeravitch
May 28, 2013 //
79

You may recall the story about Irma Cobian, the elementary school principal who was forced out after Parent Revolution collected signatures from parents, employing the “parent trigger” law that it (Parent Revolution) had sponsored in 2010.

The headline in the LA Times read:  “Popular Principal’s Dismissal Leaves a South L.A. School Divided.”

The story began thus:

“Third-grade teacher Kate Lewis said Irma Cobian is the best principal she’s had in nine years at Weigand Avenue Elementary School in Watts.

“Joseph Shamel called Cobian a “godsend” who has used her mastery of special education to show him how to craft effective learning plans for his students.

“Los Angeles Unified Supt. John Deasy praised a plan developed by Cobian and her team to turn around the struggling campus — where most students test below grade level in reading and math — calling it a “well-organized program for accelerated student achievement.” He thanked Cobian for her commitment and hard work.”

But Parent Revolution decided she had to go. They collected enough parent signatures to force her out.

In a show of solidarity with the principal Irma Cobian, 21 members of her staff of 22 people asked to transfer to another school.

As most educators understand, one important ingredient of a successful school is a strong sense of teamwork. Cobian had created that. But that was not good enough for Parent Revolution.

I wrote about these events here.

The more I thought about Parent Revolution targeting this principal, the angrier I got.

Somehow it felt like bullying.

 

Parent Revolution is funded with millions from the Walton Family Foundation, the Broad Foundation, and the Gates Foundation. Irma Cobian is a hardworking school principal who is doing her best to help children and to support her teachers. It really bothered me that this powerful and wealthy organization decided that she had to go because the school’s test scores were too low. It made me angry.

I know I should never show anger, but this sure looked like an injustice to me. It looked like a super-rich organization decided to pick off a woman who was doing her best and had no super-rich organization to defend her.

So I wrote a column titled “Wondering About Ben Austin,” (Austin is the leader of Parent Revolution), in which I wondered how he could live with himself knowing he had harmed the reputation and career of a good person.

I don’t know Irma Cobain, but from what I read about her, it didn’t seem she deserved to be subjected to public humiliation.

Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute did not share my sense that Cobian had been victimized. He did not see the injustice that I saw. Instead, he said my criticism of Ben Austin was “abhorrent.” Suddenly it was Austin who was the victim, though he did not lose his job or his reputation.

I believe in due process. If Irma Cobian was a bad principal, Superintendent Deasy should have brought her up on charges. He didn’t. The fact that Cobain built a supportive staff says something good about her leadership skills.

I am sorry if I hurt Ben Austin’s feelings. I wish he would say that he was sorry for the pain and suffering that he inflicted on Irma Cobain, on her staff, and on the school community.

Every school leader and staff must wonder if they will be next in line to be targeted by Parent Revolution. Instilling fear and anxiety in educators is not a good way to improve schools.

 

Categories California, Education Reform, Parent trigger

Parent Activist Says He Was Offered Money to Promote Trigger Law

By dianeravitch
May 25, 2013 //
9

A parent who supported Parent Revolution’s efforts to turn his school into a charter says the organization promised to pay him. He says he and other parent activists were sent around the country to promote the movie “Won’t Back Down,” which flopped at the box office. One parent leader in Adelanto was hired to work for the billionaire-funded faux-grassroots group.

Be sure to read the comments.

Categories California, Parent trigger

Wondering About Ben Austin

By dianeravitch
May 25, 2013 //
33

Earlier today, I posted an article that appeared in the Los Angeles Times about Parent Revolution forcing the ouster of an excellent principal, Irma Cobian.

I keep thinking about it. I think about the way her staff admired and respected her, how 21 of 22 teachers requested a transfer when she was targeted by the phony Parent Revolution.

Ben Austin is loathsome. He ruined the life and career of a dedicated educator. She was devoted to the children, he is devoted to the equally culpable foundations that fund his Frankenstein organization–Walton, Gates, and Broad. His biggest funder is the reactionary Walton Family Foundation, which spends $160 million every year to advance privatization.

Ben Austin is Walton’s useful idiot. He prattles on about his liberal credentials, but actions speak louder than words.

Here is my lifelong wish for him.

Ben, every day when you wake up, you should think of Irma Cobian. When you look in the mirror, think Irma Cobian. Your last thought every night should be Irma Cobian.

Ben, you ruined the life of a good person for filthy lucre. Never forget her. She should be on your conscience–if you have one–forever.

Categories California, Parent trigger

Parent Revolution Forces Out Excellent Principal

By dianeravitch
May 25, 2013 //
38

The billionaire-funded Parent Revolution flexed its muscle and got enough parent signatures to force the resignation of a highly effective principal.

Please read the story.

This is the principal who was ousted by Parent Revolution:

“Third-grade teacher Kate Lewis said Irma Cobian is the best principal she’s had in nine years at Weigand Avenue Elementary School in Watts.

“Joseph Shamel called Cobian a “godsend” who has used her mastery of special education to show him how to craft effective learning plans for his students.

“Los Angeles Unified Supt. John Deasy praised a plan developed by Cobian and her team to turn around the struggling campus — where most students test below grade level in reading and math — calling it a “well-organized program for accelerated student achievement.” He thanked Cobian for her commitment and hard work.”

21of the school’s 22 teachers have requested transfers because of Cobian’s ouster.

Parent Revolution is a malevolent organization funded by Walton, Gates, and Broad.

There is a special place in hell reserved for everyone who administers and funds this revolting organization that destroys schools and fine educators like Irma Cobian.

Categories California, Parent trigger

Join Discussion of Parent Trigger Hoax: LINK ADDED

By dianeravitch
May 22, 2013 //
4

Please join this important discussion about the corporate attempt to trick parents into handing their public schools over to private corporations:

The Parent Trigger from California to Florida

Sunday, May 26, 2013 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM Pacific Time

We will be hearing from Lori Yuan, a parent in Adelanto who fought the Parent Trigger at her school, and Parents Across America Founding Member Rita Solnet who, along with other organizations, defeated the Parent Trigger bill in the Florida State Senate on March 9, 2013.

To reserve your ticket, go to eventbrite.

This event is free.

This event is organized by Parents Across America.

Categories California, Charter Schools, Education Industry, Florida, For-Profit, Parent trigger, Parents, Privatization

Will Michael Fullan Stop NCLB and RTTT?

By dianeravitch
May 6, 2013 //
20

Officials in California have been meeting with Michael Fullan of Ontario to learn about the impressive improvements there.

Fullan wants to turn the state of California away from the carrots-and-sticks of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top.

The story linked her says:

“I want California to become an alternative model to No Child Left Behind; that would be a great thing to aspire to,” Fullan said last month during an interview in Sacramento. Instead of improvement through the “negative drivers” of standardized testing and quick school turnarounds, he would shift the focus to improving instruction through “motivational collaboration” between teachers and administrators.

Fullan believes that data should be used to improve, not to punish. What a novel idea! What would our Broad trained superintendents do if they were told to help teachers and schools, not to punish them?

Good grief! Fullan’s philosophy could cause the whole miserable, mean-spirited farce of federal policy to collapse.

Want to know more about Fullan? Read this.

His ideas might be powerful enough to beat the Billionaire Boys Club. They have this one important advantage: They work.

Categories California, Education Reform, NCLB (No Child Left Behind), Race to the Top

Sharp Decline in Number Entering Teaching in California

By dianeravitch
May 3, 2013 //
31

The corporate reform movement has been bashing teachers and public education without let-up for the past several years. The bashing became super-charged after the introduction of Race to the Top in 2009, because it explicitly blames teachers for low test scores despite evidence to the contrary.

The “reformers” claim they want “great teachers” in every classroom, and the way to do it is to fire teachers whose students get low scores, to close schools with low scores, and to deny teachers the right to due process. This is their formula, and they are sticking to it even though no other nation in the world has launched a vendetta against the teaching profession and public schools.

Now the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing reports a sharp decline in the number of people who want to teach.

Teresa Watanabe writes that:

” Interest in teaching is steadily dropping in California, with the number of educators earning a teaching credential dipping by 12% last year — marking the eighth straight annual decline.

“The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing reported this month that 16,450 educators earned their credential in 2011-12, compared with 23,320 in 2007-08.

“The number of students enrolling in teacher preparation programs has also decreased, to 34,838 in 2010-11 from 51,744 in 2006-07.”

This fraudulent reform movement is not going to achieve any of its stated goals. It will not lead to a great teacher in every classroom. Left unchecked, it will turn teaching into a temp job and dismantle public education. This will benefit the haves, not the have-nots. And that may explain why the haves are dumping millions of dollars into state and local school board races, to elect candidates who share their contempt for career educators and democratic control of public education.

Categories California, Race to the Top, Teacher Evaluations, Teacher Tenure, Teachers and Teaching

Why Should Students Care About High Stakes Tests That Don’t Count?

By dianeravitch
May 1, 2013 //
51

Another one of those zany testing stories.

In California, the staff gets the kids all excited about doing well on the state tests. They ave pep rallies, pizza parties, motivational assemblies, prizes, and anything else that might encourage the students to do their best.

But here is the odd part. The tests have no stakes for the students. Their purpose is to evaluate teachers, principals, and schools. The kids have no skin in the game.

Al Shanker used to say about merit pay (I heard him say it): “Let me get this right. The kids will work harder so the teachers can get a bonus? How does that work?”

In California, the kids have it in their power to fire their teachers and close their school, should they choose to do so. Is this a crazy country or what?

Categories California, Students, Teacher Evaluations, Testing
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »