Archives for category: Los Angeles
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Los Angeles: Eli Broad’s Illegitimate Proposal to Privatize Half the District

By dianeravitch
September 26, 2015 //
74

Eli Broad intends to raise $490 million to build 260 new charter schools for half the students in Los Angeles. Being a billionaire and moving in a world of billionaires, this will not be difficult for him. It’s true that he knows nothing about education; he has said so himself. But that should be no impediment since many charters are founded and run by people with no education experience.

The Los Angeles Times has an article about the test scores of charters, public magnet schools, and regular public schools in that city. The assumption, I suppose, is that whoever has the highest scorese is best.

But the test scores are beside the point. The really important question is why a billionaire should be allowed to buy half of a public institution. If Eli Broad didn’t like policing in Los Angeles, could he buy half the police force? If he thought the public parks were not well run, could he buy half of them?

Why should he be allowed to buy half the children in LAUSD?

It is widely believed that Eli Broad picked John Deasy as L.A.’s last superintendent. Deasy was a disaster, having cost the district at least $200 million for his failed plan to buy iPads at an inflated price for everyone in the district. The FBI is investigating the iPad mess. Deasy now works for Broad.

Many of the superintendents trained in Broad’s unaccredited superintendents academy have been fired because of their autocratic, top-down style. I happen to be in Dallas, which pushed out its Broadie, Mike Miles, after three tumultuous years, marked by a large exodus if teachers and principals and flat scores. I met with several superintendents, who said Miles had created constant disruption, my-way-or-out, and a “culture of fear.”

Eli Broad should not be allowed to take over half the children in Los Angekes.

Letting this deal go through would be the beginning of the end for public education, not only in Los Angeles but in many other cities as well.

Eli Broad’s power grab is an offense to our democracy. It is wrong. It is illegitimate. The elected board must not let it happen. They were elected to safeguard and improve the city’s public schools, not to privatize them.

Categories Broad Foundation, Charter Schools, Los Angeles

Los Angeles: Public Magnet Schools Outperform Charter Schools–By Far

By dianeravitch
September 25, 2015 //
35

Parent activist Karen Wolfe reported that public magnet schools far outperformed privtately managed charter on the recent state tests.

The report released by Cortines said:

““While overall results indicate that independent charter schools scored higher on these tests than traditional LAUSD schools, it also highlights the stellar performance of our magnet schools, which out-performed charter schools at all grade levels,” Cortines wrote.

“In English Language Arts, 65% of magnets scored higher than the state average compared with 34% of independent charters. On the Math assessment, 56% of magnets scored higher than the state average, more than twice what the charters scored.

“This report proves what many public education advocates have always known: the diversity of our public schools is an asset, not something to avoid.

“Charter school parents often choose charters because class sizes are smaller and the school community is similar to their own. But this report turns that choice on its head.

“The performance of our magnets demonstrates how academic innovation can serve minority students and those from underserved communities who are seeking a nontraditional education. While the primary function of our magnets is to ensure ethnic diversity at schools districtwide, the 198 magnet programs and schools also provide a community of learning for students at all economic levels.” Cortines said.”

Categories Charter Schools, Los Angeles

Los Angeles: Board Split Over Plan to Privatize Education for Half Its Students

By dianeravitch
September 23, 2015 //
23

The Los Angeles Times reports that the school board of Los Angeles is split over Eli Broad’s ambitious and undemocratic plan to create privately managed charters for half the students in the city’s schools at a cost of $490 million.

Newly elected board member Scott Schmerelson expressed his revulsion for the Broad plan:

“The concept amazes and angers me,” said board member Scott Schmerelson. “Far from being in the best interest of children, it is an insult to teaching and administrative professionals, an attack on democratic, transparent and inclusive public school governance and negates accountability to taxpayers.”

Other board members were equally disturbed by Broad’s proposed takeover:

Board President Steve Zimmer also had a strongly negative response, saying that the financial impact would be devastating for the students who remain in traditional schools.

“Everyone understands 250,000 kids will not be part of this,” said Zimmer, who has criticized the rapid growth of charters. “There is collateral damage: We won’t be able to lower class size or provide comprehensive support our kids need.”

The private money, he said, “could ensure every child living in poverty in L.A. County … could have access to high-quality early education.”

Board member George McKenna, along with Monica Ratliff, said he wanted foundation money “directed toward the public schools that are already established and need all the private support that we can get.”

Ratliff also said that the charter plan underscores the need to hire a new superintendent who will promote L.A. Unified’s own successes. The district has launched a search to replace schools Supt. Ramon Cortines who has said he wants to leave by year’s end.

“It’s important that a superintendent publicizes that LAUSD schools are extremely competitive” with the best charter schools, Ratliff said.

It is almost unimaginable that people elected to oversee the public schools would support a call to privatize them, but charter founder Ref Rodriguez and charter cheerleader Monica Garcia applauded the Broad plan for privatization. Do they think they were elected to destroy public education? Weren’t they elected to improve public schools? Were they honest with voters when they campaigned? Would they have been elected if they had been honest in saying they wanted to join the board to hand their children over to Eli Broad and strip resources from the ones Eli doesn’t want?

Is Los Angeles prepared to abandon public education? Do the people of the city really want their children to be a “proof point” for privatization of public education? Do half the children serve the will of an egotistical billionaire?

Eli Broad was educated in the public schools of Michigan. Why doesn’t he work to improve the public schools of Los Angeles so that children in his adopted city have the same opportunity he had? Please, Eli, take the eighth grade Common Core tests and publish your scores so we can compare them to the children in the public schools that you treat with such contempt.

Categories Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Los Angeles, Privatization

Peter Greene Roasts the Billionaire Plan to Privatize L.A. Schools

By dianeravitch
September 23, 2015 //
18

Peter Greene is a master of close reading. In this post, he deconstructs Eli Broad’s audacious plan to take over half the students in Los Angeles and put them in charter schools.

Peter read the 44-page report, which reads like an investors’prospectus. It turns the stomach to see these very rich men destroying a democratic institution.

Here are a few wonderful excerpts:

“But the dream is not just to tap into the huge market of students trapped in failing blah blah blah waiting for their chance for high-quality seats (and, man, I would love to see one of these seats, sit in one of these seats, visit the High Quality Seat Factory and see how these seats are made) blah blah blah.”

And best of all:

“I am absolutely bowled over at the magnitude of this power grab. Imagine if Broad and his friends said, “We’re not happy with the LAPD, so we’re going to hire and train our own police force, answerable to nobody but us, to cover some parts of the city. Also, the taxpayers have to foot the bill.” Or if they decided to get their own army? Or their own mayor?

“Who does this? Who says, “We can’t get enough control over the elected officials in this branch of government, so we will just shove them out of the way and replace them with our own guys, who won’t bug us by answering to Those People.”

“This is not just about educational quality (or lack thereof), or just about how to turn education into a cash cow for a few high rollers– this is about a hamhanded effort to circumvent democracy in a major American city. There’s nothing in this plan about listening to the parents or community- only about what is going to be done to them by men with power and money. This just sucks a lot.”

It was said that Mussolini made the trains run on time. All the Italian people had to do was accept fascism. Are the people of Los Angeles prepared to hand their children over to autocrats and billionaires?

Categories Broad Foundation, Charter Schools, Los Angeles

Los Angeles Times Reveals Eli Broad’s $490 Million Plan to Expand Privatization in L.A.

By dianeravitch
September 22, 2015 //
34

Howard Blume of the Los Angeles Times obtained a copy of Eli Broad’s plan to build charter schools for half the students in Los Angeles.

The plan projects that it will cost $490 million and take eight years to build 260 new charter schools. Here is the 44-page document.

This would, of course, decimate the remaining public schools by draining them of students and resources.

And the city would run a dual school-system, both supported by public funds. But only the charters would be free to reject students they don’t want, and they would have ample resources from their friends in philanthropy and hedge funds.

Who elected Eli Broad, a man who has said publicly that he knows nothing about education, to redesign the public schools that belong to the people, not to him?

Will anyone stand up to this billionaire who thinks he can buy anything and anyone?

Categories Broad Foundation, Charter Schools, Los Angeles

Deasy Supporters Seek Role in Picking New Superintendent

By dianeravitch
September 21, 2015 //
24

A grou of “civic leaders” met with Los Angeles school board president Steve Zimmer to ask him to put them in charge of screening candidates for the new superintendent.

Some of these groups are funded by the Gates Foundation and the Broad Foundation, the Billionaire Boys Club. They supported Former superintendent John Deasy, whose autocratic style antagonized teachers and whose legally dubious iPad plan is under FBI investigation.

Of I recall correctly, some of these individuals helped build the multi-million war chest to defeat Steve Zimmer for re-election.

Oh, dear. How shocking it would be if the LAUSD board picked a leader who didn’t buckle to the pro-privatization gang? What if it were an educator who was unafraid of Eli Broad? He has admitted he knows nothing about education, but he can’t stop trying to control it with his billions.

Categories Administrators, superintendents, Corporate Reformers, Los Angeles

Watch the Live-Streaming of UTLA Protest at Opening of Eli Broad Museum TODAY AT NOON EST

By dianeravitch
September 20, 2015 //
5

You can watch the live streaming of the UTLA protest against Eli Broad at the opening of his new museum here.

It will be live streamed TODAY at 9 AM Pacific Time, which is 12 pm EST.

Why picket Eli Broad?

He has funded every attack against the teaching profession, against teachers’ right to collective bargaining, and against public schools. This, despite the fact, that he graduated from the public schools of Michigan. He wants to fill America’s cities and communities with non-union charter schools.

In Los Angeles, his foundation has committed to opening enough charter schools to enroll 50 percent of L.A.’s students. Broad is committed to raise $1 billion from other foundations for his privatization plan. Imagine what he could do for the children of Los Angeles if he raised the same amount to reduce class sizes, to restore arts education and librarians, and to hire social workers and guidance counselors.

The president of the UTLA, Alex Caputo-Pearl has challenged Eli Broad to a debate. Broad has not responded.

Who elected him to privatize the public schools of Los Angeles and the nation?

Categories Broad Foundation, Charter Schools, Los Angeles, Privatization

Tomorrow, Watch the Live-Streaming of UTLA Protest at Opening of Eli Broad Museum in Los Angeles

By dianeravitch
September 19, 2015 //
22

You can watch the live streaming of the UTLA protest against Eli Broad at the opening of his new museum here.

It will be live streamed TOMORROW at 9 AM Pacific Time, which is noon, EST.

Why picket Eli Broad?

He has funded every attack against the teaching profession, against teachers’ right to collective bargaining, and against public schools. This, despite the fact, that he graduated from the public schools of Michigan. He wants to fill America’s cities and communities with non-union charter schools.

In Los Angeles, his foundation has committed to opening enough charter schools to enroll 50 percent of L.A.’s students. Broad is committed to raise $1 billion from other foundations for his privatization plan. Imagine what he could do for the children of Los Angeles if he raised the same amount to reduce class sizes, to restore arts education and librarians, and to hire social workers and guidance counselors.

The president of the UTLA, Alex Caputo-Pearl has challenged Eli Broad to a debate. Broad has not responded.

Who elected him to privatize the public schools of Los Angeles and the nation?

Categories Broad Foundation, Los Angeles, Resistance

Los Angeles: Let Parents Participate in Choosing the Next Superintendent, “Vet the Supe”

By dianeravitch
September 12, 2015 //
21

Parent activists in Los Angeles have started organizing a campaign to have a seat at the table when the school board picks the next superintendent.

They call their campaign “Vet the Supe.” See links here and here.

They are concerned that the Board might select another Broadie like Deasy, who collected $350,000 a year, wasted hundreds of millions of dollars in a botched plan to buy iPads, and now works for the Broad Foundation, training other superintendents. Is that the definition of chutzpah?

Categories Administrators, superintendents, Los Angeles, Parents

Living Large: A Glimpse of John Deasy’s Expense Account

By dianeravitch
September 8, 2015 //
21

John Deasy liked to dine in the best restaurants.

True, he didn’t bill for dinners at Per Se in Manhattan, where the average meal may cost $600 or more. (However, the list is just a small sampling of three years of expenses.)

Fortunately, Eli Broad and Casey Wasserman picked up many of these bills as a public service. Or maybe it was the taxpayers of Los Angeles.

It may be just a small sampling, but take a look at these swell meals.

Categories Los Angeles
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »