Archives for category: Los Angeles
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Los Angeles Teachers Agree to Néw Contract

By dianeravitch
May 9, 2015 //
4

After eight years without a raise, teachers in Los Angeles overwhelmingly approved a new contract.

Howard Blume reports:

“An overwhelming majority of teachers union members voted to ratify a three-year contract with the Los Angeles Unified School District, the union announced Friday.

“More than 97% of 25,407 educators who cast ballots favored the pact, which includes a 10% raise over two years.

“Union members also ratified a separate benefits package that retains key current features of employee health plans.

“The collective bargaining agreement is good for educators and students,” union President Alex Caputo-Pearl said in a statement.

“The Board of Education must give formal approval to the deal, which is widely expected as soon as next week.

“The raise is phased in: 4% is retroactive to July 1, 2014; 2% retroactive to Jan. 1, 2015. Pay goes up another 2% on July 1, and the final 2% on Jan. 1, 2016. Teachers have the right to negotiate for an additional raise in the third year of the contract.

“Teachers had gone without a pay increase for eight years, although they continued to receive salary boosts based on years of experience and additional eligible education credits.

“During the recent recession, teachers had agreed to temporary salary reductions. Still,thousands of educators and other employees were laid off.

“The agreement includes funding to reduce the size of classes in key subjects or grade levels. Schools may also get more counselors, although the maximum ratio of students per secondary school counselor is still 500 to 1.”

Categories Los Angeles, Unions

BREAKING: L.A. School Board Candidate and His Charter Scandal

By dianeravitch
May 3, 2015 //
25

Charter school founder Ref Rodriguez is running for the Los Angeles school board, seeking to beat incumbent Bennett Kayser. Kayser is known for his insistence that charter schools be financially transparent and accountable for their use of public funds.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the charter school chain co-founded by Rodriguez (who is its treasurer) is embroiled in financial scandal.

“A Los Angeles-based charter group awarded food-service contracts worth millions of dollars to a company partially owned by one of the schools’ high-ranking employees, a state investigation has found.

“The probe involved Jacqueline Duvivier Castillo, who is the director of business and development for PUC Schools and a part-owner in Better 4 You Meals, a company that has provided food to the charter group for the last five years. Investigators said the charter failed to demonstrate that the contract was “awarded properly despite the apparent conflict of interest.”

“Late Saturday, the charter organization said in an email to The Times that Duvivier Castillo would no longer be an employee of PUC….

“Duvivier Castillo failed to properly report her financial interests in the company. The company was ineligible for the food contracts because it lacked a health permit and relied on a subcontractor to prepare meals. PUC Schools did not select the lowest-priced bidder as required.
One of the area’s largest charter groups, PUC serves about 4,800 students in 15 schools, including in the east San Fernando Valley and north of downtown. PUC’s test scores typically compare well with nearby traditional neighborhood schools. It recently started a national organization that opened a campus in Rochester, N.Y….”

Charter officials said they were unaware of the conflict of interest but official documents showed otherwise.

“Tax documents for 2010 list the company as a vendor in filings signed by Rodriguez or Elliot. PUC, the documents said, was “party to a business transaction” with a “key employee.”

“The charter’s tax returns for 2012, however, no longer listed the company as a vendor.

“Company documents provided by the state show that Duvivier Castillo’s husband, Fernando Castillo, is a top official with the company, which provides meals for students at more than 100 charter and private schools.

“He could not be reached for comment.

“Annual audits paid for by PUC and released by the state indicated charter officials knew of the alleged conflict of interest.

“Additionally … PUC has signed a contract with a company that is one hundred percent owned by PUC’s director of business and development,” the PUC audit said. “PUC’s management believes that all transactions, including the bidding process, were done in arm’s length.”

“According to these audits from PUC, the charter group paid Better 4 You Meals more than $339,000 in 2011, more than $947,000 in 2012 and about $970,000 in 2013. No figures were available for other years.

“Charter officials reported to the state that Duvivier Castillo had a controlling interest in the company until 2014. She and her husband now have 19% stock ownership, charter officials said.”

Categories Charter Schools, Los Angeles

I Am Donating to Bennett Kayser’s Campaign for Los Angeles School Board

By dianeravitch
May 3, 2015 //
28

I don’t live in Los Angeles, but then neither do the hedge fund managers and equity investors and billionaires who regularly pump money into campaigns in districts where they don’t live. I am giving Bennett Kayser’s campaign $100 because he expects charter schools to be financially and academically accountable. All schools that receive public money should be held to the same standards. His opponent Ref Rodriguez operates a charter school which tried to keep a recent audit secret until after the election. It has been leaked, however. See the KPCC public radio summary here. Rodriguez is the charter’s co-founder and treasurer; the audit finds the school was “insolvent” for nine years and was poorly managed in terms of its finances.

Here is a comment on the blog:

“Here’s where you can donate on-line to Bennett’s campaign:

“http://www.bennett2015.com/donate-online.html

“Here’s his website in general:

http://www.bennett2015.com/

“One more thing, Ref portrays himself as a poor Chicano from the barrio who cares about the education well-being of poor Chicanos in the barrio.

“Well, let’s see… because charters are unregulated, he can pay himself whatever he wants, and he works as little as he wants.

“So what does he do?

“He pays himself $350,000 (a third of a million dollars) annually, while he pays his custodial and cafeteria workers—all low-income Latinos—$8/hour instead of the living wage that their counterparts in the traditional public schools get paid… while principals in traditional public schools earn around $100,000 annually.

“Try to live in L.A. on $8/hour.”

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Los Angeles

Karen Wolfe: Teachers! Turn Out for Bennett Kayser!

By dianeravitch
May 3, 2015 //
6

Karen Wolfe is a public school parent in Los Angeles:

She writes:

“Just like a rash of neighborhood robberies reminds us to double check that our doors are locked, Ref “Reformer” Rodriguez’s campaign to take the school board seat away from experienced educator Bennett Kayser reminds us how vulnerable we are.

“One recent alarm came in the form of an invitation to a fundraiser at the home of Frank Baxter (supporter of charters since they were a twinkle in his eye, in the 1990s, and now co-chairman of the board of the Alliance charter management organization).

“The Special Guest was none other than Marshall Tuck, the recently defeated candidate for California Superintendent.

“Defeat is no obstacle for someone like Tuck. Sure, in addition to losing his election, he was left off the “really good list of ed reform leaders in LA :)” which LA School Report publisher Jamie Alter Lynton sent to her husband, Sony chief Michael Lynton. (Readers can see the whole list in the treasure trove of leaked Sony emails exposed on WikiLeaks.)

“So, at the Ref Rodriguez fundraiser, Marshall Tuck was the Special Guest.

“The suggested donations were $500-$1100 per person. Why stop at $1100? I thought the LA City Ethics Commission in January raised the campaign donation limit to $1300. Maybe supporters are purposely reserving $200 because it’s just enough for a trip to Walmart for campaign supplies–valet parking included. That’s what Students For Education Reform disclosed spending on April 13, working *independently* to defeat Bennett Kayser.

“Humor aside, it turns out $1100 is the donation limit, and $200 in receipts is not even a drop in the bucket to Walmart of course. The billionaire retailer is waging a war on labor unions and the quickest route is through public schools.

“No one has stood up more consistently for the school district’s union partners than Bennett Kayser. So where is the brotherhood and sisterhood as we fight to protect and restore our schools? As Bennett Kayser wages the campaign fight for his life?

“According to folks close to Kayser’s campaign, SEIU has stepped in. This is surprising to education activists who have been unnerved by SEIU’s advocacy for former superintendent Deasy and other privateers. Let’s hope they increase their support tremendously–immediately. But where are the teachers, for whom Bennett Kayser—a former classroom teacher—has been a steadfast supporter? While UTLA strongly backed Bennett Kayser in the primary campaign, their organization is invisible as we near the finish line.

“Bennett Kayser is being outspent by charters 9:1. But if every teacher that lives in Board District 5 brings in two votes, Bennett Kayser will win and, once again, people will win over corporate power. UTLA can provide the kind of support that can make a monumental difference. They need to do it today.

“The alarm is sounding for Bennett Kayser’s campaign.

“Anyone wishing to volunteer can contact 323-535-9930 and donations can be made at http://www.bennett2015.com/donate-online.html. Every single bit helps.”

Categories Charter Schools, Los Angeles

BREAKING: KPCC Obtains Audit of Candidate’s Charter School

By dianeravitch
April 30, 2015 //
25

Public radio station KPCC in Los Angeles obtained a copy of the audit of the charter school run by Ref Rodriguez, who is running for the city’s school board on May 19 against incumbent Bennett Kayser.

The story was written by Annie Gilbertson, the same reporter who broke the Deasy-iPad scandal.

“A Los Angeles Unified school board member sought to withhold an inspector general audit finding Partnership to Uplift Communities’ Lakeview Charter Academy was insolvent for nine years.”

An unnamed member of the school board had tried to suppress the audit until after the election.

The audit shows that the charter was insolvent for nine years. Also it “noted numerous fiscal “deficiencies,” including poorly documented expenditures, failure to meet minimum reserves and questionable oversight by the parent organization.”

Rodriguez is co-founder and treasurer of the charter organization.

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Los Angeles

Los Angeles: Why Not Release Audit of Candidate’s Charter School?

By dianeravitch
April 29, 2015 //
30

As the next school board election approaches, the audit of a charter school run by a candidate for the board has been withheld.

The candidate, Ref Rodriguez, is the darling of the privatizers. Apparently, his ally on the board Minuca Garcia asked to delay release of the audit until after the election. This is outrageous!

His opponent is Bennett Kayser, who has criticized the charter industry. The industry has made it a priority to unseat him.

Frankly, it should be a conflict of interest for a charter operator to be a member of the board that allegedly oversees his operation.

Los Angeles needs sunlight. It needs to see the audit of Ref’s school. It needs board members dedicated to serving the public interest, not the charter industry.

Categories Charter Schools, Los Angeles

Breaking News: Controversial Former LAUSD Administrator Named to Lead Burbank, CA, Schools

By dianeravitch
April 17, 2015 //
76

Despite loud protests from the district’s teachers, the school board of Burbank, California, named Matt Hill as the next superintendent of schools.

Teachers were upset for two reasons:

1) Hill never was a teacher.

2) Hill is a graduate of the unaccredited Broad Superintendents Academy, which is known for promoting school closings and privatization.

Hill persuaded the board that it should give him a chance. He said it was just as unfair to demonize his business background as it is unfair to demonize teachers.

Hill was responsible for the disastrous iPad program and MISIS program in the Los Angeles public schools. In addition to an ongoing FBI investigation of conflicts of interests in the district’s procurement agreement with Apple and Pearson, the SEC is now probing whether the use of bond funds to buy iPads was appropriate.

Categories Broad Foundation, Charter Schools, Los Angeles, Technology, Computers

LAUSD Ditches Pearson and Apple

By dianeravitch
April 15, 2015 //
41

John Deasy’s ill-fated commitment to buy an iPad for every student and staff member (he called the program a civil rights issue) loaded with Pearson software for $1.3 billion is finished.

The district is canceling the program and demanding a multi-million dollar refund.

“Los Angeles Unified told Apple Inc. this week that it will not spend another dollar on the Pearson software installed on its iPads and is seeking a multimillion-dollar refund from the technology giant.

“If an agreement cannot be reached, the nation’s second-largest school district could take Apple to court.

“While Apple and Pearson promised a state-of-the-art technological solution for ITI implementation, they have yet to deliver it,” David Holmquist, the school district’s attorney, wrote in a letter to Apple’s general counsel. The ITI, or Instructional Technology Initiative, is the district’s name for its iPad program.

“Holmquist said the district is “extremely dissatisfied” with the work of Pearson on its technology initiative to get computers into the hands of each of the district’s 650,000 students.

“As we approach the end of the school year, the vast majority of students are still unable to access the Pearson curriculum on iPads,” he wrote.

“L.A. Unified’s $1.3 billion iPad program has been fraught with problems, from issues getting the technology to work in the classrooms to questions about how the tablets were procured.”

The procurement is being investigated by the FBI.

Categories Common Core, Los Angeles, Technology, Computers

California Court Rules That Charter Schools Are Entitled to More Public Space in L.A.

By dianeravitch
April 10, 2015 //
7

A court decision handed down in California found that charters in Los Angeles are entitled to more space.

The California Supreme Court unanimously decided Thursday that the Los Angeles school district’s method for allocating space to charter schools may shortchange them classrooms.

In a decisionhttp://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/documents/S208611.PDF written by Justice Goodwin Liu, the state’s highest court said the L.A. Unified School District’s formula may “undercount” the number of classrooms that charter schools are entitled to and should be replaced with a different method.

But whether the new method would lead to expansions for L.A. charter schools was unclear. The guidelines laid down by the court contained plenty of room for interpretation. Charter advocates predicted that at least some schools would get additional space. An attorney for LAUSD said no new charter school classrooms would be required.

The case was based on Proposition 39, which voters passed in 2000. It requires school districts to give charters facilities that are reasonably equivalent to those provided to students in traditional public schools. Charter schools are publicly funded and independently run. Most are nonunion.

The court said L.A. Unified violated a state regulation by allocating space to charters based on the number of classrooms staffed by teachers across the district. The law requires other space — including rooms used for study halls or libraries — to be part of the equation, the court said.

“Counting only those classrooms staffed by an assigned teacher would effectively impute to charter schools the same staffing decisions made by the District,” Liu wrote. “But there is no reason to think a charter school would necessarily use classrooms in the same way that the District does.”

David M. Huff, who represented LAUSD, said the district already shares libraries and other non-teaching rooms with on-site charters. Although the district must use a different formula in allotting space, “the math works out the same,” he said.

Categories Charter Schools, Los Angeles, Privatization

Los Angeles: Charter Teachers Want to Unionize

By dianeravitch
March 31, 2015 //
7

Laura Clawson at the Daily Kos reports that some teachers at a charter chain in Los Angeles want to organize a union. They have asked management to stay neutral. They thought management agreed, but it created an anti-union video.

Laura knows that the charter business model relies on low wages and teacher turnover; much of the money behind the charter industry (think Walton) is staunchly anti-union.

By the way, the incoming chair of the charter board previously led the Broad Foundation.

Categories Charter Schools, Los Angeles, Unions
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