Archives for category: Los Angeles
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Deasy Defies New L.A. Board Majority

By dianeravitch
July 12, 2013 //
28

When the Los Angeles school board prepared to elect a new president, Superintendent John Deasy let it be known that he might resign if Richard Vladovic won the election.

Vladovic won by 5-2. The two nay votes came from outgoing president Monica Garcia and her ally Tamar Galatzan.

Before the election, there were rumors that Vladovic was under investigation for verbally abusing board employees, and newspaper accounts suggested that Deasy was trying to derail his candidacy. That did not help their working relationship.

The new board passed a resolution endorsing class size reduction, a measure opposed by Deasy. Deasy favored a motion by Galatzan proposing more money for high-needs students, which was postponed by the board.

In a show of defiance, Deasy said he would comply with the resolution that was not passed because the board did not forbid him from doing it. Deasy opposes reduced class size because it will mean hiring more staff.

This is what he told the LA School Report (a pro-corporate reform newspaper):

“The Board voted down the directive to have me come and do it,” said Deasy, referring to Galatzan’s local spending resolution. “[But] they can’t stop me from doing it; we’re doing it anyway. If they had voted to prevent me from doing it… well they didn’t think of that.”

“The Superintendent explained that the future spending plan the Board ordered him to produce will comply with the Board-passed Kayser resolution regarding staffing (or as Deasy derisively called it, a “directive to hire every human being on the West Coast”) but will also include some form of the local spending plan he and Galaztan have been advocating.”

When the unions learned that Deasy would ignore the board vote, they wrote a letter to the board.

They raised the question about why Deasy intended to flout the authority of the board he works for.

With a number of strong wills converging, this will be worth watching.

Bottom line: How long will Deasy last as an employee of a board whose leadership he does not like or trust, and how long will the board tolerate insubordination by Deasy?

Categories Los Angeles

That Crucial LAUSD Board Meeting: A New Day

By dianeravitch
July 3, 2013 //
8

It seems like only yesterday that Mayor Villaraigosa was trying to take control of the Los Angeles public schools. Now there is a new mayor, and he clearly had little influence over the choice of a new school board president. The vote for Dr. Richard Vladovic was a decisive 5-2.

Monica Ratliff was sworn in by her mother, in both Spanish and English.

Ratliff was elected despite being vastly outspent by the usual corporate reform crowd, who were beaten twice this spring, first by Steve Zimmer, then by Monica Ratliff.

Ratliff immediately stepped into her role, requesting that the candidates for board president describe their priorities.

Zimmer spoke at length about corporate greed. He said, “We should never be data driven…We should be data informed… We should avoid the seduction of easy answers.”

It is a new majority in Los Angeles. This should get interesting.

Categories Los Angeles

Breaking News: Deasy Critic Wins L.A. Board Presidency

By dianeravitch
July 2, 2013 //
11

In a changing of the regime, the leadership of the Los Angeles school board changed hands.

Six-term president Monica Garcia is out.

Dr. Richard Vladovic was elected as president, with Steve Zimmer as vice-president.

Garcia was a close ally of Mayor Villaraigosa.

Categories Los Angeles

Crenshaw High in Los Angeles: Deasy Targets Veteran Teachers

By dianeravitch
July 1, 2013 //
15

At Superintendent John Deasy’s urging, the Los Angeles school board last spring voted to restructure Crenshaw High because of its low test scores.

The school will be divided into magnets.

All of the staff had to reapply for their jobs.

Curiously, the veteran teachers who were most outspoken in their criticism of the restructuring were not rehired.

Categories Los Angeles

The Academic Credentials Problem: Vallas and Deasy

By dianeravitch
June 29, 2013 //
31

A reader from Los Angeles raises questions about Dr. Deasy’s credentials and his backers. I cannot verify all his claims but could verify this and thisand this:

The reader writes:

“In Los Angeles, “Dr.” (a term L.A. teachers sneer at) John Deasy got his PhD from the University of Louisville after six months attendance and nine units of coursework from a “Professor” (another loose term) Felner whom Deasy had previously awarded $375,000 in consulting contracts while Superintendent of Santa Monica. Felner later received a vote of no confidence first from the University and then the U.S. Justice Department which sentenced him to five years in federal prison for defrauding the US Government and urban school districts of $2.3 million. Deasy lied on his resume, claiming to have taught at Loyola and was “installed” by Eli Broad (he’s a Broad Graduate), Bill Gates, and Mayor Villariagosa. Not only did LAUSD not conduct a national search, they didn’t even interview him. When I say “installed,” I mean, “INSTALLED!” He is now busy wrecking the careers of hundreds, soon to be thousands of dedicated teaching professionals using false allegations, many related to child abuse. Does anyone truly believe we suddenly have thousands of child-abusing teachers in L.A., or has an unqualified, vindictive, malicious Superintendent launched an unprecedented McCarthyistic witch hunt against primarily senior teachers to cover his own behind for mishandling other legitimate sex scandals (including a previous Superintendent’s) and solve his budget problems by riding himself of highly skilled (relatively expensive) veteran teachers while simultaneously robbing them of district-paid lifetime retirement health benefits –a quarter of a million dollars or more these veterans have spent decades earning while serving to LAUSD students?”

Six months and nine units got Deasy a PhD. Oh and by the way, his dissertation is dated months before he even enrolled at Louisville. How many ways can you spell “Quid Pro Quo?” What is the plural? Is it “Quids,” “Pros,” or “Quos”? All three? It can’t be “Pros.” Deasy is anything but a “pro.”

Deasy is literally skinning teachers alive with false allegations. And after paying accused child molester Mark Brendt $40,000 to resign, he did not notify the State’s Teacher Credential Commission for more than a year, the penalty for which is the revocation of your (meaning Deasy’s) administrative credential. Why does a man who admittedly broke the law still have an administrative credential? Why is he still an administrator? Why is his butchering of teachers being allowed to continue? Two reasons. The first is “Eli” and the second is “Broad.”

Categories Broad Foundation, Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, Los Angeles, Vallas, Paul

Why Doesn’t the Los Angeles World Affairs Council Want to Hear My Views?

By dianeravitch
June 27, 2013 //
38

This is a strange but true story.

As you know, I have a new book coming out in mid-September, and I plan to visit several cities on the west coast.

A reader of the blog reached out to see if the Los Angeles World Affairs Council would host me to speak at a luncheon.

I will be in Los Angeles October 1 and 2. I am speaking at Cal State-Northridge on the evening of October 2. So I thought it would be a good idea to speak to LAWAC at lunch on October 2 or in the evening of October 1.

LAWAC has previously hosted Michelle Rhee, who was introduced by Eli Broad, the billionaire philanthropist.

The initial response from LAWAC was that it would be delighted to present me, that its members are very interested in education issues, and that we could work out the details.

I conveyed this information to my lecture agent, who is coordinating my travel arrangements. She asked for a fee, as is customary (I don’t know what she asked for). The response came back that LAWAC does not pay speaker fees.

I responded immediately, directly to the executive director of LAWAC and wrote that I would gladly speak for free. He replied that LAWAC does not pay speakers’ fees.

I thought maybe he missed my previous email, so I wrote again and said, clearly and in caps, I will speak for FREE, I require no fee, nothing at all, not even expenses. I am willing to speak for no fee. No fee, no fee, no fee. Do I make myself clear? No fee. Free.

Again came back the response. “LAWAC does not pay speakers’ fees.”

I think the message is: LAWAC does not want to hear anyone who disagrees with Michelle Rhee and Eli Broad. Or maybe LAWAC is no longer interested in hearing about education as it is no longer an important issue. But it cannot be about fees.

What do you think?

Categories Los Angeles

Is the Tide Turning Against Corporate Reform in Los Angeles?

By dianeravitch
June 23, 2013 //
6

Something unusual happened at the most recent Los Angeles school board meeting. Even before newly elected Monica Ratliff was sworn in, the pro-privatization majority was in retreat.

Here is a fascinating account of the background and context:

So glad you are reporting this. I only wish that Zimmer had gone ever further on the class size issue and had reminded everyone that LAUSD has the largest numbers of charter schools. Every time a start up charter or independent conversion charter gets approved, money gets taken out of LAUSD’s budget. This has been brought up time after time, and even the budget director mentioned it at a recent meeting. So, it begs the question as to who Galatzan and Garcia are really supporting? Who is more important to them, charter schools or the vast majority of students in traditional schools?

I think the answer is obvious. After all, where does the big money come from when it comes time to collect campaign funds? The list of funders from Garcia’s recent board race reads like a who’s-who list of charter friendly corporations and charter operators.

Below is a paragraph from a recent IG report on how special education funding is negatively impacting LAUSD and thus contributing to class size increases. This happens because charter schools have a much lower percentage of special ed students and for those they do enroll, most have the least severe disabilities.

Click to access 13497FUNDINGSPECIAL%20EDUCATION%20PROGRAM.PDF

“An increasing number of charter schools is eroding the District’s ADA base for special education funding. The California funding system for special education is based on Census-Based funding model that funds special education programs based on school’s Average Daily Attendance (ADA) numbers. The establishment of charter schools takes away ADA numbers from the District resulting in less funding for the District’s special education program.”

Another item not discussed anywhere was the denial of a charter school.

From the LA Times:

“The board also voted to reject a bid from an independently operated charter school to remain open. Anahuacalmecac International University Preparatory High School had sought a second, five-year charter, as well as permission to expand to offer a kindergarten-through-12th-grade program.”

This charter has two schools. The last time one of their schools came up for renewal, denial was also recommended. But, Garcia convinced her buddies on the board to overturn the charter division’s recommendation. After the vote, she got out of her chair and went into the street to celebrate with the head of the school, leaving behind her duties and missing out on voting on other issues.

This time, things were different. While the school was allowed to present their reasons for overturning the denial, when the board was asked to vote, NONE of the board members said a word. There was NO discussion…..ZERO!!! The vote was taken immediately and it was 6-1 in support of the denial. Of course, Garcia voted to overturn.

I suspect that this silence was pre-determined decision by the board. Perhaps it was because of the horrific report from the Inspector General’s office:

Click to access 12492ACADEMIA%20SEMILLAS%20CHARTER%20SCHOOL.PDF

The report above clearly states that, when an audit was requested, the school repeatedly refused to turnover any records. Perhaps the head of the school felt he had Garcia’s back and that, like before, the board’s charter friendly majority would ignore this “minor” problem. But not this time. Perhaps the board did not want an open discussion during which it may have been revealed that the board has been complicit in rubber stamping a charter that so blatantly disregards the rules.

Bottom line….the charter friendly board members took a major hit on Tuesday. Actions and statements by Garcia and Galatzan received numerous negative responses from the audience. Most certainly, this was only a precursor of what is to come.

Categories Charter Schools, Los Angeles, Special Education

L.A.: Why the School Board President Tried to Silence UTLA President

By dianeravitch
June 21, 2013 //
10

A reader who attended the recent Los Angeles school board meeting noticed the effort by a board member to prevent Warren Fletcher, president of the United Teachers of Los Angeles, from speaking. The sequence is fascinating and well worth reading (and watching).

 

If you really want to see, in action, Board Member Tamar Galatzan’s (and also Board Member Monica Garcia’s) animus towards teachers’ unions, go to:

lausd.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?clip_id=58

BACKGROUND: the rules and etiquette at LAUSD board meetings has always been to allow the UTLA President to speak on an issue without a speaker card, after the 7 public commenters have finished. Well, this precedent was almost broken at this meeting… almost.

Keep that in mind when you watch this at:

07:30:00

UTLA President Warren Fletcher, always eloquent, knowlegable, and articulate, approaches the mic to talk and Galatzan tries to silence him, and move on to the next phase where Board Members then comment.

Galatzan, who has taken over as presiding chair, is stopped by Fletcher, who asks for his customary time to speak. Incredibly, Galatzan snaps at him, “You do not have a speaker card.” (Mind you, he represents over 35,000 teachers and other educators)

Fletcher: “Excuse me. May I – ”

Galatzan: “Hold on one second. Hold on one second. Seven speakers… you do not have a speaker card.”

Fletcher: “Excuse me. I – ”

Galatzan looks away dismissively from Fletcher, and addresses the other Board members.

Galatzan: (turns away) “Okay, umm, thank you. Questions and comments?”

People in the crowd start shouting objections to Galatzan, and Galatzan responds with condescension.

Galatzan: “I’m sorry. The rules is that we have seven speakers. We’ve heard seven speakers.”
—(fixing her eyes on Fletcher)
“Now, we’re done with Public Comment period. There’s now – ”

The crowd then erupts with shouts “Let him speak!!!”

Galatzan: “There’s now time for the Board Members to comment if they should desire. Do any of my colleagues on the board have any questions of comments on Number 45?”

More objections shouted from the crowd.

Veteran Board member Margueritte Lamotte then chimes in an exasperated tone.

LaMotte: “Can we have not ask for permission for the president to speak?”

The crowd grows louder.

Galatzan: (irritatated, but gives in) “Oh. Go ahead.”

The crowd applauds.

Fletcher: “Thank you, Madame Chair.”

He then proceeds to give Zimmer a run for his money in the speech-making department. Fletcher doesn’t attack Parent Revolution, or anyone from Parent Revolution personally. Wisely, he attacks the law itself, saying correctly that “it guarantees bad outcomes.. ”

Fletcher continues: ” … because this law is built on the premise is that the only way that a school can be improved is when one group of stakeholders starts blaming another group of stakeholders. It is a law based on the idea that we can improve schools by scapegoating… and it is a law that is based on the belief that the only way we can have progress in a school community is if we divide the school in to ‘us’ and ‘them.’ As a 29-year teacher in this district, I can tell you that the parents in this district are being presented with a cruel hoax by this law.

“It is a mechanism to turn ‘hope’ into ‘hate’, and that law is a legal framework to set people against each other. I, as President of UTLA, am proud to say that we reach out to parents, and we set up meetings with parents, and as soon as Parent Trigger is mentioned, suddenly UTLA cannot even get a Civic Center permit. Suddenly, UTLA runs into legal obstacle after legal obstacle. What we are doing is playing ‘adult conflict games,’ and we are fiddling while Rome burns!

“It is important that this school board, and the senior administration and the superintendent of this district obey the law, but it is also important that a framework is developed like in Mr. Zimmer’s motion that this law does not sow hatred, and does not debilitate school communities. To this point, the senior leadership of this district has been, I think, unready to take on the fact that we in Los Angeles bringing groups together, bringing parents, teachers and students and the community and everyone together, and end this sowing of hate!”

… and on he goes.

Watch and listen to Fletcher passionately and brilliantly lay out the truth about this situation, and you’ll see why the corporate-funded, pro-privatization Galatzan fought so hard to keep him speaking.

Categories Los Angeles, Parent trigger, Unions

L.A.: The Context for Steve Zimmer’s Defense of Class Size Reduction

By dianeravitch
June 21, 2013 //
15

Last night I blogged about the recent meeting of the LAUSD school board and pointed out Steve Zimmer’s eloquent defense of class size limits. The high point of his six-minute statement was when he compared the class sizes in L.A. public schools–40 or more–with the class sizes in local charter schools, which boast of 20 or so. He did it dramatically, reading out the names of each charter and their class sizes, then tossing the piece of paper over his shoulder.

A reader who attended the meeting added the context of Zimmer’s comments and the reaction of some fellow board members:

 

Zimmer’s real Al Pacino-esque moment—I’m thinking of Pacino in SCENT OF A WOMAN and AND JUSTICE FOR ALL and other movies where he cuts loose with an monologue of outrage—is when he starts quoting the student-to-teacher ratios at the local charter schools… and one private school (“the elite of the elite… has a 12-to-1 ration. 12-to-1!”

Go to the video:

http://lausd.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?clip_id=58

Then jog to:

05:39:10

and watch until Zimmer hits his stride and lets it rip at:

05:40:10

With mounting irritation, Zimmer starts shouting—quoting and throwing the paper printouts from the charters websites wildly over his shoulder (where the charters’ websites’ main page touts and specifically cites their exact student-to-teacher ratios.)

This was breathtaking.

You can’t see this because of the camera angle, but Board Member Galatzan was visibly angry at this point.

A little subtext here.

Both Galatzan and Monica Garcia have strongly backed the private charters in general—and the ones mentioned by Zimmer in particular, while at the same time, lambasting teachers in the traditional public schools and those teachers’ union, UTLA for doing a lousy job, and “obstructing reform” and being “defenders of a failed status quo,” and on and on… (In the process, Galatzan and Garcia are parroting the talking points of the “reform” organizations who pumped millions into their campaigns… but that’s another story).

In 2009, Galatzan and Garcia also voted to raise class size in the traditional public schools—and saying nothing about the ratios at their beloved charter schools. While the state budget was a contributing factor to the vote, Galatzan and Garcia also cited in part the following reasons for raising the class size in the traditional public schools:

1) “Lowering class size is just about teachers
unions wanting more members and more dues,
and more power… with no proof that it helps kids.”

2) “Lowering class size is about advancing adult interests
at the expense of children’s interests.”

3) “Lowering class size is just so teachers, who have
it easy enough already, will have it even easier, with less
work required from less students.”

Zimmer makes brief reference to these objections…
” to those who think that (lowering) class size is solely
about jobs.. ”

For Galatzan and Garcia, they take a seemingly contradictory (hypocritical?) stance on this, as again, they bend over backwards supporting and praising the charter schools whose success is in part due to their low class size—the low class size the charters tout on their websites.

Anyway, back to the video.

Galatzan starts picking up the papers that Zimmer flings indiscriminately over his head and slapping them down angrily on the counter, and says to him, “Are you gonna clean this up?”

Not flinching a bit, Zimmer continues his laser-like focus, not even looking sideways at Galatzan as he snaps, “I’ll clean it up!” as if to say, “Don’t butt in.. I’m on a roll here.”

Again… a breathtaking performance.

 

 

Categories Charter Schools, Los Angeles

Did You Ever Expect to Hear Eloquence at a School Board Meeting?

By dianeravitch
June 20, 2013 //
27

Steve Zimmer, the school board member who beat back a multi-million dollar campaign to defeat him just a few months ago, spoke to his fellow members of the Los Angeles school board at their meeting yesterday.

He talked about the importance of class size. He demolished the claim that teachers want to reduce class size for their own benefit. He explained patiently and eloquently why class size matters.

This is the full hearing.

http://lausd.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?clip_id=58
To watch Steve Zimmer educate the public about class size, skip to:
05:36:50 – 05:42:50
He is simply wonderful.
Categories Budget Cuts, Class size, Los Angeles
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