Associated Administrators of Los Angeles
Education strategist for Associated Administrators of Los Angeles; former Board Member of the Los Angeles Unified School District (1995-2007), representing the 5th District, and former teacher for LAUSD; former part-time consultant with Green Dot Public Schools
Can a Public School Program Get Too Popular for Its Own Good? After five years, the Mandarin Foreign Language immersion program outgrew the Broadway Elementary School in Venice. LA School Board member Steven Zimmer persuaded his colleagues to spend $30 million to expand it and move it to Mark Twain Middle School in Mar Vista. Zimmer predicted a "game changer." But, despite the Board's approval last year, Superintendent Ramon Cortines has decided , it "will not move forward." In fact, the program will be cut in half. The public officials involved, Zimmer and Cortines, declined to discuss a dispute that's raised important issues for parents, teachers and local residents.
Where's the Outrage? Governor Brown's failure to get tax-hike extensions on the June ballot has created an atmosphere of resignation about what's called an "all-cuts" budget. That would mean reductions of $26 billion across the board and, for LA Unified potential cuts of between $500 and $600 million. After years of cuts in bureaucracy and teacher lay-offs, what would that mean for the nation's second largest school district? John Deasy, who will take over as Superintendent later this month, has told the elected school board he'll accept a 17 percent reduction in salary from $300,000 to $275,000.
LA Schools Face Another Round of Cuts The LA Unified School District faces a $470 million deficit, and the elected board is threatening to cut some 8000 jobs by next fall. Some 700 teachers rallied outside district headquarters this afternoon.
LAUSD Test Scores at New Low, Governor Taps New Education Secretary In the latest Academic Performance Index , the statewide average rose by 13 points for high school students. In LA Unified , the average dropped by 20 points. Meantime, Governor Schwarzenegger has appointed David Long to be his Secretary of Education. The Riverside County Superintendent of Schools has been running 23 school districts with a total of more than 400,000 students.
The Politics of Education Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally has dropped his bill to give LA's elected school-board members a pay raise of 600%, but Measure L on next month's ballot would create a commission to review their salaries, which are currently $24,000 a year. It would also limit members to three four-year terms and limit campaign contributions to $1000 each. In addition, four seats on the board are up for grabs. We get the lowdown from insiders, including former board member, now councilman, José Huizar, who helped put the measure on the ballot.
Power Politics and the LAUSD David Tokosfsky says he won't run again for the LA School Board . Billionaire Eli Broad has given Green Dot Charter Schools a pile of money. And Green Dot will be part of Mayor Villaraigosa's new education team--if he needs one. On Friday, a court will hear arguments on whether Villaraigosa has any official right to a role in running LA's public schools. The state legislature has given him some authority , but the elected school board says that's unconstitutional . Meantime, the US Secretary of Education's in town to check up on the No Child Left Behind Act , her first stop on a tour of 13 cities. It's a big week for big players in education. What will it mean in the classroom?
For Los Angeles Schools, Reform Means Uncertainty Governor Schwarzenegger has signed Mayor Villaraigosa's school reorganization bill , promising that test scores will go up while dropout rates will go down. Instead of the total control he originally demanded, the Mayor will have to share power with the elected School Board and the teachers. That's if the Board fails to get the Mayor's reorganization thrown out by the courts. All parties promise to work together--in the interests of education--but how can they do that before their differences are resolved?
School Reform Bill on Fast-Track in Sacramento Mayor Villaraigosa says that dropout rates and low achievement show that the LA Unified School District is failing. He claims that the Mayors of New York, Chicago and Boston have demonstrated that accountability in just one elected official can put public schools on the road to reform and improvement. His bill to shake up the system is on a fast track in Sacramento, with one Democratic Senator saying her leaders told her to vote for the bill even though she has reservations. The Legislature's own legal counsel says it may be unconstitutional and some elected school board members promise to sue if it's enacted and signed by the Governor. Is it a power grab by the Mayor and the teachers' union?
One year later, Ojai reflects on the Thomas Fire in a new book A year after the Thomas Fire began, a new book out of Ojai tells stories of the community’s destruction and regrowth. Cuddle groups are popping up all over the place, including Santa Barbara. And, according to a newly released report, sea level rise could cover nearly two-thirds of Santa Barbara city beaches by 2100.
A call to prepare for the next natural disaster A local environmentalist says we should spend more time and money preparing for natural disasters than responding to them. A Ventura resident who lost his home in the Thomas Fire says rebuilding is taking longer than he’d hoped. Local animal shelters are becoming critical evacuation centers. And California counties must now hold public meetings on their relationship with federal immigration agents.
One Year Later: How Ojai Weathered the Thomas Fire Ventura County residents recall how the largest fire in state history, at the time, ignited and threatened to engulf the city of Ojai.
Repainting the Sheriff's department, tan and green Barring any unforeseen changes, there will be a new L.A. County Sheriff at the start of next week. Alex Villanueva defeated sitting Sheriff, Jim McDonnell, in this month’s midterms after running a partisan campaign that lead to the first ouster of a sitting Sheriff in more than a century. Villanueva told KCRW this week that his goal is to rid the department of officials that, he said, contributed to a corrupt culture under previous leadership. But there is a lot of concern about what that will look like and if recent reforms could be rolled back.