Mixer: Sheriff’s union dust-up and school money comes-up

from the LA Times and

Vanessa Romo from

LASchoolReport.com joined us to mix it up today.

There’s a strange battle going on within the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, and now a judge has gotten involved.

Last month, newly elected president Armando Macias was kicked out and a different president installed.

But Macias refused to give up his seat, bringing at least two union board members with him and starting a competing website.

The other side sued to prevent Macias from making decisions or getting access to union money.

Now a judge has ruled that the union will have NO leader until a court hearing that’s scheduled for Thursday, April 17. And the three people making decisions will come from each of the two factions, along with a neutral staffer.

This power struggle comes at a pivotal time for the union, with the upcoming sheriff’s election. And it could affect who (or whether) the union endorses in the race.

Meanwhile, LA Unified Superintendent John Deasy went before reporters today to talk about the state’s new funding formula, and what the district plans to do with all its money.

LAUSD is expected to get more $300 million under the new formula.

Today’s meeting was mostly a “wish list” that Deasy laid out. His final budget proposal will come in a couple of months.

All this has been happening while there’s also been a cry among some parents who say the district shouldn’t be devoting so much of its money to supplying iPads to every student, teacher and administrator at LAUSD.