Latest News and Comment from Education

Friday, August 22, 2014

8-22-14 Hemlock on the Rocks

Hemlock on the Rocks:








Re: Welcome to the Greatest Show on Earth—The Los Angeles Unified School District - Los Angeles Public Education | Examiner.com
  "An LAUSD report says the district's iPad program was beset by inadequate planning and flawed bidding process", from the Los Angeles Times on August 22, 2014. "Some L.A. Unified schools face packed classes, roaming students as new $20-million tracking system falters", from the Times on August 20, 2014. "Los Angeles Unified officials will have to explain how they spent $
Los Angeles Unified School District ISSUES MEMO Lamenting UTLA's Refusal to Consider Offer on Teachers' Raises
http://home.lausd.net/apps/news/show_news.jsp?REC_ID=394301&id=0 'I'm disappointed that they won't discuss the raises we want to give them."
Breaking News: Internal Report Says L.A. iPad Purchase Was Poorly Planned, Deeply Flawed | Diane Ravitch's blog
http://dianeravitch.net/2014/08/22/breaking-news-internal-report-says-l-a-ipad-purchase-was-poorly-planned-deeply-flawed/
Breaking News: L.A. Officials Met with Apple, Pearson a Year Before Taking Public Bids | Diane Ravitch's blog
http://dianeravitch.net/2014/08/22/breaking-news-l-a-officials-met-with-apple-pearson-a-year-before-taking-public-bids/Annie Gilbertson of KPCC in Los Angeles reports that internal emails show that district officials met and emailed Apple and Pearson a year before the bidding process for new technology and software began. "Emails obtained by KPCC show Los Angeles Unified School District


LAUSD Board Member-Elect George McKenna to be Sworn into Office Tuesday By Rev. Jesse Jackson
NationBuilder MEDIA ADVISORY LAUSD BOARD MEMBER-ELECT GEORGE MCKENNA TO BE SWORN INTO OFFICE TUESDAY Oath will be administered

Petition | Demand the Return of Mr. Stuart Lutz to South Gate Middle School! | Change.org
https://www.change.org/p/south-gate-parents-and-community-members-demand-the-return-of-mr-stuart-lutz-to-south-gate-middle-school#
Petition | Sign this petition to stop federal intrusion on local education. | Change.org
https://www.change.org/p/stop-common-core-state-standards-protect-our-children-from-harm-and-protect-the-us-constitution-sign-this-petition-to-stop-federal-intrusion-on-local-education rene
‘The Teacher Wars,’ by Dana Goldstein - NYTimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/24/books/review/the-teacher-wars-by-dana-goldstein.html?emc=edit_bk_20140822&nl=books&nlid=65258624&_r=0 Progress Report                                 America loves to
Gender, Bullying, and Harassment: Strategies to End Sexism and Homophobia in Schools." Teache-Author Elizabeth J. Meyer
Meyers is a former high school teacher.Recently released research in California shows that many schools fail to use data to support their bullying prevention programs, and many districts have outdated policies that are useless in protecting students.Cyber Bulling Tips:- Mistake #1: Individualizing the problem. Although it may appear that bullying and harassment might only be impacting a few


WE DON'T NEED NO CORPORATIONS; We Don't Need No Common Core : Hey Arne, Leave Or Schools Alone
LAUREN CAMERA AUG 20, 2014 While more people know what the Common Core State Standards are than last year, a majority of them oppose the standards, according to the 46th edition of the PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools. Overall, the wide-ranging survey found, 81
Badass Teachers Association : PEOPLE ABOVE PROFITS
BATs July 28, 2014 Speech By:  Dr. Yohuru Williams
FBI Tracks Charter Schools | The Progressive
There's been a flood of local news stories in recent months about FBI raids on charter schools all over the country. From Pittsburgh to Baton Rouge, from Hartford to Cincinnati to Albuquerque, FBI agents have been busting into schools, carting off documents, and making arrests leading to high-profile indictments. "The troubled Hartford charter
Obama's Top Ex-Advisers Are Cashing In On Fighting Unions
Art by Robert Rendo Evan McMorris- WASHINGTON — President Obama's innovative, take-no-prisoners campaigns crafted an elite force of operatives, skilled in the political arts. Now that they're done helping Obama, however, it appears they have a new goal: weakening and defeating organized labor. On Tuesday, Obama's former top White House adviser and 2008 campaign manager David
Fwd: An Interview With Dr. Yohuru Williams on Corporate Education Reform: 'We Aren't Buying It." | M. Shannon Hernandez
Teachers from across the nation stood in solidarity on July 27, 2014, using their voices to speak out about many of the issues plaguing the nation's public education system. The mood at the front entrance of the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C., was one of hope at times, with teachers sharing inspiring stories of the progress they are making with


State seeks schools lacking Internet capacity :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet
https://www.cabinetreport.com/program-improvement/state-seeks-schools-lacking-internet-capacity State seeks schools lacking Internet capacity August 21, 2014 by Kimberly Beltran (Calif.) State officials are looking to county
LA Unified names Ruth Perez as successor to Aquino Before the BOARD Approves Her
http://laschoolreport.com/la-unified-names-ruth-perez-as-successor-to-aquino-lausd/ LA Unified names Ruth Perez as successor to Aquino Dr. Ruth Perez Eight months after Jaime Aquino's departure as LA Unified's Deputy Superintendent of

DEASY CONTINUES TO FAIL LAUSD by Ellen Lubic
Deasy continues to fail at leading LAUSD Thanks LA Times and Howard Blume, for the accurate article on LAUSD which exposes the many failures in governance.  Not only has Supt. John Deasy presided over the Billion Dollar iPad fiasco which unwisely appropriated funding from the much needed Construction Bond reserve, but as of the opening of school this week, the highly touted MiSiS computer system
LAUSD report faults iPad bidding - LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-lausd-ipads-20140822-story.html#navtype=outfit&page=1


Bored of Education? Then Step Aside: An Open Letter to Tamar Galatzan
                   http://www.changethelausd.com/accountability.html An Open Letter to Tamar Galatzan: By Carl Petersen ____________________________________________ It is readily apparent to anyone who has attended a LAUSD board meeting over the last few months that you have lost your passion for the job. You fulfill the requirements for receiving your second government paycheck by physically

YESTERDAY

LAUSD's $1-billion iPad effort beset by problems, report finds - LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-ipad-bidding-20140821-story.htmlwww.hemlockontherocks.com
8-21-14 Hemlock on the Rocks
Hemlock on the Rocks: An Appropriate Rumination on Tenure and Due Process By A. Scapegoat When I became a teacher,  I was kind of appalled by seniority and tenure for the reasons most are, but  came to understand why it was needed when we lost a very strong by the book leader who was scary but only if you were screwing up. And we all do because we have to be professionals who are also caregivers p