Neighborhood Public Schools Forced to Give Up Space to Charter Schools
In LA, more than 70 public schools have seen valuable learning & collaborative spaces appropriated by charter companies. Why should our students have to give them up just so a charter business can expand into a community that doesn’t want it?
Co-location Fight 2020
What is co-location? Under a flawed state law known as Prop. 39, neighborhood public schools can be forced to give away “unused” space to charter operators. In reality, that “unused” space is not unused at all—it houses arts and music classrooms, science...
This Might End Up Being The Most Expensive LAUSD School Board Primary Ever
With barely two weeks until Election Day, outside political groups have spent more than $3.7 million attempting to sway the three competitive LAUSD board races. That total is slightly ahead of the pace set in the 2017 school board elections, which saw more outside...
Column: You’ll need a shower after reading about this school board race that’s descended into the gutter
So here we are again. Another election, another descent into the gutter. Originally Published on February 22, 2020 By Steve Lopez for Los Angeles Times There she was, sitting right in front of me. Evil in the flesh, or so you’d believe from the fliers now landing in...
Charter School Forces Pour Money Into L.A. Elections
About $3.5 million worth of attack mailers have targeted Jackie Goldberg and other LAUSD school board members. Originally Published on February 22, 2020 By Bill Raden for Capital & Main With majority control of Los Angeles Unified’s school board hanging in the...
Psychiatric social workers work with struggling youth to turn things around
Psychiatric social workers are honored to listen to our students’ stories and make a positive impact on their lives. Our students’ voices give us a true picture of what’s underlying their attitudes, behaviors, and engagement in school. So many students face personal, family, school, and/or community challenges that impact their mental well-being, but they often suffer in silence. These students may feel that there is no one safe to talk to who can maintain confidentiality, while providing the unconditional acceptance, hope, and support they need to help them to be successful in school and in life. This is where psychiatric social workers come in.
Nick Melvoin Shared Confidential LAUSD Information
The California #Charter Schools Association spent millions on electing #LAUSD Board Member Nick Melvoin, who is now allowing them to write LAUSD board resolutions. Who elected the charter lobby to the school board? #WeArePublicSchools
What do #AB1505 and #AB1507 do?
What do #AB1505 and #AB1507 do? ✅ Improve the conditions of teaching and learning. ✅ Advance cause of free, universal, quality public education. ✅ Secure a more just, equitable, democratic society.
A tug-of-war over empty classrooms between a charter school and its host campus
Under state law, charters — which are privately operated — are entitled to a “reasonably equivalent” share of space on public school campuses. Click to read about the conflict that inevitably arises during these co-locations.
Capital and Main Article: Chartergate: Austin Beutner’s Transparency Problem
In this article from Capital and Main, “An email thread documenting the unseemly coziness between L.A. schools superintendent Austin Beutner and the California charter school lobby set off political pyrotechnics late last month when the investigative blog — and indefatigable California public records miner — Michael Kohlhaas dot org published a cache of documents revealing the covert relationship in the midst of last year’s contract stalemate with UTLA.”
The Washington Post article: A report that detailed up to $1 billion in wasted federal funds on bad charter schools may have underestimated the problem
“In March, I published a post about a report detailing up to $1 billion in federal funds wasted on charter schools that never opened, or opened and then closed because of mismanagement…now it is likely that waste will exceed the estimate of $1 billion.”
Capital and Main Article: Have West Sacramento Charters Become Self-Segregated Enclaves?
“Charters tend to isolate students by race and class through “election biases” — features that attract certain kinds of families at the expense of others.”
USA Today article: Strikes, pay raises & charter protests: America’s teachers’ exhausting, exhilarating year
America’s educators have survived a rollicking year in the public spotlight — and no slowdown is in sight. In the last 18 months, we’ve seen teachers striking for higher pay, teachers running for political office, teachers protesting charter schools, teachers organizing insurgent groups within their unions and teachers broadcasting the state of their under-resourced classrooms.
ABC Article: Ivy League-bound students from East LA plan on returning to better the community
In East Los Angeles, high school seniors are getting ready for commencement this week and of those several Ivy League-bound students plan on returning to better the community.
Measure EE: Tough Loss but Our Movement Will Win
We are proud of the work educators, parents, students, and community members across the city put into Measure EE. The agenda to starve our public schools will not win as long as we continue to build our movement. Let’s move forward together.
Capital and Main Video: L.A. Charter Schools’ Discipline Bias Revealed
Capital and Main article: Twenty-two charters — nearly all of them in high-poverty neighborhoods — accounted for 42 percent of L.A. charter schools’ nearly 3,700 suspensions last year.
If You Supported the Teachers’ Strike, You Can’t Reject the Parcel Tax That Will Pay for Its Demands
If you supported the Los Angeles Teacher’s Strike, Tuesday’s single-issue election to decide LAUSD parcel tax Measure EE demands you put your money where your mouth is.