Showing posts with label Los Angeles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Los Angeles. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
Tuesday, March 07, 2017
How our household voted March 7, 2017
H — yes | Despite the fact that the reactionaries at the billionaire funded United Way of Greater Los Angeles supported it.
Mayor — Frantz Pierre | Some activists suggested Schawartz, but his mailers indicated he was a Clinton-Obama neoliberal. When respected Green Party CD34 Candidate Kenneth Mejia endorsed Pierre, that’s all we needed.
City Attorney — BLANK | Mike Feuer supported the racist Echo Parque gang injunction to help speed gentrification and line developer pockets. We don’t vote for racists.
Controller — BLANK
| Ron Galperin could have used his position to expose all of the
scandals in the charter school industry that steal money from public
school students. He did not.
City Council — Jessica Salans
| She’s endorsed by the Green Party, and has seemingly good politics.
In 2013 I endorsed, we contributed, and we voted for Mitch O’Farrell,
whom we thought leaned left, or at least center. However, O’Farrell
supported the racist Echo Parque gang injunction to help speed gentrification and line developer pockets. We don’t vote for racists.
M — BLANK | We don’t smoke weed. Our stance is this is an issue for the stoners to decide for themselves.
N — BLANK | See explanation for M supra.
P— BLANK | We didn’t have sufficient time to formulate a position on this.
S — YES | Highly respected activists in communities most impacted are supporting this, including Damien Goodmon
and Ron Gochez. This city is run by insatiably greedy developers, and
while S isn’t the solution, it might give us enough time to organize a
real response to the “genocide by gentrification” occurring at breakneck
speeds. After watching what happened in my zip code, we embrace any
resistance, even this imperfect kind, against the onslaught of unchecked
development.
CC Trustees — Steven Veres, Dallas Fowler, and Dr. Gabriel Buelna | An activist we trust on these issues provided these picks.
LAUSD D2 — | Toss up between Carl Petersen and Lisa Alva.
This was tough because both candidates have their pros and cons. Either
Petersen or Alva are exponentially better than right-wing school
privatizer Garcia. In the end we went with the candidate endorsed by Associated Administrators of Los Angeles. We can only hope that extremist Garcia and her vile Betsy DeVos agenda is defeated.
Remember that in Congressional District 34 we have a special election on April 4, 2017. Be sure to vote…
Kenneth Mejia for Congress!
Saturday, January 14, 2017
NPE Action endorses Alva and Petersen for the LAUSD Board of Education
The Network for Public Education Action is proud to endorse two candidates for the Los Angeles Board of Education District 2 primary election—Lisa Alva and Carl Petersen.
Although it is very unusual for us to endorse two for the same position, both are well qualified and are committed to the ideals of NPE Action.
The third candidate in the race, the incumbent Monica Garcia, has clearly demonstrated by her record that she is not aligned with the pro-public education agenda of the Network for Public Education Action.
We therefore urge our supporters to vote for either Lisa or Carl.
Lisa Alva
Lisa has been a classroom teacher, school leader and a voice for teachers for 18 years. She told us that her first priority if elected “would be to redirect funding, resources and personnel to neighborhood public schools so that all children, especially at-risk youth, have enough variety in classes, and small enough classes, to benefit from a complete education that includes electives and vocational-technical training, from pre-K through Adult School. This means beginning and ending every conversation with the question, “How will this benefit students?”
She supports less standardized testing, and smaller class sizes. She also embraces charter school reform and transparency, and a return to democratically controlled schools.
According to Lisa, “Charter schools needlessly drain resources from neighborhood schools, weaken the teaching profession and leave more students behind than they serve.”
Carl Petersen
Carl is the father of five children, all of whom have attended public schools. Two of his daughters are on the autism spectrum so he is especially sensitive to the importance of funding for students with special needs.
Carl’s first priority is to stop Eli Broad’s Great Public Schools Now Initiative “to reach 50 percent charter market share.” According to Carl, “The LAUSD does not currently have the capacity, or the will, to oversee the 250 charters that already operate within the District. Doubling the number of these organizations will create opportunities for financial improprieties like those that have occurred at El Camino Real Charter High School, where public funds were used for expensive dinners, first class airfare and personal expenses. Charters are currently allowed to cherry pick students who are not English learners, do not have special education needs and do not have behavioral issues. The higher costs of serving these students are borne by the LAUSD schools that continue to serve these populations. Increasing the number of charters will shift these costs to an even lower base of students. The bankruptcy of the District is a likely result.”
Carl believes there should be less testing and he is opposed to the Common Core. He believes that there should be more accountability for the Los Angeles Board of Education.
The LAUSD school board election primary will take place on March 7. We ask you to choose between these two fine candidates when you cast your vote.
Thank you,
Carol Burris
Executive Director
You can share these endorsements using the following links:
Friday, September 04, 2015
Open House Invite from LAUSD Board Member Scott M. Schmerelson
On Behalf of Board member Scott Schmerelson, please join us next Thursday, Sept 10 from 4:30-7:30pm to celebrate the Grand Opening of Scott’s District Headquarters. This is a good opportunity to meet some of the Valley’s School District leadership, school principals, parents, students, teachers, staff, supporters and community members. Light refreshments, light music and light hearts.
Open House Invite from LAUSD Board Member Scott M. Schmerelson by Robert D. Skeels
Monday, June 15, 2015
Is Social Justice Law School for you?
Is Social Justice Law School for you?
Ever consider wielding our oppressors’ weapons against them?
If you’re a social justice minded person in Los Angeles, with at least two years of college credit, consider Peoples College of Law (PCL). PCL offers a four-year evening Juris Doctor program to accommodate working students. Successful completion of the Juris Doctor (J.D.) program provides qualification to sit for the California State Bar exam. From their site:
Our recruitment and admissions policies are strongly directed toward socio-politically conscious Native American, Asian Pacific Islander, African-American/Black and Latina/o students. Our goal is to have a student body that is at least half women and two/thirds Third World People. Peoples College of Law affirmatively recruits LGBT applicants.
Monday, May 18, 2015
This morning saw me studying Sugiura Ayano style!
This morning saw me studying Sugiura Ayano style! @peoplescollolaw #lawschoolproblems Art by Namori. @BakkinAyano pic.twitter.com/TJzdNev5aW
— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) May 18, 2015Previously: When someone asks me "How's Law School?"
Friday, February 20, 2015
Robert D. Skeels, 2013 LAUSD District 2 Runner Up, Opposes Charter Amendments 1 and 2
VISIT SAVE OUR CITY ELECTIONS TODAY
@rdsathene Robert Skeels says NO to Charter Amendments 1&2! @rdsathene pic.twitter.com/Vujue6ekEI
— SaveOurCityElections (@SaveLAElections) February 20, 2015Robert D. Skeels, runner up in the 2013 Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education election for District 2, had the following commentary on Los Angeles City Charter Amendments 1 and 2:
"These charter amendments would all but entirely consolidate power into the hands of plutocrats and corporations. Community based candidates would essentially be shut out of elections for good. Our school board would be reduced to a committee for large foundations, serving the whims of deep pocketed special interests (read privatizers)."
VISIT SAVE OUR CITY ELECTIONS TODAY
Friday, February 06, 2015
Ultimately Coro is far more shadowy and cultish than even the Gülen charter school network
""Their real contribution is that they defuse political anger and dole out as aid or benevolence what people ought to have by right. They alter the public psyche. They turn people into dependent victims and blunt the edges of political resistance. NGOs [NPIC] form a sort of buffer between the government and public. Between Empire and its subjects. They have become the arbitrators, the interpreters, the facilitators. In the long run, NGOs are accountable to their funders, not to the people they work among." — Arundhati Roy
Recently I wrote a piece on neoliberal corporate education reform operative Caprice Young. It discussed an exchange I had where I informed California Badass Teacher Association (BATs) members of some of Young's activities since she left ICEF: "…after she [Caprice Young] left ICEF she was doing consulting and working with her fellow right-wing CORO alum, Bill Jackson, at the disgusting "Great Schools" #NPIC". I then needed to add Jackson's name to the list of Coro operatives known to be working to eliminate public education in Los Angeles. I maintained a running list in a footnote of a 2011 Schools Matter piece, but realized that was becoming too unwieldy. Therefore, I've begun this new list. It's of Coro acolytes that have inflicted considerable damage on Los Angeles schools. It isn't intended to be a list of all known Coro operatives. When I get time I'll try to fill in backgrounds and details on those listed here.
Coro operatives menacing Los Angeles schools
- Yolie Flores-Aguilar
- Wesley George Farrow
- Jordan Henry
- Bill Jackson
- Ricardo Mireles
- Alex Padilla
- Gabe Rose
- Ryan Smith
- Caprice Young
- Currently Magnolia division of the Gülen Charter school fiefdom
Ultimately @CoroSoCal is far more shadowy and cultish than Gülen's network itself #LAUSD #NPIC http://t.co/50W67agg1g pic.twitter.com/jD8H4DYcqN
— RDSkeels4Schoolboard (@RDSkeels4LAUSD) February 4, 2015What is Coro?
Information on Coro is hard to come by. Activists rarely get Coro operatives to talk about their organization, and when they do, there's nothing said of substance. During my last quarter at UCLA I reached out to them as a prospective fellow. They encouraged me to apply, but wouldn't provide any details without applying and committing first. I suppose that's like not learning about Xenu until one achieves OTIII (perhaps John Deasy's friend Megan Chernin can confirm that). You can't learn much about them by reading their literature either. The philosophically threadbare propaganda of neoliberalism is typically littered with vapid and vacuous prose, and Coro's explanation of who they are and what they do is no different. To wit:
Coro contributes a group of trained individuals whose personal skills and civic involvement promote broader civic engagement and expand the social capital of the community. By developing a network of local and regional organizations willing to create internship and project opportunities for program participants, Coro creates a safe space in which diverse organizations and leaders enter into dialogue with program participants and with each other.
That's sixty-five words of prose with no meaning whatsoever, putting it right along with "no excuses," or "work hard and be nice." Professor Noam Chomsky addresses these types of phrases best:
It doesn't mean anything... That's the whole point of good propaganda. You want to create a slogan that nobody's going to be against, and everybody's going to be for. Nobody knows what it means, because it doesn't mean anything. Its crucial value is that it diverts your attention from a question that does mean something: Do you support our policy? [1]
NOTES
[1] Chomsky, Noam. Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda, Second Edition. New York: Seven Stories Press., 1991. pp. 25-26.
Saturday, October 18, 2014
When someone asks me "How's Law School?"
Actually, there are boring classes and hellish tests that go with it.
When someone asks me "How's Law School?" @peoplescollolaw (img: To Aru Majutsu no Indekkusu) pic.twitter.com/GTwaBFAunZ
— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) October 17, 2014@rdsathene @peoplescollolaw hope contracts isn't one of those boring law school course
— Sharon Kyle (@smkyle1) October 18, 2014@smkyle1 @peoplescollolaw of course not! Our professor is dynamic and engaging, making "contracts come alive!" ;)
— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) October 18, 2014@rdsathene @peoplescollolaw aw shucks :)
— Sharon Kyle (@smkyle1) October 18, 2014Image: Kamijo Toma of To Aru Majutsu no Indekkusu
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Youth Internships For Spring, Summer and Fall (SPRING INTERNSHIP STARTS APRIL 5th)
Youth Internships For Spring, Summer and Fall (SPRING INTERNSHIP STARTS APRIL 5th)
Internships leading to apprenticeships, for youth 17 years old and up
From the Ground Up: http://csuinc.org/programs/from-the-ground-up/
Want to learn how to take an active youth leadership role in your community: sign up for CSU’s From The Ground Up seasonal internships.
Learn an array of skills such as:
- Growing your own food
- Presenting and conducting outreach
- Business acumen and social marketing
- Understanding social justice and how it connects to your community.
From The Ground Up Internship is an educational/learning program giving YOU the opportunity to learn new things that help you to open your mind. Progress in the community involves progress amongst young people, which means progress in you! By going through the internship you become more engaged with your community and with CSU’s work and can move on to become an apprentice and remain part of the FGU alumni program. If you are interested please either complete the application form (if you have one) or send an CSU@CSUInc.org and ask for an application form for the next available internship.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Dr Cintli: Raza Studies Now Conference at Santa Monica College July 13
Dr Cintli: Raza Studies Now Conference at Santa Monica Colleg...: Press Release - Please post and forward The Association of Mexican American Educators in conjunction with local educators and groups...
Tuesday, June 04, 2013
Protest to get Partnership for Los Angeles Schools (PLAS) out of Santee Education Complex!
From the organizers:
PLEASE SHARE! Protest TODAY (Tuesday) at Santee High School at 3PM to get rid of Mayor Villaraigosa's "Partnership" for Los Angeles Schools! They are dishonest, corrupt and shady as hell! They have gotten rid of many teachers, Ethnic Studies classes and now they are trying to get rid of Dr. Rangel! Enough is enough! Let's get rid of these people already! Villaraigosa is leaving City Hall and his corrupt "Partnership" needs to leave Santee!
I've written about PLAS' shutting down Ethnic Studies here: Schools Matter: Mayor Villaraigosa and PLAS CEO Tuck bring Arizona style bigotry to Los Angeles
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Los Angeles public education events for the first weekend of June 2013
Logan Street Elementary School Celebrates 125th Birthday
Posted by Cheryl Ortega, May 23, 2013 at 10:46 am on Echo Park-Silver Lake Patch
Saturday, June 1, 2013, 10:00 AM
1711 W. Montana Street
Los Angeles, CA 90026
See previous entry for more photos
In 1888 children came to Logan St. School in horse-drawn wagons. In a wooden building on the corner or Montana and Logan St. classes began in the oldest school in Echo Park, one of the 10 oldest schools in the city, and perhaps the oldest public structure in the community. On June 1, public officials, school district dignitaries, former teachers and administrators, alumni, students, teachers, parents and community will celebrate Logan's 125 years of service to the children of Echo Park. We would love to know if you are an alum, a former parent or an interested community member who would like to help out with the party or with a donation. We are very interested in photos, old or new, of the schools or of Echo Park in general. Please contact Principal Luis Ochoa at 213-413-6353
Allesandro and Silver Valley CEJ will be honored on Saturday at CTA at the Bonaventure Hotel
CEJ folks and supporters: On Saturday, June 1, 2013 at 6:00 pm, California Teachers Association's* Peace and Justice Caucus will be recognizing the work (mostly in environmental justice) that the Allesandro chapter and the Silver Valley chapter of CEJ have been doing this school year with a Youth Activist certificate.
Just wanted to let you know! If any of you are attending CTA's State Council this weekend, please check us out at 6:00 PM
The CTA YOUTH ACTIVIST CEREMONY WILL BE AT 6:00 PM IN SANTA MONICA C (the room name)
Westin Bonaventure Hotel
404 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, California 90071
East Side Stories Conference: A Grassroots Vision for Education and Community
The Community Forum for the Campaign of the Schools that LA Students Deserve
East Side Stories Conference: A Grassroots Vision for Education and Community by Robert D. Skeels
Inviting Community, Students, Teachers, to the East Side Vision Forum of the Campaign for the Schools that LA Students Deserve!!!
East Side Stories Annual Conference
atRoosevelt High School
Saturday, June 1, 2013
8:00am to 2:30pm
456 S Mathews St
Los Angeles, CA 90033
The conference will run from 8am to 2:30pm. It will include student- and youth-led workshops, speakers on educational justice, a curriculum fair, and vendors from the community. Lunch will be served, and translation will be provided.
The Vision Forum for the Schools LA Students Deserve will take place in two workshop sessions, from 9:45am to 10:45am and 11am to 12pm. In the first session we will discuss what we want to change in our schools across LA, and in the second we will envision how we can accomplish our goals. We encourage people to attend the whole day if possible!
The Eastside Schools LA Students Deserve forum is a unique opportunity for parents, youth, educators and community members to share their ideas and hear from each other about what they think the main issues are in public education on the Eastside.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The Silver Lake Neighborhood Council Education Committee Presents A Free Bike Rodeo
'
The SILVER LAKE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL EDUCATION COMMITTEE presents
A Free BIKE RODEO
Saturday, May 18th, 2013, From 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
MICHELTORENA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PLAYGROUND
1511 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Everyone is welcome!
For KIDS ages 5 – 12
You DO NOT need a bike or a helmet to participate!
LADOT’s SAFE MOVES Bicycle Safety Course
Safe Moves allows children to bicycle through a miniature city called “Safe Moves City”. It consists of streets, sidewalks, intersections, crosswalks, traffic signals, traffic signs, residential areas, business districts, cars, trucks, buses and a railroad track with signals, crossing gate and train. “Safe Moves City” is designed to simulate the diverse traffic environments in Los Angeles and to create “problem solving” experiences for each grade level.
PLENTY FOR PARENTS TO DO:
Bring your bicycles for safety inspections! Check out the bicycle blender! Community partners will be tabling.
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CONTACT: SLNC Education Committee Co-chairs: Dorit Guerrero & Teresa Sitz at education@silverlakenc.org. The SLNC Education Committee meets the second Saturday of each month at 10:00 am at the Bellevue Park Community Room. Our next meeting is May 11, 2013.
El CONSEJO VECINAL SILVER LAKE COMITÉ DE EDUCATIÓN present
Un BICI RODEO gratuito
Sábado, 18 de mayo, 2013, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
MICHELTORENA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PLAYGROUND
1511 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Todo el mundo es bienvenido.
Para niños de edad 5 a 12
Usted no necesita una bicicleta o un casco para participar!
LADOT’s SAFE MOVES Curso de Seguridad de Bicicletas
Safe Moves permite a los niños en la bicicleta atravesar una ciudad en miniatura llamada " Safe Moves City ". Se compone de calles, aceras, intersecciones, pasos de peatones, señales de tráfico, zonas residenciales, áreas de negocios, automóviles, camiones, autobuses y las vías del tren con señales de cruzar la pasada y el tren. "Safe Moves City" está diseñado para simular los diversos entornos de tráfico en Los Ángeles para ciclistas y la creación de experiencias para la "resolución de problemas" a travez de experiencias para niños de cada grado escolar.
UN MONTÓN PARA LOS PADRES QUE HACER:
Traer sus bicicletas para las inspecciones de seguridad! Echa un vistazo a la licuadora de la bicicleta! Los socios comunitarios estarán presentación.
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CONTACTO: Comité de Educación SLNC Copresidentes: Dorit Guerrero y Teresa Sitz en education@silverlakenc.org. El Comité de Educación SLNC se reúne el segundo sábado de cada mes a las 10 am en el Bellevue Park Community Room. Nuestra próxima reunión es el 11 de mayo de 2013.
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