Workshop: let the community drive LCFF/LCAP for Schools Los Angeles Students Deserve

Instituto de Padres / Parent Institute
Saturday, July 18, 2015
12:00 to 4:00PM
3303 Wilshire Blvd., 8th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90010

Instituto de Padres / Parent Institute by Robert D. Skeels

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[The Education Trust-West] and many of the cited sources in the [20]14-15 ETW/LAUSD Case Study are noted School [R]eformers aligned with Secretary Duncan, the Broad/Gates/Waltons — and the then superintendent John Deasy — whose [Local Control Accountability Plan] LCAP this was. The Walton Foundation is thanked for their support. — Scott M. Folsom (4LAKids)

The Nonprofit Industrial Complex (NPIC) and their billionaire backers saw Governor Brown's wrongheaded Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) proposals as a "double-play" against public education. On the one hand elimination of categorical funding would further expose the most vulnerable (e.g. Students With Disabilities—(SWD)) to inequitable funding at the whim of those controlling the LCFF/LCAP process, on the other it would further the designs of those wanting to destroy the public commons as per the Andy Smarick roadmap.

The NPIC drove the entire Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) LCFF/LCAP process. Authentic community, family, and educator voices were drowned out by a cacophony of corporate voices in the guise of "engagement" that only the well-funded NPIC can wield. The United Way of Greater Los Angeles (UWGLA), and its smaller NPIC allies like Community Coalition, and their man in LAUSD—Eli Broad trained Superintendent John Deasy, controlled the LAUSD LCFF/LCAP process from start to finish, with a blitzkrieg series of forums, surveys, public relations, and more. However, no one should be surprised that Community Coalition is now the front group suing the district on behalf of their funders. That's how to create a crisis part of neoliberalism, so well described by Naomi Klein, works.

A chance for community to drive the process

The activists behind the Schools Los Angeles Students Deserve (SLASD) movement have organized an Instituto de Padres / Parent Institute forum to train authentic parent and community leaders to advocate for students in their communities. Here's an excerpt from a note sent to me by a parent leader discussing the event:

I urge you to encourage adult student leaders in the community to learn about the new Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). We are having a Parent Institute on Saturday, July 18th. Please see attached flyers in English and Spanish. Khallid Al-Alim, LAUSD parent activist, will explain this budget process. It is crucial that we understand this, if we are to effectively push back against the NPIC that you so clearly describe.

Workshop: let the community drive LCFF/LCAP for Schools Los Angeles Students Deserve

Stoner Public Elementary School community to hold protest against corporate charter school co-location

Press release – Stoner Elementary community to hold protest against charter school co-location that is creating segregation and safety issues on and around campus. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Stoner Elementary community is mad and is fighting back against a planned expansion by the co-locating charter, Citizens’ of the World Charter Mar Vista (CWC), on the Stoner Elementary Campus. CWC has requested more classrooms and it is possible that they will take the Stoner computer lab, the speech & occupational therapist room, the book room and parent’s room. Taking anyone of these resources would devastate Stoner, a Title I school. The parents are also concerned that the co-location creates segregation on campus bring about many safety issues for their children. This week 168 signed letters from Stoner Parents were submitted to LAUSD this week pointing out their concerns regarding segregation and safety on campus. LAUSD has not responded. A PDF of the letters is attached. This will be the 3rd protest held against the CWC co-location at Stoner Elementary. WHAT: Stoner Elementary Community is holding a:       RALLY FOR STONER ELEMENTARY: better, safer school for our children WHEN: Friday, February 7, 2013 at 2:30 – 4 pm WHERE: on the corner of Stoner Avenue and Lindblade Street, 90230. [map] Media is invited to attend. There will be speakers. There will be signs. There will be chanting and drums. Most importantly, there will be calls for better schools, a safer neighborhood, and unity in the community. For more information visit: http://cwcmarvista-co-location-stoner-lausd.blogspot.com/ ___________ Stoner Elementary School has worked hard over the past few years to make itself a better school. We brought our API up to 811 and added two pre-K classes; We’ve had new murals painted beautifying our campus and old junk removed, providing more play space for our children; We’re looking to bring dual language and music programs to the school. Stoner is doing and looking a lot better, and I am proud to send my child to our community school, Stoner Elementary, but all the progress we have made might be derailed by the charter school co-location on campus. The co-location creates many problems for our children, parents and teachers including segregated conditions on campus, safety issues, and a lack of respect for our community. We have the following concerns: 1.      Our biggest concern is that since the two schools cover the same grades at the same location, they will be competing for enrollment of our community students. 2.      Stoner Elementary is Title I schoolwide. This means that large majority of our students come from an economically disadvantaged back ground. The co-location siphons key resources from our Title I school, depriving students of resource rooms, playground space, and library time. 3.      CWC is currently under-enrolled, yet has asked for more classroom space next year. It is possible that they will take the Stoner computer lab, the speech & occupational therapy room, the book room and parent’s room. 4.      The co-location creates segregated conditions on campus a.       LAUSD “…officials determined that the Braddock option [Main entrance] was not safe for the charter students.“? http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-karma-parking-20131104,0,2119984.story         i.      Why is the Braddock entrance not safe for CWC, but safe for the Stoner Children? b.      CWC threw a rock concert that could be heard throughout campus while our students were taking state standardized tests. CWC friends & family were invited. Even though they could hear the concert going on all morning and see the commotion during recess, Stoner students were not allowed to attend. The concert was a disruption and Stoner teachers reported the most bathroom requests ever during the event. Students reported having trouble concentrating on the standardized test, thus effecting the school and student’s future. 5.      CWC continues to endanger our students and has displayed a pattern of increasingly reckless behavior, including allowingsexual expression by CWC students a.       CWC allowed its parents to enter the shared school restroom in direct violation of posted signs stating “STUDENT RESTROOMS ONLY – NO ADULTS ARE PERMITTED IN THE RESTROOM” b.      CWC allowed sexual expression by students on campus: A Stoner parent found two CWC female students outside of class kissing, fondling each other and lifting up their shirts. When the Stoner parent reported it to the nearest CWC official, the parent was told that CWC would not do anything because CWC children are free to express themselves. c.       CWC has displayed a pattern of reckless behavior in regards to their entrance that has place Stoner students at risk.         i.      From Oct-Dec 2013, CWC had a combination lock on its gate and gave the combination to all CWC parents. This meant over 200 CWC parents had uncontrolled access to our students and campus.       ii.      After being ordered to remove the combination lock, CWC has been caught multiple times leaving its gate open and unattended for the convenience of CWC parents while disregarding Stoner student’s safety.     iii.      Recently, CWC officials were found leaving the gate open and unlocked to go on coffee run. 6.      Further lack of respect for our community and students a.       A CWC teacher had his class on the playground during Stoner student’s time. When the CWC teacher was asked to leave, instead of walking around the waiting Stoner students, the teacher marched the CWC students straight tough the group of Stoner Elementary Students, trampling the Stoner students backpack packs and sweaters. b.      CWC parents have harassed Stoner parents for voicing their concerns about the co-location, going as far as following Stoner parents home in an attempt to intimidate them and silence their concerns. ____________ WHAT DO WE WANT:             The Stoner parents are requesting that LAUSD deny CWC’s request for more classrooms for next year and are requesting that CWC’s co-location be terminated at the end of this school year. Since the co-location will continue this year, the Stoner parents are asking that LAUSD address the security issues immediately by rescinding CWC separate gate access, and requiring CWC to enter thought the main gate on Braddock. As a Lindblade Street, Del Rey resident, and Stoner Elementary parent, I invite members of the press to come and cover theRALLY FOR STONER. Adam C. Benitez Stoner Elementary Parent 11859 Lindblade St. Culver City, CA 90230 310-922-1176 adambenitez@yahoo.com

Stoner CWC Protest by Robert D. Skeels

Petition to Stop CWC Colocation at Stoner by Robert D. Skeels

Stoner Public Elementary School community to hold protest against corporate charter school co-location

LA Parents Need a Seat!

If you saw a person drowning, would you tell him to swim harder?* Of course not, but that’s what some policy makers are telling our schools.  Struggling under decreased budgets and increased competition, our public schools are left on their own and threatened with closure. Yet every neighborhood deserves a great school.

*great quote by NPE co-founder, Diane Ravitch.

Please join supporters Jim Bickhart, Bernard Downing and Chiara Tellini, who got us to 20% of our goal and help me represent public school parents at the Network for Public Education (NPE) national conference in Austin, TX. Can you donate $10 today?

 

Public Education has been hijacked and we are taking it back! Parents, teachers and advocates will gather with national leaders in public education for the first annual conference of the NPE, an advocacy group that fights to protect and strengthen our public schools as a civic value. NPE also endorsed LA School Board member Monica Ratliff, attracting funding and national attention to her critical campaign as well as elevating Los Angeles’s issues in the national discussion about education.

As an active parent, my efforts reach far beyond the schools my children attend. I advocate for our students, teachers and families at the district, state and federal level. At this conference, we will strategize on how to move policy, organize our diverse and sprawling communities, and we will make sure national leaders in the movement to save public education have Los Angeles in mind when they return to their work fighting for our schools.

 

It’s critical that Los Angeles be represented at this urgent conference. Low cost sponsorship opportunities are available and supporters will be recognized on signage when LA hosts a reception at the conference.  

 

Please help make this happen! Donate $10 today and forward this email to friends who want to support the fight for public education.

Thank you for your support and help spreading the word,

Karen

LA Parents Need a Seat!

Parent Engagement Committee as opportunity to address LAUSD CAC concerns

From an avid reader [edited for anonymity]

Here's the link to the next Early Childhood Education and Parent Engagement Committee meeting scheduled for next Thursday, December 12, 1013. It has an unfortunate late start of 4PM due to Curriculum and Instruction Committee scheduled at 10am, and the Budget, Facilities and Audit Committee scheduled at 1PM the same day. Hopefully the Budget meeting won't go overtime and we can start at 4. As they will be speaking about Local Control Funding Formula, it is possible that public comment will not occur until around 6PM.

School board staffers recently spoke regarding difficulties with our Community Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting structure today and ongoing since PCSB has been helping us. It's been requested that this issue could be placed on the agenda as a whole, but it's full for next week. Officials facilitating the Ad Hoc committee suggest that it would carry weight if members of the CAC and other interested members of the public could come to the meeting and speak to the committee regarding this. The public could ask to have the committee consider this for a future agenda item. If anyone is able to attend, it would be beneficial to the CAC.

Link to committee info and agenda.

Parent Engagement Committee as opportunity to address LAUSD CAC concerns