I wonder if John Deasy, Megan Chernin, and Elise Buik eat in these kind of conditions? #LAUSD https://t.co/z13AvCHPwj pic.twitter.com/7F5ZZD2r5e
— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) February 7, 2014
Big Education Ape: This School Is Not a Pipe: This School Is Not a Pipe : This School Is Not a Pipe Friday, 07 February 2014 09:14 By Josh Neufeld and Adam Bessie , Truthout |...
What to look forward to when I graduate #UCLA this spring? @TedRall via @skrashen #LAUSD #edreform #vergara pic.twitter.com/tbBfB8ciYC
— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) February 7, 2014
#LAUSD's @drDeasylausd says kids can learn in these conditions, we say that's unacceptable! https://t.co/z13AvCHPwj pic.twitter.com/gimY19edNy
— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) February 6, 2014This is a classroom for special education students in one of your schools. It might be exciting making billion dollar iPad purchases, but this is your responsibility too. No child should have go to a school that looks like this.
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/
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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.
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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
Dr. Mark Naison speaks out against Common Core. Mark is Professor of African and African American Studies at Fordham and the founder and principal investigator of the Bronx African American History Project. He is co-founder of Badass Teachers Association. He is the author of four books, and over one hundred articles on African American History, labor history, sports and popular culture.—Cortlandt Manor, New York. February 4, 2014
Alternatives to School Closures: you can't improve a school by closing it. #LAUSD #edreform http://t.co/pYzIuEqrne pic.twitter.com/QVCf7xvQGQ
— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) February 5, 2014Via The Opportunity to Learn (OTL) Campaign
Public schools are the heart of every community, a place where the next generation of doctors, engineers, writers and artists learn and grow. They are where parents, teachers and community members come together to support their children and invest in their futures.
When schools struggle, it is often because they lack the resources to meet the needs of their students. Yet rather than invest in these schools, policymakers have increasingly turned to mass closures as a solution, leaving primarily students of color and students from low-income families without the educational opportunities they deserve. There are better ways to support our schools and our children.
A former tenant of one of Philip J. Lance's many "properties" documents abysmally unsafe conditions, including unchecked mold growth. Because of Lance's connections, an apparent coverup followed. Like their awful, but lucrative CNCA charter school empire, PND's alleged slum-apartments are part and parcel their putting a helping-the-poor veneer on something dark, sinister, and revenue generating.
Philip J. Lance of PND and CNCA, Slumlord? by Robert D. Skeels
High-stakes standardized tests & #CCSS, they're a great way to measure… profits. #LAUSD #edreform @skrashen @susanoha pic.twitter.com/Gn4LXB9KHi
— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) February 4, 2014
As a #UCLA Classical Civilization major, @BarackObama's vapid Art History comments reek of anti-intellectualism. http://t.co/RQvarDveh7
— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) February 1, 2014My comments on the Washington Post:
As a forty eight year old Senior in Classical Civilization at UCLA, this President's vapid comments about Art History reek of his and Arne Duncan's longstanding anti-intellectualism. Someone needs to explain to these reactionaries that there is more to life than stuffing money in your pockets. The idea that education has value beyond economic concerns is sadly lost on these political opportunists and lackeys to finance capital.
Updated: February 6, 2014 A related tumblr post
Wonder what snarky, anti-intellectual jokes President Obama would make about this bulletin board in Dodd Hall? My department’s bulletin board — Classics — is right next to the Art History one. I’m sure that would arouse antipathy from finance capital’s favorite president as well. Obama’s disparaging remarks about the humanities and academia are another reason why I don’t regret voting for Cynthia McKinney in 2008 and Dr. Jill Stein in 2012.
Updated: February 15, 2014, Alexandra Miletta: What I Learned by Studying Art History via @DianeRavitch. My commentary there.
Thank you. I was dismayed by the President's comments, and would have written an essay in response except that I'm in my final quarter at UCLA and have precious little time to respond to his banal anti-intellectualism. As a Classical Civilization major, I have a deep affinity to art history. I should also mention roughly a third of my upper division courses were art history courses of the ancient world. For the past two decades I've worked at a STEM company, and I've always been taken aback by both how narrow and shallow the education of the types of majors the POTUS was hawking.
Caution! We're "those people" that President @BarackObama warned you about. #UCLA #humanities http://t.co/MiSK4g8MZg pic.twitter.com/lpmP8gxO5A
— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) February 19, 2014
