tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85702922767196508232024-03-05T18:47:16.051-08:00The Trials of Joseph K(An inside look at today's kafkaesque world of public education and beyond.)JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570292276719650823.post-709437635062717302013-08-20T11:47:00.000-07:002013-08-20T22:41:09.163-07:00John Deasy vs. Sarah Palin<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";}
</style>
<![endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the wake of Los Angeles School Superintendent John Deasy
first receiving a 91 percent Vote of No Confidence from his teachers and then a
failing grade in their subsequent Performance Review (both in the Spring of
2013), questions must be asked. In the former vote, only 1,647 of LA’s 33,000
teachers expressed any confidence at all in Deasy while in the latter the vast
majority of teachers who participated rated his performance below average or
poor in every single one of their 25 performance areas. The ratio of poor to below average was often six to one. On a scale of one to
five with five being highest, Deasy scored 1.36 overall. In
a world where most teachers issue fails with anything below 60 percent, the Superintendent's grade was 27.2 percent. Had he somehow managed to
double his score, he still would have fallen short of a D by more than six
percentage points.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Given such dismal numbers, it is fair to ask would anyone
be a more effective superintendent? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
about John Deasy vs. Sarah Palin, for example?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Let’s start with their educational backgrounds which are
surprisingly similar. Sarah Palin enrolled at the University of Hawaii at Hilo
in 1982. Shortly after arriving in Hawaii, she transferred to Hawaii Pacific
University in Honolulu for a semester and then to North Idaho College for the
spring and fall semesters of 1983. In August of 1984 Palin enrolled at the
University of Idaho in Moscow for an entire academic year and then attended
Matanuska-Susitna College in Alaska in the fall of 1985. Returning to the University
of Idaho in Moscow which apparently sucked up all her units from all her other
colleges and universities as if it was one giant academic vacuum cleaner, she
received her degree in communications with an emphasis in journalism in May of
1987.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">John Deasy began his PhD studies attending the State
University of New York at Albany from 1991 to 1993 and earned 33 units, an
astounding 8 units per semester. He then divided his time from 1997 to 2003
between the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College in a dual
program. In those seven years of serious academic rigor, Deasy earned 44 units, barely 3 units per semester. Perhaps exhausted from that breath-taking 3-units-per-semester
pace, Deasy then turned his attention to a fourth institution, the University
of Louisville where he slaved away to earn a relatively astonishing 9 units for
a single research course in the Spring<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>of 2004. How many 9-unit, single-semester classes does the University of
Louisville offer, I wonder? How many does any university? Much like Palin’s University
of Idaho, Deasy’s University of Louisville sucked up all of Deasy’s units from
three different universities like a giant academic vacuum cleaner. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deasy was awarded his PhD with stunning
swiftness at the end of a single semester in May while the weather was still
relatively nice.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Such an achievement is particularly remarkable when you stop
to consider the fact a typical University of Louisville student at the time completed
(and now in the wake of the Deasy fiasco is required to complete) its PhD
program in approximately three years with at least one year in full time
residency and a minimum of 18 units.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Palin narrowly defeated Deasy in the number of colleges and universities attended for a single degree by the narrow margin of five to four.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In June 2008, Northern Idaho College alumni gave Palin its
Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. To date John Deasy has been awarded No
Distinguished Anything from Anybody.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In its 2013 Performance Review, of the 25 performance areas Los
Angeles teachers rated Deasy the lowest in the area of his ability to
positively influence the morale of the staff with 86 percent of teachers rating
him below average or poor. More than six times as many rated him poor compared
to below average. He was second lowest in his ability to spend money wisely
according to the teachers with starkly similar numbers. In stark contrast to
Deasy, Palin received the Miss Congeniality award and was awarded a college
scholarship in finishing third in the Miss Alaska Pageant of 1984. Sarah
Palin had already won the Miss Wasilla Beauty Pageant, an impossible feat for
anyone lacking loads of congeniality. For Miss Alaska, Sarah Palin played the
flute in the talent portion of the contest again in stark contrast to John Deasy
who slashed arts spending in 2012.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While John Deasy has virtually destroyed
staff moral in his two and a half years as LAUSD superintendent, Sarah Palin
enjoyed approval ratings as high as 94% while governor of Alaska and is universally
credited with single-handedly restoring the morale of the Republican Party when
John McCain named her his Vice-Presidential running mate in August of 2008.
McCain/Palin promptly surged ahead of Obama/Biden in national polls and
remained there for quite some time. Newsweek and Time both put her on their
covers. Morale was never higher in the Republican Party because of Palin.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Even at the nadir of her popularity while governor of Alaska
in May of 2009, Sarah Palin received only a 42 percent vote of no confidence
according to Hays Research, less than half of Deasy’s 91 percent.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sarah Palin’s 400-page book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Going Rogue: An American Life</i> sold 300,000 copies the day it was
released, a million copies in two weeks, spent six weeks on top of the New York
Times Best Seller List, was the best-selling nonfiction book of the year in
2009, and sold 3,472,639 hardback copies in its first two years. In contrast, Deasy’s
book, the 184-page <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">An Analysis of
Leadership: Investigating Superintendent Leadership in Context Within a
Standards-Based, Non-Optional Reform Initiative</i> fared less well with
readers. Its release remains controversial as it is dated prior to his
enrolling at the University of Louisville which accepted the book as Deasy’s
dissertation. As Deasy’s PhD sponsor Robert Felner was later convicted of tax
evasion and fraud and sentenced to 63 months in a federal penitentiary, it is
questionable whether anyone besides Deasy ever read it at all. At 184 pages,
one might reasonably ask if the book was even read by Deasy himself.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In 2010, Deasy became superintendent without so much as an
interview, let alone a national search. McCain met Palin at the National
Governor’s Meeting in February of 2008 and was “extraordinarily impressed.” On
August 24, Palin’s candidacy was discussed in depth by McCain’s top advisors who
reached a consensus and McCain personally spoke to Palin on the phone that same
day. After an interview with Palin at his home on August 27, McCain formally “offered
her the job.”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In 2010, Deasy immediately began firing what would become,
at least at the time, a record number of teachers and promptly established
himself as the most divisive superintendent in the country since Michelle Rhee’s
similar teacher carnage and cheating scandals in Washington DC. He remains the
most divisive in LAUSD history. In 2012, as a result of his mishandling of the
Miramonte Child Abuse Scandal, Deasy’s teacher jails would swell from a few prisoners
to more than five hundred and he would subsequently break his own
teacher-firing record. He would displace more than a thousand primarily
inner-city teachers from their positions and place them on track to be fired as
well by ordering principals not to hire them under any circumstances. So much
for teachers dedicating their lives to serving the city’s most desperate and
needy children. Deasy views the acceptance of such a challenge and this level
of dedication as a liability to be stamped out.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Simultaneous and in stark contrast to Deasy’s carnage beginning in
2010 and ever-increasing divisiveness which ultimately resulted in both the 2013
No Confidence Vote and failed Performance Review, Sarah Palin launched her Pink
Elephant Movement which set about building coalitions and support for women
candidates in both houses of Congress as well as State Capitols. Her success
rate was 7 to 2 in the Senate, 7 to 6 in The House, and 6 to 3 when it came to
State Governorships. Even Christine “I’m Not a Witch” O’Donnell’s political
fortunes changed overnight with Palin’s endorsement allowing her to defeat the “unbeatable” Republican Establishment candidate Mike Castle in the Delaware
primary. In November, Palin released her second book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">America by Heart,</i> which hit number two on the New York Times Best
Seller List in its second week of release and was the fifth best-selling nonfiction
book of 2010. Also in 2010, Sarah Palin was named one of the 100 most
influential people in the world by Time Magazine.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Who <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">would</i> make a
more effective superintendent? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">John Deasy
or Sarah Palin?</span>JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570292276719650823.post-72335568486174150552013-08-17T13:40:00.002-07:002020-11-22T12:09:41.739-08:00AUTOBIOGRAPHY<div align="left" dir="ltr"><span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013" style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">I used to lead bicycle trips, primarily with teenagers.
We would usually start in London, of course, and then travel west to various
places like Stratford upon Avon, Oxford, Bath and Stonehenge, Salisbury and its
magnificent cathedral, eventually heading south to Plymouth or Portsmouth for
the boat to France. No Chunnel back then. We would ride from Cherbourg or Isle
de Batz or some place to Dinan, <span class="609373419-17082013"> various parts of
Northern France </span>, depended upon the trip, then eventually take a train to
Paris. Then either a train to Bern or perhaps cycle the Loire Valley or to
Chartres, Orleans and then to bits of Germany (usually Bavaria), Austria, all
over. I remember the endless and brutal hills of Devon nearly devouring me. I
remember being saved by Devonshire Clotted Cream. We have nothing like that in
the United States. I have no doubt that if Heaven exists, a scone with
Devonshire Clotted Cream is one of the first things they serve
you.</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div align="left" dir="ltr">
</div>
<div align="left" dir="ltr">
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013" style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">Later, I began taking solo trips and those were the
real epics. Since a teenager, I always wanted to see the Loch Ness Monster as I
loved any and all "unsolved mysteries" and when I started cycling at 14 I always
wanted to bicycle the Scottish Highlands. Approx. ten years ago I set out from
London bound for Scotland and the Highlands in particular. At one point I left
the confines of my "tourist map" of London, but still hadn't reached the
countryside where I could wander the country roads listed on my Michelin maps.
Those maps were so detailed, I think one inch equaled one inch. With no
direction known, other than north, I just kept heading generally north on the
outskirts of the city. At one point I came to a T in the road and in either
direction I could see nothing heading north. So I waited for a passer by.
Eventually a garbage truck came slowly up the street. I asked this rugged man
which would be the best way to go if I wanted to head north. He said, "Where are
you going?" I said, "North." He said, "I know that, but where?" I said, "North.
I just need to head north." He said, "But where north?" I said, "Well eventually
I want to hit Scotland." I wish I could describe the look on that man's face. It
was like I had answered, "The North Pole." He looked across at his partner and
said something like, "My God. This bloke is riding his push bike all the way to
Scotland." I think he pointed to the right just out of
confusion.</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div align="left" dir="ltr">
</div>
<div align="left" dir="ltr">
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013" style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">I meandered all over the Yorkshire Dales and stumbled
into the Lake District. I had no idea so much of England was north of London. On
the tiny globes we have in school, London looks like it is roughly in the
middle. And I'd ridden south to the Channel many times. I figured it couldn't be
that much further. As it turned out, I miscalculated. From the Lake District I
finally made it to the border at Jedburg where I meandered my way eventually to
Edinborough. Eventually I was at Stirling Castle, Loch Lomand and indeed Loch
Ness. Didn't see the monster. In fact it was raining so hard when I got there,
that although the hostel is right on the Loch, I barely even saw the Loch. I
rode to the top at John O'Groats, took a boat to Orkney Island and to this day
wear a silver bracelet and ring from that wonderful island 24/7. Just recently I
took them off for the first time in many, many years. I did it begrudgingly. But
I needed an MRI of my wrist. Nothing short of an MRI will pry that jewelry off
my wrist and finger.</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div align="left" dir="ltr">
</div>
<div align="left" dir="ltr">
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013" style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">Back on the mainland, I headed <span class="609373419-17082013">we</span>st through the endless clouds of midges<span class="609373419-17082013"> (no-see-'ems) </span> to catch a boat to the Outer
Hebrides. From there I turned south island hopping from island to island until I
reached the Inner Hebrides and the Isle of Skye, Iona and lord knows where all.
Eventually I ran out of time and had to catch a train back to London. It wasn't
too long after they'd deregulated British Rail. What a wise move that was. Do we
thank Margaret Thatcher for that or Tony Blair? Suspect it was Thatcher. No one
else could be that stupid. Anway, with a thousand deregulated rail lines, it was
virtually impossible to get even to Glasgow with a bicycle, let alone London.
Through some freak miracle of nature, they managed to cobble a train trip for
the two of us back to London. It wasn't easy. The poor woman in the station
nearly had a heart attack trying to print me the tickets I needed. I was
certain I'd never see my bicycle again.</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div align="left" dir="ltr">
</div>
<div align="left" dir="ltr">
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013" style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">I have many of these stories. Countless stories. I have
two different, but similar adventures in Spain/Portugal alone. My Bath adventure
will have to wait. But that widely meandering trip from London to Orkney, the
Hebrides and back was really something. I spent time with Sylvia Plath, Beatrice
Potter, the Bronte Sisters; I went all over the place.</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div align="left" dir="ltr">
</div>
<div align="left" dir="ltr">
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013" style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">As I sit here writing in my den/office/bedroom, there
is a picture of me with my bicyle (including full camping gear) on the bookshelf
right behind me. I am standing on the photo rock at John O'Groats. August 4,
2002. One arrow points to Lands End<span class="609373419-17082013"> (the
southernmost tip of England, you guys) </span>, 874 miles away. My route from
London may have carried me twice that far. Another arrow points to Los Angeles
some 5,953 miles from home. </span></span></div>
<div align="left" dir="ltr">
</div>
<div align="left" dir="ltr">
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013" style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">It appears I weighed less than I do
now.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" dir="ltr">
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013" style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">In the meantime, I will say this about Bath. I received
one of the best kisses I have ever received in my life somewhere around three or
four in the morning in Bath. I had met some "locals" in a cellar bar dating back
to something like 1400. They took a shine to me. The atmosphere was as thick as
shepherd's pie. I loved it. They took me to some after hours club. A fair bit of
drinking occured prior to the after hours and the after hours for some reason
gave us no reason to slow down. I was hours away from having to bicycle to
Stonehenge on the way to the cathedral and youth hostel in Salisbury. The
girlfriend of one of the young men decided to kiss me goodbye. Though standing
right in front of him, she did not kiss me like someone with a boyfriend.
Instead, she kissed me like someone without a boyfriend for the last three
hundred years. She kissed me like she was long overdue. I kissed her
back or perhaps more accurately just tried to keep up. I was not too successful in that regard.</span></span></div>
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013" style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<br />
<div align="left" dir="ltr">
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013">T</span>hough it came somewhere in the mid
1980's<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013">, t</span>o this day I'm not
entirely sure I've recovered from that kiss.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013"> </span></span></span></span></div>
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013" style="font-size: small;"><span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">The vicious, mercilous headwind that struck us every
inch of the way to Stonehenge and Salisbury did nothing to assuage my hangover
when the teenagers woke me up after breaking back into the hostel and a few
hours of sleep at most. Quite the opposite, in fact.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="left" dir="ltr">
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013"><span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">That kiss may have helped.</span></span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013"><span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">But not much.</span></span></span><br />
<div align="left" dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013"><span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: blue;">-Joseph K<span class="609373419-17082013"> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div align="left" dir="ltr">
<br />
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: blue;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013">
</span>
<br />
<div align="left" dir="ltr">
</div>
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzCq1kD2aeauR2qwyh3733D_qZKgj_etBiw71qxMWXjUOV2CptZf4yuCvEOwUnidI1rixcDKQMWpMPIadZGw2JvHBnVVda5b09PVatXvjIPZyfS89lJYpD0eEEBYHGMr8rskVxxxVehgU/s1600/John+O%27Groats+2002+(Joseph+K).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzCq1kD2aeauR2qwyh3733D_qZKgj_etBiw71qxMWXjUOV2CptZf4yuCvEOwUnidI1rixcDKQMWpMPIadZGw2JvHBnVVda5b09PVatXvjIPZyfS89lJYpD0eEEBYHGMr8rskVxxxVehgU/s320/John+O%27Groats+2002+(Joseph+K).JPG" width="227" /></a></span></div>
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013"><br /></span></div>
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013">
</span>
<div align="left" dir="ltr">
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013"><span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="609373419-17082013"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span class="yiv1499104836073595102-16082013">
</span></div>
</span>JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570292276719650823.post-31979728873816677172013-07-16T19:12:00.000-07:002013-07-16T19:41:40.783-07:00Deasy Must Go<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Written March 31, 2012 and published with supporting documentation and links on <a href="http://k12newsnetwork.com/blog/2012/04/02/lausd-superintendent-of-schools-john-deasy-must-go/" target="_blank">K12NewsNetwork April 2nd</a>, "Deasy Must Go"</span></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">has been the most widely read and circulated of Joseph K's articles. Ironically, Joseph K never published it on his own blog. <a href="http://ivn.us/progress-report/2013/05/22/big-money-does-not-win-the-los-angeles-school-board-election/" target="_blank">Given the current defeat</a> of the <a href="http://economics.arawakcity.org/node/1043" target="_blank">billionaire-backed reform candidates</a> on the LAUSD school board, the backlash against LAUSD Superintendent Deasy's war against teachers (teacher jail) and the newly elected School Board President by a 5-2 vote (Richard Vladovic, a man <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jul/06/local/la-me-lausd-board-20130707" target="_blank">Deasy swore would result in his resignation</a> should Vladovic be elected), it seems appropriate to republish it here and now. The previous link produced <a href="http://discussions.latimes.com/20/lanews/la-me-lausd-board-20130707/10" target="_blank">a maelstrom of anti-Deasy comments</a> by LA Times readers. I have added one contemporary link at the bottom in regards to Deasy's plan for LAUSD school children to face an endless barrage of tests beginning in August, 2013. "Just who will profit?" (Short answer: Pearson and Apple).</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Now more than ever, Deasy Must Go.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:TargetScreenSize>800x600</o:TargetScreenSize>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="//img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" />
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It is time for Deasy to go. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">After robbing poor,
minority children of recess in the name of test prep in Prince
George’s County years ago,<a href="http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/education/blog/2008/10/prince_georges_says_goodbye_to.html" target="_blank"> he left nothing but wreckage and enmity as a district superintendent in Maryland</a>.
Deasy said, “Lessons at schools missing testing goals have to be very targeted,
and there often isn't time for electives and free play like at other schools</span>.”<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Tough break for poor, primarily black children.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">
</span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Ditto Santa Monica, where ex-Superintendent Deasy
is now universally despised. Deasy has a knack for being universally despised.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">He was awarded a fraudulent
PhD from Louisville after only six months
attendance and just nine units of coursework by a professor (Robert Felner),
whom Deasy later repaid with more than $375,000 of “consulting” contracts in Santa Monica. <a href="http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=1896" target="_blank">Substance News</a> had this to say:</span></div>
</span></span><br />
<blockquote>
<i><span style="color: red;">According to a highly placed source, formerly at UL,
Deasy’s dissertation’s title page carries the date, May, 2003, while it
is signed off, April 9, 2004. He entered the program in January, 2004. A
UL investigation of the Deasy PhD did not condemn the practice.</span></i> </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i><span style="color: red;">James Ramsey, UL president, who had turned a blind eye to Felner’s
notorious corruption (the faculty gave Felner a “no confidence vote” in
2006, but he served at least two more years at UL with Ramsey’s full
support), gave his nod to the “blue ribbon” investigation. </span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i><span style="color: red;">However, the UL handbook clearly states that a PhD candidate must
spend two years on campus. More, it usually takes most students a
minimum of three years. In addition, UL rarely allows a student to
transfer more than six credits. </span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i><span style="color: red;">Deasy, after allegations rose up about his imaginary degree but
before the investigation, was quoted in the Washington Post as saying,
“If the university made errors in the awarding of the degree, I do hope
they rescind it. My responsibility is to do everything I was advised and
told to do. If I was advised wrong and given wrong information, the
university needs to take responsibility for that. I certainly would not
want anything unearned.”</span></i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Professor
Felner was later sentenced to prison for more than five years for defrauding
the federal government and urban school districts of $2.3 million. Here in LA,
there were inconsistencies in Deasy’s resume. <a href="http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2010/06/john_deasy_lausd.php" target="_blank">He claimed to have taught at Loyola</a>, though Loyola had never heard of him.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">More recently, <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/entire-staff-suspended-bondage-teachers-probe-los-angeles-elementary-school-article-1.1018384" target="_blank">Deasy laid waste to Miramonte Elementary School</a>, illegally transferring more than a
hundred teachers, every adult in the building in fact, without even the
pretense of a shred of evidence of wrong doing against any of them, thereby
further traumatizing already severely traumatized children.</span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">
</span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The story gets worse.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Though cleared of all wrong
doing more than two weeks ago by the Sherriff’s department, <a href="http://www.scpr.org/blogs/education/2012/03/21/5196/few-details-emerge-85-miramonte-elementary-teacher/" target="_blank">Miramonte teachers remain in exile</a> in a brand new high school the District saw fit to never open. Their
careers and reputations now possibly forever destroyed, they sit helpless day
after day in a building with no children talking among themselves, staring at
walls. They are sitting in limbo day after day in Deasy’s Guantanamo Bay.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Meanwhile, what is
happening to the children at Miramonte? Do they have one or two new teachers? Do
they like their new teacher(s)? Who are these teachers?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Parents ask, “Where did
these new teachers come from? Are they any good? How do these new teachers know
what has already been taught if they just arrived the next day? Are they all
just starting over? How long will they stay?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">How much has all this cost (and
I don’t mean just money), but I do have a feeling several lawsuits at least
will have quite a say one day.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Deasy cares not a whit
about education, children, or teachers. He cares only for his own personal
ambition and standardized test data.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Data should drive
instruction,” he drones on and on and on<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">He reduces curriculum to
test prep, then fires inner-city principals and demonizes teachers by closing
inner-city schools, or giving them away to private charter companies when they
don’t drive data fast enough. Many of these benefiting for-profit charter companies
contribute significantly to Deasy-supporting school board member reelection
campaigns. Add to that all of the Gates and
Broad Foundations’ money? Gates was Deasy’s former employer and Broad is his
mentor. Who is in whose pocket?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">To quote Susan Ohanian, <a href="http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=9593" target="_blank">Deasy’s record “reads like the tombstone inscription for the death of childhood.”</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Ditto for teacherhood. He
wants to make each and every scurrilous charge by an LAUSD principal or
administrator (no matter how baseless, ill-conceived, or malevolent) a part of
a teacher’s permanent record. No evidence required. Scandalous.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Under Deasy, 9,300 layoff
notices were sent to teachers, librarians, nurses, psychologists, one out of
four members of UTLA. One out of four. So eager to layoff teachers was Deasy, that
he sent quite a few individuals not just one, but two or even three layoff
notices. <a href="http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2012/02/lausd_adult_education_safe_for.php" target="_blank">Erasing adult education</a>, early childhood, and <span class="st">School
Readiness Language Development Program</span>s are just the tip of the Deasy’s
iceberg. <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/87648334/LA-Phil-Letter-to-Deasy126" target="_blank">Music and the arts are also mostly toast</a> thanks to Deasy. Creativity? Who
needs it?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Late last year, Deasy
dissolved the District Advisory Committee which for 30 years has allowed
parents to monitor and advise the use of Federal Title I funding. He banned
it’s duly elected members from Parent
Centers as well as all
LAUSD property. In some instances, DAC members were visited at their homes and
pulled out of meetings by LAUSD police, while others were threatened by
District administrators with deportation. This is Deasy’s hallmark, an atmosphere
of fear and an absence of both compassion and ethics. <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/docs/108630898/Los-Angeles-Unified-School-District-%28LAUSD%29-Parent-Group-Files-Lawsuit-Charging-LAUSD-With-Misuse-of-25-Billion-in-Federal-Title-I-Funds" target="_blank">LAUSD now faces a $2.5 billion class-action lawsuit</a> for misuse of Title I funds.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">With no oversight, comes no
accountability. With no accountability, comes no restraint. He raised the
poverty level required to qualify for federal funds from forty to fifty
percent, thereby eliminating millions of federal tax dollars to twenty-three District
schools. Deasy is keeping the money. LACES alone (one of LA’s first and most
successful magnet schools) will lose $400,000 next year. How much is $400,000
times twenty-three?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">But even that isn’t enough
for the insatiable Deasy. Now he’s taking from Title II and III too.
Unbelievable. At what point does theft become an issue? Title I, II and III
funds are from the federal government. They are our tax dollars. Title I goes
to the poor including food for hungry children. Food? Who needs it? Title II
improves instruction. Title III goes to those with limited English. Not any
more. Much of it now goes to Deasy. Schools will just have to make do.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It is one thing to abuse
teachers, but quite another to steal from poor, hungry, minority, limited-English
speaking students. You do not steal federal government money. You do not steal
from children period.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">You do not steal libraries.
You do not steal preschool. If you want to really destroy poor, minority
children, there is no better way to do it than by eliminating preschool
programs. Preschool is the single greatest determinant of future academic
success in inner-city schools. It is the most efficient use of education
dollars.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Not any more, thanks to
Deasy.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What does he want all this
money for? Testing. Testing, testing, testing, and more testing. Deasy seems to
believe the best way to fatten a starving calf is to buy it more scales.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Forget
Music. Forget art. Your number two pencil had better be sharp!”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Though Deasy’s initial
investments and projections remain secret, it must be in the hundreds of
millions. Massive consulting contracts already go out to testing companies with
very little oversight. This is just a down payment. If Deasy gets his way, the
testing regimes of NCLB will look like a quiz by comparison. Pre-tests,
post-tests, and interim assessments. He wants to quantify child development
with a bold bubble strategy. Despite their limited scope and reliability issues
often exceeding fifty percent, Deasy wants to use standardized test increases
or decreases to evaluate, then fire teachers. That means every student must be
tested by every teacher many times each year.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">You cannot evaluate some
subjects and not others (unless you teach in Tennessee where teachers are now evaluated
in grades and subjects they don’t even teach). </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Deasy’s wants to impose a
value added measure (VAM) to evaluate teachers. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">VAM was
invented by Dr. William Sanders, a statistician working in the field of
agricultural genetics at the University
of Tennessee in the
1980's. He was, quite literally, a bean counter. He believed he could use his
statistical models used to produce plump, ripe tomatoes (and probably beans) to
evaluate teaching. Then Governor Lamar Alexander said, "Go for it."
Unfortunately, children are neither tomatoes nor beans and teaching is not
agriculture.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">To “prevent” teaching to
the tests, the tests will have to be new and different each and every year. How
else can you “prevent” teaching to a test when teachers’ jobs are at stake and
those teachers, no matter how moral, have already seen the test? How will it be
fair if some teach to the tests while others don’t, in favor of skills such as oral
language, written expression, creativity, and divergent thinking? Standardized
tests penalize divergent thinking. They teach false truths, such as the idea
there is only one answer or just one which is best. Is it the result of bad
teaching when hungry children in the city find shading endless bubbles for the
umpteenth time every year too tedious to regard?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hundreds of millions is
just a down payment. <a href="http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_23489311/lausd-spending-30-million-buy-30-000-ipads" target="_blank">Just who will profit?</a> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">For how long?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">And what for?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It is time for Deasy to go.</span></span></div>
</span></span>JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570292276719650823.post-39603295779679295072013-05-16T22:59:00.000-07:002013-05-18T12:02:04.604-07:00Deasy's Prayer<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";}
</style>
<![endif]--><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our Father who art in VAM,</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">hallowed be VAM's name.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">VAM's kingdom come.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">VAM's will be done </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">in schools as it is in
Heaven.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Give us this day our daily VAM, </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">and forgive us our trespasses, </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">as we forgive those who trespass against VAM. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">(Just kidding. Trespassing is illegal, so we will persecute agressively.) </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">And lead us not into<i> true teaching,</i> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">but deliver us from <i>creativity</i> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">(and <i>divergent thinking</i>). </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">For VAM is the kingdom, </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">and the power, </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">and the glory,</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">for ever and ever.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">aVAM</span></span>JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570292276719650823.post-85514972307343424912013-05-04T20:09:00.001-07:002013-05-21T22:38:18.455-07:00Also Sprach ZooTLA-stra<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">This is an actual email sent to a UTLA member by her <span style="font-size: large;">UTLA "R</span>epres<span style="font-size: large;">entative"</span> quite recently on the eve of being dismissed by LAUSD. I have translated the letter from the original "<span style="font-size: large;">UTLA</span>speak" to <span style="color: red;">(English)</span>.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Dear $$$$$$$,</span> <span style="color: red;">(Dear Mr./Ms. Lifetime Dues-Paying Member<span style="font-size: large;"> of</span> UTLA,)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"> </span><span style="color: blue;"><br />I am very, very sorry to report that your name is
on the dismissal list for the upcoming board vote</span>. <span style="color: red;">(I<span style="font-size: large;"> am</span> also sorry I coul<span style="font-size: large;">dn<span style="font-size: large;">'t even be bothered to let you know about this until after you asked me first and I had no choice but to answer you. </span></span>In fact I am so very, very sorry that I have slipped into a catatonic state of depression. That is why I will do <span style="font-size: large;">no</span>thing meaningful to help you. I'd really, really like to help you, but I am just too depressed. Can you help me? This is just so difficult for me to deal with. Please get back to me regarding anything you can do for me on my behalf. I really feel bad. Really. Really, really bad.)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><br />Please let your lawyer
know immediately.</span> <span style="color: red;">(Because unlike the commitments we made to you both in the UTLA Constitution and all our UTLA "Membership Benefits" brochures we've been handing out for decades<span style="font-size: large;">, </span>brochures we recently changed </span></span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">thank God </span></span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">(<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">using</span> your dues money)</span>, we will be doing absolutely nothing to help you when it comes to lawyers. As soon as LAUSD puts you on unpaid status, though, you should have no problem spending your own money, the money you don't have, to defend yourself and cover all your legal fees, health insurance, food, re<span style="font-size: large;">nt, morgage, child care, etc</span>. Good luck with that, by the way.)</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">I also wanted to let you know that UTLA is here to help work
out a settlement offer with the District if you are interested.</span> <span style="color: red;">(In the absence of providing any meaningful help to you since <span style="font-size: large;">your nightmare began</span>, I will ask the malevolent LAUSD administrators who put you in this miserable situation by using false allegations and/or <span style="font-size: large;">accusing you of</span> trivial infractions of school policy if they have a breadcrumb or two they'd like to <span style="font-size: large;">toss in</span> your direction in order to get you to quit as soon as possible<span style="font-size: large;"> as this<span style="font-size: large;"> will</span> make it more convenient for both LAUSD and UTLA.</span>)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: large;"> <span style="background-color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Please let me know if you would like us to work with the District on your behalf
in working out a settlement.</span> <span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="color: red;">(I'm just letting you know this in case it isn't obvious to you yet that all we do now at UTLA is collaborate and collude with LAUSD. We'd like you out of here as much as they do <span style="font-size: large;">and hope</span> that you don't sue us. If we can do anything to get you out of here quicker, then great! UTLA used to work for and with teachers on<span style="font-size: large;"> their behalf</span>. Now we work strictly on LAUSD's behalf. We'll say we're working on "your behalf<span style="font-size: large;">,"</span> though, if it makes you feel any better now that your life is ruined and we've done nothing meaningful for you. I did enjoy sitting next to you those times. <span style="font-size: large;">And I'd be more than happy to kiss your ass goodbye if that helps.</span>)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><br />I am so sorry to have to deliver such terrible news.</span> <span style="color: red;">(As I said, I'm catatonic. Seriously. Do you think you can help me? I can't move.)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"> <span style="background-color: white;"></span></span><br /><span style="color: blue;">Sincerely,</span> <span style="color: red;">(Kidding!)</span><br /> </span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">%%%%%%</span> <span style="color: red;">(We now take 100% of your dues and offer no protection or meaningful help<span style="font-size: large;"> to you</span>, unless you count <span style="font-size: large;">lip-service</span>, whatsoever. Your dues <span style="font-size: large;">has paid</span> my s<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">alary</span>, though, so all is not l<span style="font-size: large;">ost.</span></span>)</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Your UTLA Area
Representative</span></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">(Repre<span style="font-size: large;">sentative: noun 1. Well<span style="font-size: large;">, you look it up. I don't have a <span style="font-size: large;">clue what "rep<span style="font-size: large;">resentative<span style="font-size: large;">" me<span style="font-size: large;">ans. None of us at UTLA do.)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570292276719650823.post-92049991916957976422013-04-27T17:38:00.000-07:002013-04-28T15:01:04.163-07:00Thus Speaks LAUSD, Part II<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCx7j2b1XJshgEryv4lBDR1jJVs80qoxQyQtbA3CMD3heUeDIeUGzGRH2NMw2pHf_c_AO_bjUJQeh9atKOOaqGyIqZ25WDrog95xq6H5yC1uAtjJHUeVyS0-o2d-ap4faqg0IovCLa2Y3/s1600/Messed+Up+Form+Letter.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCx7j2b1XJshgEryv4lBDR1jJVs80qoxQyQtbA3CMD3heUeDIeUGzGRH2NMw2pHf_c_AO_bjUJQeh9atKOOaqGyIqZ25WDrog95xq6H5yC1uAtjJHUeVyS0-o2d-ap4faqg0IovCLa2Y3/s640/Messed+Up+Form+Letter.jpeg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Letter Dated February 28, 2013. Full LAUSD
letterhead. John E. Deasy, Ph.D<span style="font-size: small;">., </span>the microwave popcorn version of doctorates. (Microwave popcorn takes six minutes. John Deasy's Ph.D. took six months.)</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Re.
Mr. Sergio Garcia vs. LAUSD</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dear
Mr. Williams.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Wait. Didn’t you say Mr. Garcia?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yes I did.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Well who is this to, Mr. Garcia or Mr.
Williams?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I don’t know.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You don’t know?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Uhhh, no I don’t. I think it's to Mr. Williams, though. That's what it says.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"But it's about Mr. Garcia."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I think so. Yes." </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Really? You think so? OK, go on.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thank
you for meeting with me at Educational Service Center East on February 27, 2013
at 1:30 p.m. regarding John Doty’s appeal…</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a
minute. John Doty? Who the heck is John Doty? I thought this was to Sergio
Garcia, I mean Mr. Williams, I mean, well, what the hell do I mean? What the
hell do YOU mean?"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I don’t know.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Wait a minute. You don’t know?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No I don’t.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Not a clue?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Nope.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Huh. You know I find this really hard to…oh
forget it. Just go on.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">During
the appeal, Mr. Garcia stated….</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Mr. Garcia? Did
you just say Mr. Garcia? Where the hell is John Doty? What have you done with him? You didn’t hurt him or
anything I hope. And poor Mr. Williams. I hate to think what's happened to him.
What have you done with him? Come on. Just WHO ARE WE TALKING ABOUT here?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No idea.”<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No idea? What is this, LAUSD's imitation of Abbott and
Costello? <i>Who’s on Sergio, what’s on Williams, and John Doty’s on
third?</i> So this letter to Mr. Williams references Mr. Garcia, but concerns the appeal of a Notice of Unsatisfactory Act issued to Mr. Doty while supposedly quoting Mr. Garcia during Mr. Garcia's appeal of HIS Notice of Unsatisfactory Act?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Yes."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Are you attributing the words of Mr. Garcia to John Doty, the words of John Doty to Mr. Garcia, or the words of Mr. Garcia to Mr. Garcia at John Doty's appeal meeting? Or are you attributing the words of Mr. Garcia to John Doty, the words of John Doty to Mr. Garcia, or the words of Mr. Garcia to Mr. Garcia during Mr. Garcia's appeal meeting? Which is it?" </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I don't know."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Not a clue?"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"No."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Six different possibilities?"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"It would seem so, yes."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How many paragraphs are left?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“One.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“One? Who is it to? No wait, let me guess. It’s
to, uhhhh... Oh hell, just tell me. No, forget it. Never mind who it's to. I don’t even want to know. What
is the final paragraph in regards to?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“It passes judgment.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“It passes judgment?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yes.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“But you don’t know upon whom.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yes I do! Of course I do!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You do? How is that possible? You’ve got a letter regarding a Mr. Garcia, to a Mr. Williams, summarizing details with regards to Mr. Dody's meeting while quoting (possibly) Mr. Garcia while either at Mr. Doty's or Mr. Garcia's appeal meeting and now you are going to pass
judgment on one of them?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yes.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“And you know who you are passing judgment
upon.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yes I do. Of course I do.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“How?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I don’t know.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"You don't know?"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Not really. No."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“But you pass judgment anyway?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yes.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Why? Why on Earth would you do that?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Because it doesn’t matter.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“It doesn’t matter? How can you say it doesn’t
matter? These are three professional educators who have dedicated their lives to serving and educating children! How can you say it doesn’t matter?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Because we are firing everybody. The name, or
in this case names on the paper really don’t make any difference.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“And you say that in the last paragraph?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Oh no, of course not.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“What do you say?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“We say we are firing Mr. Garcia.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“But not Mr. Williams?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You’re not firing Mr. Williams?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Oh no, certainly we are firing Mr. Williams.
We’re just not firing him with this official district document.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"What about Mr. Doty?" </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Him too."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Him too what?"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"We are firing him too. The last paragraph is always the same. The names above? Who the letters are addressed to? Details? Who said what? The merits? The facts? None of that matters. What matters is the last paragraph. You're fired."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Who the hell are you anyway?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Me? I’m Dr. Jose Cantu, Ed.D. I’m the
Operations Coordinator for ESC East.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Excuse me, did I hear you say Dr.?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yes. Ed.D.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Ed.D. You mean as in, 'Dr.' James Noble,
Ed.D."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Exactly."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Ed.D. What does that stand for?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“How the hell should I know? Hey look, bud. It’s
not like I’ve got all day here. I’m an important man. I’ve got things to do.
I’ve got teachers to fire.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“But you don’t know who.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Of course I know who!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You do?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Of course I know! I’m firing all of them! I
just don’t know who I am firing or why I am firing them at any particular moment in time. There’s
no need to worry, though. It all comes out the same in the end.”</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxTTVgwXSQMs8hKgCXdyqVwdljGUyDW4sYnTCIENKL7faxQ9_ua1H4-f_9Yamc1yQI7U4cqXv3SQvhFT88VzHLscRzur5pRxZMwljJYcEFlqVMRpP1UB68NeenP9F34hygHUazXKXKQzp/s1600/Messed+Up+Form+Letter+Detail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="48" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxTTVgwXSQMs8hKgCXdyqVwdljGUyDW4sYnTCIENKL7faxQ9_ua1H4-f_9Yamc1yQI7U4cqXv3SQvhFT88VzHLscRzur5pRxZMwljJYcEFlqVMRpP1UB68NeenP9F34hygHUazXKXKQzp/s640/Messed+Up+Form+Letter+Detail.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570292276719650823.post-10300403515072430222013-04-23T16:42:00.000-07:002013-04-27T21:03:51.370-07:00Thus Speaks LAUSD, Part I<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuE-nJlYlojIhnga6Q3ML30YOIm31jndu0MzrUpzh3FKQnxbxICEfgosExM1g_O54rMcfZ-6TI3Ru1suJCmwR958ixkfJ0xWU-ljpZiLaeiV0g_zVYWQ-dJpGH0fdlbvnHJhsbkfIbMI9/s1600/Notice+of+Uspension.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuE-nJlYlojIhnga6Q3ML30YOIm31jndu0MzrUpzh3FKQnxbxICEfgosExM1g_O54rMcfZ-6TI3Ru1suJCmwR958ixkfJ0xWU-ljpZiLaeiV0g_zVYWQ-dJpGH0fdlbvnHJhsbkfIbMI9/s400/Notice+of+Uspension.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Notice of 15-day "Ususpension" Without Pay, Which Forms the Basis of a Teacher's Dismissal from LAUSD<span style="font-size: small;">. Approved by Dr. James Noble, Director of Operations, ESC <span style="font-size: small;">South</span></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“A <i><b>Notice of Ususpension</b></i>,” Dr. Noble?</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Yes, why? </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Well, do you really think you
should be firing someone because of a <b><i>Notice of Ususpension</i></b>?"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yes. Why? Wait. What the hell are you talking about?
What are you bothering me for, anyway? I’m a <span style="font-size: small;">busy man. I have many important things to
do.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Really? Like what?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I’ve got this letter to send out. We’re having a
teacher’s Administrative Review April 25.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You mean his Skelly Hearing?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Well, yes and no.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“What do you mean, ‘Yes or no?'”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Well, we call it an Administrative Review, but
if you insist we will call it a Skelly. It doesn’t really matter.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“It doesn’t? Why not? And isn't it supposed to be a Skelly <i>Hearing</i>?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"No."</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Why not?" </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Well for one thing we don’t do Skelly Hearings
and for another….”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. What do you mean, <i>You don’t do Skelly Hearings</i>? Why not? No, wait. Forget that. What did you
mean by, <i>and for another thing</i>?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Well for another thing, when you get to the
OAH, LAUSD’s lawyers won’t even let you use the WORD <i>hearing</i>.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“They won’t?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Well why the hell not?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Well THAT’s a stupid question! Because we don’t
do Skelly <i>Hearings</i>.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Really? Well then what do you do?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“We fire people. Asministrative Review. Skelly. Whatever. I’m going to listen to this guy
who was long-ago fired yap and yawn April 25 and then tell him he’s fired.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"You are going to tell a guy who's already been fired that he is going to be fired?"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Yes."</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"How does that work?"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Oh, we fire everyone the day we remove them from their school. But we have to obey the protocols."</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"You mean <i>Due Process</i>?" </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Of course I don't mean <i>Due Process</i>! We don't do <i>Due Process</i>. We do protocols. We must follow all the protocols, except for..."</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Except for what?"</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Except for the protocols we don't follow." </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"And by <i>protocols</i>, you mean going through the motions o<span style="font-size: small;">f</span> <i>Due Process</i>, of conducting <i>charades</i>?"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Of course not! What kind of dog-and-pony show do you think we're running here? But basically yes."</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“And when are you telling him this, his next <i>protocol</i>?"</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“What? When am I firing him, when am I going to
tell him I'm pretending I just decided I'm going to fire him</span><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and am now telling him</span><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, or when am
I telling him of the meeting?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“When are you telling him about this next meeting? Wait a
minute. What the...? You lost me. <i>What when</i> what…”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Oh stop bothering me. The bottom line is we’re
firing him. What’s the difference?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Well it does kind of make a difference, at
least to the teacher. Which does this letter do?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“It tells him when we are going to ignore him. I told you. His <i>Administrative Review</i>. His <i>Skelly Hearing</i> that is not a <i>hearing</i>.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“And when is that?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“April 25, 2013.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“And you are writing this on what date?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"April 17. I want him to have plenty of notice
regarding when we will ignore him.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“What if he can’t make the non-hearing hearing on April 25?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Oh, well, that’s easy. I will condescend to allow him to respond in writing.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Even if he can’t make the meeting?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yes”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“What if his UTLA Representative can’t make the
meeting?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“The teacher can respond in writing. But he must respond in writing prior to the meeting.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You mean if he or his UTLA Representative can't make the meeting, he has to notify you in writing prior to the meeting? When does he have to notify you by, as you say, <i>prior to the meeting</i>?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"He doesn't have to notify me prior to the meeting."</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"He doesn't?"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Wait a minute. But didn't you just say...? I
don't get it. If he or his representative can't make the meeting he notifies you 24 hours prior?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Well when does he have to notify you by?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“No. You get the wrong idea. He doesn’t have to
notify me if he is not able to attend the meeting. The meeting is the meeting. He just has to respond to
the meeting, if he wishes, in writing. I told you. He has to respond in writing.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Even if he wasn’t at the meeting.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yes.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Well, when does he need to turn in his written
response to the April 25, 2013 meeting he cannot attend?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Six months ago, October 29, 2012.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You mean to tell me you are writing a letter on
April 17, 2013 regarding a meeting to be held on April 25, 2013 and if he can’t
make the meeting he must submit his response six months prior to the meeting?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yes. Why? Is there a problem?”</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmygi2Q9he1DPnZ3_oVf42sNLYFsn8mSc7V2KHG2HkGIKAzSuwvAUBIvN45kJ0uwMNedGgQbC6A8tFVRYgQHSuaWJ8VLVyK82Ampj3bHkWFtm1ANYU6vQbDL0C6NRBHL0rl7zFcCkeYUSm/s1600/Noble%2527s+Idiocy+Censored.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmygi2Q9he1DPnZ3_oVf42sNLYFsn8mSc7V2KHG2HkGIKAzSuwvAUBIvN45kJ0uwMNedGgQbC6A8tFVRYgQHSuaWJ8VLVyK82Ampj3bHkWFtm1ANYU6vQbDL0C6NRBHL0rl7zFcCkeYUSm/s640/Noble%2527s+Idiocy+Censored.JPG" width="504" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Letter written by <span style="font-size: small;">"<span style="font-size: small;">Dr." James <span style="font-size: small;">Noble, Ed.D., ESC South<span style="font-size: small;">'s Direc<span style="font-size: small;">tor of Operations</span></span></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMd1mW-UnLRjOw0hA8-mw8_hXhGUgmodCrMiGHOYbKK4eRmVuXcMsQTfF-o_ve-8X1CYtEUP4D6pNAA-uDxoxPtalEW8etoAZafYpnjPd6sOahlScsOq3_md4-Ii143B2OOvxxhHQqP_r/s1600/Notice+of+Uspension+Sentence.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMd1mW-UnLRjOw0hA8-mw8_hXhGUgmodCrMiGHOYbKK4eRmVuXcMsQTfF-o_ve-8X1CYtEUP4D6pNAA-uDxoxPtalEW8etoAZafYpnjPd6sOahlScsOq3_md4-Ii143B2OOvxxhHQqP_r/s640/Notice+of+Uspension+Sentence.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Detail: Noble's <span style="font-size: small;">4/1<span style="font-size: small;">7<span style="font-size: small;">/</span></span></span>13 letter announcing <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">4/25<span style="font-size: small;">/13 S<span style="font-size: small;">kelly Meeting requiring teacher's written respon<span style="font-size: small;">se six months prior<span style="font-size: small;"> to the <span style="font-size: small;">2013 meeting, <span style="font-size: small;">"no later than"</span></span></span> 10/29/12</span></span></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570292276719650823.post-59870174147080412302013-02-17T15:01:00.000-08:002013-02-18T09:44:42.912-08:00Follow The Money<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";}
</style>
<![endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I have to do this my
way. You tell me what you know, and I'll confirm. I'll keep you in the right
direction if I can, but that's all. Just... follow the money.</i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Deep Throat, “All the President’s Men” (1976)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you want to know the direction LAUSD School Board
President Monica Garcia and new candidate Kate Anderson want to take the Los
Angeles Unified School District after the upcoming election, then follow the money. In
this case following the money isn’t difficult because there is just so damn
much of it. Start with an astounding quarter of a million dollars by Eli Broad,
Superintendent Deasy’s mentor and puppet master, and another quarter million by fellow
billionaire, Latino media magnate A. Jerrold Perenchio, formerly of Univision.
Together they pushed “their” Coalition for School Reform’s coffers to $1.5
million. Then Mayor Villaraigosa who, along with Broad, was instrumental in
bringing Deasy to LAUSD, called in the really big gun by brokering a deal with
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg who contributed an additional million dollars
for the Coalition –money education historian Diane Ravitch called “repugnant
and an affront to democracy.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What qualifies Bloomberg to buy a Board of Education three
thousand miles distant? In New York with the help of the Gates Foundation, he
closed more than 150 “failing schools” replacing them with smaller schools and
charter schools. Sixty percent of these “new and improved” smaller elementary
and middle schools now have <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bloomberg-new-schools-failed-thousands-city-students-article-1.1119406#ixzz2LC0W0ylq" target="_blank">lower passing rates</a> than the schools they replaced.
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Just 38% of the students
at elementary and middle schools created by the Bloomberg administration passed
the reading exams, compared with 47% of students citywide. Former NYC School
Chancellor Joel Klein, who raised proficiency rates by dramatically lowering
expectations, pitched in another $25,000.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bloomberg-new-schools-failed-thousands-city-students-article-1.1119406#ixzz2LC0W0ylq"><span style="color: #003399;"><br /></span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bloomberg’s schools share this attribute with Villaraigosa’s
Partnership for Los Angeles Schools (PLAS), which have also been a dismal failure. Roosevelt High School was
divided into seven small schools in the name of “improvement” in 2007. Only one
of the seven principals had previous experience. In 2009, Roosevelt teachers
gave Villaraigosa and PLAS an “F” because they saw no improvement. Now in 2013,
many school and community members are in open revolt. Enrollment has plummeted.
The LA Weekly, citing API scores, noted that Roosevelt made Compton Unified
look like the “district of the freaking month.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mayor Villaraigosa called Bloomberg, “the most important
voice in education reform today.” Education deform is more like it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Coalition for School Reform may as well be Deasy’s
pocketbook. Megan Chernin, the head of Deasy's "nonprofit" group to raise money for LAUSD schools, is a major backer and the former head of charter
operator <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L.A.’s Promise</i>. So is Steven
Prough, the current head, who contributed $10,000 personally. How good is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L.A.’s Promise</i> in keeping its promises? In
2010, 91% of West Adams Prep students were not proficient in English and 82%
were not proficient in math. Manuel Arts, which <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L.A.’s Promise</i> had also “promised” to turn into a Garden of Eden
had astoundingly high non-proficiency rates of 97% and 90% respectively in 2010.
Their achievement rates seem inversely proportional to the glossiness of their
marketing brochures.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jaimie Alter Lynton donated $100,000 to the Coalition. She,
like Chernin, is on the board of Deasy’s fundraising nonprofit group. Lynton
also launched <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L.A. School Report </i>which
is basically dedicated to extolling and promoting Deasy and electing both Anderson
and Garcia while simultaneously denouncing the teachers’ union as the protector
of pedophiles.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kate Anderson has called Deasy “the best superintendent this
district has had in decades” and wants to make all schools as “great” as New
West Charter School. New West is 62% white and Asian, 24% Latino, and 12%
Black. Only 11% of its students are on free or reduced lunches. It boasts not a
single English Language Learner in the entire school. Special education
statistics are unavailable for some mysterious reason. Let’s make all schools
just like New West Charter School.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You want to know about Monica Garcia and Kate Anderson? Just follow the
money.</div>
JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570292276719650823.post-455384917663363562013-01-18T17:21:00.000-08:002013-01-18T19:10:17.908-08:00Letter From a Los Angeles Teacher Jail<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">I delivered this speech before the Los Angeles Unified School District's Board of Education and <a href="http://www.k12newsnetwork.com/2012/04/lausd-superintendent-of-schools-john-deasy-must-go/" target="_blank">Superintendent Deasy</a> on Martin Luther King Jr.'s <span style="font-size: large;">b</span>irthday, his real one on January 15 and not the pretend one the following Monday. I was only allowed three minutes to speak and thus had to read too quickly and even then did not quite get to finish. So I then sent this as a "letter" (an email) addressed to each school board member personally. By way of introduction, I wrote, "It is fitting that I should deliver this address on Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. Consider this my <i>Letter from a Birmingham Jail</i><span style="font-size: large;">,</span> Birmingham in Los Angeles."</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"> "Injustice anywhere is
a threat
to justice everywhere."</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">-Martin Luther King Jr.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html" target="_blank"><i>Letter from a Birmingham Jail</i></a></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">April 16, 1963 </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">Though I did not include it, King's words which follow his epiphany above are even more apropos for teachers today. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">"We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a
single garment
of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we
afford to live with
the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea."</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">As teachers today<span style="font-size: large;">, we all need to be <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-guisbond/chicago-teachers-say-no-t_b_1881366.html" target="_blank">Chicago Teachers</a>. We all need to be <a href="http://dianeravitch.net/2013/01/10/teachers-of-garfield-high-school-in-seattle-say-no/#comments" target="_blank">Seattle's Garfield High School teachers</a>.</span></span> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here is my speech, my Letter from a Los Angeles Teacher Jail: </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you distinguished members of the Board of Education,</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">I am here to discuss the teacher prison network devised by
the Superintendent. He has created within your LAUSD a prison industrial complex
for teachers, teacher gulags, imprisoning 350 teachers with more added daily. LAUSD
is now the Soviet Union of public education.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">The superintendent has taken his personal frustration and
the failings of district administrators relating to Miramonte and placed the
blame on innocent teacher scapegoats. You must be aware this is happening. Are almost
350 teachers suddenly behaving “inappropriately” towards students or has the
superintendent launched an unprecedented witch hunt using the ruse of “student
safety” to destroy the lives of dedicated teaching professionals? </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">In
Superintendent Deasy’s teacher jails, teachers are abused, isolated, segregated,
and humiliated. Teachers are now housed completely without thought or
reasonableness. They are denied due process. Teachers are never spoken to until
after LAUSD "completes" its so-called "investigations". It
never interviews teachers ever. How do you conduct an investigation without
interviewing the teacher? Unsupported
allegations are treated as fact. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">LAUSD
administrators who conduct the investigations have no training in the proper
techniques for interviewing children and they are never videotaped to check <span style="font-size: large;">later for improprieties such as manipulating children or asking leading questions</span>. Parents,
rarely informed ahead of time, are never asked for permission. LAPD’s fre<span style="font-size: large;">quent </span>dismissals of baseless charges are
ignored by LAUSD. LAUSD treats LAPD as an inconvenience. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ms.
Galatzan, you and others talk about streamlining the due process system, but the
current administration has eliminated due process conducting charades instead. Everything
is predetermined. Principals read prepared scripts they know are false out of fear
of reprisals. Teacher input is denied or ignored. Meetings held to discuss "tenta<span style="font-size: large;">tive decisions" are conducted around distr<span style="font-size: large;">ict documents stating the decision which are signed by various district administrators pr<span style="font-size: large;">ior to the meeting. There is nothing <span style="font-size: large;">"tentative" about anything. There are no <a href="http://cityemployeesassociates.com/My__Skelly__Rights.html" target="_blank">Skelly Hearings</a>, no real ones anyway. LAUSD doesn't even review the "<span style="font-size: large;">evidence" with teachers. In LAUSD, facts don't matter. Allega<span style="font-size: large;">tions matter.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">What you are witnessing is nothing less than a modern
McCarthyism where teachers are being Blacklisted with false allegations. Instead
of a Red Menace, Superintendent Deasy has invented a Teacher Menace.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have been a proud teacher and administrator in LAUSD for
28 years going back to 1982 and garnished a number of distinctions. I was an
assistant principal at Crenshaw for two years, brought in at the District’s
request to help restore its WASC accreditation. I was a mentor teacher for six
years and have written official LAUSD curriculum. My teaching has been
recognized nationally twice by Johns Hopkins University as a Johns Hopkins
Teaching Fellow. My classroom was the only one selected in California to be
featured on the National Science Foundation’s live broadcast featuring students
in classrooms across the nation and experts at JPL and NASA. Good Morning
America once did a major feature on my classroom. <span style="font-size: large;">A number of years ago a</span>t P**** Middle School,
Cherie Hale, one of my sixth graders rose from the 49<sup>th</sup> percentile
to the 99<sup>th</sup> percentile in math in a single year on the California Test of Basic Skills (CTBS). <span style="font-size: large;">More recently a</span>t
W<span style="font-size: large;">********* Middle School</span>, Josephine Galdomez (also 6<sup>th</sup> grade) rose from Far Below
Basic all the way to Advanced on the California Standard<span style="font-size: large;">s <span style="font-size: large;">Test (</span></span>CST<span style="font-size: large;">)</span> in a single year with me.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">The contrivances being used to destroy this life and career
came not from my principal who greatly admires my teaching, though he goose
steps along like all site administrators now for fear of losing his job, but
his superiors. There is a top down atmosphere of fear created and nurtured by a
superintendent who is not focused on education or discipline, but only teacher
termination. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">I stand before you as one of LAUSD’s finest teachers: a
mentor teacher, a Johns Hopkins teaching fellow, an outstanding former
administrator, and now suddenly a dishonored, miscreant according to your
administration, to speak truth to power. Mr. Superintendent, you imprisoned one
too many teachers. Me. I speak for all teacher prisoners and thousands of
teachers. The allegations against me are beyond false. They are ludicrous. Yet
you, sir, treat them as true. And I am by no means alone. You have
criminalized teaching by making ludicrous allegations and even the most minor
offense into a firing offense.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">I quote army attorney Joseph Walsch who finally terminated the heinous Senator
Joseph McCarthy and his McCar<span style="font-size: large;">thyism</span>.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last have you no
sense of decency?”</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sincerely,</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">Joseph K</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">1/15/13</span></span></span></div>
JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570292276719650823.post-1860845762727210582012-12-24T20:44:00.000-08:002013-01-24T21:49:47.457-08:00LAUSD’s Teacher Jail<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"The Actual Trials of Joseph K<span style="font-size: x-large;">"</span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i><b>(Joseph K.</b> is a 25-year veteran of LAUSD, a former mentor
teacher twice named a Johns Hopkins University Teaching Fellow, who now
teaches poor, inner-city children who wake up every morning in their
gang-ridden, drug-infested neighborhoods at five a.m. to catch the bus
by six. He teaches the old-fashioned way –by ignoring standardized
test scores. Instead of teaching bubbling, he tries to instill a love
of knowledge and learning in his students and for this reason will
probably be allowed to continue teaching for fifteen more minutes.)</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>-my original "bio" written eighteen months ago.</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Who knew that when I originally said
I'd be allowed to teach for fifteen more minutes I literally meant FIFTEEN MORE MINUTES! Poof. Your 27-year career is quite likely over. You have been blacklisted in the greatest
blacklist since the last great Blacklist of Joseph McCarthy. Displaced
teachers have been blacklisted too, but most of them don’t yet know it. Either
that, or they are living in denial. Nobody wants a “failed teacher" and LAUSD has already constructed its conveyor belt for their way out as well.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There has been some talk,
lately, of Deasy’s ever-gowing Guantanamo Bay, his Made-in-America Gulag for
teachers. They are sometimes called “rubber rooms”, an ignominious term first
coined in New York City.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">First of all, there are no
"rubber rooms" in LA Unified, though LAUSD's prison blocks are
designed to drive teachers insane. Rubber rooms are designed to house people
already insane. They are lined with rubber to protect extremely sick
individuals from hurting themselves. Rubber rooms, for all their perversity,
connote an element of concern for the patient. They keep the patient safe.
There is no such concern for teachers in LAUSD. Deasy doesn’t care about
teachers. He grabbed 85 teachers by the scruffs of their necks and stuffed them
into a broom closet, then locked the key to the closet for six months because
of Miramonte. Since when do you hide behind the veil of “student safety" to grab
teachers by the scruffs of their necks, let alone stuff them in a broom closet?
Deasy’s LAUSD has "teacher jails" instead of rubber rooms and these
jails are not lined with rubber; they are lined with nails. They are designed
to torture, punish, and humiliate their victims. They are designed to rob them
of their spirit, their humanity, deprive them of what they love most in the
world after caring for their families (which is caring for their students) and
make their lives so miserable they eventually quit and go away.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That is the goal. By any
means necessary, just quit and go away.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you quit and go away,
it will be like nothing ever happened. You never really did anything wrong in
the first place, but we forgive you.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Teachers are left to rot,
many for years, often without even being told the nature of the complaints against
them, let alone being shown any evidence, let alone any credible evidence.
LAUSD has jailed so many teachers that the South ESC alone runs three shifts a
day. Prisoners are assigned a morning, "swing", or afternoon shift.
The West Area runs two shifts. Beaudry operates three separate jail cells, one
for administrators, one for teachers, and one for classified staff. I can only
speak for teachers. I can only imagine what they are doing in East LA and The
Valley where there are two. In the South, teachers serve two hours. In the
West, it is three. At Beaudry, it is six, though some are allowed to leave at
mid-day seemingly without rhyme or reason. All are paid a full day. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But the rest of the time
is not theirs. They must stay locked at home under virtual house arrest and if
ever they are caught straying for any reason are threatened with being
instantly fired. LAUSD argues "they are doing no harm" because
prisoners are being paid. Robbing a person of their humanity, their dignity,
their hard-earned professional and personal reputation, their passion in life
does quite a bit of harm. Losing your reason to wake up in the morning hurts.There
is more to life than money. There is having a sense your life has purpose.
Teacher jails take that all away. The harm is immeasurable. Teacher jails make
you sick. Just thinking about it makes me sick. It should make you sick too.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LAUSD knows exactly what
it is doing. So does the LA Times. I’ve told them the story. At least eight of
their journalists know the story, because I personally have told them. They
turn a blind eye. I can only surmise they rely on the same corporate money as
Deasy, whether it be Eli Broad or Bill Gates. What kind of newspaper turns a
blind eye to a modern and growing Gulag network of teachers in the second
largest city in the United States of America?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The same newspaper that
completely ignored Deasy’s scandalous PhD., a degree he supposedly earned in
four months with nine units and a dissertation dated May 2003. He didn’t even enter
his four-month program at the University of Louisville until January of 2004. Dean
Robert Felner granted Deasy his degree after receiving $375,000 of Santa Monica
School District money directly from Deasy while he was superintendent at the beach.
Felner awarded the nine unit degree in April of 2004, then received a “no
confidence vote” in 2006. <a href="http://www.gatesfoundation.org/press-releases/Pages/john-deasy-deputy-director-education.aspx" target="_blank">Deasy bailed out</a> unexpectedly from his superintendent’s
position in Prince George’s County just weeks before the scandal broke and his
career would have lay in ruins had he not been pulled from the depths by the
Gates Foundation which, in a <a href="http://www.gatesfoundation.org/press-releases/Pages/john-deasy-deputy-director-education.aspx" target="_blank">September 30, 2008 press release</a>, made no mention
of the PhD. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Just in case.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=1896&section=Article" target="_blank">Felner stayed busy</a> first
by misappropriating a $649,000 federal grant, then sticking with a system that seemed
to be working, he was eventually convicted of stealing $2.3 million in federal
grants. For a while he was doing real well for himself. But eventually he had to pay back
Louisville $51,000 and the University of Rhode Island $1.3 million. His
conviction included fraud at other universities as well. He was sentenced to 63
months on May 17, 2010. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Exactly seven months later, January 11, 2010, Deasy was
named LAUSD’s Superintendent with a 6-0 vote by a Board of Education who had
not bothered with an interview, much less a national search. As Gates’ and
Broad’s quid pro quo, he’d been the assistant only since August, a scant two
months after Felner’s conviction. You doubt the quid pro quo? Superintendent Cortines
had to immediately move out of his large corner office to make room for his “deputy.”
Why should Deasy have to go to all that bother of changing offices twice? Where is Deasy’s dissertation? No one has seen it. He still refuses to show it.
Why didn’t <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the LA Times ask for it? Eli
Broad perhaps? Deasy is Broad’s lap dog after mastering Broad’s Nazi-Style Leadership at his Broad’s Academy. The connections will make you puke. Brace yourself. <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2012/may/02/local/la-me-broad-20120503" target="_blank">He’s wanted<span style="color: purple;"> </span>the LA Times</a> at least since 2007 when he failed to purchase its parent company
which is now insolvent and thus a MUCH better deal now than before. Eli Broad seems to want the LA Times as badly as the LA
Times wants (and needs) Eli Broad. He gets Deasy too? Broad sees the currently
belabored paper as the deal of the Century. He wishes to become the Rupert
Murdoch of Los Angeles. Perhaps he aspires to BE Rupert Murdock. I don't know.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LAUSD bought the
notoriously dilapidated Beaudry Building (<a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1985-05-03/news/vw-12036_1_lemons" target="_blank">winner of two downtown lemon awards</a>) and an
endless litany of structural problems for $33 million from Eli Broad and
others, despite its needing an astounding $121 million to make it at least habitable and hopefully not downright dangerous. The
floor, for example? It didn’t work. Not one of them worked. And Beaudry had 29 of them. Then-Deputy Cortines called it <a href="http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_10579941" target="_blank">atrocious</a>.
In 2003, <a href="http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_10579941" target="_blank">the LA County District Attorney’s major fraud division investigated</a> the purchase for overpayment to investors. A federal grand jury followed in
2004. Eli Broad knows something about jails and convicts too. <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/22/business/la-fi-karatz-20100422" target="_blank">His pal and business partner Bruce Karatz</a> was convicted of four felony charges and faced 80 years.
He was extremely lucky. He was acquitted of 16 others.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The only difference between
LAUSD’s Teacher Jail Prisoners and Deasy and Broad’s convict friends is Broad and Deasy's
friends have been convicted. Deasy’s prisoners share no such luxury. Teachers in
Deasy’s teacher jails have only been accused. That is literally all it takes:
An accusation. Witnesses? Nope. Don’t need those. Common sense? Not necessarily.
In fact, let’s go right out and say it. Common sense? Not at all. Many,
including me, have been completely acquitted. Still we sit. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Last year, </span>I sat next to a teacher who'd been jailed for
years. The accusation was an anonymous email and described a supposed “inappropriate” event ten years in the past. The accusation was traced to a computer at school. The
accuser was never found. More astonishing, though, is that after a thorough
investigation, LAUSD could not even find a victim. It could not find any
witnesses. All it could find was that accusation. And that accusation just
wouldn't go away. Accusations cannot be ignored.
The district never issued a formal accusation. It never made any attempt at
enforcing discipline. How could it? LAUSD never communicated with that teacher
in any way. So the teacher just sat. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For years.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He kept hoping the school district would fire him. Then he could sue for wrongful termination. They never did. Eventually he retired, LAUSD's goal all along.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Quit or retire.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Teachers must "do
work commensurate with their duties" yet they have no duties. They are
denied the Internet which right off the bat eliminates a rather large number of
commensurate duties. We do, after all, live in the 21<sup>st</sup> Century. Not
in Teacher Jail. In Teacher Jail, the Stone Age is good enough. Prisoners might
start emailing their lawyers or something. Could risk exposure. Nope, we can’t
have that. Denying teachers the Internet is to cut them off from LAUSD’s own
email. You can’t look at it when you are home. “You are to be assigned no
duties when you are at home.” The first thing they told us in Teacher Jail back
in August was that we were to be assigned no duties while at home. I raised my
hand and asked, “How are we supposed to do the District’s required on-line suspected child abuse
reporting (SCAR) training program?” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She said, “Oh, you can just do that while you are at home.” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"But didn’t you just say….?” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rhyme or reason? Not when they are just making all
this up as they go. They keep changing what
they are doing. I was sent home for three days, the three days before all the
lying set in. Then I was ignored and tortured for seven school days. I was not assigned to teacher jail. I hadn't done anything. I was forced to sit like a dog in a lobby. But on the seventh day, I discovered the teacher jail. They discovered me discovering the prisoners. That sealed my fate. Within half an hour of them seeing a prisoner come over to talk to me, I was assigned to teacher jail retroactively if you can believe that. They could not let me escape. I "knew too much." And they had to cover up seven days of their torture. Now teachers come straight to prison. They have kind-of-a deer-in-the-headlights
look. They don’t know what’s hit them. They have no idea what they have
allegedly done. They are cooked and don’t know it.How on earth can you deny
professional educators in 2012/13 access to the Internet? Where are we, Aparthied
South Africa? Are we in the old Burma, er, make that Myanmar? This is what we
are doing to professional educators who in many cases have done nothing wrong.
Guilt or innocence pale in comparison to the omnipotent accusation. Teachers are
told to do work with no work to do. They are provided no materials. "Bring
your own," I was told. But all my materials are still in my classroom. I
am banned from my classroom. I am banned from the entire school. I am banned
from all district property.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Except for jail.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At the end of the day,
you are expressly told, “Do not linger.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At Beaudry you must spend
every minute of your work time working, at least in the beginning. And to do this work, you must be facing
your little cubicle. Your eyes cannot stray. Everywhere in the world, teachers
collaborate. But not in teacher jail. In teacher jail, collaboration is banned.
If you collaborate, if you communicate in any way, you are punished --sometimes
severely. No talking. No talking at all, though now I’ve heard they’ve eased up somewhat.
It's like the old South African jails.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In some of the teacher jails, prisoners are forced to wear special badges marking them as prisoners, Deasy's version of Hitler's yellow stars. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The three shifts in the
South and the two in the West are usually not because of space. In the West,
prisoners sit in a room large enough to accommodate both shifts. The two
shifts, then, are about power and not space. To conduct an illegal, immoral
operation you need to maintain power. You do this by instilling fear in
individuals, destroying their humanity, and keeping them isolated. Isolation is
the key. An isolated teacher is a powerless teacher. In my cell last year we
were free to talk, though we were not supposed to discuss our cases. I sat with
one of the smartest men I've ever known, a teacher with National Board
Certification in Mathematics. Do you know how rare a teacher like this is? We
can't even find teachers credentialed to teach Algebra. Here is a man with
National Board Certification. You want to talk child abuse? How about this?
Take the best and the brightest students a high school has to offer. Take those
who have worked their tails off to reach Calculus, Analytic Geometry,
Trigonometry, Math Analysis while still in high school. Take a lifetime of hard
work those students have applied. And then take away their teacher because of student scurrilousness. Supply
instead a substitute who can't even do algebra, or a string of substitutes, perhaps a French Literature
major in his place. You want to talk child abuse? THAT is child abuse. All that
hard work for nothing. A year wasted for those students. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That, my friends, is child abuse.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All modesty aside, we
were the two smartest people in the room. Three of us rivaled each other in
chess, the third I just mentioned who retired. We combined our knowledge. We shared that knowledge. We communicated
that knowledge to other teachers. How best should we fight this district? This
year we were separated to two different shifts. They inserted half an hour
between shifts so we would not even see each other. Coincidence? I think not. “Do
not linger.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the Valley they are
imprisoning so many of teachers, they are exempting many of them from jail
entirely. Don’t let anyone see anyone. Power and powerlessness. These people do
not know each other. How do they even contact each other? Especially with no
UTLA.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And then shoot them like
ducks, one by one, two my two, or three by three.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Until all the senior
teachers are extinct. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If we’ve done something,
then just fire us today. Why do we sit? Either we did or we didn’t. Make a
decision and we’ll demand our appeal and have a right to one within 60 days.
LAUSD always delays. It takes years to fire a teacher? That’s because LAUSD
makes it that way. Delay, delay, delay. It is in their interest to exhaust and
starve the teacher. It is a very effective strategy. Difficult to fight. Sooner
or later we all get tired and hungry.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So far none have won. All but two settled last year. Two fought. Both lost.</span></span></div>
JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570292276719650823.post-1609215400534637482012-09-09T14:58:00.000-07:002012-12-22T00:22:28.945-08:00Here's a Great Stock Tip For You All:<div>
<span class="866302519-09092012" style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">If you want
to make a lot of money and screw over millions of children, particularly
inner-city children, all at the same time (and who doesn't want to do that?),
then join my favorite Governor Paul LePage and invest heavily in on-line
learning. </span></span></div>
<div>
<br />
<span class="866302519-09092012" style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.ednewscolorado.org/2011/10/03/25456-achievement-of-online-students-drops-over-time-lags-statewide-averages-on-every-indicator" target="_blank">Studies have shown</a> on-line learning to be a total sham when it comes
to educating children<span style="font-size: large;">. B</span>ut hey, when the State will pay someone like <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/virginia-schools-insider/post/shareholder-lawsuit-accuses-k12-inc-of-lying-about-student-test-grades/2012/01/31/gIQAGOXRfQ_blog.html" target="_blank">K12 Inc</a>. or <a href="http://www.truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/item/11624-rupert-murdoch%E2%80%99s-news-corporation-quietly-jumpstarts-an-education-division" target="_blank">Rupert Murdock</a> or Bill Gates seven to ten thousand dollars or more per student
and all you have to do is provide a kid a $300 computer, some cheap software, and
a couple dozen teachers of dubious quality in some data center in Florida to
service all those millions of students simultaneously, who cares? The returns to
shareholders will be enormous! Assuming, of course, the CEO's of these companies
don't steal all the profits first. They seem like honest guys. K12 Inc. has
extremely weak academic results which no-doubt accounts for the CEO earning five
million dollars per year. Isn't that a much better use of funds than all those
wasteful public school bureaucracies and teachers?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span class="866302519-09092012" style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">Teachers.
They're just so....outmoded.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span class="866302519-09092012" style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">I'm telling
you folks, there's a lot of money to be made here. And Governor Paul LePage
(such a wise man) is leading the way in Maine. With so many family members in Maine, I'm just so proud.
I get teary-eyed just thinking about it...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span class="866302519-09092012" style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">Sorry,
kids.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span class="866302519-09092012" style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.pressherald.com/news/virtual-schools-in-maine_2012-09-02.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Maine Sunday Telegram</span></a> </span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="866302519-09092012" style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">K12 Inc.
contributed $19,000 to the Republican Governors Association's Maine PAC, which
made independent expenditures to help Gov. LePage win
election.</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span class="866302519-09092012" style="font-size: large;"><span class="866302519-09092012"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">Of course if you really want to strike it rich (and who
doesn't want to do that?), then you'll need to do more research. There's <a href="http://www.texasobserver.org/the-pearson-graduate/" target="_blank">Pearson</a> (my favorite), and <span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/09/rupert-murdoch-news-corp-wireless-generation-education" target="_blank">Wireless Generation</a></span> (Yo, Rupert!). Call Jeb Bush.
He knows a lot about this stuff. So does Bill Gates.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span class="866302519-09092012" style="font-size: large;"><span class="866302519-09092012"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">And then there's the Gates Foundation. God bless those
people. They keep using their hundreds of thousands to screw things up across
this country first destroying much of public education, then much of what was
left of public education after screwing up so much of it in the first place. They
are so nice about it. They always apologize later, like they did in New York <span style="font-size: large;">where the<span style="font-size: large;">i<span style="font-size: large;">r</span> small schools pr<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">ogram</span> destroyed everyone's neighborhood school</span></span></span></span></span></span>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Right now they are apologizing for spending all that money promoting
evaluating teachers by test score, now that apologizing is too late of course.
Did you know, for example, that teachers in Tennessee are now being evaluated
and even fired based on the standardized test scores of students and classes and
grades they do not even teach?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Nevertheless, the Gates (and Waltons) keep
pulling out new hundreds of thousands, or millions, at a time (they have so many
of them) to screw things up even more everywhere they can. Who cares? They can
always apologize later! Keep pushing charter schools. Keep increasing
segregation. Keep shunning low-performing children, or those in need of
discipline, or special education (or any education at all for that
matter.)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span class="866302519-09092012" style="font-size: large;"><span class="866302519-09092012"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">I love Bill Gates. He gets tons of money to make all
these education speeches. He's going to make one later this year in Pasadena. I
may go. He always says, "Now admittedly, many of the things we've tried so far
haven't worked...."</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span class="866302519-09092012" style="font-size: large;"><span class="866302519-09092012"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">I'm going to stand up and say, "Then why don't you sit
down and just shut the fuck up? Take all your ignorant, ill-gotten money home
with you and just shut the fuck up! Buy more mosquito nets or
something."</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span class="866302519-09092012" style="font-size: large;"><span class="866302519-09092012"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">But back to the money. We are talking 1.3 trillion
dollars per year here, folks. One point three trillion! Some of it can be yours!
Rupert Murdock is no idiot. He knows 1.3 trillion dollars when he sees
it.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span class="866302519-09092012" style="font-size: large;"><span class="866302519-09092012"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">This is long too. Sorry about that. But if you really
want to know how public coffers are being robbed in this country (and how to
make lots of money too) all at the expense of children, read this. It is one of
the best summaries I've read so far explaining what is happening today in
education. Why isn't any of this being covered in the mainstream
media?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span class="866302519-09092012" style="font-size: large;"><span class="866302519-09092012"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">BECAUSE RUPERT MURDOCK <u>ALREADY OWNS
THAT</u>!!!!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="color: magenta;"><a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2012/09/the_dialogue_with_the_gates_fo.html?qs=Anthony+Cody" target="_blank"><span class="866302519-09092012" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="866302519-09092012"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Dialogue With the Gates Foundation: What Happens When Profits Drive Reform?</span></span></span></a></span></div>
<div>
<div class="asset-name entry-title">
<span class="866302519-09092012" style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">(Featuring Paul LePage near the
bottom).</span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span class="866302519-09092012" style="font-size: large;"><span class="866302519-09092012"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">Finally, if your brain needs washing again since it's
been so long since "Waiting for Superman" (marketed with 2 million dollars of
Gates Foundation money), if it needs a new cleaning, I highly recommend the
soon-to-be-released movie "<span style="color: magenta;"><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wont_back_down_2012/trailers/11166042/" target="_blank">Won't Back Down</a></span>", starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and
Viola Davis --Funded by the Sam Walton Foundation (love them too!!!!) with help
from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Who doesn't love Maggie? She's so
young and lovely and innocent-looking. And I'm sure she knows a lot about
education too!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span class="866302519-09092012" style="font-size: large;"><span class="866302519-09092012"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">Why don't we all make a night of it? We can
all get our brains washed together. But read the articles first.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="866302519-09092012" style="font-size: large;"><span class="866302519-09092012"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">After all, they
are REAL.</span></span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span class="866302519-09092012" style="font-size: large;"><span class="866302519-09092012"></span></span> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span class="866302519-09092012"><span class="866302519-09092012"></span></span> </div>
<div>
<span class="866302519-09092012"><span class="866302519-09092012"></span></span> </div>
JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570292276719650823.post-31059185302543226192012-02-12T03:48:00.000-08:002013-04-27T17:56:32.011-07:00History Should Be Honest<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: magenta;"><b>"HISTORY SHOULD BE HONEST."</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: magenta;"><b> </b></span>-Governor Jerry Brown upon signing <a href="http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/07/jerry-brown-schools-gay-history-senate-bill-48.html" target="_blank">Senate Bill 48</a> into law (July 14, 2011) </span><br />
<br />
<div style="color: #741b47;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">This is in response to LAUSD's “Inter-Office Correspondence, Subject: Conference Summary” directed to me dated 1/23/2012.</span></div>
<div style="color: #741b47;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #741b47;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #741b47;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Before I do what is natural in this case, defend myself and balance these accusations with the reality that I experienced, I would like to take a moment to assure those who might encounter this memo that while I am deeply disappointed in the content of this paper, I am certainly open to the possibility that in the three minutes that district administrators happened to enter my classroom, the unexpected comment of my student might certainly have been misinterpreted by anyone without prior experience in my classroom.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br />
<br />
I would also like to open with the courtesy of regard for my composure, my teaching professionalism, my serious dedication to the standards I teach, and my own personal ethic about teaching. I take all of these things, all aspects of myself and of my profession, seriously. I am a teacher with experience enough, as well as intelligence enough to manage to adhere to codes, ethics, as well as the administrative rules and protocols. I take great pride in knowing and following the protocols and also in being the best teacher I can be, accurately perceiving the level of my students and following the guidelines of curriculum appropriately and sensitively to their level. I find the aspects of this memo which disparage my ability or ethic on these points way overboard in relation to the reality of this extremely brief, unfortunate encounter. <br />
<br />
I regret if I misrepresented myself in any way and I hope deeply that this misunderstanding will be resolved with appropriate courtesy and respect for the fine work that I have and will continue to do for the students I teach. <br />
<br />
I have been accused, after a few minutes’ observation, of teaching inappropriate material, not focusing on the standards, not sticking to the curriculum, not being fair and balanced in my presentation, violating the Code of Conduct with Students, of harassing and demeaning students, and not having evidence of planning to name just a few. Such accusations, after only a few minutes in the classroom, cannot be supported or defended with facts. <br />
<br />
To be clear, these charges came from the fact I was reading from the Torah (from the Old Testament), Genesis to be exact, the story of The Garden of Eden to be even more exact. The criticism of what I was teaching comes from a complete lack of context regarding the lesson, and a lack of understanding of the State Standards. At the time of this spontaneous visitation with the Standards posted, in plain view on an over-sized poster-board as is rarely required (Appendix A), I was midway in a reading from The Garden of Eden narrative to cover the aspects of comparative religion and literature influenced by that story in social studies. <br />
<br />
Apropos of the range of levels in my sixth grade class, I was discussing, with responses from the students, in order to define key words and concepts in this unit of study. (Incidentally, I teach these myths in the context of other religions including, but not limited to, the creation myths of the Ancient Sumerians, Egyptians, Greeks, Hindu and even the Maya to name just a few to promote the agenda of our school designation as a global awareness magnet school.) My teaching is a paragon of a “balanced academic presentation of various points of view” and never comes from a position of “advocacy, personal opinion, bias or partisanship” as asserted against me.<br />
<br />
When I was unceremoniously pulled out of my classroom, in front of students, the first question asked was, “What standard are you teaching?” This was puzzling as there is a three foot by four foot poster of the specific standards I was teaching prominently displayed in the classroom (Appendix A again). Perhaps observing for only a few minutes, there was no time to notice the over-sized poster of the State Standards </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">(Apendix A was it?) </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">regarding the Ancient Hebrews. I confess to being a little perturbed that my instructional program was interrupted when the applicable State Standards were in plain view (Appendix A. Yes it was.)<br />
<br />
Let’s start with the State Standards, all of them, regarding teaching religion in the sixth grade. As I say, I try to the best of my ability to teach all of them without bias, advocacy, personal opinion, or partisanship. Here they are with my underlining of key vocabulary: Keep in mind these standards are only those related to religion. I try to the best of my ability to cover all the standards in a thorough and rigorous manner. My primary goal as a teacher is to develop within my students the highest level of intellect possible.<br />
<br />
<b>6.2 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, <u>religious</u>, and social structures of the early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt and Kush.</b><br />
<br />
Understand the relationship between <u>religion</u> and the social and political order in Mesopotamia and Egypt.<br />
<br />
<b>6.3 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, <u>religious</u>, and social structures of the Ancient Hebrews.</b><br />
<br />
Describe the origins and significance of Judaism as the first monotheistic religion based on the concept of one God <u>who sets down moral laws for humanity</u>.<br />
<br />
<u>Identify the sources of the ethical teachings and central beliefs of Judaism (the Hebrew Bible</u>, the Commentaries): <u>belief in God</u>, <u>observance of law, practice of the concepts of righteousness and justice</u> and importance of study; and describe <u>how the ideas of the Hebrew traditions are reflected in the moral and ethical traditions of Western civilization.</u><br />
<br />
<b>6.4 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, <u>religious,</u> and social structures of the early civilizations of Ancient Greece.</b><br />
<br />
<u>Explain the significance of Greek mythology to the everyday life of people in the region and how Greek literature continues to permeate our literature and language today, drawing from Greek mythology and epics.</u><br />
<br />
<b>6.5 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, <u>religious</u>, and social structures of the early civilizations of India.</b><br />
<br />
<u>Explain the major beliefs and practices of Brahmanism in India and how they evolved into early Hinduism.</u><br />
<br />
Discuss important aesthetic and intellectual traditions (e.g., Sanskrit literature, including <u>the <i>Bhagavad Gita…)</i></u><br />
<br />
<u>Know the live and moral teachings of Buddha</u> and how Buddhism spread in India, Ceylor and Central Asia.<br />
<br />
<b>6.6 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, <u>religious,</u> and social structures of the early civilizations of China.</b><br />
<br />
<u>Know about the life of Confucius and the fundamental teachings of Confucianism and Taoism</u>.<br />
<br />
<b>6.7 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, <u>religious</u>, and social structures during the development of Rome.</b><br />
<br />
<u>Note the origins of Christianity in the Jewish Messianic prophecies, the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament and the contribution of St. Paul the Apostle to the definition and spread of Christian beliefs (e.g., belief in the Trinity, resurrection, salvation</u>).<br />
<br />
<u>Describe the circumstances that led to the spread of Christianity in Europe and other Roman territories</u>.<br />
<br />
Suffice to say, religion is a significant component of sixth grade social studies. I neither endorse, promote, nor criticize any one religion. I simply teach the standards in as fair and objective and interesting a manner as I am capable.<b> </b>(Incidentally, the first standard below 6.4 is factually incorrect. Judaism is the oldest <u>surviving</u> monotheistic religion. It was not the first --not even close. The Zoroastrian prophet, Zarathushtra (or <i>Zoroaster</i>) appears to have lived among the proto-Indo-Iranian people of southern Russia, somewhere around 1700 BCE. Ancient Egyptians worship was a form of polytheism, except briefly during the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten, who became an uncompromising monotheist in the 14th Century BCE. The Zoroastrians predate the Hebrews by a thousand years and Akhenaten followed shortly thereafter. You may be interested to know that while teaching that particular standard, it was one of my students and not me who pointed out the error.)<br />
<br />
The following standards bear repeating as these were the standards I was accused of not teaching and being inappropriate about.<br />
<br />
<b>6.3 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, <u>religious</u>, and social structures of the Ancient Hebrews.</b><br />
<br />
Describe the origins and significance of Judaism as the first monotheistic religion based on the concept of one God <u>who sets down moral laws for humanity</u>.<br />
<br />
<u>Identify the sources of the ethical teachings and central beliefs of Judaism (the Hebrew Bible</u>, the Commentaries): belief in God, observance of law, <u>practice of the concepts of righteousness</u> and justice and importance of study; and describe <u>how the ideas of the Hebrew traditions are reflected in the moral and ethical traditions of Western civilization.</u><br />
<br />
These standards, prominently displayed that day, are very specific with regard to the ethical teachings and central beliefs of Judaism.<b> </b>The last one, the ethical teachings and central beliefs of Judaism, the Hebrew Bible, a belief in God, observance of law and the moral and ethical traditions reflected in Western tradition are an integral part of the Biblical text we were studying.<br />
<br />
Apropos of this standard, and reading from the Hebrew Bible, my students were interacting in an appropriate fashion by processing and assimilating the meaning of words that were new to them. (We do the same, by the way, with Hammurabi's Laws.)<b> </b>I was reading the Hebrew Bible and the children were trying to make sense of it as a way of getting to the above standards and simultaneously “get into the head” of an Ancient Hebrew who lived more than two thousand five hundred years ago. It was an extremely rigorous, though perfectly age-appropriate lesson.<br />
<br />
To include some background information about teaching history to sixth grade students, I have approached this task, which is highly academic and lays a useful foundation for students to understand literature, history and social studies in successive years, in an extremely methodical manner. The story mentions specifically the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers which we have studied previously (Sumeria and Mesopotamia) as well as the Kingdom of Kush (also studied) and the children must infer that either the Pishon or Gishon Rivers probably refers to the Nile. My Egyptian unit immediately precedes my Hebrew unit. The word Eden itself may come from the Sumerian word “edin” which means “delight” among other things. According to the Torah, Abraham came out of Ur in Sumeria and when we are studying Sumerian myths, we study their account of the Great Flood and compare it to the account in Genesis. In my class, we make all these possible connections. I do not advocate them. We (my students and I) simply investigate and debate them.<br />
<br />
Throughout the year and in this unit, I teach many creation myths (stories about God). This is one of them. The Garden of Eden story teaches the Hebrew concept of obeying God’s law, and the idea of a protective but vengeful God, to name just two. Western tradition (to say nothing of Ancient Hebrew tradition) is rooted in the story including the idea of Man’s dominion over Nature (to say nothing of women), and the concept of sin. It is fundamental to understanding the Hebrew belief in the observance of law, the practice of righteousness and justice, etc. which come directly from the State Standards. The Garden of Eden pops up again and again in Western Civilization including art, literature, and even politics. Take a look at Dante. How many times is a snake a symbol of evil in Western tradition? <br />
<br />
The Garden of Eden is fundamental to Judeo-Christian theology (6th grade), as well as Islamic tradition (7th grade) and the increasingly multicultural and secular society we live in today. Here are but a few references in Western Tradition that you did not see in two minutes: <i>The Garden of Earthly Delights</i>, a painting by Hieronymus Bosch, <i>Expulsion from the Garden of Eden</i>, a painting by Masaccio, and countless other paintings of the Italian Renaissance taught in 7th grade. There is also <i>The Garden of Eden</i>, a novel by Ernest Hemingway (to say nothing of the subsequent film based on the novel). Bob Dylan wrote a song titled <i>The Gates of Eden.</i> Even <i>Inna Godda da Vida</i>, by The Iron Butterfly is a slurred variant of "In the Garden of Eden". <br />
<br />
As per the standards, the lesson did involve a passage from the Bible. In The Garden of Eden, it is God who sets down the moral laws for humanity. I am supposed to teach the Bible in the context of the Ancient Hebrews. I was reading from the Bible. To clarify my position, at the time of the observation, I was not endorsing it. I was reading it. The children were trying to analyze it to get at some of the core concepts of Hebrew theology. And they were doing their best. I was teaching the Standards quite well, as a matter of fact, but you wouldn’t know it in two or three minutes. Furthermore, I wish to state for the record that Standards-based instruction does not mean Standards-limited instruction.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">I am also supposed to teach the <i><u>Bhagavad Gita.</u></i> I am supposed to teach the Bhagavad Gita (The Song of God), and cannot imagine being chastised for reading it aloud and discussing it with students.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br />
<br />
I teach history. A fundamental aspect of history is primary sources. Although there is much controversy over the issue, many historians consider books like the Bible to be primary sources. I teach my students the controversy over this issue. I do not teach down to students. As Governor Jerry Brown has said, “History should be honest.” I try to be as honest as possible with my students. They deserve it.<br />
<br />
In the few minutes the observers were actually listening to my teaching, they seemed to have heard one passage, God’s curse of Eve. “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you.” Perhaps they did not even hear that much as they were not in class long enough. The study of religion and criticisms of teaching it deserve more than a sound byte. I felt that my professionalism was being attacked because of a sound byte. <br />
<br />
I was surprised and deeply regret the unusual response the observers took to this small fragment of an overall wide, complex, and extremely important aspect of social studies. I was surprised by their reaction and unusual attention to one aspect of this when the obvious reality is that no one part of this lesson stands alone and teaching of this nature requires a great amount of subtlety and finesse, especially as I am relating to eleven and twelve-year-old children. This passage was a tiny part of a complex lesson which was in turn part of a series of complex lessons. Often, in the process of teaching varied levels of children in particular, there is a great deal of variety in maturity and in understanding. As a veteran teacher, I pride myself on managing any questions or misinterpretations in a manner that brings no shame to the child nor allow for conversations that stray too far from the core topic.<br />
<br />
My teaching of social studies is rich, rigorous, detailed, and most of all interesting. It is interesting that the Principal Leader instructed me to limit myself to the textbook. With all due respect, there is no better way to teach children to hate social studies than by limiting them to a textbook. I have never heard an educator worth his salt urge a teacher to relegate himself or herself to the textbook. Quite the opposite, in fact. If my students love social studies, and many of them do, it is decidedly not because of the textbook. I rely on the textbook. Make no mistake about that. But the textbook is a jumping off point, not the end of the discussion. Not even close.<br />
<br />
In <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Section I.a. </b>the citation reads: “You engaged in an inappropriate discussion with 6th grade students.” Reading from the Bible, I said the words “childbearing” and “desire”. Neither is inappropriate for 6th grade. In trying to interpret (not mandate) the meaning of Hebrew religious scripture going back thousands of years, one of my limited-English-speaking, special-education students did interpret “desire” incorrectly. I told him so. But he was not being glib, sarcastic, or disrespectful. He was trying his best. In fact this particular child faces extraordinary challenges, but has a very good grasp of Judeo-Christian traditions because of his home background. He has reveled in this unit because for the first time in his life he feels he is by far “the smartest kid in the class.” <br />
<br />
I encourage my students to try their best and I do not discourage them from making mistakes. In fact I teach the opposite. I encourage students not to be afraid to make mistakes. On occasion, I even reward mistakes. I was encouraged to “scaffold questions to help students formulate answers…” Such an approach can be counter productive. I teach divergent and critical thinking. I do not lead my students to “the correct answer” as this memo would seem to urge, especially in the case of religion. <br />
<br />
Moments before the administrators entered, another of my special education students asked perhaps the most intelligent question I have ever heard from the mouth of an eleven-year-old. “Mr. Joseph K, why would God want to deny people knowledge?” Pretty good question, wouldn’t you say? We spent a fair bit of time trying to answer a deep philosophical question generated by a student, a question theologians and much of Western Mankind has struggled with for nearly three thousand years. The students, not I, tried to come up with answers. Their answers were extraordinary and they got to the heart of the State Standards. Too bad they were not included in a two minute observation. I am proud of my teaching and I am even more proud of my students.<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cite I.b.:</b> “Your lesson was not appropriate to the age and maturity level of the students.” This cannot be determined in a few minutes. Even in a few minutes, the charge is inaccurate. Mentioning the pain of childbirth in the context of the Old Testament is entirely appropriate and, as previously stated, tied into the standards (the observance of law).<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cite I.d.:</b> “Your lesson was not related to and consistent with the curriculum, course of study, and the textbook…” The textbook states, “Historians use the Torah to understand the history of the Jewish people and the development of Judaism.” How is the Garden of Eden narrative not consistent with that? <br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cite I.e.:</b> “Your lesson was not a fair and balanced academic presentation of various points of view consistent with accepted standards of professional responsibility, rather than advocacy, personal opinion, bias, or partisanship.” This citation is inaccurate and to make a charge like this after only a few minutes of observation is as absurd as it is ignorant. I advocated nothing. I encouraged the students to think for themselves and to try to get to the heart of Ancient Hebrew thought. And as I said before, they did a terrific job. And they had a great time doing it.<br />
<br />
“Education should be fun and interesting.”<br />
-Joseph K<br />
<br />
I did not “violate the Code of Conduct,” <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">(I.h.). </b>I did not say anything that was age inappropriate, unprofessional, or which might be considered sexual in nature, harassing or demeaning unless you consider the mention of childbirth as sexual in nature. The very next day in English, in the State-approved literature book (Prentice Hall), the students read an excerpt from Kipling’s <i>The Jungle Book</i>. In that story, a naked brown boy explicitly breast feeds from a wolf. Both the story <i>The Jungle Book</i>, and the Bible, are effective means toward teaching the State Standards. Taught appropriately, neither should be considered, nor are they sexual, biased, harassing or demeaning. Both are<b> </b>taught as a foundation for literary and historical comprehension and intellectual skill-development.<br />
<br />
The textbook discusses the Ten Commandments. I read them to the students as I have the students read Hammurabi’s Laws (also a standard). This is the center of the “ethical teachings of Judaism,” (one of the standards) and forms the basis for Western Civilization’s laws and ethical teachings. According to the standards, teaching the Ten Commandments is appropriate. There is no exception excluding any of the commandments. One of the Ten Commandments is, “Thou shall not commit adultery.” “Adultery” is in the textbook specifically <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">(page 100)</b>. In teaching social studies, whether it is the study of Taweret, the Egyptian God of Pregnancy and Childbirth (who is always depicted with a protruding belly and exaggerated breasts), or the profligate philandering of Zeus and the reactions of his jealous and angry wife Hera (concepts fundamental to an understanding of Greek mythology), there are legitimate issues relating to sex.<br />
<br />
“History should be honest.” <br />
<br />
I assure you, when these topics come up, as they inevitably do, I always handle them in a straight-forward, accurate, discrete, professional, and age-appropriate manner. Always. I insist my students speak of these matters in a “mature and professional” manner as well, one befitting the dignity of a sixth grader. <br />
<br />
I was quoted inaccurately in the memo as saying I teach sexuality. I do not, other than the fact that I would end or discourage any conversation that openly portrayed a lack of tolerance for the diversity of the human condition in general. I teach tolerance of others’. This is in accordance with long-standing District policy as well as the recent law regarding tolerance signed by Governor Brown which went into effect January 1, 2012. <br />
<br />
To the best of my knowledge the record keeper of the conference has no degree in stenography or even any formal training in stenography and therefore his record cannot be assumed to be accurate. What I said (or at least tried to say) was I do not deny to my students the fact that sex exists and the topic occasionally comes up in the legitimate pursuit of social studies. If I expressed myself imperfectly, I regret that. For the record, however, I disagree with this point and want to clarify here that I do not teach nor encourage the discussion of sexuality as a rule in my classroom. <br />
<br />
In <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Section II.t.,</b> the recorder asserts, “In response to being given the LAUSD Code of Conduct with Students and the LAUSD Code of Ethics, you (meaning me) responded, ‘I reject that.’” This is a gross misstatement of fact. What I meant is by handing me the policies, “I reject the allegation that I have violated the Code of Conduct or the Code of Ethics.”<br />
<br />
Teachers, great teachers anyway, supplement textbooks frequently. We read stories all the time, novels, for example, and primary and secondary historical sources that are not in the text. As a professional educator, I always evaluate the appropriateness of supplementary materials. In this case, the Torah was entirely appropriate. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">I was accused of failing to have “evidence of planning for a standards based lesson.” Incidentally, a standards-based lesson requires a hyphen. Yet the specific standards being taught were clearly posted on a three foot by four foot poster. The specifics of the lesson were written on the board as they are every day. I was accused of failing to “have evidence of planning” and directed to “provide <u>weekly</u> lesson plans or evidence of lesson planning in a format of your choosing that is appropriate to your assignment and demonstrates alignment with LAUSD curriculum, standards, materials that are age appropriate…” This charge is baseless and the directive is inappropriate. The contract states:</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lesson plans or evidence of planning in a format appropriate to the teacher’s assignment, shall be furnished by each classroom teacher upon request from the teacher's immediate administrator. No special format for a lesson plan shall be required</i> (Section 4.1).<br />
<br />
“No special format for a lesson plan shall be required” means <u>no special format for a lesson plan shall be required.</u> There is no ambiguity there. It bears repeating that the specific standards being taught were writ large in my classroom and the agendas for all three classes were clearly posted. I was directed to “observe all district policies and procedures, laws, and the Collective Bargaining Agreement.” I do all of that. A demand to specify the type of “evidence of planning” conflicts with the Collective Bargaining Agreement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">I provide evidence of planning. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br />
<br />
I was directed to review and practice the LAUSD Code of Ethics and the LAUSD Code of Conduct with Students. I have done so and for the reasons stated above have clearly not violated either one.<br />
<br />
I do “Engage and redirect students in age-appropriate discussion...focused on lesson objectives, curriculum and the standards” (<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cite Sec. IV.e.),</b> despite the accusation. I do an exceptional job of this, especially in dealing with issues as delicate and controversial as the teaching of numerous religions.<br />
<br />
I was directed to plan lessons that are related to and consistent with the prescribed curriculum. My lessons always relate, usually directly (but often indirectly), to the prescribed curriculum. The textbook contains two entire chapters on the Ancient Hebrews, one specifically on the origins of Judaism (<i>History Alive</i>, Chapter 12) which includes a full-page illustration of Moses and the Ten Commandments, including “Thou shall not commit adultery” (page 100) in plain view. In my class, students learn the meaning of all Ten Commandments including adultery. As previously stated, I do this in an entirely professional and age-appropriate manner.<br />
<br />
I do nothing but “maintain a fair and balanced academic presentation of various points of view. To assert otherwise following a three minute observation is ludicrous.<br />
<br />
I feel compelled to make one further comment in regards to the specific content of the Inter-Office Correspondence dated 1/23/12 directed to Mr. Joseph K, EN 666-666, and from ***** *****, Principal, LAUSD School. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Section IV</b>, the Administrative Directives, is incomplete. Not included in the written list of directives, but included in the conference was, “Do not teach controversial issues.” I suggest you cannot teach divergent thinking without controversy.<br />
<br />
Or religion.<br />
<br />
Or social studies.<br />
<br />
Shortly after being directed not to teach controversial issues, the Principal Leader abruptly stood up and said, “We don’t need to do the rest of those,” and hastily ended the conference. I ask myself what directive(s) could have been more ridiculous than, “Do not teach controversial issues”?<br />
<br />
My last question in the conference was, “How long do I have to respond.” As Mr. Baird started to tell me, he was interrupted by the Principal Leader. “We aren’t going to worry about that in this case,” he said. Yet when the Inter-Office Correspondence arrived, my response had a due date.<br />
<br />
I do not believe this Interoffice Correspondence was written by our principal, though it bears his name. My principal has observed me carefully over a period of five years. This year alone, he has visited my classroom at least half a dozen times as he does all our classrooms. He has never been critical of my teaching, though he has not hesitated to suggest ways of improving and I have always been open to his input. I am fond of saying (and have told him personally), “Mr. ***** has made me a better teacher and I like to think I have helped make him a better principal.” He has defended my teaching, endorsed my teaching, and asked me to lead staff developments on occasion. He has gone out of his way to ask me to present my students’ work to the staff on a number of occasions. I do not believe, “You need to know that if I had to evaluate you today...,” (final paragraph) are words he would say, at least to me.<br />
<br />
Again, I find it human and natural to counter this memo with a fair and accurate accounting of my standing at the time of this incident and during the entirety of my career as a teacher in LAUSD. First, I do not accept these statements as accurate, nor do I believe that they came from my Principal, ***** ***** . I am pained that he had to sign a memo that, I am sure, caused him much personal regret. <br />
<br />
I present, in counter to the reference on my professional standing at this time, that I have never received anything less than exemplary STULL evaluations from any principal, including ***** *****, ever, in more than 25 years with LAUSD. As to the appropriateness and skill of my teaching, he has gone out of his way to showcase the work of the students in my classes as examples of what our students are capable of to RAISE the level of expectations of our teachers and thereby the achievement of the students at our school. <br />
<br />
While not always reflected in standardized test scores, the level of sophistication in my students’ expression, both oral and written, is frequently extraordinary. Mr. ***** knows this. He frequently praises the manner in which I accomplish getting my students to this level. The day after receiving this memo, the principal asked me personally in front of the entire staff during professional development how it was that I achieved such sophisticated (written) responses from my students following a very recent school-wide task designed, among other more important matters, to raise test scores. <br />
<br />
I have excellent relationships with him, my students, my peers, and have functioned as a mentor to new teachers for many years. In fact, I was officially a mentor teacher for six years when the district identified, and substantially compensated, mentor teachers. I have excellent relationships with parents, and encourage them to become involved and take an active role in the educational process of their children. Most, though not all, of my students are progressing beyond expectations and many continue to rely on skills learned in my classes to maintain a subsequent and enduring positive skill set in the classroom over the years. Most importantly, though my curriculum is extremely rigorous, they are having fun. Lessons like these convince them they are smart and getting smarter. There is no better way to build self esteem. <br />
<br />
My credentials include a Master’s Degree in The Clinical Supervision of Instruction from Cal State LA (including a credential in education administration), and a BA (and K-12 teaching credential) from Occidental College during the years when Barack Obama was also in attendance. I have been named a Johns Hopkins Teaching Fellow twice. I possess Level A fluency in Spanish. <br />
<br />
I have been teaching 27 years in LAUSD and dedicated most, though not all that time to our neediest students. I am an athlete, and remain in excellent health. I plan to teach, which is what I love and what I am good at, for a good many years to come. <br />
<br />
While I have had offers to teach in more affluent schools (most notably Arcadia), in schools that house a higher proportion of students with better resources, perhaps a better set of academic potentials given the effects of poverty, I choose to stay at a school where the highest percentage of students have a rare opportunity to profit greatly from the skills I have developed and want to share with them. <br />
<br />
I enjoy what I do and I am good at it.<br />
<br />
In closing, I would like to admit that I can relate to the tension experienced by the contingent of the two administrators, and for that I feel regret. I also felt an element of that same tension at being asked to leave my class, disrupt my students’ learning opportunity, and be challenged on points, seemingly inappropriately, following an observation of only a few minutes. <br />
<br />
If my demeanor, my passion, and/or my intensity offended anyone, I regret that deeply. My heart it seems, spoke first, before my diplomacy in this matter. It is my purpose to maintain an academic environment that invites the students into their own journey of learning, in a structure soundly rooted in standards and ethics. In other words, I was caught off guard and I regret it if my conduct with the District # Superintendent and the Principal Leader caused them discomfort. If such is the case, I did not live up to the extremely high professional standards I set for myself as a teacher and an advocate for students, teachers, and public education.<br />
<br />
I am honored and humbled to be a teacher, and I assure you that it is a responsibility I take very seriously. <br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> Joseph K<span class="apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br />
Teacher,<br />
Los Angeles Unified School District<br />
January 27, 2012</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #a64d79;">
<div style="color: #741b47;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #741b47;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Appendix A. The Three Foot by Four Foot Poster (Twenty feet from the Superintendent)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.k12newsnetwork.com/"></a></span></div>
<div style="color: #741b47;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="color: #741b47;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the Ancient Hebrews.</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20pt;"></span></div>
<span style="color: #741b47;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Describe</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> the origins and significance of Judaism as the first monotheistic religion based on the concept of one God who sets down moral laws for humanity.<br />
<br />
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Identify the sources of the ethical teachings and central beliefs of Judaism (the Hebrew Bible, the Commentaries): belief in God, observance of law, practice of the concepts of righteousness and justice and importance of study; and describe how the ideas of the Hebrew traditions are reflected in the moral and ethical traditions of Western civilization.<br />
<br />
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Explain</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> the significance of Abraham, Moses, Naomi, Ruth, David and Yohanan ben Zaccai in the development of the Jewish religion.<br />
<br />
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Discuss the locations of the settlements and movements of Hebrew peoples, including the Exodus and their movement to and from Jerusalem and the rest of Israel after the destruction of the second Temple in A.D. 70.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #a64d79;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570292276719650823.post-11313960460396742932012-01-31T22:47:00.000-08:002012-01-31T23:10:20.844-08:00Dear Mr. President<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt;">From:</span></b><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt;"> June K, Mother of Joseph K <br />
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, January 31, 2012 2:43 PM<br />
<b>To:</b> president@whitehouse.gov<br />
<b>Subject:</b> Support public education</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;">Dear Mr. President,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;">As the mother of a teacher in the Los Angeles Public Schools, I can see what NCLB and the continuing policies of Arne Duncan are doing to the public school system. It is becoming disastrous. My son has always chosen to teach inner city kids who face innumerable problems of poverty, lack of any skill in the English language, minimal parental support. At present many of his children wake up at 5:30 in the morning, some earlier, to be bussed and arrive at school more ready for bed than learning. The ride home isn’t much better. Even the most concerned parent in the inner city can't come to their child's school for conferences, back-to-school activities, even if they could speak the language.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;">Also present policies seem to favor charter schools which can pick and choose their students and, not incidently add to the coffers of companies supplying testing materials, textbooks, etc.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;">It is essential to include parents, teachers and public school administrators in all discussion of public school policies. It is essential to stop basing teacher performance on test scores, rather than on the individual progress of students. Our school policies should be left in the hands of the local district, not mandated on a federal level by unfunded policies. They best know the needs of each school in their distract.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;">I hope you will not reappoint Mr. Duncan and even replace him NOW before further damage is done to our schools.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;">Thank you for your consideration.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;">Sincerely,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;">June </div>JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570292276719650823.post-22408968240852936152011-12-12T18:27:00.000-08:002012-12-21T23:45:31.851-08:00More Blood and Guts<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Public education has been nothing but blood and guts the last few years, but the gore spread across the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) has been particularly copious of late. Let’s start with the latest. December 15 is the deadline for California’s Department of Finance to announce its final revenue numbers for the year. For those of you with short attention spans, you may not remember how Governor Brown and the State Legislature reached a budget agreement earlier this year: through magic. One day it was announced the State’s economy, much to the surprise of everyone, was doing really well and billions of dollars in unexpected revenue would show up by December. This week, also much to the surprise of everyone, it will be announced there is no such thing as magic.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;">As we speak, LAUSD is facing the loss of $38 million in transportation funds. That means 35,000 magnet school students and 13,000 special education students may no longer have a way to get to school. What happens to a school or program when everyone attending has no way to get there? What happens to the students? What happens to the teachers? On December 15, an additional $113 million may have to be cut from, well, everything else. For the last few years, Superintendent Deasy has been giving away public schools to any and all for-profit charter operators that had the decency to register a heartbeat. It’s hard to know where he will find $113 million without selling real estate. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Then there was the “Tentative Agreement” (TA) signed by Deasy and UTLA leadership a week or so ago. Sorry all for the acronyms. Educators love nothing more than a good acronym. </span><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It appears that UTLA leadership has grown so desperate, it has signed on with Deasy to an agreement that is possibly its own death warrant. This is no surprise in an environment already drowning in desperation after a decade of NCLB policy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: red;">
<span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In the current context of economic fear, there is little wonder why people </span><span style="font-size: small;">like Eli Broad and Bill Gates can get away with encouraging </span><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">a commercialized education package replacing curriculum with products and concepts courtesy of big business interest.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The atmosphere is already toxic with years of propaganda demonizing teachers, tests replacing teaching, and relentless bashing of the profession by corporate-supported news media (the LA Times).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;">UTLA has provided teachers with virtually no information regarding the matter (other than how wonderful it is), given them no time think about the issues (let alone discuss them), and are asking teachers to vote for the agreement starting, well, they already started. In the interest of full disclosure, I should say I have not read the fine print. But that is only because the large print is so despicable.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;">On the surface, the agreement looks like a good one for LA teachers. Charter giveaways, supposedly, receive a three-year moratorium. Limits will be placed on school reconstitution (where all teachers are basically summarily fired, then forced to reapply) as well. Schools will be granted “unprecedented” autonomy in school governance including waiving certain school board policies such as selecting a principal, creating alternative assessments, reorganizing the school, modifying instructional time, selecting grade-level and department chairs, coordinators, deans, etc. The fact all of these waivers are basically balderdash seems beside the point.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Using a standardized test score to evaluate teachers is specifically not among the waivers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;">In fact, the agreement cuts UTLA and teachers off at the knees, if not the waist and neck as well. By granting false autonomy, teachers will in fact be isolated from each other and have to fight for their rights individually. Deasy, of course, knows this and relishes the opportunity. Any and all school reforms plans can be vetoed by the principal. Under the totalitarian regime of Deasy, all principals are interviewed and can be fired by him. In effect, the voices of teachers, parents, and students critical of his agenda can be ignored or in some cases removed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The “no reconstitution clause” is also a farce. In fact, no school can be reconstituted/restructured only if it demonstrates “reasonable progress toward overall improvement.” Anyone who knows Deasy (to say nothing of Broad, Gates, and the LA Times), knows this means standardized test scores. These people mean nothing but standardized test scores. “Data must drive instruction,” Deasy says over and over and over and over. He means standardized test data, that is. Never mind that standardized test data is dismantling public education and creating a generation of poor, minority intellectual cripples as inner-city teachers desperate to hang on to their jobs abandon things like divergent thinking and creativity, to say nothing of trivial concerns such as science, social studies, and the arts.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Teachers displaced by Deasy will provide “intervention services” (test prep, of course), tutoring (more test prep), CAHSEE support (another acronym, the California High School Exit Exam, did I mention test prep?), and class coverage support. In effect, they will become substitutes and test prep teachers’ aides. That is until Deasy fires them too.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Between November 15 and March 1 of each year, schools interested in “autonomy” will be required to develop school proposals, including their Single School Plan, a voluminous, ungainly document schools usually develop every several years, they take so much work, then routinely ignore because they do little to improve instruction. There must be a petition which must be signed on by a majority of the school faculty, but only with the principal’s concurrence, of course (a principal approved by Deasy), followed by more meetings and discussion. Teaching, evaluating student work, communicating with parents, apparently, will be conducted in our spare time. Waiver packages come with secret ballots, and only then with the concurrence of the principal.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;">PSC’s (Public School Choice) schools (sorry, another acronym, read “charter schools”) have their own dictums. Principals may be chosen by a “Personnel Team,” but of course Deasy must approve the choice. Teachers must sign onto the “The Plan” (whatever that means) or may leave “without harm” (again, whatever that means) after one year. The Deasy-approved principal retains the right to transfer any teacher with a voice. If Deasy does not like their plan, the process becomes so convoluted, I’m pretty sure no one understands it. But it involves hours and hours and hours of teacher time unrelated to teaching. Teaching is extra.</span></div>
<div style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;">UTLA withdraws all its grievances on public school choice. They are now totally irrelevant according to the agreement. UTLA withdraws its two Public Employee Relation Board ( PERB) cases (acronym, sorry) at Jordan and Clay High Schools, though the case against Clay/Jordan giveaways remain in play. In perhaps the most grievous abdication of its duty, UTLA agrees to abandon its PERB lawsuit against the district regarding the use of a standardized, value-added test score to evaluate teachers.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Without getting into a whole “thing” regarding value-added, VAM (sorry) has a number of shortcomings including a failure to take into account school factors such as class sizes, curriculum materials, instructional time, availability of specialists and tutors, and resources for learning (books, computers, science labs, and more). VAM entirely misses the level of home and community supports or challenges, individual student needs and abilities, health, and attendance, peer culture and achievement, prior teachers and schooling, as well as other current teachers. VAM does not account for differential summer learning loss (which especially affects low-income children) and varies greatly depending upon the specific tests used. It does not account for students who have moved or changed classes. These tests and VAM’s emphasize some kinds of learning and not others, and rarely measure achievement that is well above or below grade level. </span></div>
<div style="color: red;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Oh, hell with it. Here is my “thing” on value-added: VAM was invented by Dr. William Sanders, a statistician working in the field of agricultural genetics at the University of Tennessee in the 1980's. He was, quite literally, a bean counter. He believed he could use his statistical models used to produce plump, ripe tomatoes (and probably beans) to evaluate teaching. Governor Lamar Alexander told him, basically, "Go for it." Unfortunately, children are neither tomatoes nor beans and teaching is not agriculture.</span></div>
<div style="color: red;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The broader UTLA leadership was not brought into the negotiations leading up to the “agreement”, to say nothing of the teachers themselves. They have created no “alternative vision” and thus this agreement is almost totally on Deasy’s terms using his definition of reform and progress. UTLA is not structured for, nor does it have the capacity to support individual schools –support they will badly need in moving forward with this TA. The other side (Deasy, Broad, Gates, et. al.) are very well organized and extremely well funded. One does not freely waive collective bargaining or contractual rights to such opposition.</span><br />
</div>
<div style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The voices of parents will be fragmented as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div style="color: red;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Meanwhile, charter schools hang over us like Damocles’ sword as teachers face this Faustian bargain. If we approve, we lose much, if not all of what we have fought for as long as teachers have been organized. If we reject the agreement, we embarrass UTLA’s new leadership and face further demonization from the press, public, and “billionaire boys club” as being “anti-reform” –to say nothing of accelerating of the process of dismantling public education to private, for-profit corporations (few of which have proven superior to public education).</span></div>
<div style="color: red;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">But reject the agreement we must. This was shoved down our throats in the dead of night and we have been told without warning to vote one way or the other the week before the Winter Break. Why? Shouldn’t teachers, of all people, have the opportunity to study the issue?</span></div>
<div style="color: red;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">And the tide is beginning to turn. The public is waking up to the myth of charter schools and the for-profit fraud perpetrated by Corporate America in education and elsewhere. The same is true for standardized testing. We gain nothing by maintaining that single hair from the horse’s tail which holds the sword of Damocles over our head for a few more years. With Deasy in charge, the sword will fall sooner or later. I say we go down fighting. We go back to the negotiating table. We create a clear, united vision for the future. We reject the “Tentative Agreement.”</span></div>
JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570292276719650823.post-14367167109007685062011-09-18T02:57:00.000-07:002012-12-22T00:14:12.010-08:00"Magnet Bullets"<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style> <![endif]--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">With charter schools being universally hailed as a magic bullet to all our public education woes despite all the evidence, critics of the charter movement often counter with magnet schools. Magnet schools have been hailed as THE resounding success in urban education. Why have we forgotten about magnet schools? If magnet schools are so great, why not make all schools magnet schools? Could magnet schools be the "magic bullet"?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, there are no “magnet bullets” for problems in urban public education. Magnet schools enjoy success only in so far as many of them are even more elitist and discriminatory than charter schools. I taught for many years at a “Gifted/High Achieving” magnet. Federal integration funds were designed to give poor minorities the same choices as more affluent suburban students who had access to private schools. It didn’t exactly work out that way. I ended up teaching the richest of the poor and the poorest of the rich. Acceptance into the magnet program in LAUSD is all about amassing enough magnet points, an insanely complicated system requiring many years of persistence which at the get-go often eliminates all but the most indefatigable of gifted parents. You’d be surprised, or maybe you wouldn’t, how many of my students were children of LAUSD teachers and administrators. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">My only real problem there was the three or four students who were in the class each year because they had been misidentified, being labeled as “gifted” in something like the<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span style="color: navy;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">F</span></span></span>irst</span></span><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>grade by some unbelievably unreliable non-verbal test like the RAVEN. Some of these children were labeled “gifted” despite all evidence to the contrary for six years. Once you are “gifted”, you can never be “ungifted’. The RAVEN was the bane of my existence because it put all these average or below average kids in a class with a bunch of geniuses or near-geniuses and these kids quickly gave up because there was no way for them to keep up. Even when they tried, they ended up feeling stupid. Heartbreaking! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">How would you feel if you were a normal eleven year old born in the year 2000 and the teacher mentions on the first day of school he wants you to carry a library book at all times in case you finish early and it should be a “fun” book, not one your mom is “making you read”, and the teacher also mentions he is reading <i>Don Quixote</i> which is actually a really famous book, the kind your mom might actually “make you read” if you were much older, but that’s not why he is reading it, that he is reading it because it is one of the funniest books he has ever read, and as he is tilting you with windmills and regaling you with wonderful tales of wayward wenches to promote an interest in reading, the kid next to you raises her hand and interjects, “Excuse me, Mr. K., but isn’t <i>The Man from La Mancha</i> a musical adaptation of that book?” and the teacher says, “Why yes it is, as a matter of fact, and how does an eleven year old born in the year 2000 happen to know that?” and the kid replies casually, “Oh, I don’t know, I’ve just always been interested in musical theater.” I was fifty and<b> <i>I</i></b> felt stupid. Fill up a number of schools with eleven year old <i>Man from La Mancha</i> fans and you’re more than going to make up for the other magnet schools with no discriminatory admission policies outside the Faustian point system. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Now don’t get me wrong. I loved teaching those kids. We need magnet schools, especially for high-achieving kids. I once had a Sixth<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>grader who was so far ahead of all the other</span><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">n</span></span>inety-nineth</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"> percentile students, I just gave him the fattest algebra book I could find. And not just any fat algebra book, mind you, but one of those “newfangled” jobs that taught algebra strictly through the use of application problems and abstract analysis. It had been rejected by the algebra teachers for just that reason. It was too difficult! I told him to get started, that I would try to get back to him every once in a while, and to let me know if he ever had any questions which of course he never did until sometime in the middle of March. We sat down together and the book said something like, “You’ve got a 1,400 square foot house with a 500 foot facade topped by a 15 foot roof pitched at 37 degrees. How much material do you need for a new roof?” </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Well I lived in a house, so I knew something about houses. I had been on my roof and had learned what “facade” meant thirty years previously in a college course I once took on Pre-Soviet Russian Culture. So I drew a façade and I pitched a pitch and quickly began to realize I had pretty much exhausted my expertise with the experience. I did have a vague recollection of these things called trigonometric functions which I seemed for some reason to have learned how to pronounce in my</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Tenth</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><sup><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></sup>grade math class in 1974, something about opposite over adjacent or adjacent over opposite, and if I could only remember the difference between an opposite and an adjacent I might possibly have a shot at saying something pithy like, “I think this has something to do with trigonometry.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, before I could impart my wisdom, the kid looked at my scribbling and blurted out something like, “Oh my god! You said the roof was 15 feet high, so all I have to do is use the tangent (or was it the sine? co-sine? arc-something-or-other?) of 37 degrees to get the width of the roof, multiply by 500, double it, and oh my god Mr. K, you are a genius! Thanks!” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">“No problem,” I said getting the hell out of there as quickly as possible so I could go back to teaching eleven year old </span><span style="font-size: large;">HUMAN BEINGS</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">. “Be sure and let me know if you have any more questions,” which of course he never did because fractals were easy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Magnet schools, some of them anyway, are great!</span></div>
JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570292276719650823.post-64574440473471537652011-08-26T10:50:00.000-07:002011-08-29T23:18:47.200-07:00Blood MoneyDear Teachers,<br />
<br />
We are being asked (key word “asked”) to be trained (key word “trained”, like dogs,) by Pearson “Learning” August 29<sup>th</sup> and 30<sup>th</sup>. Pearson is going to pay us. Make no mistake, ladies and gentlemen, the money they are going to pay us is blood money. And the blood money they are going to pay us with is our own blood. It is the blood we bled when LAUSD cut our pay. It is the blood we will bleed every day when we struggle with larger and larger class sizes. It is the blood Jenny, Isabel, Jared, River, Susan, Summer and all the rest are bleeding right now as they sit home BLEEDING because they no longer have jobs.<br />
<br />
It is blood money.<br />
<br />
Pearson “Learning” was once a nice publishing house. They printed books under names like Penguin and a number of textbooks primarily in England. They made a tidy profit in the millions of dollars each year. In 2000, as NCLB was being written and discussed, they bought their first testing company. That may or may not have been a coincidence. After passage of NCLB, they bought another testing company. Then they bought another and another and another and another. That was no coincidence. Today they are a conglomerate of testing companies, seven by my count. <b>They have created a vast, powerful TESTING INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX.</b> Their profits are not a few million each year, but a few billion each year and they are growing exponentially.<br />
<br />
<span id="more-310"></span><br />
They employ legions of well-paid lobbyists who infest Washington, D.C., every state capitol, and many local school boards. I would love to know how much they contribute to reelection campaigns. They have infested LAUSD which I will explain in a minute. They have one agenda: Profits. Until recently, they had one means to their agenda: Testing. More standardized testing means more profits for Pearson. NCLB is Pearson's business model. Teachers are laid off, their salaries cut, class size increased, and curriculum narrowed as Pearson lines its pockets with gold.<br />
<br />
Consider this regarding standardized testing:<br />
<ul><li>high scores often signify relatively superficial thinking</li>
<li>many of the leading tests were never intended to measure teaching or learning</li>
<li><b>a school that improves its test results may well have lowered its standards to do so </b></li>
<li><b>far from helping to “close the gap,” the use of standardized testing is <span style="text-decoration: underline;">most damaging for low-income and minority students</span> </b></li>
<li><b>as much as 90 percent of the variations in test scores among schools or states have nothing to do with the quality of instruction </b></li>
<li>far more meaningful measures of student learning – or school quality – are available.</li>
</ul>-Alfie Kohn’s <i><a href="http://www.alfiekohn.org/books/tcast.htm" target="_blank" title="The Case Against Standardized Testing">The Case Against Standardized Testing</a></i><br />
<br />
Standardized tests are DEMONIZING all of us in the inner city, demonizing our union, and being used by almost infinitely powerful economic and political forces in this country to dismantle public education.<br />
<br />
And the situation is only going to get worse. [LAUSD Superintendent John] Deasy and [Secretary of Education Arne] Duncan both are pushing value-added standardized testing measures to evaluate teachers. The LA Times slanders all of us on a daily basis with its value-added measure on its website. <a href="http://www.k12newsnetwork.com/2011/04/lausd-releases-its-own-value-added-rankings-of-schools/" target="_blank" title="LAUSD Releases Its Own "Value-Added" Rankings of Schools">Deasy calls his AGT</a>.<br />
<br />
Slander is slander. This year he is bribing teachers with $1,250 (after cutting their pay) to “volunteer” in a pilot project for AGT. “If you volunteer, we will pay you (after cutting your pay.)” To measure “improvement” you need baseline scores (pretests), probably at least one or two interim assessments, and a post test. These tests will be maximally time consuming and VERY expensive. All teachers need to be evaluated, so multiple tests will be given in every subject of every grade multiple times every year. You can bet that Pearson is using its vast influence to get to the front of the line to write (and sell) those tests. As far as I know, they may well have already elbowed out the competition. Their profits will be enormous. And guess where those profits will come from. They will come from you and our students. Your job, if you have one left, will rely on these tests, so you can be damn sure you are going to teach to them and probably teach little, if anything else.<br />
<br />
Read this: <a href="http://prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_test_generation" target="_blank" title="The Test Generation">The Test Generation</a>.<br />
<br />
Pearson “Learning” has now figured out a way to “double down” its billions in annual profits, its rape of public education. They are using their publishing arm to sell “Teaching Guides”, “Lesson Books”, etc. so teachers can “better” teach its own tests. Genius. They have created a mobius strip of profit production. We are pawns in their game and they are going to move you two spaces ahead August 29<sup>th</sup> and 30<sup>th</sup>. Don’t think you are getting paid very much for being a pawn. Pawns, if you don’t play chess, are the first things sacrificed.<br />
<br />
<b>I reject Pearson and their blood money. I reject everything that they stand for. I reject their endless bubbling. I reject their process of elimination universe. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">I refuse to be trained like a dog to teach my students how to bark like seals.</span></b> So should you.<br />
<br />
I am drawing my own line in the sand. Public education is going up in flames in this country because of profiteers like Pearson and teachers are going down. I intend at least to have a say in my own demise.<br />
<br />
I may show up on August 29<sup>th</sup>. I will not sign in. I will not touch their food. I will go nowhere near their blood money. If I do show up, it will only be to stand up before everyone and publicly denounce Pearson in much the same way I am doing now. My fantasy is to walk out and have everyone follow, but alas that will never happen. It would be nice if some of you would follow, though.<br />
<br />
If I do not show up, it will be because I chickened out. Fear is something I understand. In an age of perpetual layoffs and teacher transfers, fear is not without merit. We are surrounded by fear. We are immersed in it. You all will make your own decision regarding the Pearson “training”. You all have your own lives, your own families, your own personal situations. You have to decide what is right for you. I will respect whatever decision you make. Count on that. But consider what is being done to you and our profession by Pearson, companies like it, and politicians who exploit their malevolence. Consider. Consider Jared, Jenny, Isabel, River, Susan, Summer and all the rest. Consider that you are next. We are next.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Joseph K.</b> is a 24-year veteran of LAUSD, a former mentor teacher twice named a Johns Hopkins University Teaching Fellow, who now teaches poor, inner-city children who wake up every morning in their gang-ridden, drug-infested neighborhoods at five a.m. to catch the bus by six. He teaches the old-fashioned way – by ignoring standardized test scores. Instead of teaching bubbling, he tries to instill a love of knowledge and learning in his students and for this reason will probably be allowed to continue teaching for fifteen more minutes.</i>JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570292276719650823.post-67510900707218287612011-08-11T13:02:00.000-07:002013-11-02T21:41:57.729-07:00Who Is Joseph K?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">There has been some confusion regarding Joseph K. Who is Joseph K? Is he any relation to Josef K? I assure you, he is not. Josef K is fictitious. Josef K is a surreal character in a real but surrealistic novel called <i><span style="font-style: italic;">The Trial</span></i>, by a real surreal novelist named Franz Kafka. Franz Kafka died in 1924, but used absurd humor to portrait surreal situations so absurdly surreal, they eventually led to the ultimate surreal absurdity, Nazi Germany. He played with multiple meanings of words, virtually all of which are lost in translation. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">Joseph K is and did none of these things. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">Joseph K is a real teacher living in a surreal world created by an even more surreal (and absurd) piece of legislation called <i>No Child Left Behind</i>, a world where all children are above average by legal mandate, a world where teachers and their unions are persecuted when it turns out much to the surprise of everyone that all children are not, in fact, above average, a world where as many as eighty percent of our public schools will be labeled failures (officially “in need of improvement”) <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">as early as this month</span></b>, a world where the wondrous, quixotic journey we once called a rich, well-rounded education has been reduced to four bubbles on a standardized test, four bubbles indistinguishable and/or irrelevant to many students (especially poor, minority students), <span style="text-transform: uppercase;">a world where standardized tests are now being used <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">bubble by bubble </span></b>to dismantle public education <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">brick by brick</span></b>. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">None of Joseph K’s multiple meanings are lost in translation because almost no one reads Joseph K in the first place and certainly no one translates him.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">Joseph K lives in a REAL world where Michele Bachmann is now a serious candidate, is in fact leading in the polls in a world where the “shots heard round the world” in Lexington and Concord were heard not in Massachusetts but in New Hampshire, a world where the Founding Fathers worked tirelessly to end slavery while simultaneously owning and sleeping tirelessly with their slaves, a world where John Quincy Adams was a Founding Father working even more tirelessly to end slavery though “just a small boy at the time,” a world where “The System” ended slavery (not a bloody Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation), a world where the Federal Government should not infringe upon States’ rights to determine the legality of gay marriage but simultaneously have a Constitutional Amendment defining marriage as solely between a man and a woman, <span style="text-transform: uppercase;">a <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bachmannesque</span></b> world bursting with Intelligent Design but utterly void of fossils</span>. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">Joseph K, ladies and gentlemen, is all too real.</span></span></div>
JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570292276719650823.post-60058085444033970802011-07-14T02:09:00.000-07:002011-07-14T11:40:14.753-07:00Class Warfare<div class="MsoNormal"><b>Welcome back to Dicken’s “Victorian Age”, Twain’s “Gilded Age”, and to the return of Social Darwinism.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Consider:</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">The top 1% of Americans now earn 24% of all income. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">The top 1% now own 40% of America's wealth. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">The top 1% now have a greater collective net worth than the entire bottom 90%.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">80% of the nation’s income growth has gone to the top 1% over the last quarter century.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Income for the top 1% has risen 18% in the last decade.</li>
</ul><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Median family income has declined by more than $2,500 in the last decade.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">CEO salaries of America’s largest corporations were 531 times greater than the average employee in 2001. They were 42 times greater in 1980.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">The <u>median</u> income of S&P 500 CFO’s increased by $2.9 million last year alone. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Hedge fund manager John Paulson made $4.9 billion last year, as much as 184,000 average Americans. Most of his income is considered “carried interest” and therefore taxed (after <u>considerable</u> deductions) at 15% instead of 35%.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Corporations’ share of federal tax revenue has fallen from 30% in the mid-1950’s to 6.5% today.</li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>The proposed repeal of the Bush tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans has been repeatedly called “class warfare”.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Huh??</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Four years ago, Warrren Buffet compared how much he pays in taxes in terms of a percentage of his salary to what his employees pay. The results? Buffett said he pays 18 percent of his salary to the IRS while the rest of his staff pays nearly twice that — 33 percent... "Frankly, an economy where my receptionist pays a lot higher tax rate than I do does not strike me as a just economy," he told lawmakers.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This is from 2007. Still…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3869458&page=1"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></a><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3869458&page=1"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3869458&page=1</span></a></b></div>JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570292276719650823.post-54447355396172312002011-07-05T11:36:00.000-07:002011-07-20T17:10:47.920-07:00Where Is The Media?<div class="MsoNormal">Where is the media? Evaluating teaching is currently all about standardized tests. Standardized tests purport to measure writing yet the computerized bubble sheets don’t even require students to write their names. Where is the media? Standardized tests purport to measure a student’s ability to comprehend and analyze literature. But literary analysis has more than one correct answer. Where is the media?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This was a real CST question I will probably go to jail for telling you. “Which French derived word best fills in the blank? Well excuse me, but when I was teaching my below grade level, limited English speaking 6<sup>th</sup> grade students to read, it did not occur to me to teach French!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">You can test math. Math, at least, is objective. But standardized math tests are as much about language as math. Give kids a data table. According to the data, how many Americans have access to health care? They know tables, data analysis, percents, multiplication, everything, but no one happened to teach the meaning of “access.” And my students certainly don’t have access themselves. Give a simple word problem with various fruits and nuts. What is the total number of nuts? Unfortunately, many students (especially poor, inner-city students) never eat pecans, have never heard of pecans and pecans, if you’ve never had them, sound a little like peaches. Students are judged “below proficient” and their teachers “ineffective” because in their heads students categorize pecans with peaches. (I mean, really. These students can’t even add! Next time I teach addition, I will be sure to feed my students pecans!) This happens over and over and over with standardized tests. Where is the media? Teachers are now going to be evaluated and even fired because they cannot demonstrate growth using standardized tests which largely do not even address what they purport to measure. Where is the media?<br />
<br />
Districts like Los Angeles will soon evaluate teachers by measuring “value-added” growth in these standardized tests by using sophisticated computer algorithms. An ever-growing number of states and districts around the country are already there, thanks largely to Arne Duncan’s Race to the Top. There never has been and never will be a computer algorithm that can defy a fundamental law of computer science. Garbage in, garbage out. Where is the media?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
Now before I go on, there <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">are</i> some good standardized test questions out there: </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">In 2000, just as No Child Left Behind was being debated in Congress, publishing company Pearson (remember Penguin Classics?) entered the testing business in the United States by purchasing National Computer Systems. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How many testing companies have they purchased since then?</b> (C. Six)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">In 2002, the year No Child Left Behind was adopted, Pearson posted profits of $293 million. In 2009, Pearson (now largely a conglomerate of testing companies, the largest in the U.S., and increasingly publishing textbooks and test preparation materials in order to teach to its own tests) earned $1.64 billion. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How much is the difference? </b>(E. All of the above added together –and then some!)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Pearson’s after-tax revenue increased by 45.5 percent in 2009<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">. In what direction are we heading?</b> (D. South)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What is the only thing a truly valid standardized test can measure</b>? (I’ll give you the last one too. It’s “B. The Lowest Common Denominator.” Everything is subterfuge, though, because “A” would also be a good answer: “Profits”. That’s the beauty of these tests. You often don’t choose the correct answer. You choose the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">best</i> answer. So you tell me. Which answer is best?</li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">(No Child Left Behind is not so much a piece of Federal legislation as it is Pearson’s business model. And they are by no means alone! Educational Testing Service (E.T.S.), the largest nonprofit testing organization in the world, enjoys a tax exempt status which allows it to amass vast federal and state tax revenue (tax free, of course) and totally ignore SEC income reporting requirements while paying its executives and governing board immense salaries, to say nothing of its enormous army of lobbyists which (like Pearson) lobby the heck out of federal and state government officials and legislators. Their CEO once stated that E.T.S. “will never be the low bidder on a contract.” E.T.S. now, too, boosts its “nonprofit” profit margins by selling test preparation materials so teachers can better teach its own tests. E.T.S. has virtual monopolies in California, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia and who knows where else? The media certainly doesn’t know or, if they do, they’re not telling.)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The LA Times rates teachers and schools using a garbage in, garbage out algorithm on its website. My students are all poor minorities who have to get up every morning at 5 a.m. to catch the bus. The LA Times categorizes my school as “least effective” and justifies this by listing a supposed six of our twenty teachers using data supposedly going back to 2004. Of those six, one left our school seven years ago. Another attended our school for only a few months four years ago, but never set foot in a classroom. She was a coordinator. A third is a wonderful long term substitute teacher who began just this year and teaches PE. She has not administered a single test to any of our students (unless you count laps and pushups) and was not even at our school when the LA Times collected its data. A fourth, the only one of the six listed who has been at our school during all these years, is categorized as “less than effective” based on an unspecified sample of just 14 students. A fifth split her time between two schools, so we don’t know which students came from where. Sixteen of our twenty teachers are not listed at all, yet the LA Times rates us anyway through the magic of its algorithms. Where is the media?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Facing hundreds of thousands of teacher layoffs, a few in the media have recently addressed seniority, last hired/first fired. An anecdotal <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Teach for America</i> teacher is great. A twenty-year veteran is incompetent. End of story. No one in the profession believes they were a great teacher during their first few years. We had a lot of training, several degrees perhaps, and tried out best, but we were new and didn’t really know what we were doing. It takes at least several years’ experience to develop the art of teaching. The very best are still honing their craft after twenty years of experience. Some are teaching the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Teach for America</i> neophytes. There isn’t a study in the world demonstrating new teachers, including <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Teach for America’s</i>, are more effective than veteran teachers except those studies paid for by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Teach for America</i>. Quite the opposite, in fact. Where is the media? Forty percent of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Teach for America</i> candidates quit at the end or before the end of their second year. Eighty percent quit after three years just when they are beginning to figure out what they are doing. We are going to lay off our twenty-year veterans in order to keep a small group of well-intentioned rookies who, for better or worse, are going to quit in a year? Where is the media?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Charter schools are the answer. We are dismantling public schools and replacing them with more effective, less expensive charter schools. But 37 percent of charter schools are demonstrably worse than their public school counterparts and 46 percent are no different and certainly no less expensive. The few that are better, like nearly all charter schools, supplement their tax revenue significantly with the generous support of well-meaning billionaire philanthropists using dollars insufficient to extend everywhere, dollars which will disappear when the charter school euphoria evaporates. Charter schools often ignore children with special needs or who speak limited English. They frequently expel low achieving children with discipline problems or simply discourage low performers from attending in the first place. They need not consider children whose parents are too apathetic to fill out an application, sign homework pledges, or are too poor to “volunteer” in the classroom. They largely serve children with the richest, most motivated parents in their communities and still, 83 percent are either no better or worse than public schools. There are only two explanations for the expansion of such an ineffective, inefficient, and elitist system: Ignorance or a political agenda. Billionaire philanthropists for the most part are not ignorant.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The poster boy for charter schools is Geoffrey Canada and his Children’s Zone project in Harlem. Think <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Waiting for Superman</i>. Geoffrey Canada is a great, great man and I mean that sincerely. He is doing exactly what we need to do to address poverty and the achievement gap in this country. He spends many, many fortunes (one of which he pays to himself) starting at conception to do it. His “Baby College” provides pre- and post-natal care and more importantly teaches poor parents how to parent. His schools spend $16,000 per student, PLUS the cost of a 4-6 p.m. after-school program, PLUS a full-time chef to provide healthy meals, PLUS the cost of free health and dental care, PLUS most central administrative AND building expenses. All told, he spends between $20,000 and $30,000, if not more, per student per year and he starts at conception. He is able to do an absolutely wonderful job only with majority help from those well-meaning philanthropists as well as corporations like Goldman Sachs. (Ring a bell, anyone? Goldman Sachs?) Because of Geoffrey Canada, everyone says, “Charter schools work.” <b>Ladies and gentlemen, the only way to do what Geoffrey Canada does Nation-wide is to turn the Department of Defense into the Department of Education!</b> Where is the media?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We turn on the TV news in this country and watch a warehouse on fire. We then cut to a live police stakeout. The reporters tell us they have absolutely no idea what is going on. No, wait a minute, they do. The police now have their guns out. Then we see a gorgeous, buxom debutante in a skin-tight miniskirt who spends ten minutes standing in front of a weather map. She smiles adorably at the camera and predicts the sun is going to shine tomorrow in Los Angeles. She explains in depth how it will be 79 degrees in Alhambra but 80 degrees in Arcadia. The beach, we are surprised to learn, will be cooler. We cut to a commercial. We come back, get an in-depth update of Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen (or now Casey Anthony), then go back to the weathergirl who tells us that yes, sure enough, the sun is still shining in LA. After another commercial, we get a sneak peak at Dancing With The Stars and then close with a cute dog that just got its ear pierced. Where is the media?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Cable TV and the Internet increasingly rant as they preach to their choirs. Newspapers and news magazines increasingly look like television. Where is the media?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile, public education is being dismantled wholesale in this country. No Child Left Behind has labeled virtually all our inner-city schools as failures and demonized our most courageous teachers, demonized our unions. This summer, NCLB may well label as many as 80 percent of our public schools “in need of improvement.” By 2014 every school in America will be labeled a failure because someone everywhere will not read or do math at grade level on a standardized test. Failure only takes one in 2014. Meanwhile, democracy relies on an effective public education system FOR ALL. Americans need to wake up to the dismantling of public education in this country. But for America to wake up, the media first has to show up. So I ask again: Where is the media?</div>JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570292276719650823.post-61521696535428060792011-06-29T20:26:00.000-07:002011-06-29T20:26:58.994-07:00No Crime Left Behind<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" /> <style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style> <![endif]--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">On January 8, 2002 President George Bush signed NCLB, The <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. He was flanked by cosponsors Ted Kennedy and John Boehner, among others, all wearing ear-to-ear grins because they knew their legislation, which had received nearly unanimous bipartisan support in Congress, would solve all our education problems with the stroke of a pen. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Wasn’t that a wonderful day! By 2014, illiteracy would end (or else). One hundred percent of our students would read and solve math problems at grade level. Children who had never received pre or post-natal care, children who had been malnourished since birth, children who had never been read to, children whose parents had never purchased a book nor bothered to take them to the library, children with significant emotional disturbance, even children with such severe dyslexia that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Catcher in the Rye</i> looks like nothing more than a tangled plateful of spaghetti, would suddenly read like magic (or else). Children living in this country for less than a week, who can barely say “hello” in English, would miraculously achieve proficiency on what would become standardized tests by 2014. That, my friends, was one powerful pen.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It occurs to me we can solve all kinds of seemingly intractable problems in this country with the same powerful pen. Isn’t crime a major issue in this country? Isn’t crime as important as illiteracy? Why don’t we solve it with NCLB, No Crime Left Behind? With a simple act of Congress, we will mandate a reduction in crime by one hundred percent by 2021. Think of it! In ten years, there will not be a single criminal act in the entire county. And we will do it the same way the original NCLB did it, by setting annual benchmarks and inflicting severe consequences for failure to meet those objectives. (Or else.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">According to this new NCLB, police departments will be required to reduce crime by ten percent per year. Just ten percent! What could be easier? In ten years, our job will be done. If not, there will be consequences. We will start by going after the unions. Oh those evil police unions who stand in the way of the kinds of simple, meaningful reforms we need to reduce crime by just ten percent. They protect all those idle police officers by making it impossible to fire the incompetents who sit in their police cars all day devouring endless boxes of doughnuts while criminals outside continue to ravage their communities. We will obliterate collective bargaining and pensions. Police officers, like teachers, pay into public pensions <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">instead</i> of social security. By eliminating their pensions, we will see to it that these malfeasants starve to death after thirty years of service. We will publicly humiliate inner-city officers by publishing their names and crime data on websites and in local newspapers. We will take the very bravest of them all, those who risk their lives every day to patrol our most dangerous, blighted neighborhoods, round them up and fire them, because statistics will prove, as do standardized test scores, that they are all incompetent, abysmal failures. That will teach them to reduce crime!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Then we will dismantle the departments themselves. We will create “charter” police departments. The beauty of charter police is that usually no one holds them accountable. And even when they do, no one pays any attention. A 2009 national study by Stanford University concluded only seventeen percent of charter schools performed significantly better than public schools. They often do this by advantageous geography and/or selective admission policies. But despite their discriminatory practices, more than twice as many charter schools, 37 percent, were demonstratively <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">worse</i> than their public school counterparts and 46 percent were absolutely no different. No one pays any attention. Everyone from Education Secretary Arne Duncan (who should know better) to John Boehner (remember him?) to Bill Gates and Eli Broad continue to laud, advocate and fund the expansion of charter schools at the expense of public schools. Let’s eliminate crime by doing the same for law enforcement. We can gloat over the impressive accomplishments of the Beverly Hills Charter Police while ignoring the deficiencies of their counterparts in Watts, Compton, and nearly everywhere else.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the end, we will solve the crime problem by getting rid of the police entirely. Providence, Rhode Island sent pink slips to every single one of its teachers. Layoff notices went out to nearly five thousand L.A. teachers. Ditto New York. California anticipates thirty thousand, Texas a staggering one hundred thousand. Michigan ordered Detroit to close half its public schools. By demonizing people the way we have teachers and teacher unions, we can now utilize a new NCLB to do the exact same thing to the police.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And to doctors. How many doctors routinely kill their cancer patients every year? What we need is NCLB, No Cancer Left Behind. Let’s end terminal cancer in this country once and for all ten years from now by passing a law that includes annual benchmarks and merciless consequences for doctors. With widespread bipartisan support, we will eradicate these unnecessary fatalities in a decade with a stroke of that powerful pen (or else). It’s just that simple.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Or is it? Perhaps medicine, law enforcement, and education are more complex than NCLB.</div>JosephKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17944326404122974622noreply@blogger.com4