Change The LAUSD

Veteran teachers are leaving the profession!

Veteran teachers like senior citizens should be revered for the knowledge, wisdom, and experience.

Each of us had an unofficial mentor when we first started teaching and again when we moved to a new school. 

Pretty soon there will be no teacher over 30 at any schools:

No one to ask advice about situations, students, parents, and administrators;

No one who remembers how it was before--when the teachers were loved and respected by everyone, and they were the ultimate authority on anything for their students; 

No one who remember the proper way to teach instead of solely teaching to the test;

Except for schools in selective parts of the district, LAUSD is a failure:

• A failure to graduate students from high school.
• A failure to prepare students for anything but testing--not for the next grade and not for life.
• A failure to allow the students time to master skills, review skills, and remediate skills, before they go on to the next skill.
• A failure to teach any subject that is not tested.
• A failure not to have shops and practical arts based on the theory that everyone must take college preparatory programs.

Why are kids in school? 

They are taught to the tests following the testing calendar. They are taught in a one size fits all program where every class on the same grade and every class on the same subject is covering the same skill at the same time.

They are taught not to mastery, but to pass the tests. That’s all! They are taught quickly covering a skill in two to three days with an insufficient amount of practice on the skill in class and at home. There is no time for review or remediation of the skill. There is no time to bring children up to grade level on the skills that they did not master in previous grades.

“Alameda County Judge George Hernandez Jr. ruled that students ‘have suffered and continue to suffer severe and pervasive educational deprivations’ as the ‘direct result of Jefferson's failure to provide the students with appropriate course schedules.’"

-LA Times, October 8, 2014

As the students of the LAUSD approach their first day of school, district officials have sought to reassure the public that last year’s MiSiS Crisis will not be repeated. While admitting that “the $133.6-million computer program still isn’t fully functional” they told the Los Angeles Daily News in July “that placing students in the proper classes won’t be a problem this year.” Included in the steps being taken to ensure that the nation’s second largest school district will not be plunged into “MiSiS caused chaos” again was an assurance that they would “stop updating the system’s software for nearly a week before and after campuses open” on August 18.

Eddie—Good afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Cleaver, you sure are looking lovely Mrs. Cleaver.

June—Thank you Eddie.

Eddie—Are the boys home?

Ward—Yes, Eddie go on up.

Eddie—Beaver, you little twerp why are hanging around?

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Today

Eddie to the Board at a public meeting—how are you today and I hope that we have a very productive meeting.

Eddie to the Board behind closed doors—You guys are too busy raising campaign funds from charter school operators.

It astounds veteran teachers.

It confuses parents trying to help their children.

It is longer and more complicated.

It appears to be out of Abbott and Costello meets The Three Stooges.

None of the school board members or the superintendents could do Math this way. 

Neither could principals, assistants or deans.

Math is a universal language; I have seen elementary students new to this country who don’t speak or read English do their Math problems.

“So why was the success of the surge followed by a withdrawal from Iraq, leaving not even the residual force that commanders and the joint chiefs knew was necessary?”

-Jeb Bush

Apparently, Iraq is not a subject that the Bush family discusses at family gatherings since they cannot seem to learn from their collective experiences. During the first Bush administration’s Gulf War, our quickly advancing troops stopped short of Baghdad because “we were concerned about the long-term balance of power at the head of the Gulf.” These concerns were lost on his son as W pushed for a second war in Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein without bothering to plan for its aftermath. The result was an insurgency that “greatly increased the spread of the Al Qaeda ideological virus.” In a second declaration of “mission accomplished,”  W signalled the approach of “a successful end” to the war by signing a Status of Forces Agreement that stated that “all the United States Forces shall withdraw from all Iraqi territory no later than December 31, 2011.” He said this withdrawal was “possible because of the success of the surge” and left “the next President with a stable foundation for the future.” Almost seven years later, Jeb, rhetorically asks why these troops left. Shouldn’t he just ask his brother the next time they have dinner?

They start testing and tracking the students in Kindergarten. Some of the students are still 4 years old. Kindergarten used to be about left and right, getting along with others, finger painting, singing and dancing, stories, and reading readiness for some. Now the students are tested and tracked, tested and tracked.

As wonderful and beloved as Common Core is, LAUSD has made it even better by providing schools with Common Core Coaches.

Truthfully, Common Core is loathed by educators who know better.

The Literacy Coaches (Open Court Police) and Math coaches were in most cases a waste of time and money.

Now here comes Common Core Coaches.

You wonder where your money went, when LAUSD decides how it's spent.

The large corporations have either purchased or forced the closure of the smaller competitors and have said goodbye to the mom and pop stores.

The banks have taken over the smaller banks and financial institutions so we just have colossal behemoths of finance.

The legislators, national and local, have been bought and paid for through campaign contributions and they listen to persuasive lobbyists.

The Brothers Rich are trying to buy a Republican Presidency through their selection process, influence, and contributions.