"LA Unified’s charter school oversight division has confirmed it will look into complaints about three independent charter high schools made by a parent whose daughter attends one of the schools and who ran for school board this spring.
The charter division confirmed Tuesday that staff is looking into the complaints and will report back to the school board, likely at the September meeting.
Carl Petersen, who twice ran unsuccessfully for school board and opposed Mónica García this spring, spoke during public comment earlier this month before a closed session of the school board about the schools. One of the issues Petersen brought up includes what he calls “public shaming” of families by one school’s website that posts the number of hours families volunteered for the school. He also pointed out policies at two other schools which he said make it harder for homeless and special needs students to enroll because of documents the charters requested in applications."
Read the article on the LA School Report
UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl predicted challenges for King with the new school board majority, and longtime LA Unified observer Carl Petersen said King’s job will be harder because of the board’s makeup. Petersen, who has twice run unsuccessfully for school board, said, “Michelle King will have it harder. The charter groups have bought themselves a new school board, and they will be tough on her.”
"When Zimmer arrived at his campaign’s party in Mar Vista, a somber crowd met him. UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl had been at Imelda Padilla’s party in Mission Hills but arrived at Zimmer’s party in time for his speech. Also at the party were school board member George McKenna, board secretariat Jefferson Crain, District 2 candidate Carl Petersen, and former school board members David Tokofsky and Bennett Kayser. Also attending were some LA School Police officers, not in uniform, and many members of UTLA, the teachers union."
Petersen is a parent and businessman. He is a frequent presence at school board meetings. He advocates for equitable access for special education students as two of his triplet daughters are on the autism spectrum. Two years ago, he unsuccessfully ran in District 3 against incumbent Tamar Galatzan. He then threw his support behind Scott Schmerelson who defeated Galatzan in the runoff. He raised nearly $3,000.
He said a challenge he faced in this race was there was only one candidate forum.
“I think, in the end, the district is the loser in that because no ideas are exchanged, which I think other than picking a person to lead, that’s what elections are for,” he said Tuesday night.
"The ferocity of CCSA’s attack is particularly visible and ironically so in LAUSD4 because Steve Zimmer defies the Charter movements bid for educational hegemony. But in fact their most obligated, least-forbearing minion is not even among the pair opposing Zimmer but has been entrenched in LAUSD2 since 2006. Not Zimmer, but in fact Mónica Garcia was the board’s president at the time of the iPad debacle. It was she who was ensconced at the foot of the board-U, shepherding Eli Broad’s unvetted and unqualified vassal John Deasy via then-superintendent Ramón Cortines, personally enabling one of the larger proposed heists of public monies in memory.
Why is it that she is not held accountable for selling out the district?
Carl Petersen, who is running against García, said during public comment, “Most, if not all, of you are recipients of special interest money. They are trying to influence how you do your job.”
“I think the charter forces sometimes forget the kids that are actually enrolled in the district get left behind. Mónica García has been particularly guilty of that," said Carl Petersen, who moved from Northridge to unincorporated East L.A. late last year specifically to challenge García.
"Petersen was the only one who launched into attacks on García, a few times citing stories and quotes from LA School Report."
With a great deal of all too rare enthusiasm that I whole-heartedly endorse the candidacy of Carl Petersen in the race for the Los Angeles Unified School District Board District 2 position presently held by Monica Garcia. In her long tenure as an LAUSD board member Garcia has done absolutely nothing to stem the decay of public education at LAUSD nor has she done anything to rein in the obscene profits of vendors of goods and services to LAUSD that presently have the district on the verge of bankruptcy.
Carl Petersen (@ChangetheLAUSD) is a prolific tweeter, who has averaged 12.7 tweets a day since June. Almost all of them tweet at his opponent, Monica Garcia. In fact, he has mentioned Monica Garcia 229 times.
Monica Garcia (@Monica4LAUSD) on the other hand has averaged 3.5 tweets a day during that time, has not mentioned Carl Petersen once.
