Galatzan Gazette: LAUSD Grads, Valley School Task Force and More

The Los Angeles Times has an amazing story about four Valley LAUSD graduates who have found success in the Major League Baseball Post-Season:

At a time of teacher layoffs, budget cuts and constant uncertainty in the Los Angeles Unified School District, four members of the National League Central Division champion Milwaukee Brewers are creating excitement and pride at their old City Section high schools.

And maybe providing something resembling a local rooting interest in the Major League Baseball playoffs.

Outfielder Ryan Braun and pitcher Kameron Loe played for Granada Hills High. Pitchers Randy Wolf and Marco Estrada played for Woodland Hills El Camino Real and Sylmar. Each was an All-City selection in high school, though not all of them enjoyed a fast track to the big leagues.



US Education Secretary Announces Equal Access Accord with District

In an unprecedented speech before the Los Angeles Board of Education today, US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, announced an agreement between the Department of Education and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) meant to ensure equal access for English Learners and African-American students.

“Today’s agreement will go a long way toward ensuring that Los Angeles’ English Learner and African American students are performing to their fullest potential,” said Secretary Duncan.  “The remedies it contains are intended to address some challenges unique to Los Angeles, and others that we are seeing play out in many different places across the country.

The announcement marks the end of a Civil Rights review of the LAUSD by federal education officials that began in March of last year and is the first resolution to a proactive Civil Rights action taken by the Department of Education under President Barack Obama.

Before a crowded Board Room filled to capacity with education advocates and curious onlookers, Secretary Duncan hailed Los Angeles’ long, proud history as a magnet for immigrants, before laying out details of the agreement that is meant to improve equitable access to educational resources to English Learners and African American students.

Under the agreement, the District will revamp its entire program for English learners and accelerate its efforts focused on closing the achievement and opportunity gap for African American students.  The District will also add increased focus on college and career ready curricula and programs, and ensure access to needed supports, including effective teachers, to accelerate student progress.

LAUSD Superintendent, John Deasy, emphasizing the progress already made by America’s second-largest school district in improving equal access to schools, “Our District is nowhere near where it used to be and nowhere where it needs to be.”

Far from chastising the District, Secretary Duncan praised LAUSD as a model of cooperation and collaboration in the pursuit of fair and equal treatment of students.

“The process that got us here; the cooperation, the commitment to crafting effective solutions, and the fundamental agreement that every student deserves an equal shot at a world-class education, is a model that I hope to see repeated again and again.” Secretary Duncan told the Board.

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will monitor the agreement until it determines the District has fulfilled all requirements.


Beverly Hills Housewife Surprises Kester Teachers

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Adrienne Maloof and husband Dr. Paul Nassif surprised Kester Elementary School third grade teachers Ms. Mahler and Ms. Schroeder with school supplies from OfficeMax on Friday morning.

“It’s important to appreciate our teachers, said Maloff, “We are trying to make it a little easier for them.” Nassif added that on average, teachers spend $1,000 a year out of their own pocket on classroom supplies. The gift box included a printer, digital camera, desk chair, and other essential supplies. Additionally, Maloof included a gift certificate for her new high-end shoe line and Nassif gave the class gift certificates to Blizz Yogurt, which he owns.

When camera crews followed Principal Jane Sierra and an entourage of LAUSD staff and reporters into the classrooms, the surprised students exclaimed, “Are we on TV?” and “This is awesome!” Many students said that they didn’t know who the reality TV stars were, but they wanted to know what channel they could look themselves up on.

The event helped launch the annual ‘A Day Made Better’ campaign, founded by OfficeMax and Adpot-A-Classroom, which seeks to end the practice of teachers funding their own classroom supplies. They will give away $1 million worth of supplies to 1,000 teachers nationwide.

“This is fantastic," said Mahler, one of two teachers to receive the donation. "I wish you could visit all the teachers, I don’t deserve it more than anyone else.”

Entertainment reporters asked Maloof about what’s going to happen on the television show, and she said that she didn’t want to deviate from focusing on teachers and ‘A Day Made Better,’ but added, “There will be more drama. Stay tuned.” She also said that the show has been a platform for her charity work.

Monday, October 3, 2011 at 3:47PM Gazette Staff | Post a Comment | Print Article | Share Article
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Don't Forget to RSVP for the Valley Schools Task Force Meeting on October 26th!


LA Unified Takes School Funding Battle to Court

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) joined a lawsuit against the State of California Wednesday, alleging the State unconstitutionally slashed education funding below levels mandated by the 1988 voter approved Proposition 98.

Proposition 98, also called the "Classroom Instructional Improvement and Accountability Act," amended the California Constitution to establish a minimum level of education spending at around 40% of the state budget. Prop. 98 uses a complex formula to determine the amount of funding that must be allocated to education.

Warning that the State’s actions would “eviscerate” the guarantees of Prop 98, LAUSD and the other named Plaintiffs entreated the court to take action saying, “The State’s attempt to define away its constitutional obligation for public education funding must be declared unlawful.”

Added Edgar Zazueta, LAUSD’s Director of Government Relations, "When Prop 98 was presented to the voters in 1988 it was intended to be a minimum guarantee for funding schools in California. Unfortunately, in recent years, the constitutional provision has become a ceiling for funding as opposed to a floor."

Joining LAUSD as plaintiffs in the lawsuit are the California School Boards Association, Association of California School Administrators as well as the San Francisco and Turlock school districts. The suit was filed in San Francisco Superior Court.

The dispute over Prop. 98 reignites the perennial battle of priorities pitting schools against prisons. Facing a costly US Supreme Court order to reduce prison overcrowding, but lacking the ability to raise revenue due to partisan gridlock, California was forced to transfer $5 billion from General Fund monies to County governments. That money is intended to blunt the financial impact of moving thousands of prisoners from the State system to the County system per the court order.

But the Plaintiffs allege that the $5 billion transfer out of the State’s General Fund and to the Counties affected the Prop. 98 funding formula, resulting in more than $2 billion being withheld from schools. The State has promised schools that money in the form of an IOU, a fact the Plaintiffs claim is tacit acknowledgement by the State of their Prop. 98 noncompliance, saying in a court filing: “Rather than curing the constitutional violation in the 2011-12 budget actions, the ―repayment mechanisms constitute an implicit admission by the State that its actions were unconstitutional.”

H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the California Department of Finance, a named defendant in the suit, told the Associated Press in an interview: "We believe the courts will find that the actions the Legislature took in this matter are legal and appropriate."