THE OPERA AIN'T OVER UNTIL THE MAD SCENE IS ALL SCREAMED OUT

      Monday evening March 3, Mr. Deasy actually deigned to attend the Valley Education Action Committee Parent Partnership for Public Education at Portola Middle School in Tarzana.  The evening got off to a lackluster start with a press conference put on to publicize the Repairs not iPads campaign on facebook that United Teachers Los Angeles has been promoting.  This is certainly an important issue and one emblematic of the corruption that is the LAUSD, ignoring issues of health and safety and access to facilities in order to pay for pet projects that serve only to make the filthy rich richer and more filthy but not one word was mentioned of teacher jail. After speeches by Warren Fletcher, Matthew Kogan, David Lyell, Colleen Schwab, Lisa Karahalios and others we adjourned to the auditorium.

     The first part of the interview dealt with such mundane inanities such as Mr. Deasy's first job – paper route – and I think his favorite color and some other drivel.  I of course zoned out on this part because it is so obviously a waste of time to talk about the biography that we can read for ourselves online.

     Now comes the juicy part. Mr. Deasy was asked a question about what recourse a parent has in the situation where his/her child is bored in math class. It is a given that all children in Tarzana are gifted of course, one only has to look at census data for income to know that, so one expects such a question from concerned parents. After a rambling disposition on the mathematics course of study in high school (algebra 1, geometry, algebra 2 then a test or was it algebra 1 and 2 and trigonometry and statistics and? ...) Mr. Deasy, who used to teach high school mathematics, (!) was coaxed by our indefatigable mistress of ceremonies whose name I didn't catch because she mumbled, coaxed and prodded him back on topic. His summary was just as incomprehensible but no matter, things got better, more entertaining and more bizarre. 

      Mr. Deasy fielded a very reformy question about excessive testing of students in school and the use of test data in teacher evaluations. Again we were treated to a bizarre disputation on the need for some people to mind your own beeswax Dr. Diane Ravitch because you are just an education historian and leave the superintending to those who know how to superintend. Mr. Deasy was not done, digging even deeper into his own morass of newspeak, he reminded us that drivers, doctors and attorneys are tested and nobody says that this is too much. Huh??? We don't expect children to drive, treat the sick or practice law so where did this come from? We also don't tie teacher salaries to the bar exam, medical boards or the driving test.  En espanol se llama cantinflar pero el benemerito Mario Moreno made a lot more sense hasta cuando era borracho, pendejo.*

    Now comes the ugly part. Our indefatigable and sincere mistress of ceremonies asked about teacher jail. Mr. Deasy lied and said that 80-90% of us in teacher jail are there because the district was notified by law enforcement that they are being investigated. Bull shit. This is categorically untrue as anyone familiar with our situation knows that any story told by anybody can be used by an administrator to land a teacher in teacher jail. Mr. Deasy, digging an ever deeper hole with his own tongue, went on to say that the district has to wait for law enforcement to conclude its investigation before they can tell the teacher inmate anything and if law enforcement clears us then back to school.  Pure fabrication. The time that a teacher sits in jail before hearing of his/her charges is usually spent by the district trying to gather more perjured testimony. Que clase de pendejo cree en sus proprias mentiras?* Now it gets even better. Some jailed teachers yelled, “Liar!” At this Mr. Deasy started yelling “I don't go to your house and yell at you!!” I didn't know he lives in the Portola MS auditorium.  Maybe he hasn't come to my house  but he must think that the lie he tells about us every chance he gets makes it all okay. He screamed, “You don't have to look in the eyes of a child that has been sexually abused!!” 

     This is not just crazy talk, this is pure evil. He didn't come right out and call us child sexual predators but there is no difference in his message. He meant to tar us with the very same brush. This de-humanizing of teachers is how every great evil starts. If you paint Black men as a danger to white women or Mexicans as a danger to our way of life then what is to stop the progression to lynchings, racism, bigotry and even the gas chamber? All of the great evils of history begin like this and just as in this case they always have the love of money as their foundation. Racism allows the wealthy to exclude some people from fair wages and access to services and Mr. Deasy means to exclude us from our profession in order to make money available for his masters. 

NOTE FOR THOSE WHO DON'T SPEAK SPANGLISH;
1.  In Spanish it's called cantinflar (talk like Cantinflas) but the great Mario Moreno (the actor who played  Cantinflas) made more sense even when he was drunk, dummy. (Not Mario Moreno)
2.  What kind of fool believes his own lies? 

With Friends Like These...

 

We now have the birthdates of all Unjustly Jailed LAUSD Teachers .  After two and a half years of stonewalling and sandbagging by UTLA and LAUSD our committee chair Arlene Schery and UTLA director Lisa Karahalios filed a freedom of information act request with the LAUSD.  Here is what Arlene Schery writes about the data;

 

I have personally collated the list of 498. The results are 459 of the 498 are over 40 which is 93% Only 39 were under 40 and of those 39 10 were age 39 and will be 40 in the next few months. Unless the general population of teachers is 93% over age 40 then we have proof of age discrimination and need to begin an age discrimination case NOW. As chair of unjustly housed teacher committee. I demand we do this immediately. This is no longer heresay but proven fact. Arlene Schery

 

 

Where will UTLA go with this information?  Valley West director Scott Mandel, who represents our interests on the UTLA board of directors, wrote this addressed to UTLA president Warren Fletcher and cc'd to many others; 

While our leadership has been trying to go the PERB route to get info on who is in teacher jail, Arlene, the chair of the committee, got the info through the Freedom of information act.  Her data is below.

93% of all teachers in teacher jail have been over 40.  Just what we thought.

Now--Warren--and this isn't a political stunt, I know you're reading this.  WILL YOU AUTHORIZE OUR LAWYERS TO FILE AN AGE DISCRIMINATION SUIT NOW???

I would like an answer on this listserve this weekend.

If not, I am calling for Board members to ask for an emergency Board meeting for the purpose of addressing this issue, and authorizing our lawyers to file the age-discrimination suit.

We have the OFFICIAL data.  Let's do this now.  Everyone on every slate/support can come together on this issue and make this unanimous.

In Unity,

Scott Mandel

Director, Valley East

This is a development a long time in coming and the information could have been secured much earlier.  

 

There will be one last presidential candidates forum on Tuesday March 4, at the Boyle Heights City Hall  2130 East 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033 two blocks east of the 5 freeway.  The forum is being hosted by the astroturf (astroturd) group Educators for Excellence.  This is a reformy privateer group that wants to destroy teaching as a career.  Don't you love the Orwellian double speak?  If they are for excellence then what does that say about the rest of us?  E4E invited only their members but I don't think that they have the authority to keep us out of a public building that we paid for. 

 

Here's how it all comes together.  I just sent this open letter to the candidates;

An open letter to all candidates for United Teachers Los Angeles president:

 

I have attended two of the candidates forums and have submitted the following question each time. Both times my question has been ignored. As the forum organized by E4E is the very last one I insist that all of you answer my question concerning the LAUSD policy of targeting experienced teachers for abuse and termination. At the last candidates forum I was promised by the election committee that my question would be first but it was ignored. I understand that E4E is an astroturf group dedicated to the privateer agenda but I don't think that they should be allowed to determine the agenda of the UTLA election.

 

Here is my question:

Based upon the LAUSD's own accounting, superintendent Deasy has targeted older teachers for abuse and termination based upon false charges. Thousands have lost jobs. UTLA has been unable or unwilling to defend us against this attack. What do you propose to do going forward to confront the issue of falsely accused and unjustly dismissed teachers? What remedy can you offer to those that have already lost their jobs? How will you deal with the denial of due process by the LAUSD and what will you do about teachers that have been dismissed based upon perjured testimony? Will you confront the targeting of certain groups of teachers by gender, race, and discipline that is, special education teachers are targeted at a higher rate than regular education teachers?

I will be in attendance.

Michael Dominguez

 

Cui bono?

     The most horrible aspect about the LAUSD pogrom against experienced teachers is that children are used by the school district as tools in the game.  All mention of teachers in teacher jail for "allegations" invariably turns to statements such as "They must have done something," and "We have to get the guilty ones out."  This presumption of guilt is an excellent tool for John Deasy and his backers to whip up the hysteria that allows him to destroy the lives of more and more teachers.  He never discusses the subject of false charges against teachers but just throws out sound bites such as "We will not compromise student safety."
    The L.A. Unified School district had an effective child sexual abuse prevention program that was in effect from about 1987 to 1990.  It was age appropriate and instructed the children in language that they could understand.  They weren't scared by vague and fear generating language about "bad touch" and "good touch."  Instead they were taught especially in the primary grades,  that no one was allowed to remove their clothes except for mom, dad etc. for bath time and when they go to the doctor etc.  Children were taught that if anything like this happened that they were to tell a trusted adult and if that adult didn't do anything then they were to tell another.  Teachers were also taught the behaviors to watch out for in a child that might have been sexualy abused. 
     The program was cost effective; it only required one district co-ordinator who trained a cadre of teachers at each school and provided video tapes and other materials.  Even though it cost little, it was axed about 1990 due to "budget" problems.   If it had remained in place then the children that have been sexually abused in the LAUSD might have had the tools to recognize it and communicate it to a trusted teacher or another adult.  How many millions of dollars would this have saved the LAUSD?  How much pain would this have saved child victims and their parents?  How would the present pogrom be carried out if such assaults had been nipped in the bud?
       It is incomprehensible that this district could even consider not providing such education.  Teachers are taught repeatedly that we stand in place of parents while children are in our care.  What responsible parent does not want their child to be forewarned of the dangers that are common in this world?
       Children, parents and teachers are the ones that suffer in this. 

THE BATTLE IS JOINED!!!

"Cry ‘Havoc,’ and let slip the dogs of war;
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial."
    Shakespeare, Julius Caesar,

     Today's post illuminates how everyone is equal in the eyes of the law and LAUSD - UTLA Collective Bargaining Agreeement although some are more equal than others as George Orwell taught us.  Here I repost an email exchange that concerns campaigning for UNITED TEACHERS LOS ANGELES Presidential election and how the Collective Bargaining Agreement and the election rules are only a guide for the connected and can effectively be used as an impediment for the 'little people.'
  
The cast;
Alex Caputo-Pearl,  UTLA chapter chair at Crenshaw HS and candidate for UTLA president
David Garcia, upstart candidate for UTLA president, formerly laid-off teacher and currently a substitute
John Deasy, no introduction necessary


I will edit any language unnecessary to our purposes here.  First our upstart friend raises the important points.

Why UTLA needed election oversight…

 

MADE

By

DAVID R GARCIA

UTLA presidential candidate Alex Pearl has been visiting LAUSD campuses throughout the southland---as far as the South bay to the valley, in an effort to promote his campaign.  Mr. Pearl is taking personal time off of work to visit these campuses, whether it is “sick time” or “personal necessity” and that’s an acceptable practice for a UTLA citywide election candidate.  So while Mr. Pearl visiting various LAUSD schools to promote his candidacy is not a violation in and of itself…

This could be considered an infraction of the good faith policy established by the district and threatens to undermine UTLA’s election.

 Ed.'s note; the CBA limits the use of sick time to illness or personal necessity. The governing section of the cba is produced at the end of this post.  Clearly what Garcia recounts does not fit the criteria of a paid leave. 

 

It does amount to the UTLA Election Committee extending Mr. Pearl an unfair advantage over other candidates.

While this may not be something that the UTLA election Committee considers a “campaign violation”, it does allude to the capricious and arbitrary mismanagement of UTLA rule enforcement.

     At this point our upstart candidate describes the hostility he has encountered while trying to distribute his own campaign flyers.  He continues. 

While I did not voice my concern at the meeting (not sure which meeting but what follows is of importance), I purposely wrote down contact information for area chairs at the event in front of every member attending that day, and no one said anything until Alex Pearl reported this incident to Gillian Rossum, who then demanded I surrender the information I was writing down?  

Does any of this seem fair to you…?

Will you then say, “The UTLA election committee is not responsible for enforcing equal access to all election candidates?” Who then is responsible for ensuring that the election process is fair and forthright?  If not the UTLA election committee, who??

This is why I proposed having an outside organization facilitating the UTLA elections such as the L.A. Woman’s League of Voters, but the proposal was declined because the UTLA election committee stated they would “ensure transparency in the election process”?  This is a reasonable recommendation given the irregularities so far.  Perhaps Jimmy Carter would be willing to oversee the campaign and election.  I'll write to him. I'll print his response here.

Well now someone is coming to you with a legitimate concern and you are saying its “not your problem” to ensure you enforce the very election rules you refused to have the Woman’s League of Voters facilitate??

If you, the governing committee of UTLA’s election does not disqualify candidates for unfair behavior, there are some of us who will file either a law suit, grievance or both, against UTLA for its failure to uphold its own election guidelines.

Consider that Dave Peters, a 2014 UTLA candidate for treasurer, is no longer an active teacher or member of UTLA? So why is Mr. Peters being allowed to run for office in a union he is no longer a member of?

Each of these violations, no matter how minor, collectively establish a pattern of negligence on the part of the UTLA Election committee’s oversight and if let unaddressed, these issues will be used to establish a Prima Facie complaint against UTLA for its continued unfair work practices.  It stinks, too.

You have ten days to respond in writing or a petition of injunction will be filed against UTLA through the Public Employment Relations Board.

A copy of this letter is being forwarded to Mary Weiss Regional Director, Office of Public Employment Relations Board.   

Thank you.

David R Garcia

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

     Below is the comment that your editor relayed to Maria Vega of the organization Parents for Education Reform who forwarded David Garcia's letter to me.  I have no idea yet whether this is an authentic grass roots organization that recognizes that strengthening teachers' rights to secure employment is
fundamental to creating a world-class school district or whether it's just another astro-turd group that will support anyone rich and connected who gives them a t-shirt.  Thoughts? Blame Siri for typos.

(My reply to M. Vega, Parents for Education Reform)

Excellent and important questions.  UTLA must file a grievance immediately on the question of allowing personal necessity days to be used for campaigning and politicking.  Not only Caputo-Pearl, but Tom Adams, English teacher at Sylmar HS are allowed to leave school when it serves Mr. Deasy's purposes.  Adams left his post on 10-29-13 to attend a "grassroots" rally to retain John Deasy in his position as superintendent.  His plea before the board was video recorded and can be seen on the archive footage of the board meeting for that day unless it's been erased.  We have no proof yet but I for one cannot believe that a.) he was not paid for that day's work and b.) that he was subject to any disciplinary action for a non-qualified personnel necessity day.  If it is okay for him to leave school and speak before the board then why is it not okay for other teachers to attend board meetings?  I know of a teacher, targeted and abused at his school site who was recently suspended without pay.  As is the board's habit, he was not informed that he was being considered for suspension/dismissal and therefore had no chance to attend and defend himself. 

This exchange will be published, without email addresses on my blog  As Mean as a Snake. 

Unity=Strength, 

Michael Dominguez,

jailed, suspended, unemployed, LAUSD, UTLA teacher

Here are the pertinent sections of the absence rules for UTLA bargaining unit members,  CBA article XII, edited of course for pertinence and brevity. 

Article XII – Leaves and Absences

14.0 Personal Necessity Leaves or Absence (Paid)

: Subject to

the limits set forth below, an employee shall be granted a paid personal necessity

leave when the gravity of the situations described below require the personal

attention of the employee during assigned hours of service:

a.

Death of a close friend or relative not included in the

definition of immediate family (as used in this section, the term

"immediate family" shall be as defined in Section 9.0 of this Article); 

 pg 119

Article XII – Leaves and Absences

b.

Death of a member of the employee's immediate family,

when time in excess of that provided in Section 9.0 of this Article is

required;

c. Serious illness of a member of the employee's immediate

family;

d.

Accident involving the employee's person or property or the

person or property of a member of the employee's immediate family;

e.

Birth of a child of the employee, or adoption of a child by the

employee (includes child of cohabitant who is the equivalent of a spouse);

f.

Religious holiday of the employee's faith;

g.

Imminent danger to the home of the employee occasioned

by a disaster such as flood, fire, or earthquake;

h.

An appearance of the employee in court as a litigant. Each

day of necessary attendance as a litigant must be certified by the clerk of

the court. The employee must return to work in cases where it is not

necessary to be absent the entire day.

i.

An appearance of the employee in court or governmental

agency as a non-litigant witness under subpoena (ed.'s italics) for which salary is not

allowed under Article XII, 18.3:.........

Conference or convention attendance pursuant to Section

19.0 of this Article;

k. Attendance at the classroom of the employee's own child or

ward and meeting with the school administrator because of suspension as

required by Section 48900.1 of the Education Code; l.

 

Article XII – Leaves and Absences

exceed a total of (8) hours per calendar month, forty (40) hours per school

year for attendance at the school of the employee's own child, ward, or

grandchild for purposes of a school activities leave provided by Section

230.8 of the Labor Code. The employee must notify the immediate

administrator at least five working days prior to the absence. The

administrator or designee and employee must agree on the date and time

of the leave and the employee must provide written verification from the

school visited, upon request of the administrator or designee.

14.1 The following limits and conditions are placed upon allowing

a personal necessity absence:

a.

Except as in I., above, and (1), below, The total number of

days allowed in one school year for personal necessity absence

shall not

exceed six days per school year for a probationary, permanent or

provisional contract employee, or subject to the restrictions specified in

Article XIX, three days per school year for a day-

to

-day substitute

employee.

(1) If personal necessity absence is taken to attend to the

illness of the employee’s child, parent, or spouse, up to

six additional days shall be allowed in any calendar

year (to total 12 maximum days - see b below) for

probationary, permanent, or provisional contract

employees. However, this provision does not extend

the maximum period of leave to which an employee is

entitled under Family Care and Medical Leave,...

b.

The days allowed shall be deducted from and may not

exceed the number of days of accrued full-pay illness leave to which the

employee is entitled.

c. The personal necessity leave shall not be granted during a

strike, demonstration or any work stoppage.

d.

The employee shall be required to verify the nature of such

necessity. Such statement shall be filed with the appropriate administrator

no less than five working days in advance of a religious holiday, court

appearance or school visitation. The immediate administrator shall take

whatever steps reasonably necessary to become satisfied that a personal

necessity within the limits of this section did exist.

EXTRA!!! EXTRA!!!  EXTRA!!! THE PARAGON OF CORPORATE JOURNALISM, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES REPORTS:

LAUSD TO FIRE TEACHER WHO MAYBE, MIGHT HAVE DONE SOMETHING PERHAPS, KINDA  MAYBE, SORTA, WE HEARD, TO A VICTIM WHO HAS BEEN HANDSOMELY PAID by the LAUSD!!!!! 

VICTIM'S REFUSES TO TESTIFY, PARENTS TO RETURN MONEY PAID BY LAUSD IN SETTLEMENT!! (NOPE, SORRY WE AIN'T GIVING NUTTIN' BACK!!!)

Today we have this gripping story from the L.A. Times, a story maybe about a possible, supposed victim who, though paid handsomely for her story, will not testify and her parents who valiantly protect her from standing behind her accusations while vowing, "We ain't givin' no money back."
 

LAUSD will pursue firing of Miramonte teacher after charges dropped 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Howard Blume, Richard Winton and Alan Zarembo

February 5, 2014, 12:01 p.m.

The Los Angeles Unified School District said it would not reverse its decision to fire former Miramonte Elementary teacher Martin Springer after charges against him were dropped Wednesday, officials said.

L.A. County prosecutors cancelled Springer' s pending trial after the
teacher' s young accuser decided not to testify. Her family said the 12-year-old
was too traumatized, "so we are unable to proceed at this time," said Jane
Robison, a spokeswoman for the district attorney' s office.
But nothing has changed from the perspective of the nation's
second-largest school system, said Supt. John Deasy.

"The dismissal case will continue," Deasy told The Times. The schools
chief added he sympathized with the decision of the alleged victim. "I
understand the trauma a victim can experience. We will continue to support victims
and their families," he said.

Springer, 51, had pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of committing
a lewd act. He had faced up to 12 years in prison. His accuser claimed
Springer had touched her on the back of the leg on numerous occasions in a
manner that made her feel uncomfortable.

In pretrial legal filings, prosecutors described the contact as "minimal"
and wrote that there was no evidence Springer had threatened the girl.
Nonetheless, they pointed out, "some pedophiles are capable of limiting their
behavior as needed" and use "the most minimal touching to achieve sexual
gratification. "  NOTE: WTF?   Some reporters are capable of limiting their behavior as needed in order to get to the payday and reach the conclusion that the boss wants.  They use the most minimal misdirection, obfuscation, misrepresentation and innuendo to achieve a payday!!! I'm not saying that sexual gratification is involved but who knows.  

No other student was alleging personal harm in the criminal case.
There have been civil claims, however, from other former students as well
as from the girl who declined to testify. Three settlements, of $470,000
apiece, were paid out based on accusations against Springer alone. Let's assume that this child and her parents got this payday.  They probably are not dummies. They got the money, so why risk a sure thing?  Three others involved allegations against both Springer and ex-Miramonte teacher Mark Berndt who was at the center of what became a sensational abuse case.
Springer, who had been a third-grade teacher at Miramonte, came to the
attention of investigators as they questioned students about Berndt.
Authorities said they are aware of no evidence the two teachers collaborated in any wrongdoing.
District officials stand by settlements in the Springer case as
appropriate. "We had a very rigorous process for evaluating each of those claims,” said district spokesman Sean Rossall.  NOTE: Are you kidding?!!!

The current district action against Springer includes an effort to revoke
his teaching credential. Springer appealed the dismissal to a state
oversight panel. The case has been on hold pending the outcome of criminal
proceedings.  I HEREBY BET A NICKEL THAT THE TIMES WILL NOT REPORT WHEN THE CTC DISMISSES THE CHARGES AGAINST SPRINGER FOR LACK OF EVIDENCE.  ARE YOU LISTENING HOWARD BLUME?

The 2012 child-abuse scandal at the Miramonte campus, in the
Florence-Firestone area southeast of downtown, became the biggest and costliest yet for Los Angeles Unified. So far, the school system has paid $30 million in
Miramonte-related settlements.

The district also replaced all 85 Miramonte teachers for months to assure
parents their children were safe.

Remember the McMartin Preschool Child Abuse Trial? $15 million dollars was spent to prosecute the Mc Martin family who ran a preschool in Manhattan Beach, Ca.  No one was convicted and the victims are the family members who were prosecuted, especially Ray Buckey who spent five years in county jail awaiting trial. The children who were convinced that they were abused were also victims because they were manipulated and left without a clear understanding of the consequences of lying.  There were no winners.

Here's the point where I'm going to allow myself to indulge in conspiracy theorizing.  The McMartin trials ended in 1989 and marked the beginning of the decline of the career of Disrtrict Attorney Ira Reiner whose office oversaw the prosecution.  1989 was the year of the nine-day UTLA strike against the LAUSD.  Up until that time the district had a program in place that trained teachers to talk to elementary school age children about sexual abuse prevention.  After the strike the program was eliminated due to "budget constraints."  

The recent crop of child abuse cases in the LAUSD covers allegations that go back a decade or more.  The question arises, if LAUSD had continued the program of child sexual abuse prevention, would any of the valid allegations against teachers have been ignored by administrators, parents and students for this long?  Is it just convenience or a happy accident (for Mr. Deasy's masters) that over the last twenty years the children of Los Angeles have not been taught what to do when they are touched inappropriately? 

Unpacking Mr. Springer's story HERE is what is clear;  Mr. Deasy will recommend and the Board of Education of the LAUSD will dismiss any teacher based upon any allegation from anyone even if later withdrawn.  ANY ALLEGATION AGAINST A TEACHER LEADS TO DISMISSAL. Is any teacher safe?  Why would anyone want to go into teaching given this situation?  Is there nothing to stop this witch-hunt?


“And thus I clothe my naked villainy
With odd old ends stol'n out of holy writ;
And seem a saint, when most I play the devil.”
― William Shakespeare, Richard III

  Here is my commentary on this opinion piece in LA School Report,  a daily rag funded by the privateers, and always reliable source for biased news and ideas.  Our friend Luis Enriquez tells the truth in the comments and lists the funders of the organization Teach Plus that these two represent. 

Commentary: Vergara case is chance to break impasse in 3 steps

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Guest Contributor

By Mike Stryer and Arielle Zurzolo
While the judge’s ruling in the Vergara vs. California case about educational equity remains weeks away, one verdict is already in: California suffers from a toxic polarization on educational issues that harms both students and the teaching profession. Ironically, though, the case may provide a unique window for unprecedented collaboration around teacher quality issues.
While parents and community members seek real solutions to the challenge of ensuring an effective teacher in every classroom, all too many “reformers” and “teacher unions” have used the Vergara case to launch unproductive, divisive attacks.
Reformers often portray unions as essentially dedicated to protecting “bad” teachers through restrictive legislation and byzantine dismissal processes. In its extreme, reformers view teacher unions as serving only teachers, while ignoring students. At the same time, teacher unions often view reformers as union-busters, seeking to both eliminate hard-earned due process rights and silencing the voice of teachers through intimidation. In its extreme, teacher unions view reformers as focusing exclusively on students, while ignoring teachers.
This inflammatory rhetoric has prevented meaningful dialogue around issues of equity, teacher quality and elevation of the teaching profession. The good news is that the Vergara case may provide the perfect opportunity to identify convergent interests that would benefit both students and teachers.

As former teachers and union leaders, we see at least one deeply ingrained practice that makes collaboration around teacher quality issues virtually impossible. Specifically, teacher union and district leaders have allowed teacher quality issues to remain the exclusive domain of administrators. Why? Because firmly embedded in most teacher unions’ DNA is the taboo against involving teachers in evaluation of fellow teachers/union members- despite unions’ agreement that current classroom teachers are the “real experts.”
As a result, most teacher unions have ceded complete control on teacher quality issues and related personnel actions. At the same time, many district-level policy-makers remain wary about weakening administrators’ essential monopoly over teacher quality issues.
Given this monopoly, the varying quality of administrators, and the lack of joint ownership by teachers around performance issues, teachers are deeply distrustful of evaluations and, especially, personnel decisions based on evaluations. Not surprisingly, we see statutes such as tenure, seniority, and costly, complex and time-consuming dismissal processes- all of which reflect the failure of authentic joint ownership over teacher quality issues.
To break this impasse, we call on legislators and educational leaders to simultaneously take a leap of faith and show genuine openness to a key paradigm shift:
1. Teacher unions must abandon their de facto prohibition against “peer evaluation” and allow our strongest teachers to play an integral role on teacher quality issues (including on dismissal actions). Specifically, teachers should actively participate in development of a clear, common understanding of effective teaching and work with administrators in formal evaluation of peers in similar grades/content areas. Teachers should share ownership with administrators in Peer Assistance and Review programs that both support struggling teachers and make final, binding personnel decisions (including decisions on exit from the teaching profession). Similar programs have been executed successfully in the Poway and San Juan School districts here in California.
All of this can be accomplished without weakening collaboration amongst teachers or lessening union unity. Just as the medical and legal professions take ownership for the professionalism of their members, the teaching profession must do the same;
2. Teacher unions must show openness to modifying antiquated structures (e.g., use of seniority as the sole factor in personnel decisions), with the emergence of a more trusted, collaborative evaluation process;
3. Educational leaders must be willing to share significant power with proven master teachers on evaluation/teacher quality issues. Implicit in this is the recognition that administrators should not be the sole arbitrators of teacher quality and that both administrators and teachers need to take joint ownership of teacher performance issues in the best interests of students.
If the ruling in the Vergara vs. California case strikes down some or all of the challenged statutes, there will be a unprecedented opportunity for both sides to jointly craft legislative changes that ensure more equitable access to effective teaching. These changes absolutely can benefit both students and the teaching profession- but only if we are willing to take bold steps that move us away from destructive polarization and towards recognition that there must be path-breaking joint ownership over teacher quality issues.

---

Mike Stryer and Arielle Zurzolo both work for Teach Plus, a national not-for-profit focused on equitable access to quality teaching. Stryer taught at Fairfax High School and served as UTLA Chapter Chair. Zurzolo taught at Green Dot Public Schools and served as the President of AMU, Green Dot’s teacher union.

 

NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAT TRUTH ESPECIALLY WHEN THE RICH BUY THEIR OWN TRUTH.

 

Michael Dominguez on February 6, 2014 at 9:32 pm said:

Taking your advice is like the hens agreeing to the fox’s program for breaking the impasse. First, you misdirect the reader’s attention away from the real issue, the lack of money and its diversion to the purchase of “stuff” that enriches the rich, iPads. Then you are unable to define what is an “incompetent teacher,” or a “master” teacher.” Moreover, you do not acknowledge that present practice puts the entire decision in the hands of the school site administrator. If the principal doesn’t like you how are you going to show that you are a good teacher? How would putting the process in the hands of newly minted Teach Plus kool-aid drinkers who think that the principal knows all make this more fair? We do not view reformers as “focusing solely on students.” Since they make outrageous salaries doing the same jobs we do – Steve Barr and Ben Austin to name two – we view them as focused upon hijacking the people’s commons, that is money for public education. The record of charter schools does not match what is promised anywhere.

Reply ↓

Michael Dominguez on February 6, 2014 at 9:39 pm said:

I continue. “Teacher quality” is an idea worthy of Goebbels, that is, repeat a lie enough and people will believe it. Go ahead and take umbrage with the comparison but this is how the subjugation of a segment of society begins.
In LAUSD the P.A.R. program’s final decision still depends upon the pricipal always and unerringly.
Tenure is antique, it is ancient and well-founded. It is in place to protect teachers’ right to express their opinion and to retain their jobs without being subject to the whims of administration, including those based upon sexual orientation, politics or religion.
The “destructive polarization” is bought and paid for on your side and for us it represents what is fundamentally important in this society, to speak freely without endangerin one’s livelihood.
TEACHER TENURE MUST BE STRENTHENED.

OTHELLO

    Oh, devil, devil!

If that the earth could teem with woman’s tears,

Each drop she falls would prove a crocodile.

Out of my sight!

OTHELLO act 4, scene 1

BREAKING NEWS IN VERGARA V CALIFORNIA !!!!!
YOUNG, BEAUTIFUL, NICE, NEW TEACHER CRIES !!!!!


     Oh boy things heated up in the kourtroom today!! Check this out as reported in trusty p.r. rag L.A. School Report.  My comments, snarky and otherwise will be in bold.

 

Vergara hears moving testimony from oft-dismissed teacher

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Mark Harris

Bhavini Bhakta

A stunning silence fell over the courtroom today when Bhavini Bhakta, the first teacher to testify in the Vergara v California trial, described the impact of the state’s current teacher dismissal and seniority laws.  Spare us the purple prose, anyone who's been in court knows that silence is maintained at all times. 
An award-winning educator with two master’s degrees, she recounted how despite her success, the warm embrace of her students and the appreciation of their parents, she was laid off five times in nine years at three different Los Angeles area schools only because she was junior to other teachers.   How and who defines success for you Ms B.?  Master's degrees are a dime a dozen, mine didn't matter when Mr. Deasy decided to fire teachers my age. 
“No matter how hard I worked, none of it mattered,” she said, wiping away tears.
Boo hoo.  That's how it is for senior teachers.  We're told that nothing we do is right and that we're not following directives although none of our questions are answered.  I wonder if crying might have helped?
 “All that mattered was my hiring date. You’re not even a person, it’s not anything you do; it’s just the hire date that matters. I was just a number, not a person, and that’s not easy.”
Ah but sweet, innocent Ms B. that's how it is for senior teachers.   Nothing matters but our hire date,other than gender, age, race, ethnicity, skin color, fashion choices, sexual orientation- perceived or expressed, shoe size, religion or lack thereof and disability.   Now that I think about it I bet you're not innocent, I bet you're paid one way or the other to testify in this way. 
Bhakta’s testimony gave an emotional lift to the Vergara plaintiffs, who are trying to show that state laws on teacher seniority, dismissal and tenure protect ineffective teachers at the expense of younger ones and deny children a constitutional right to a quality education.  WHOOP THERE IT IS!!!  "Protect ineffective teachers at the expense of younger ones..."   False dichotomy rears its ugly head.  You haven't really described "ineffective" and you set it against "younger" thereby  tipping your hand.  Who says that younger are "more effective,"?
As defendants, the California Teachers Association, California Federation of Teachers and the state are claiming that the laws don’t interfere with the way district administrators deal with ineffective teachers.
The 2009 teacher of the year at Broadoaks Elementary School in Monrovia, Bhakta told the court that she switched majors in college after tutoring kids, saying she fell in love with the profession.

When questioned by plaintiff’s attorney Kyle Withers as to her time in three different public school systems, she described a series of checkerboard moves, layoffs and rehires that seemed to occur almost every year. Whether hired back or not, she testified that every time she received a pink slip, she felt as if she lost her job.  Huh?  They happened or they didn't.  They can't "seem to happen."  Girlie girl,  people lose jobs, did you think that this would never happen to you?
 
     This next part will be dismembered as a whole.
 
She further said the seniority statue “destroys morale” at schools and turns teachers against each other. 
“It destroys the sense of community at any school,” she said. “And I’ve witnessed it.”
State Deputy Attorney Charles Antonen had the unenviable job of cross examination. He attempted to show that Bhakta only lost her job once, despite multiple notices, because she was rehired when openings came up just before school started.
But in her final minutes, back under friendly questioning from Withers, she concluded, “At the end of the day, it’s the kids who suffer. That’s who gets burned, the kids.”
      What is morale, what is a sense of community at a school, who defines it and why is she testifying at all?  Is she an authority, an expert witness?  Will she tell us how this happens?  How does it turn teachers against each other?  What you really mean is that you feel you deserve a job because you are young beautiful and have joined up with the privateers.  What about a school where the principal has his/her favorites who get the goodies while the rest are left to wonder what happened?  Do you think the kids suffer because they have to look at someone who is as old as your mother and not someone young and beautiful?

     Let's see if the fix is in.  This crap doesn't rise to the level of proof in court.   If  judge Rolf Treu decides for the plaintiffs then the result was predetermined.