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shari weinberg 06/27/2008 8:58:00 PM
as a parent of 2 children in public school, i have a severe concern of why certain rooms have air conditioning and most don't. this year we have had excruciating heat and i felt terrible for the kindergaten which my son was in and what about those with allergies and asthma like my older son. i even saw staff members suffering with heat exhaustion.! every student deserves a cool and safe environment to go to school.! so much money is sent to other countries and i wonder doesn't anyone think of the people in this country..... it seems like health is not so important but war is!
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Patrick Range McDonald 01/29/2008 1:40:00 AM
Thanks for all of the comments. In the end, the article was intended to be a wake up call for the superintendent on the behalf of LA Unified students. They can't afford a wasted year, month, or day, and there are definite steps the superintendent could have taken. If public school systems like New York City and Miami can win the Broad Prize for Urban Education, LA should be in the running too. As the district stands now, it's nowhere close, but I'll be the first person to write an article that congratulates the superintendent and board if that day ever comes. I hope so. Patrick Range McDonald, staff writer, LA Weekly
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t varga 01/12/2008 11:02:00 PM
Excellent article that shed some light on the up coming train wreck. I was never a fan of hiring someone who has no experinece in education.
I don't know why LAUSD hires superintendents who have NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE in education.
Brewer would not be qualified to teach in a classroom. WHY DID ANYONE THINK HE COULD PROVIDE VISION AND LEADERSHIP for what goes on in the CLASSROOM with students?
He hasn't a clue, so how can he provide leadership? Cute Cocktail Party Sound Bites aren't a substitue for substance. Education isn't about business models. Business models aren't what will solve social/education problems in the schools (and they are related issues).
Brewer doesn't know what he is doing. The Emeperor has no clothes.
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LAUSD Employee 01/12/2008 1:25:00 AM
Anybody working inside LAUSD knows how bad it is. The Superintendent in not the cause, he's just the outwardly visible symptom of an entire culture of doing nothing except inventing neat phrases and buzzwords. You have no idea how frustrating it is to watch millions of tax dollars go down the drain every week for high-dollar consultants who sit at their desks with their feet up, clipping their nails and talking on the phone to friends. They have nothing to worry about, their boss is from their consulting firm and he gets bonuses for each one of the he hires from his own firm - they're not going anywhere. Since these consultants are funded with education bond money, they are immune to budget cuts. Meanwhile, LAUSD employees working for 1/3 the pay, or less, of these consultants are faced with twice annual trauma of 20% and 10% budget cuts and the attendant job cuts.
To add insult to injury, we have a school board bent on giving away the school district's property to private businesses running for-profit schools, thereby ensuring our inability to reduce class sized and improve our children's education. They don't even have any shame about it. Who cares if charter schools don't have to meet the same clean air standards in classrooms that LAUSD has to, or that they don't have to provide as much playground space as LAUSD has to, or that they don't have to meet many of the legal requirements that LAUSD has to meet in order to insure the safety and well-being of our children? All they care about is giving what limited resources we have away to their political contributors and our kids are left holding the bag.
It's hard to stay working here as an LAUSD employee. We are being robbed by criminals and cheats from all directions and there's nothing we can do to stop it. The Superintendent is the LEAST of our problems.
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Rhonda 01/07/2008 1:22:00 PM
I do believe there is hope with the adult education program. I would love to monitor your continued progress. I will stay on the press for other positive comments. Rhonda
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VNHS Teacher 01/07/2008 6:29:00 AM
Guess Again. For the record, I only claimed to be an "OK" teacher although I do aspire to be much more. Nonetheless, I appreciate your elevation of my self-assessment. Good luck to you, too.
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Guess Again 01/07/2008 3:27:00 AM
VNHS Teacher, I know that the human curiosity will lead you back to this forum in which technology has led. I must say, I appreicate your reflection and I also understand you anger concerning teachers as well as the payroll debacle. Believe it or not there are other school systems suffering the same situation that LAUSD is suffering in terms of the pay system. It is my belief and from what I have heard is that the payroll system was purchased on the cheap. In short, you don't buy a Chevy expecting it to be a Bentley. However, that was in essence what happened. In addition, the payroll system was not mocked tested before it was rolled out. Again, the administration should have run this current system with the old one before launching it to see where the problems existed. I think you are wrong that the current superintendent does not worry about this. He for God's sake is married to a teacher and comes from a long line of them. I suspect he could not attend family gatherings if he did not work extremely hard to get this straight. I suspsect that the entire process was not negotiated correctly and he is held accountable for it. I have met this man, and he is just as worried and concerned as anyone could be. His character is one of coolness- a trait I think is necessary for all that goes on in LAUSD.Anyway, there are more things involved that what the general population knows about all this. No one with a modicum of sense would not pay the biggest payroll. For you to feel that teachers are disrepsected in this district is something that has been created and well established before the current superintendent even entered. I have met this man, and all that you have stated in your post is on his agenda. You must realize that in order to make your life better, many other steps must be taken to get to you. Great school districts that run like clock work have a supportive central office and caring administrators and staff. Teachers should not have to be so political and discontent if things are going as they should. I do hope you will give the current superintendent a chance to do what he has to do to make your work situation better. Rome was not built in one day and Brewer or anyone else can't change an organizational structure that is broken and as bad as LAUSD is overnight. I know patience is a virtue but I do believe this man is aware of your concerns as well as the other teachers in the district. Hang in there; if this man stays, you will be totally surprised as to what can happen. Perhaps his methods of implementation are so different to this school system that many, such as yourself cannot determine that change is coming for the better. I do realize that change is difficult but if you stay the course and continue to be the great teacher you profess to be, it truly should not matter who your superintendent is. Again, I agree with the other poster in which they said, a true job of the superintendent is to meet and greet community, civic and business leaders as well as make the teachers' lives better. In this case, I do believe he has so much mess from the past in addition to trying to get teachers' lives bettter that unfortunately you can't see change yet. However, in my deepest of hearts I do believe you and all of us in LAUSD will. Like your students say, Peace Out. Good Luck in getting your students to proficiency. Do that and the educational community would not have to bother about reforms and anything else for that matter. Guess Again
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Howard Ransom 01/07/2008 1:53:00 AM
Happy New Year Patrick:
FYI...Thought you might enjoy reading this article in the LA Watts Times.
Click Here: Check out "Adult Education: The Answer to LA�s Education Crisis?"
Best regards,
Howard Ransom
Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center
(310) 628-3621
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VNHS Teacher 01/07/2008 12:28:00 AM
Grief! Seems I've struck a nerve. Maybe truth hurts. The reality is teaching is a hard profession...if you care. Most people don't understand that because they have never taught or have done it for a few days, weeks, months or years. Or they've watched enough TV to think it's something they can do. It's a lot more than meets the eye and only an experienced teacher can really appreciate that. The day to day challenges of meeting students' needs is hard enough and, if you care, it's exceptionally demanding. I won't pretend to be an outstanding teacher. I think I do OK. My administration and my colleagues are pleased with me. I'm acknowledged as a hard worker and effective teacher, but there is always room for improvement and the mission of an educator puts natural psychological pressure (though a good one- with purpose) to always improve and do more because the stakes are high, I do impact the future of many young lives. That's important, it's something worth caring about. Most teachers, quite naturally, feel this way. But all that effort too often feels for naught because too many people cannot appreciate what is involved. All too many administrators forget the reality of the classroom and the challenges. Many escaped the classroom because they couldn't do it well, or even those that were good teachers tend to forget that reality. Administrators, unfortunately, all too often are intermediaries between the public and teachers and struggle with the reality of meeting all the disparate and sometimes conflicting interests. Having the strength of focus and mission necessary to accomplish the district's needs is not a task I underestimate, but I honestly don't see that kind of leadership from the present superintendent. For teachers (real ones, not the impersonators) how he has handled the payroll issue is weak, at best. Few people grasp the gravity of this debacle. The teachers' union should have done more, too, no doubt about it, but, regardless of who is responsible for its implementation, we are going on a year with this mess and they are just throwing more money at it. I can't even tell that the superintendent is that disgruntled. We should all be going after DeLoitte with a vengeance. Teachers' pay has been messed with and the response has been lackluster, at best. It's emblematic of the lack of respect the district has for teachers. They too often think teachers deserve anything that comes their way because they have not moved "up" and out of the classroom such as they have. Good teachers all to often think about getting out of the classroom. I've thought about it too much myself. The mission is a good one and important as I've said and I just keep hoping the situation, generally, will improve and teachers are respected and supported as would seem fit for the democratic and technologically advanced nation that we live in. For all the talk of incompetent teachers, the reality is that it is not that common. Definitely something should be done about it, but the teaching profession and all the good teachers (the majority) and the exceptional teachers suffer the negative characterization placed on all their good efforts. Teachers are there, on the front lines, and most of us know what is necessary to achieve academic and developmental success for our students, but we are typically disregarded by an entrenched bureaucracy that generates often dubious and unproven reforms and ignores some of the more elemental needs of teachers and students: adequate resources, parental and student accountability on attendance and discipline issues, and allowing teachers the time to collaborate and develop their own professional development instead of being subject to the whims of the academic mills that generate these dubious reforms. Sorry I won't be able to respond to any more attacks, but I'll be going back to the classroom tomorrow so I'll be too busy. As the kids might say: Peace. Out.
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disgruntled 01/06/2008 7:54:00 AM
What would Pete Carroll do?
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Fed up teacher 01/05/2008 3:33:00 AM
I have taught in urban and suburban school districts for over 30 years. The problem I see with most urban districts, including Los Angeles, is that the central offices do not have the appropriate infrastructure to support student achievement for the success of all their local schools and for their teachers to effectively teach knowing that they have an efficient central office to support them. I do believe this is part of Brewer�s vision. In addition, parents do not participate in their children�s education and so many of the teachers in urban districts are not qualified or well trained to teach this diverse group of students. I am not telling you anything new. If you are current, you know that all educational journals are always claiming that the poorest teachers are relegated to the urban schools. I know that is shocking and a very bold statement, but heah, it is factual and researched based. Many principals who lead their schools as Instructional leaders are met by teachers who often feel so empowered to bash them even though they cannot collectively get their students to proficiency on standardized tests.
As I view these posts, many commentators are constantly talking about the superintendent�s salary and the people in the palace, �his underlings.� However, those people can lose their jobs, yet teachers can retain theirs because of the union. Again, do you have to be constantly reminded that incompetence is not enough to get rid of a teacher? It often appears praised and acceptable. It would take a teacher to molest students or kill someone before they are removed, but that is another conversation.
My belief is that if teachers are teaching and students are learning, it really does not matter who your superintendent is. The superintendent�s job is to make your life better that is, he is to solicit support from the community and businesses to ensure your success, find the appropriate resources to make your work situation better be it a new curriculum or a new way of instructing. However, it appears that what I am reading in the press and the voices of so many UTLA teachers is that they are all focused on what Brewer is doing and his personal self and not what the front line people are doing, meaning the teachers. Have you ever thought about being accountable to yourselves? You know that superintendents come and go every 3 or 4 years. I have heard your cynical comments, �I just wait until another one arrives.� In short, you gear up for the next one to denigrate. And LAUSD and all other urban school districts have the same dismal academic results and teachers still continue to bash any leader that comes into place. I ask you, what are you doing that is so great and Brewer is doing so wrong? From the looks of things, your constant bickering over the years have not changed the bottom line, student achievement or a better working environment. Again, I beg the teachers and the press in LA and LAUSD to allow the current superintendent to do his job and all of you do yours. Let the politics go and perhaps if all who are involved would do what they are suppose to do, they would be totally shocked as to how our students would perform and finally teachers would gain the respect they so richly deserve.
But as a reflection, it is my belief that when all chips were down, educators followed the old coined phrase, �When you cannot find a job, teach.� How many parents told their off to college children to take something in education just for the back up plan? You know what I am talking about. Remember, historically teachers could be anyone that the school districts found off the streets. In essence, teachers could be vagabonds and/or an older child who taught younger students. In addition, a teacher probably did not complete high school, yet alone college. And if you will remember from your educational classes, not too many colleges granted bachelor degrees until the beginning of the 20th century. Schools that prepared teachers were called Normal Schools and the training was at best a year or two and mediocre at that. They could not prepare teachers effectively for the recent 19th century immigrants who came to this country. Yes, teachers at that time too were suffering from the xenophobic attitudes that we continue to see in the 21st century in which so many teachers impose on our Latino and black students. And yes, even today, these teachers are still complaining about this problem of how these students are not capable of being educated or the worse, they fear them. They continue to disregard all the current research that has proven to be successful in teaching these students they claim are so hard to reach and yet fail to embrace or attend professional development classes that would improve their teaching skills to best serve their students. These students deserve the best education with teachers who are well prepared to do whatever is necessary to reach them; failure should not be an option. That is why you have a movement afoot in this country to recruit individuals who have proven themselves in other professions and are open-minded to change and are more optimistic and not jaded by the current establishment of educators. If educators do not begin to understand that they must do their jobs effectively in LAUSD or any other place for that matter, it really does not matter if you had JESUS, BUDDA or ALLAH leading you. You must do what you are contracted to do. One person, meaning the superintendent, cannot affect over 35, 000 people in a classroom if when the doors of your classroom closes, teachers do what they want anyway. Again, I ask, what are you doing and how are you holding yourselves accountable? I do believe that is part of Brewer�s plan, accountability. Are you just nervous because you have not been accountable for your work in the past?
It is my understanding that LAUSD just recently had a national summit in which the main topic was how to best educate Latino and black students. The majority of this district is comprised of low performing students. (Read the test results and the success or failure of your graduates or the drop out rates). I think this was an extremely positive move by the district to have such a conference in order to move the district in a positive way to best serve this often overlooked student population that just so happens to be the vast majority of your students. If teachers� embrace what was discussed at this conferences that has been researched and proven, they would find that their students would improve at enormous rates.
Education is a strange institution. Again, nothing seems to change in it and when change comes, the entire educational community gets antsy and starts screaming. Teachers want to teach the same way they were taught and forget about the ever changing demographics in their classroom. They remain status quo and it appears that Brewer, his predecessors, and no doubt, the person who will replace him will still get the same venom from the press and the educators. Too many educators are quick to say that these interlopers cannot teach, or as the topic is for today in LA, the Admiral can�t lead. I have continued to read such descriptions as, �he is clueless, he is aloof, he is not listening, he is not a reformer, and mocking his admiral�s rank. The comments are nasty and endless, and really have no merit to his job performance. He is doing something; one year is not long enough for anyone, particularly the teachers in the classroom to see change. However, teachers in this district as well as the press have nothing else to do but to focus on this man�s person. I find that quite interesting. Again, if you are doing your job, then he could do his and make your lives better.
I can�t imagine that he got as far in a clearly racist navy if he were not competent and a strong leader. The navy has yet to be inclusive with their higher ranking officers. Brewer obviously proved something to them and if you would give him a modicum of a chance, he may prove something to you as well and your lives would become richer for it.
What constantly amazes me is the press and his many critics fail to realize that LAUSD has not been successful overall in the last 30- 40 years. You have had several superintendents and your results are still dismal. If teachers and principals were highly effectively in both urban and suburban districts, but particular urban schools, this country would not have to contend with No Child Left Behind, charter schools, and the flight of middle class families to private schools.
I contend that if an educator does what he or she is suppose to do, he or she should not feel intimidated by some state�s basic assessment. In short, the student should be able to pass it with proficiency. Any job, be it professional or not, has to take some assessment as part of the job description. Did teachers in this state not have to take the Praxis or the CBEST? Maybe not. Many teachers probably escaped these mandates. Oh well... The CST is a mandated test put forth by the state. I keep hearing teachers in this district say they do not want to teach to the test or have a scripted lesson. Actually, teachers do not have to teach to the test. All they have to do is teach to the standards. Again, the test is not that difficult. I say again, if educators are doing what they were suppose to do, the students would be able to pass the assessments, I would not have to write this comment, and we would not have this continuous and insane dialogue about our current, past and future superintendents.
I often told my urban students that I wanted them to have the same curriculum and exposure as my former suburban students or the students attending the elite private schools. Guess what, I did and they acted accordingly and met the challenge quite beautifully.
I know this is long and as one commentator said that he thought that some other long comments came from LAUSDs �underlings� of Brewer. I am not that nor do I feel this man would refer to his staff as underlings, but anyway, I would like to close with saying that in order to move LAUSD or any other urban district forward, people who are assigned their jobs, must do them as best they can and keep themselves current in the best educational practices. If not, educators and the entire educational community will fail students again and America will lose its edge globally and economically. I do not think we want that. Life would be something else. A teacher who is fed up with educational practices and politics
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LA Weekly Reader 01/04/2008 4:12:00 PM
John C You are absolutely correct; you should be embarrassed to be a teacher in LAUSD! I have witnessed some of your teachers in action and they are the most unprofessional and unprepared "teachers" I have ever seen in the country. I was quite shocked. As far as your opinion about the admiral is concerned, if you have not met him, I would not be so hasty to judge him to be brainless. Now if you think that military officers are clueless about educational reform, think again. Brewer was responsibile for re-educating the same students that you and your other colleagues in the country failed to teach. Let's not talk about all your community colleges in CA which are flooded with students in math and English developmental classes. Many barely can read and CA has the most community colleges in the country. So if Brewer is brainless, what in the world are you teacher? You say he cannot manage this district, from what I see, the average teacher and that includes you, can't manage and teach your students on a daily basis. Yeah, you are so right about your assessment; you should be ashamed to be a teacher. Unfortunate for the children, you and the likes of you have a union who will protect you when you have such an attitude about teacher or your failure to not teach. This is shameful. So in short, why don't you leave this profession. Let's see who would hire a teacher with your great attitude. Rhonda
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JOHN CLIFFORD 01/04/2008 5:30:00 AM
Brewer has a military mentality with no clue about education reform or management. The school board has to take the blame for hiring this "procurement officer". Whose fault is it? What brain dead LAUSD school board members decided to hire this Admiral? Where did they think that this district would come up with the money to pay such an inexperienced person. Too bad my cousin who works for the auto industry wasn't picked...has as much brains as Brewer! What a disaster we are in...I'm almost embarrassed to be a teacher in the LAUSD system!
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Eric 01/04/2008 3:39:00 AM
I don't know enough about LAUSD to comment in detail. The stories we've all read about the dysfunctional payroll system are pretty scary, not just in its effects on the employees, but that there wasn't enough in place to prevent the problem from occurring.
I am in San Francisco and endured Arlene Ackerman's tenure as Superintendent here so I don't accept the notion of Ackerman as guru, except a fraudulent one.
She was autocratic, self-righteous, self-aggrandizing, arrogant, and incompetent. Her real concerns were with loyalty over competence, and show over substance. She drove out anyone who wouldn't swoon at her pronouncements. She and her minions are race-baiters from the start. Its unfortunate that anyone would see her as a competent advisor. She was so awful that her supporters on the school board were at best, embarrassed by her. The consultants made money, as they often do.
It seems inappropriate for an advisor to complain that the person they're advising isn't taking their direction - and where's the loyalty and solidarity there in talking to the press in that?
Ackerman's appeal was that she blamed educators for under-performing students. No one else need worry about their role or responsibility. Her prescription was to replace the teachers that they didn't like with new hires they liked better, even though many hired in those circumstances were less prepared and committed than those they replaced; to have a longer school day; Saturday schools that fell apart within weeks; and school uniforms. That was supposed to transform the world. It didn't and its silly to think that it would. Its a much more complicated problem. Education is not unaffected by the factors of race, ethnicity and poverty.
California spends substantially less per child than most other states. It has more students to teachers and fewer resources. Students' parents don't uniformly value and support education. The federal laws that value test results over everything all but dictate scripted learning and do leave many kids behind. There is no magic bullet.
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B 4 01/03/2008 10:10:00 PM
WOW!
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Guess again 01/03/2008 4:37:00 PM
VNHS teacher, If you cannot say that your students are passing a basic assessment at 90% proficiency, I don't think your "accomplishments" are all that either. Challenge me and try it. You may realize that then you have earned your paycheck be you paid, overpaid or underpaid. You know that Brewer did not implement this pay system. He along with his staff are working overtime to pay you and the likes of you. Anyway, if you want to blame someone, blame the previous adminstration. It's done and all are trying to fix it. A teacher who is not a Brewer underling
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Guess again 01/03/2008 4:37:00 PM
VNHS teacher, FYI, I am not one of the bureacratic underlings in an overpriced downtown palace job. You see, as a teacher as you claim to be, your analysis and guess work about this matter are all wrong. My hope is that you do not teach or prepare your students with false suppositions and shaky analysis. I can only imagine that your anger and negativity truly does prepare your students to be productive citizens. Please! Get a life! another teacher
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VNHS Teacher 01/03/2008 8:06:00 AM
I honestly think that most, if not all, of the people that are defending Brewer in this comments section are actually Brewers' bureaucrat underlings (notice the shrill, defensive tone)posting comments from their overpriced, overstaffed downtown palace headquarters with nothing better to do (notice the length of these comments) until the next payroll screw-up (due Jan. 5). No real teacher could possibly defend his "accomplishments" because there are none. All talk, all form over substance, and now he's hiring a PR firm to help him craft an image of competence and effectiveness. Think about it for two seconds... a navy admiral for a district superintendent?!! How about a former teacher of the year on a battleship?!!
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Herb 01/03/2008 1:14:00 AM
I commend the article for getting the math issue correct. For some reason the upper echelons of LAUSD believe in embracing every fad in math teaching, however doubtful. The "experts" don't recognize that there is a place for good traditional math teaching. The student does need to bring good work habits and a good attitude to the equation, and the district does not stress this.
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barbara 12/31/2007 4:41:00 AM
First of all, who in their right mind would want to take on this job as superintendent of LAUSD? The citizens of LA should be thankful that Brewer even took the job. I�ve read the press on your past superintendents and those articles were not so kind to them either. However, I do believe you are on a witch hunt to run Brewer out as well as attack his character. This is awful. If the board members wanted someone else, and I mean a Latino, they should have continued to look for one. I don�t think the admiral necessarily wanted this on his plate unless he truly felt he could make a difference. Your continuous attacks are unfair. He no doubt realizes he had a mission, but the constant attacks are unnecessary and I wouldn�t be surprise if he told you all to go where the sun does not shine.
Look, the man inherited a payroll system that Romer failed to implement properly. I have heard about how other school systems that purchase new software test it before running it. Obviously, Romer�s administration failed to do this. Brewer walks in on it and you people think that all should be done overnight. At least the admiral is a gentleman and has not blamed his predecessor for this. And, when contacted by you, Romer had no comment either way. Way to go Romer!!! However, from my estimation, Brewer is getting the corrections straight as quickly as anyone can. Of course, anyone in their right mind knows they have to pay people! You don�t have to run the comparison of working at Wal-Mart. Only someone in some lawless country would think they could and would get away with such labor practices. I don�t think even a military officer would be that cold. Again, what else do you expect him to do? He spends money to correct something and you continue to scream. If he did not spend money to correct it, you still would scream. Come on people. Work with the district. I know this district has a bad name and obviously the press wants to continue blasting it to sell papers. But again, the people you claim so much concern about, the students, continue to lose with this constant bad press and finger pointing. Please, just stop it. A concerned educator
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Saddened 12/31/2007 3:32:00 AM
To the writer of this article: Perhaps you should do more research about the district and the new approaches that Brewer is initiating to help restructure and organize a poorly structured organization before you write such an article against him. Again, you are part of the problem and not the solution. I am sure that wherever you attended school, your professors should have taught you the power of the press and your influence. Again, I ask you, are you out to destroy every superintendent that comes to your city? I most definitely am a supporter of free speech but to bash a man's character without truly knowing him is just wrong. It is my experience in reading other fine major US papers that the reporters stick to the facts of the initiatives of the supt and not so much his character. And you know for a fact that Brewer is not just sitting in his 24th floor office enjoying the view. Get real! A good reporter would at least stick to the facts of what he is doing to make LAUSD better or not. If Brewer is having moral issues or just a sleaze ball criminal, I see no need for all the comments about his character, his salary, and clothes. You know for a fact that several supts in this country make as much or more than he. Many have done less for the districts that hired them and many have done far more than what their predecessors have done, but again they must get paid. Is it because he is African American and the people of this town just can't have a public figure like him make such a salary? Well, I strongly suggest you take that up with the board that hired him and give this a rest. Do you really think he is going to do this for free?For God's sake, the man spent over 30 years protecting you and others for the right to write your article. Believe it or not, not all people in LA want to be in that population of a movie star. You all need to learn to divide your segments of your diverse population. Trust me, I have met Brewer and he is not into that Hollywood crap. My belief is that he is in the camera to attempt the best he can the negative commentary that you and your colleagues continue to do at record pace. I have never in my life seen such a display of coverage on a superintendent of schools. You know that approximately 3% or less of this 300 million people in America would consider this job; the rest I guess have sense enough not to take on your bully behavior. At least you have to give Brewer and the ones before and after him to at least attempt to educate children. If not, you know what will happen to your city. If not, live long enough and you will see. It want be pretty. Be thankful he had the fortitude and the passion to take this brutal city on.
You should at least provide the readers with all that is necessary to make a fair and balanced article concerning what Brewer is doing and not so much about what you perceive his character to be. It appears that you are out for Brewer. If so, just come on out and say it and perhaps you and the likes of you can fine someone in this great big country to take the heat that this man has taken from a city that claims the moniker of city of angels. Let me be frank, it appears more like the city of demons. If you and your colleagues want to continue to build a reputation as such, great! I guess you and your cohorts understand that as long as you know that you can get out of hell, you will continue. However, you don't give a care about the others, namely the students. It is my belief that a good or bad superintendent�s intent is always to take care of the children. It is when he or she gets off track that the press should gently remind him or her and not attack. In my estimation, I am still waiting to see if this city truly cares about educating children or are they just in this to talk and critique. Funny, the same talk and writing you do, you turn right back around and accuse Brewer. Interesting. I guess Hollywood news can get old and things never change in the city of.... Saddened
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RhondaB 12/31/2007 2:32:00 AM
Rhonda again--- I reread my comments and realized that I made a few typos. I would not want another respondent to say that urban teachers cannot correct themselves. Yes,I will admit, I wrote in haste and did not check accordingly before sending the post. As my students say, "my bad." Now for my corrections. The word "thought" should have been through. One sentence should have read, "Why do we have students in LAUSD still..." I had a sentence fragment in one sentence. That sentence should have expressed, " It is the teacher who does not listen or enroll in such money making programs that will have the financial problems in the future." The word "gaul" should have been spelled gall and I wrote "know" when it should have been "now." If I missed others, I am sorry, but I just want readers to at least understand that urban teachers are great, but must be stimulated and motivated in their workplaces if they expect to get what they so justly deserve. Rhonda
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Samatha 12/31/2007 1:48:00 AM
Amy, I am tired of the likes of you and press people constantly talking about Brewer's salary. I am no math person but you can bet he makes less per hour than those teachers who claim to teach to standards
but yet cannot get their students to pass a basic assessment. I am aware that superintendents spend enormous hours working and soliciting support for their district. For you and the likes of you to harp on this is ridiculous. I would just love to see a teacher run a district that many UTLA members continue to discuss. Many articles in major newspapers and obviously not this one or the LA Times will report that any superintendent who takes on urban school districts must be highly compensated for the mess they have to put up with in regards to the press and the constituents who blast them. Yeah, it is truly quite easy to sit back and provide opinions but if parents and the community raised children appropriately, education would not be so difficult. So in short, get off Brewer's salary; he actually makes less than superintendents in much smaller suburban districts in which students know how to study and turn in homework and teachers know how to address different student's learning styles without it becoming a political issue or a collective bargaining issue. From my understanding many teachers in LA talk about the fear of the children. If they are that scared of them, find another job in which you feel you are so secure. Children and teens are responsive to adults who truly show sincere care and love towards them. I know; I have taught in urban schools for years. I have students who seemingly would have been considered hopeless who are now doctors, lawyers, professional football players with a college degree I my add and a host of other professions. LAUSD teachers need to stop thinking of themselves and just care about the charges in which they are required to teach. You will get your money and you will get your taxes straight. Yes, it is a hassle, but heah, that is what happened when the former supt. failed to implement your payroll effectively. You live in America and in most cases we all try to be fair and eventually things will work out. An urban teacher that is tired of the mess in LA
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Dan 12/31/2007 1:21:00 AM
Incidentally, Arlene Ackerman was run out of San Francisco and DC. It is truly amazing to sit in a chair at the esteem Columbia University and pontificate on what other superindendents can do. I ask you why didn't you turn those two districts around if you were so hot? And to say to your mentee that he cannot have the same experience as his first year in the press is quite loyal. And as far as Mr. Crew is concerned, he no doubt ticked off some people in Miami; he had a threat put out against him as well as a board member suing him. Brewer is no doubt being circumspect in taking any ones advise who still cannot make an urban school district competitive with a suburban school district.
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tina 12/31/2007 12:15:00 AM
(continued) Your pettiness about this is just ridiculous. With America really in a nervous breakdown , it would appear that the press would use its power of influence to try to keep someone who is truly dedicated to educating children and not pandering to what you feel is safe and sound and yet ineffective for urban education. No, these children are not guinea pigs, but it appears that in the past, many have thought so. You have a curriculum just teach and implement appropriately. And yes, the last I checked many of those board members are not educators either so stop this foolishness. Trust me, you really don�t need to be an educator to run a district. Did you realize that the school of education has the lowest performing students at a university? It appears that in the past LASUD have had educators running it and look where you are now. It is not the children's fault. I am sick of hearing that. To me, the problem rests more than what people want to admit, on the teacher. Research clearly states that a good teacher impacts student achievement for over 3 years and on the flip side of that so does a bad teacher. At least the supt is trying to allow these bad teachers to correct themselves with his professional development. You all know that to get rid of a bad teacher is almost impossible and LA seems to support such teachers. My suggestion is get over it and work with what you got. Yeah, Brewer may have said he wanted to get rid of bad teachers and backed off, but I sure somewhere he realized that it is a great idea but fruitless and would not win. I think is alternative if great and the teachers' union should support him and tell those teachers to start teaching. Tina
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tina 12/31/2007 12:12:00 AM
(continued) I often wonder is the press' agenda to continue to conspire to keep black and brown children at the bottom of the educational ring. By constantly bashing the leadership of this district and for the matter any urban district defies logic. I would like to see what we all in America say when we are running from a class of people who are uneducated because you the press continue to bash the people who dare try to take on a tough school district. Your constant attacks are counterproductive and I am sure distracting to the superintendent and his leadership. Yes, he no doubt needs a strong academic officer, but do you really think that that person will be able to make LAUSD transform overnight? Are you people just in it for show to say that he has the team together? Even that can�t guarantee success like you seem to think it would. You still had a horrible district with one in the past and� Do you feel that superintendents need to act hastily without finding the best person for the job? If he does read these management books I can only surmise, they are telling him something that education books have failed to tell many superintendents who still to this day have not successful made a current urban school district all that. Yeah, they may have an increase of 2 points, but what is that when those students would have to compete with public school graduates from school districts that have test scores that would put LAUSD and any other school district to shame. Give the man a break and stop being so negative. It is about time that the community and that means the press get behind him and find something positive to write. Keep this up and no one will want the job and you will be left with no one or at best a mediocre superintendent. Also, your suggestions of his love for the camera and the entire Hollywood thing are disgusting. I have never seen such a press that will make the superintendent into some Hollywood type. For goodness sake, don't you realize that education is a serious matter? I don't think the retire admiral basks in his sartorial splendor. I can imagine the poor man had to buy a new wardrobe given the fact that he was in the navy for over 30 years.
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tina 12/30/2007 11:16:00 PM
Your article really got me going. For your press and other press in LA to continue to denigrate the new superintendent is absurd. It is not like LAUSD was some high performing school district prior to his arrival. The tests scores have been languishing in the abyss for years. When you have a new superintendent who seemingly does something that the people of LA, and yes including educators, do something innovative and different, the entire press and its townspeople can't let up on the man. Trust me, education is pretty simple, have a student and teach them correctly. The problem continues no doubt to be implementation and not teaching relevant curriculum to this new generation. Face it, education has not changed its habits in 100 years. I can bet that LAUSD schools still have the students� desks facing the teacher. I do believe if given the chance Brewer would at least bring this district to the last half of the 20th century. From my vantage point, this district is still in the 19th century. It would take a god to bring you anywhere near the 21st century. One man and his leadership team truly can�t move you there in one year.
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k.j. 12/30/2007 8:53:00 PM
Unlike previous superintendents Brewer has spent more time and resources in the black community then any other superintendent. For example, he is setting up a major partnership with Crenshaw High School under his innovation division with the Urban League Bradley Foundation and USC. For your information under Brewer LAUSD spends more money per capita on Crenshaw than any other high school or middle school in the district. Brewer just put one million dollars into Bradley Elementary School to fund an all boys program. As everyone is aware African boys are the lowest performers in the district. Brewer has focused his attention on the lowest performing schools and students because he believes by improving those schools he will be able to improve all schools.
Brewer is also spending a lot of his personal time and resources with the other predominantly African-American high school, Westchester. He has invited Loyola Marymount University - which has one of the premiere colleges of education to partner with Westchester under his "innovation division."
While Brewer clearly has his shortcomings, but to say that he has not delivered on promises is unfair.
Brewer's strategic plan is a very comprehensive plan to overhaul not only low performing schools but all schools. Brewer's ultimate vision frankly, as I've heard him say, is to not only raise scores for poor performing students but to also get the middle class to return to the school district.
Brewer's main challenge is fixing major organizational problems inside LAUSD. He has established several new positions to focus on the organizational problems. For example, he has appointed a new deputy for professional development (who will provide formal leadership and management training for all LAUSD employees) and a new director for parent and civic engagement. And so amazingly previous superintendents never established these positions.
As I've said Brewer has his shortcomings and probably runs his mouth too much, but to imply that he is plodding is disingenuous. He is trying to move a mountain of an organization and it will take time.
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east la teacher 12/30/2007 2:38:00 PM
Love how your writer extols Romer's instructional programs. They've been in place for years, yet scores continue to drop in middle and high school. Hmmm...in East LA the only schools that have exited NCLB "Failing" status are the ones where principals respect teachers' professional expertise and allow them to teach the California standards instead of the rigid steps of a program that doesn't meet students' needs. Doesn't that tell you what you need to know about Romer's "successes"? LA Weekly, I already have a city newspaper that doesn't know anything about education. Couldn't you find a writer who knows their stuff?
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edla 12/30/2007 2:17:00 AM
No wonder LAUSD is such a disaster, it's filled with illegal Mexicans to the breaking point, we are giving education to a large part of Mexico for free, and our Mayor marches with them and protects them (sanctuary city), what a shameful city
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timothy 12/29/2007 11:27:00 PM
The young people in Los Angeles are very lucky to have one of the best public education systems in the world. Many schools are brand-new; most have state-of-the-art equipment; teachers and aides are numerous; and the majority of the teachers are eager to impart their knowledge. Those students who choose to study hard and behave themselves graduate with a great education that leads to a successful occupation or profession.
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t.b. 12/29/2007 2:03:00 PM
As an educator at the secondary level, I'm extremely disappointed in the members of LAUSD who have the audacity to blame one person for the problems that are prevalent in our school system. Several of my colleagues voted California's current Governor into office several years ago (I didn't), yet none seem to have anything to say about the Governor and the members of the State Legislator that have failed to live up to a multitude of promises that have been made to California's educators. If my memory serves me correctly, the last time educators were given a raise it was a measly 5% while State Legislators were given a 20% raise. I have yet to meet an educator that entered into education because of the exorbitant amount of money we make--we are in it for the children. Regardless of Superintendent Brewer's inconsistencies, lip-professing, promises, or failures, educators should admit that the Los Angeles public school system is still under the shadow of former Superintendent Roy Romer's educational plan. The LAUSD assessment binders focus on breadth as opposed to the depth of knowledge our students need to know about a unit in order succeed in academics. This program (that is still going strong) undermines an educator's creativity, creates an atmosphere of distrust among parents and school officials, and sends the message that even if you attended Oxford University, you are still required to follow a step-by-step program while teaching a specific unit. Aside from some of the action committees that are promoting an all inclusive educational program for students of color, no one mentioned the importance of educators, administrators, and school board officials meeting to create a culturally responsive curriculum. I don't expect primary grade level students to be able to vocalize the need to learn about their culture and heritage, but high school students always ask me why Chicano Studies, Asian-American Studies, and African-American Studies are absent in the curriculum. A culturally responsive curriculum should essentially incorporate popular cultural and media into 90% of lessons because most students, regardless of their ethnic background, will tell you that schools ignore students' interests. If educators and LAUSD officials do not abandon the "sheepish" mentality, the parents of disadvantaged students will file lawsuits, educators will continue to resign within two years of beginning their career in the classroom, and poverty in the world's fifth largest economy will continue to skyrocket.
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Anna Fisher 12/28/2007 12:31:00 PM
It is obvious why Brewer is 'the man' for LAUSD as the LA City School Board has suggested. With NCLB, schools have given all personal information including cell phone numbers of students to military recruiters and full access to high school campuses as have college recruiters. Dropouts will be texted using the same method and if students fail, the military wins in new recruits. If I were a manager at Walmart, and my employees' paychecks were screwed up twice, you can bet the third strike I'd be out. How the public can sit back and witness for an entire year our hardest working citizens, the teachers, get bullied around and abused while mayor and governor sits on their hands is unconscionable. $300,000 plus perks and now more spent to improve image while millions is wasted that could be directed to the children is criminal. Teachers must be paid properly now and children must get what they deserve. Instead, the military is getting more recruits and good teachers are fleeing faster than roaches in the kitchen at night when you turn the lights on. Where is the justice? People wake up, here's a simple Math equation; How many lawyers will it take to bail the district out on teachers who've foreclosed on mortgages and had seriously extenuating circumstances in their disrupted lives this year due to the payroll debacle? I'd rather have a Walmart manager who is not making seven times the average employee making sure the children get what they should. Thank you LA Weekly for turning on the light but my question is, where are the exterminators?
Anna Fisher
Kindergarten Teacher
LAUSD
