Teachers are cut. Class sizes go up. Summer school goes away.
But somewhere, perhaps on a campus near you, sits a person paid to watch tests. I’m not sure which tests: CELDTS go to Sacramento, as do CSTs (I think). Maybe it’s the forms and affidavits teachers sign before administering the tests? [...]
Posts under ‘Problems’
The Keeper of the Testing Papers (LAUSD Waste, cont’d.)
Health Care & Education, Part 2
According to the NYTimes, Obama’s been reading the same NYer article I wrote about last week:
President Obama recently summoned aides to the Oval Office to discuss a magazine article investigating why the border town of McAllen, Tex., was the country’s most expensive place for health care. The article became required reading in the White House, [...]
Funny Things About Federal Funds
In today’s LA Times Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, and Steve Zimmer, board member-elect of the Los Angeles Unified Board of Education, called on teachers to take a pay cut to save the district $45 million.
In response I offer the following federal stimulus and bailout headlines:
Stimulus [...]
Teachers & Money
There’s a lot of talk out there to link individual teacher pay to test scores. While I’d be thrilled to get a pay raise (and in an earlier post, I shouted, ‘Bring it on!’), here’s why I don’t think this is a good idea.
First all the usual reasons: teachers will teach to the test and [...]
Health Care v. Education, Part 1
This week’s New Yorker has a great piece on health care costs. Want to know where the US Gov. spends the MOST money per capita on healthcare?
That would be McAllen, TX in the Rio Grande Valley. Lat year Medicare spent $15,000 per enrollee there, 2x the national average.
Where the heck did all that money go [...]
More LAUSD Waste and Mismanagement
NBC Los Angeles recently aired a great report on ways to save the classrooms:
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Kids, Porn, Selling Sex
On Friday several 4th and 5th graders at my school were suspended when they were caught after school watching porn on a PSP. That means 9, 10, and 11 year-olds. One of the boys had downloaded porn onto his flashdrive and was charging other kids a buck a pop to download it onto their PSPs.
Parents [...]
Cost Cutting 101
Today’s LA Times led a piece on the battle over Birmingham High School with the heading, “The outcome of a battle over reform at the Van Nuys campus might shape the future of L.A. Unified.” The mayor’s reform branch (I-Division), a magnet within the school, and a charter supported by some of the teachers are [...]
Danger!!!!! (More Tales of LAUSD Waste)
This week we had an inspector come by from the safety branch of LAUSD. He had a grim face, a clipboard, and a scratchy pen he wielded with gusto and relish. He scuttled through classroom after classroom and uncovered MANY examples of clear and present DANGER!!!!
Most notably: couches. Yep. That’s right. Couches. Sofas. Cushy chairs. [...]
Cracked, Broken, and Mute: How LAUSD Wastes Money
Yesterday’s LA Times reported the following from our globe-trotting, glad-handing, tv-anchor-bopping mayor (this isn’t TMZ but, btw, who was that cute lady beside him gazing adoringly at him on yesterday’s news reports?):
At Liechty, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa led a forum Monday with teachers and parents, stressing the need for “shared sacrifice” and “creative solutions” to save [...]
