Is The Mayor Trying To "Eliminate" the LAUSD School Board?
I was speaking with an LAUSD insider today, to ask about the alleged streamlining of LAUSD boardmember's staffs down to ONE staff, for all boardmembers, and the person blurted out, "If the mayor wants to eliminate the LAUSD School Board, why doesn't he just do it!?! The way you effectively eliminate an agency is to cut the staff (so the department can't operate)." So as I so subtly followed up, "So you think these changes are just the mayor's attempt to kill the LAUSD school board?" And I was told, "Hellz to the yeah!"
Even former LA City Councilmember Alex Padilla said he would support AB 1381, except for the part about eliminating the staff. He called it, "unjustly punitive", yeah, yeah!
But without inserting too much ZD opinion into the facts, here's what is actually happening regarding what is being called "LAUSD staff elimination.":
Currently, each board member is responsible for interviewing and hiring a staff of four. So there are about 28 LAUSD staffers to the school board. (About $1.3 million salary for all the workers, making no more than $55,000/year.)
Under AB 1381, there will be an "Executive Officer of the Board". The LAUSD school board will have one "overall" pool of staffers to serve all board members. It is expected that the Executive Officer will allow all current staffers to remain with their current bosses. And when a board member needs an open position filled, they will notify the Executive Officer, even request a specific individual, then the Officer will ratify/approve or veto/deny the applicant.
But, I'm told the intention isn't to reduce the number of staffers. Although both sides agree, that may happen after an evaluation of staff needs under AB 1381. For example, maybe the board will need less field deputies and more policy writers and contract negotiators (because those are the school boards two primary, and maybe only, responsibilities under AB 1381).
Remember, AB 1381 was designed to squelch the power of the LAUSD school board (as punishment), and hand it over to the mayor (for construction interests). But it only half worked, and the Mayor's construction takeover attempt was ruined (hopefully) when LAUSD hired superintendent Brewer BEFORE the mayor's "say so" kicks in, come January. (If it isn't over-turned in court.)
So when you say, now there will only be one staff for all LAUSD boardmembers, instead of each having their own staff, that may merely be semantics if you believe what is at the surface level. Meaning, it is one staff, as in one set of staffers to serve all boardmembers; to be assigned to each boardmember by the Executive Officer of the Board. And we can only hope that position isn't "gotten to" by the mayor. Because some people are saying the mayor is trying to eliminate the LAUSD school board, by rendering it completely lame and ineffective. (Which is what AB 1381 does.) That doesn't mean, however, that the mayor isn't gonna hit up Uncle Eli Broad for the money to back his candidates to run for the LAUSD school board. But hey, that's why it's great to be Antonio and great to be mayor of such a formerly great City.
GOOD DAILY NEWS STORY ABOUT BREWER'S VALLEY BUISNESS MEETING: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_4800880
ZD blog archives, upcoming apperances, contact info, videos and podcasts at: www.ZumaDogg.com
Even former LA City Councilmember Alex Padilla said he would support AB 1381, except for the part about eliminating the staff. He called it, "unjustly punitive", yeah, yeah!
But without inserting too much ZD opinion into the facts, here's what is actually happening regarding what is being called "LAUSD staff elimination.":
Currently, each board member is responsible for interviewing and hiring a staff of four. So there are about 28 LAUSD staffers to the school board. (About $1.3 million salary for all the workers, making no more than $55,000/year.)
Under AB 1381, there will be an "Executive Officer of the Board". The LAUSD school board will have one "overall" pool of staffers to serve all board members. It is expected that the Executive Officer will allow all current staffers to remain with their current bosses. And when a board member needs an open position filled, they will notify the Executive Officer, even request a specific individual, then the Officer will ratify/approve or veto/deny the applicant.
But, I'm told the intention isn't to reduce the number of staffers. Although both sides agree, that may happen after an evaluation of staff needs under AB 1381. For example, maybe the board will need less field deputies and more policy writers and contract negotiators (because those are the school boards two primary, and maybe only, responsibilities under AB 1381).
Remember, AB 1381 was designed to squelch the power of the LAUSD school board (as punishment), and hand it over to the mayor (for construction interests). But it only half worked, and the Mayor's construction takeover attempt was ruined (hopefully) when LAUSD hired superintendent Brewer BEFORE the mayor's "say so" kicks in, come January. (If it isn't over-turned in court.)
So when you say, now there will only be one staff for all LAUSD boardmembers, instead of each having their own staff, that may merely be semantics if you believe what is at the surface level. Meaning, it is one staff, as in one set of staffers to serve all boardmembers; to be assigned to each boardmember by the Executive Officer of the Board. And we can only hope that position isn't "gotten to" by the mayor. Because some people are saying the mayor is trying to eliminate the LAUSD school board, by rendering it completely lame and ineffective. (Which is what AB 1381 does.) That doesn't mean, however, that the mayor isn't gonna hit up Uncle Eli Broad for the money to back his candidates to run for the LAUSD school board. But hey, that's why it's great to be Antonio and great to be mayor of such a formerly great City.
GOOD DAILY NEWS STORY ABOUT BREWER'S VALLEY BUISNESS MEETING: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_4800880
ZD blog archives, upcoming apperances, contact info, videos and podcasts at: www.ZumaDogg.com
Posted by Zuma Dogg @ 12/08/2006 05:55:00 PM
10 Comments:
Good evening ladies and gentlemen (bows low and removes hat):
Lord Chapman is preparing to leave the quay, and we wish him all the best. We'll keep a seat in the taverna for you. And if you pass the Sandwich Islands, please wave Halloo to Dick Mountjoy, Runner and Ashburn, those sell out sots. (Sighs) Ah yes, privateering has its moments, doesn't it?
Indeed, last evening was quite interesting. I'll admit I tied a bit of one on and woke up this morning wearing a kilt and a black bra. But an interesting evening it was, indeed.
For example, there was the elimination of one good sirrah Jaime. How rude it was of the Keeper of the Coin to besmirch the good sirrah's reputation. The one of us who tends the bar heard enough to know that loose lips will surely sink that ship, savvy?
Are more eliminations in the works? Perhaps. Them that give the pink slips shall receive. Why, that's the American way or so you Yanks say. Hold out your hand, sot. Let's see what color the palm shall be. Green? Pink? Or black like the hearts around you. What about getting voted off the island by your fellow tribesmen? Even a ruddy palm can't prevent that from happening.
I heard an on-dit today about Villabarbosa's "vision". Only those whose sniffers are so far up the creek so as to see out of His Nibb's eyes can see the "vision". Bloody hell, call the optometrist. There seems to be a great need opera glasses; the tribe is about to speak, savvy?
Any connection between the current Executive Officer of the Board of Education and the Mayor's staff?
What do you pirates know?
Something just hit me. (I'm a little slow, sometimes, but then it hits me like an anvil.)
I was thinking it was City Council who is trying to effectively eliminate the LAUSD school board with this new Charter Amendment regarding term-limits, campaign financing, committee review board, and whatever other stuff they are cramming into the Jose Huizar-written ballot measure for March (Charter Amendment).
So let's face it, the mayor still enough juice with City Council to get this LAUSD "spay and neuter" amemdement of the March ballot.
So, although the mayor may claim to be excited to work with the LAUSD school board, to help the kids, under AB 1381, but let's face it; when you follow the actions (not the political spin), a real railroading is happening at the hands of Antonio and his political muppets like that Nucklehead Nunez. And I'd still like to know why Eli Broad and Richard Riordan are so hell bent on all of this?
Broad and Riordan want LAUSD's money. It's that simple.
If Broad or Riordan cared so damn much about kids, you'd think they would take their millions or billions and sponsor one poor kid a year and send them to college.
Instead of trying to form capitalistic, entrepreneurial schools. That's rich.
Don't blame the mayor. This board is eliminating itself. It is the only school board in the country with individual staff members, who do little but wait on the whims and posturing of their bosses. The only ones complaining about the elimination of these positions are the board members who might have to go get their own coffee. The do-nothings should not spend education money to run their reelection campaigns from the district.
Zuma Dog I was starting to have some faith in you then you go and ask an elementary question.
Eli Broad/Riordan/AV/Nunez all are following the contracts. I would definitely want to control the budgets but more importantly I would loooovvvveee to control the bond construction money. AB1381 addresses nothing that actually has anything to do with the classroom education or results in the classroom.
What it does address is who's running what budgets.
For example and mark my words...the three clusters will be comprised of the group of schools defined as have the highest potential for school construction development in their areas (term used loosely).
Don't think of them in terms related to school improvement, underachieving or quick fix to raise API clusters. If you do/are you are completely out of the game.
Think of them as the one's with the most potential for building where there will be less opposition from the community and then look around and see where all the LLC's held by Broad and Riordan are land holders or where new LLC's are being established by the land acquisitions being negotiated.
Start by getting a realtor friend to run a profile once a month that tract the changing of owners of 3+ acre properties within the boundaries of LAUSD. Ah, now your wising up my friend.
Zuma Dog, first you must use your sense of smell and then it's good to use those hind legs. Use them both and use them wisely.
BY:
Little ole me in the corner of a valley
5:43pm,
hellz yeah!
Well Tokofsky's gone. 6 to go.
This has really become too much of a mess. Too many egotistical power players who have forgotten why they're in this struggle to begin with.. the kids.
The battle between the LAUSD, the mayor and the unions looks a lot like the conflict between the US, the Sunnis and the Shiites.
We may not be able to draw new borders there, but we can over here. Let's give it back to the community. Break up the school district and let each cluster become it's own stand alone school district with its own local board.
The LAUSD needs a shake up. Every election for the last thirty years involves rhetoric on how we need to "change the system." And yet, nothing happens. Then one day a Mayor tries a new angle, and it’s now "Is The Mayor Trying To Eliminate the LAUSD School Board."
How funny is that comment. Oh, so what we should do is continue with the same argument - Ad Nauseum - and continue on the same old path. Meanwhile, kids are getting screwed by an archaic bureaucracy that does absolutely nothing for its students!!!!!!!!!!! The graduation rate and test scores say it all - and you all are making political statements which provide no solution..
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