SUPERINTENDENT DAVID BREWER: Make The "D" in LAUSD Stand for "DEMING" And Save $46 Million Next Time
ZUMA DOGG'S MASTER SHADY REPORT UPDATE
Excuse me! LAUSD Superintendent Admiral Brewer? I know you know about ZD’s true American Idol, Dr. W. Edwards Deming and his 14 Point checklist, because I read your article in the newspaper where you quoted him.
So, I know all the stuff you have to combat, like the problem referenced below, has nothing to do with anything under your watch. But I would like to request a little more “D” for Deming at LAUS-“D”! (Cause he’s twice the “G”, of you or me.)
Maaaaaaaaan, I’m surprised Villagrossa’s “Excellence In Education” School Reform Zombies didn’t send this to the ZAP email inbox (zumadogg@gmail.com):
L.A. Unified payroll snafu's costs soaring
June 9, 2007
From latimes.com [plus ZD's comments in brackets]
Widespread problems plaguing a new computer payroll system in the Los Angeles school district and a decision to delay the final phase of a massive technology overhaul have boosted its price tag by more than $46 million, officials said. . [Oh good, I don’t start getting pissed ‘til $47 million.]
LAUSDeming has some money available to offset the additional costs [from where, “The Extra $46 Million for Our F*ck Up” Fund?], but there remains a deficit of at least $37.5 million, district officials told a school board panel Thursday.
CLICK READ MORE
The total cost of the controversial Business Tools for Schools project is expected to reach about $132 million, more than 35% higher than its expected price. The full seven-member school board must vote whether to approve the funding. [You bet your ass Antonio’s crew won’t.]
"There is a Churchill quote about when you're marching through hell, just keep marching," said Charles Burbridge, the district's chief financial officer. "Well, that's basically what we're doing. We need to slow this down and get it right." [See Deming]
About $14 million of the $46.3 million in additional costs have arisen from a series of software and hardware breakdowns and insufficient training [See Deming] that left school-site staff unprepared [See Deming], problems that have hampered the project's payroll component since it was launched [See Deming] several months ago.
This week, the latest of these technology glitches resulted in more than 32,000 L.A. Unified employees being paid either too much or too little. [See Deming.]
When problems arose in February, district officials stumbled as they placed much of the blame on data-entry errors by school clerks. [Deming says, “Don’t place blame, fix the system for the individual (data entry clerks). Most of the problems are inherent in the system’s process, not its’ people.] They backtracked quickly, with Supt. David L. Brewer offering a public apology and vowing to correct the problems. [See Deming. Unless you address this from a certain somebody’s 14 point plan, it will be nothing but a meaningless exhortation. (See Deming on “meaningless exhortations”.]
Frustration built, however, as emergency hotlines were overwhelmed. Affected employees were also annoyed that they had to travel downtown, to an office hastily opened in the lobby of the district's headquarters, to get emergency checks. Waiting times often stretched to several hours. [Seems inefficient? See Deming. (On “How to Improve Efficency”.)]
"We have seen no accountability of the people who have made these bad decisions to push ahead," said Ernest Kettenring, a teacher who represents adult school instructors hard hit by the payroll matter. [There can be no accountability without leadership. It is a leader’s job to fix the system for the worker, not point fingers. You need to identify the problem, yes: But not to blame, to help. See Deming.]
With no district employees knowledgeable enough in the complex system to make the repairs, much of the additional money is needed to pay outside consultants. The district also has had to pay overtime to employees dealing with the backlog of paycheck problems. [See Deming on “The Importance of investing time in training and re-educating management and workers to avoid paying high priced consultants to clean up the mess. And how it is cheaper to build quality into the process, in the first place, rather than pay staffers overtime who have to deal with “backlog” aftermath.]
Hoping to avoid a repeat of the payroll debacle, Brewer said he decided to delay rolling out the final phase of the project. That portion was scheduled to launch next month and aims to revamp how purchases are made in the mammoth system.
The delay, Brewer and Burbridge said, is needed to allow enough time to properly train staff, a school-by-school effort that is expected to be completed in February. [Yeaaaaaa! You are seeing Deming!]
That extra time and training will cost the district $32 million. More than a quarter of that money will go to the consulting arm of the international firm Deloitte Consulting, which has already been paid about $55 million to help the district plan and implement the three-phase project that began in 2005. [Oh well, no one said fixing the system was cheap in the short-run. We gotta look long-term efficiency. Guess you gotta go for it. But Delouchebag Consulting…how about a little subsidy on the price tag, y’all…It’s for the kids!]
Brewer declined to discuss whether, or how much, blame rests with Deloitte, saying, "They're still on the team, and we need to keep them on the team to help us fix this." [Oops…you mean they were the ones who INSTALLED this system? In that case, file a false claims act on they ass unless they fix it for free!]
Representatives from Deloitte did not return calls or e-mails seeking comment. [I wouldn’t if I were you, either, Pal!]
School board member David Tokofsky indicated that talk of a possible lawsuit had begun. "We have been investigating the shares of blame and the possible legal implications," he said. [Tokofsky is the only one on that board worth a damn. No wonder the mayor got him a job somewhere else.]
"It's an absolute outrage that this still persists," he added. "It has contributed to the worst demoralization and cynicism I've ever seen in this district." [See Deming on “How to create an environment of ‘pride and joy’. You do this through ‘empowerment’, not ‘fear’.”]
Payroll problems — and now the delay in fixing them — erupted into one of the first major challenges for Brewer, who was hired late last year. [Too bad it’s not a fight over raising student achievement. See Deming on the problem with “fixing” after the fact.]
With stories mounting each month of distraught teachers and other employees unable to pay rent or buy groceries, Brewer has had to fend off angry attacks and a lawsuit by the unions that represent the district's more than 90,000 employees. [I’m glad to see everyone’s time is being focused on the kids!]
The snafus have also led, in part, to the district falling behind in its contributions to the state's teacher retirement fund. In a letter sent late last month, state pension officials threatened to seek nearly $700,000 in fines if the district fails to correct itself by next week. [Still haven’t heard a thing about kids. And $700,000 in fines won’t help either.]
To pay for the increased costs, the district plans to take on so-called certificates of participation, financed debt that would be paid off over time from the district's general fund. [I like tangled messes! I think GREAT things are ahead for LAUSD!]
"We just need to get this thing corrected," Brewer said. "Period." [AND THAT, MY FRIEND IS THE SHORT VERSION OF THE DEMING SEMINAR. 14 Points to allow you to “just get this thing corrected.” A simple goal. And that is very Deming.]
So I hope from here on in, the “D” at LAUSD stands for “Deming”. (See Deming)
please review this practical, easy to under stand explanation of Dr. W. Edwards Deming's "Methods for Management of Quality and Productivity" (Quality Management), based on his 14 Point check list. Laugh all you want haters, but it is ALL about getting different departments to work "together" in the most efficient manner in all phases of product design and construction. It's innovative, common-sense thinking that won't be anything new to anyone, but it's a nice reminder, and Deming did a great job of collaborating and articulating everything under one "umbrella". So check it out...you'll need it CRA/Council/County/City Hall and Related. Much Love!
Interpreting Deming's 14 Points (Demings/Robbins/Pittman/Internationally acclaimed "synopsis" of Deming's 14 Points
Applying Deming's 14 Points to City of Los Angeles including Video Seminar (Scroll down and scan stories)
And to the haters who try and minimize Deming, and the intellects who already know about him, and want to read more about ZD's mentorDeming Google Search of historic global impact of his 14 point philosophy
Excuse me! LAUSD Superintendent Admiral Brewer? I know you know about ZD’s true American Idol, Dr. W. Edwards Deming and his 14 Point checklist, because I read your article in the newspaper where you quoted him.
So, I know all the stuff you have to combat, like the problem referenced below, has nothing to do with anything under your watch. But I would like to request a little more “D” for Deming at LAUS-“D”! (Cause he’s twice the “G”, of you or me.)
Maaaaaaaaan, I’m surprised Villagrossa’s “Excellence In Education” School Reform Zombies didn’t send this to the ZAP email inbox (zumadogg@gmail.com):
L.A. Unified payroll snafu's costs soaring
June 9, 2007
From latimes.com [plus ZD's comments in brackets]
Widespread problems plaguing a new computer payroll system in the Los Angeles school district and a decision to delay the final phase of a massive technology overhaul have boosted its price tag by more than $46 million, officials said. . [Oh good, I don’t start getting pissed ‘til $47 million.]
LAUSDeming has some money available to offset the additional costs [from where, “The Extra $46 Million for Our F*ck Up” Fund?], but there remains a deficit of at least $37.5 million, district officials told a school board panel Thursday.
CLICK READ MORE
The total cost of the controversial Business Tools for Schools project is expected to reach about $132 million, more than 35% higher than its expected price. The full seven-member school board must vote whether to approve the funding. [You bet your ass Antonio’s crew won’t.]
"There is a Churchill quote about when you're marching through hell, just keep marching," said Charles Burbridge, the district's chief financial officer. "Well, that's basically what we're doing. We need to slow this down and get it right." [See Deming]
About $14 million of the $46.3 million in additional costs have arisen from a series of software and hardware breakdowns and insufficient training [See Deming] that left school-site staff unprepared [See Deming], problems that have hampered the project's payroll component since it was launched [See Deming] several months ago.
This week, the latest of these technology glitches resulted in more than 32,000 L.A. Unified employees being paid either too much or too little. [See Deming.]
When problems arose in February, district officials stumbled as they placed much of the blame on data-entry errors by school clerks. [Deming says, “Don’t place blame, fix the system for the individual (data entry clerks). Most of the problems are inherent in the system’s process, not its’ people.] They backtracked quickly, with Supt. David L. Brewer offering a public apology and vowing to correct the problems. [See Deming. Unless you address this from a certain somebody’s 14 point plan, it will be nothing but a meaningless exhortation. (See Deming on “meaningless exhortations”.]
Frustration built, however, as emergency hotlines were overwhelmed. Affected employees were also annoyed that they had to travel downtown, to an office hastily opened in the lobby of the district's headquarters, to get emergency checks. Waiting times often stretched to several hours. [Seems inefficient? See Deming. (On “How to Improve Efficency”.)]
"We have seen no accountability of the people who have made these bad decisions to push ahead," said Ernest Kettenring, a teacher who represents adult school instructors hard hit by the payroll matter. [There can be no accountability without leadership. It is a leader’s job to fix the system for the worker, not point fingers. You need to identify the problem, yes: But not to blame, to help. See Deming.]
With no district employees knowledgeable enough in the complex system to make the repairs, much of the additional money is needed to pay outside consultants. The district also has had to pay overtime to employees dealing with the backlog of paycheck problems. [See Deming on “The Importance of investing time in training and re-educating management and workers to avoid paying high priced consultants to clean up the mess. And how it is cheaper to build quality into the process, in the first place, rather than pay staffers overtime who have to deal with “backlog” aftermath.]
Hoping to avoid a repeat of the payroll debacle, Brewer said he decided to delay rolling out the final phase of the project. That portion was scheduled to launch next month and aims to revamp how purchases are made in the mammoth system.
The delay, Brewer and Burbridge said, is needed to allow enough time to properly train staff, a school-by-school effort that is expected to be completed in February. [Yeaaaaaa! You are seeing Deming!]
That extra time and training will cost the district $32 million. More than a quarter of that money will go to the consulting arm of the international firm Deloitte Consulting, which has already been paid about $55 million to help the district plan and implement the three-phase project that began in 2005. [Oh well, no one said fixing the system was cheap in the short-run. We gotta look long-term efficiency. Guess you gotta go for it. But Delouchebag Consulting…how about a little subsidy on the price tag, y’all…It’s for the kids!]
Brewer declined to discuss whether, or how much, blame rests with Deloitte, saying, "They're still on the team, and we need to keep them on the team to help us fix this." [Oops…you mean they were the ones who INSTALLED this system? In that case, file a false claims act on they ass unless they fix it for free!]
Representatives from Deloitte did not return calls or e-mails seeking comment. [I wouldn’t if I were you, either, Pal!]
School board member David Tokofsky indicated that talk of a possible lawsuit had begun. "We have been investigating the shares of blame and the possible legal implications," he said. [Tokofsky is the only one on that board worth a damn. No wonder the mayor got him a job somewhere else.]
"It's an absolute outrage that this still persists," he added. "It has contributed to the worst demoralization and cynicism I've ever seen in this district." [See Deming on “How to create an environment of ‘pride and joy’. You do this through ‘empowerment’, not ‘fear’.”]
Payroll problems — and now the delay in fixing them — erupted into one of the first major challenges for Brewer, who was hired late last year. [Too bad it’s not a fight over raising student achievement. See Deming on the problem with “fixing” after the fact.]
With stories mounting each month of distraught teachers and other employees unable to pay rent or buy groceries, Brewer has had to fend off angry attacks and a lawsuit by the unions that represent the district's more than 90,000 employees. [I’m glad to see everyone’s time is being focused on the kids!]
The snafus have also led, in part, to the district falling behind in its contributions to the state's teacher retirement fund. In a letter sent late last month, state pension officials threatened to seek nearly $700,000 in fines if the district fails to correct itself by next week. [Still haven’t heard a thing about kids. And $700,000 in fines won’t help either.]
To pay for the increased costs, the district plans to take on so-called certificates of participation, financed debt that would be paid off over time from the district's general fund. [I like tangled messes! I think GREAT things are ahead for LAUSD!]
"We just need to get this thing corrected," Brewer said. "Period." [AND THAT, MY FRIEND IS THE SHORT VERSION OF THE DEMING SEMINAR. 14 Points to allow you to “just get this thing corrected.” A simple goal. And that is very Deming.]
So I hope from here on in, the “D” at LAUSD stands for “Deming”. (See Deming)
please review this practical, easy to under stand explanation of Dr. W. Edwards Deming's "Methods for Management of Quality and Productivity" (Quality Management), based on his 14 Point check list. Laugh all you want haters, but it is ALL about getting different departments to work "together" in the most efficient manner in all phases of product design and construction. It's innovative, common-sense thinking that won't be anything new to anyone, but it's a nice reminder, and Deming did a great job of collaborating and articulating everything under one "umbrella". So check it out...you'll need it CRA/Council/County/City Hall and Related. Much Love!
Interpreting Deming's 14 Points (Demings/Robbins/Pittman/Internationally acclaimed "synopsis" of Deming's 14 Points
Applying Deming's 14 Points to City of Los Angeles including Video Seminar (Scroll down and scan stories)
And to the haters who try and minimize Deming, and the intellects who already know about him, and want to read more about ZD's mentorDeming Google Search of historic global impact of his 14 point philosophy
Posted by Zuma Dogg @ 6/10/2007 10:37:00 PM
1 Comments:
How anyone can be surprised by this is beyond me. My god, this district has always felt they can do it best themselves, often to the tune of hundreds of millions of wasted dollars.
Why don't they do what most major corporations do and hire an ADP kind of company to do payroll.
But this is the same district that, living in a country with a food service indsutry unparalled in the history of man, chooses to feed 700,000 a day by themselves. Poorly I might add.
Do you people remember the horrible hamburgers you were served while in school? They're still there! Probably the same meat too.
You know, one of these days, LAUSD is going to run out of WWII surplus cheese...........Then what?
Thank god for Korea.
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