Zuma Dogg Public Comment Trifecta: City Council, Board of Supervisors & LAUSD in One Day To Warn of NON-PROFIT ABUSE COUNTY WIDE

Influential Movers and Shakers at Locke/LAUSD Hearing (Steve Barr, Founder/CEO Green Dot Charter Schools is the other guy.)

It's getting deep and wide regarding all this non-profit fraud, waste and abuse (corruption) of public land, money and trust. LA Times did a few stories this past week regarding this issue, and ZD has blogged additional information regarding these stories on Mayor Sam's blog. And now, I took the show on the road hitting City Council, Board of Supervisors and LAUSD today. (Public comment shady trifecta.) I almost missed the LAUSD comment on Locke/Green Dot Charter because the police would not let me in the building saying that they were at capacity. I told him I had a cards in. He said, they had a long way to go before they got to my item. I had a friend check the TV broadcast and they were calling my name as the cop was telling me they had a long way to go. So I told the cop he is not the Fire Marshall. I saw NO Fire Marshalls on scene and told the cop if he didn't let me in, he would have a civil lawsuit on his hands since police are not Fire Marshalls. So he backed up off my tip. Superintendent David Brewer happened to walk past me as I was finally entered the room and he told me, "They just called you." So of course I had to talk to a few people to have them call my name again, which they did. So thank you to all those at LAUSD who helped get me up there. And remember, next time you shut down the room for capacity, make sure a Fire Marshall does it.

CLICK READ MORE FOR Zuma's "Zuma Times" newspaper-style coverage of the Locke/Green Dot Charter in Watts LAUSD Item. And thanks to Celeste Freemont for the picutre of ZD & Steve (see above) and including it in her coverage of the meeting. She covered the meeting in a fun way on her blog. (CLICK READ MORE FOR BOTH)
Meanwhile, here's what I had to say about the Locke/LASUD Charter partnership:

First of all, I noted if the parents and kids put this much energy and attention into "regular" (non-charter) LAUSD schools, the problem would be solved! (Some of the board members were smiling and nodding in agreement, and the crowd of parents and kids behind me broke out into cheers!)

Secondly, I am concerned that whatever magic "tricks of the trade" Steve Barr's Green Dot is able to use to outperform non-charters may not be a part of this formula.

According to Green Dot Founder/CEO Steve Barr, the key to success with his Charters is the small 500 student schools. This allows more attention to be placed on students and is easier to create the critical parental involvement and "community" that can cultivate in a school of 500 students. (At 500, all the teachers know all the kids; the kids don't feel lost in a huge school; you can't hide and screw off as much; more accountability.)

The Locke Charter is 2800 students and Steve Barr told me today they plan on expanding it to 5000 students. So that magic is out the window.

Green Dot is praised for showing signs of being able to deliver higher test scores than other schools in the same area. However, ZD heard this trick is achieved by creating application forms that are more of a screener than fair and open application. So if it is true that Green Dot has had the benefit of "cream of the crop" higher achieveing students (without having the special needs, more challenging students); then that is why Charter test scores are higher. (A "cream of the crop" pool of students at Charters help those scores, while the remaining non-charter schools' scores drop as a result -- as a double-whammy.)

And Steve Barr assured me today that Locke will be open to all students in the area. So that means they will not have the benefit of screening out the types of students that bring test scores down -- and can't select/accept a majority of higher achievers some fear make up sucessful Charters. (So that angle is gone.)

UTLA President told Zuma Dogg/Zuma Times that he is very unhappy with the entire process of the approval. (Feeling it was fastracked without proper notification, involvement, etc.) I asked if he would be for it, or against it (besides the vaild complaint over the process) and Mr. Duffy gave me the right answer: He said he didn't know, because he wasn't included in the process. (That's what he is complaining about.) He couldn't give me an opinion of whether he was "for it" or "against it", because he didn't know enough about it. (As opposed to using the "process" complaint as an excuse to block something you are already against.) Some may doubt his sincerity, but at least he spun it correctly to ZD/didn't pile on a bunch of additional grivences regarding the situation.

Mr. Barr tells The Times (Zuma Times) that Locke is unique to all other Charters, so far, because this is a "partnership" with LAUSD -- as opposed to just being approved and running it on their own. (As has always been the case with Charters, until Locke.)

I asked Steve, "What makes this different?" He told me that besides it being on LAUSD property (as opposed to all other Charters that use their own land and facilities), that they will continue to "evolve" the partnership and make changes along the way based on what is and isn't working.

Now some would say that sounds shady. (Approving it without the details worked out.) But ZD actually says this passes the Deming test. A pilot makes frequent changes in course based on changing conditions (weather, traffic). So it is actually a "quality" move toward innovation and efficiency to say that changes will be made as needed. (In theory, assuming it isn't out of shadiness.)

But that didn't really seem like much, except for the fact that it the Charter will operate on LAUSD property, AJ Duffy tells Zuma Times, "A Charter is a Charter is a Charter". And he feels there is no difference between this Locke partnership with Green Dot and any other Charter.

So at that point, it needs to be mentioned that there is concern of taking public money and handing it over to private non-profits where the money can be wasted through front end loaded management contracts and other corruption that was reported on this week in LA Times regarding California's largest Charter operator violatiing every concern ZD has mentioned over the past year.

SUMMARY: The parents and kids of the Watts/Locke area deserve the learning environment that people from the area today who showed up for LAUSD public comment are demanding. And the grass is always greener on the other side. So in this case a Green Dot Charter in Watts at Locke sure seems like a win-win on the surface.

However, the secret to success is a 500 student sized school to allow a community to incubate and parents, teachers and students are able to know each other and it's a manageable situation. At Locke, it's 2800 students with hopes of 5000. And when it comes to higher test scores at Green Dot...well if it is true that they have the luxury of the "cream of the crop" students -- not only does that help the scores, but it hurts LAUSD scores as they are left with the bulk of english as second language, special needs and physically challenged kids. (The higher achievers who left for Charters are not there to factor into the remaining LAUSD non-charter scores. Aka: A double-dip of a hit.) And, if Green Dot benefits by more flexible autonomy in all other Charter schools that outperform LAUSD, well by being shackled and set-back with the bueracracy you will be forced to contend with as an "LAUSD" partner...well more magic gone.

It's like saying Wolfgang Puck is opening up a restuarant. Then you take down the McDonalds sign, put up a Wolfgang Puck sign -- and expect the food or service to change. The kids and parents of Watts should watch "The Wizard of OZ". Because with this divided LAUSD school board, and a McDonald's version of a Wolfgang Puck Charter, you don't need and cannot count on a Charter to raise your scholastic achievement. You have the power and only you can do it. I saw it in the board room today with all those concerned parents and students. It ain't easy. You almost have to say, "Just like kids do physical education outside the school in the form of karate or the gym; they are going to have to take their education into their own hands and do a majority of the actual learning outside the classroom. And finally, that's where the school system MUST do a better job of using the internet to help fit the medium to the student. You want 100% graduation rate? You better get all lessons on the internet so kids can use it as online tutorial outside the classroom.

Celeste Freemont's coverage of the meeting at WitnessLA

ZumaTimes.com
zumadogg@gmail.com