L.A. Unified Officially Becomes A Helpless Laughing Stock By Overpaying Teachers $53 Million, Then Asking Them To Pay It Back Before Christmas (LOL!)
***** SUNDAY NIGHT UPDATE *****
NEW THREAD: HOW DOES ONE GO ABOUT DISMANTLING LAUSD? (aka: THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON'T THEY?)
excerpt from latimes.com:
L.A. Unified tells teachers to refund over-payments (LMFAO!)
The district paid about $53 million too much to 36,000 workers. They are given until Dec. 10 to decide whether to pay or fight.
CLICK READ MORE FOR $53 MILLION WORTH OF LAUSD BAFFOONERY
In the latest fallout from a badly flawed payroll system that has plagued the Los Angeles public school system for nearly a year, officials have taken steps to recoup $53 million they calculate has been overpaid to about 36,000 school district employees.
Teachers and other staff in the Los Angeles Unified School District must either trust the district's claim that they were overpaid and repay the money -- or dispute the calculations and face further chaos come tax season.
For Genie Penn, a veteran second-grade teacher at Overland Elementary on the Westside, the choice is clear.
"All of a sudden they've decided I owe them $9,000?" asked an exasperated Penn, who has a graduate degree in business. "I know I owe them some money, but it is not that much. Until they can show me some proof of how much I owe them, I am not paying a dime. It's just absurd. It's mind boggling! But I guess when you work for LAUSD, nothing should surprise you."
Affected employees -- the vast majority are teachers -- have until Dec. 10 to choose whether to repay the district the entire amount they received, request a repayment plan, repay only the amount they believe they were overpaid or refuse to pay anything.
Any employee who disagrees with the district's overpayment calculation and refuses to pay some or all of the money will have to wait for L.A. Unified and union officials to work out a process for how such disputes will be resolved. Zeronian and David Holmquist, interim chief operating officer, said they expect those plans to be finalized early next year.
[OH GOOD...GLAD TO SEE EVERYTHING WILL BE OFF TO A SMOOTH, PRODUCTIVE, EFFICIENT AND NON-COMBATIVE START NEXT YEAR!]
After months of mounting confusion and frustration, many are dubious of the computer system's ability to accurately calculate over-payments. Several teachers pointed to an earlier attempt by the district to determine over-payments and under-payments that was marred by widespread inaccuracies.
Penn, for example, is flummoxed because the district claimed during the summer that she owed a couple of hundred dollars and now says she owes nearly $9,000. As far as she can tell, the new figure is impossibly high because she is paid only about $4,000 each month and, as far as she can tell, the only overpayment she received was a month's pay while she was on leave.
"These numbers just don't make any sense," echoed Stephen McDonough, a sixth-grade music teacher at Reed Middle School in North Hollywood, who was told he owes $1,900. "Nobody is clear on how they came up with them. They are asking me to take their word for it and pay them a third of my salary right before the holidays. I can't do it."
[AND NOW BRACE YOURSELF FOR SOME OF THE "STUPIDIST" PR COMMENTS EVER UTTERED...]
Holmquist urged employees to trust the district. But he could offer only a tenuous reason to do so, saying that the relative success of this month's payday indicates that repairs made so far to the payroll system appear to be working. Some technical glitches remain unresolved, however, and 3,000 employees are estimated to have had paycheck problems this month.
Are the calculations "100% guaranteed? No," Holmquist said. "But it's highly probable. We have a higher degree of confidence than ever before that we are accurate."
[OH GOOD! I'm sure people are bending over backwards to trust you and pay whatever you ask, as soon as possible, now that you have a "higher degree of confidence" in the accuracy.]
Challenging the district over the repayment totals, however, comes with considerable risk. In the letters to employees, Zeronian warned that once the December deadline passes, employees will be responsible for the total amount of the alleged overpayments, including the amount the district withheld for taxes.
[OH GOOD...NOW THE DISTRICT IS THREATENING TEACHERS WHEN THEY ARE NOT EVEN SURE THEY ARE ACCURATE!?!?!]
If Penn, the elementary school teacher, for example, refuses to pay and it is ultimately determined the district calculations are right, she will have to repay the district $8,983 -- the $6,068 the district overpaid her and the $2,915 it took out for taxes. It would then fall to Penn to try to get the excess tax money back from state and federal agencies. If the district tally for Penn is wrong, L.A. Unified will have to issue her a revised income tax form.
"It is going to be a tax nightmare for people to try to unravel," said Patty O'Connell, a partner at the accounting firm Holthouse, Carlin & Van Trigt in Los Angeles.
"These are their mistakes," he said. "If they think they put too much money in my pocket and they want to discuss it, they can come out to me at school, prove it, and then we can work something out."
[Guess what LAUSD...you blew it...not you're gonna have to eat the loss. Are you crazy??? You think you are gonna sort this out, and disrupt these teachers lives and turn their financial world upside-down? YOU'RE GONNA BE EATING MOST OF THAT $53 million you big f*cking dummies! (AND WE ALL KNOW WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS SYSTEM AND WHY IT WAS SELECTED! Just ask Monica Garcia...she should be able to tell you! Cause when your cronies have a payroll system to sell...you just GOTTA use that one!)
full article
IS THERE A PARENT IN THE CITY LEFT THAT WOULD TRUST THESE LAUSD BUFFOONS WITH THEIR KIDS? STUPID AND CORRUPT...IT'S A TRAGIC COMBINATION.
zumadogg@gmail.com
Zuma Dogg on YouTube
NEW THREAD: HOW DOES ONE GO ABOUT DISMANTLING LAUSD? (aka: THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON'T THEY?)
excerpt from latimes.com:
L.A. Unified tells teachers to refund over-payments (LMFAO!)
The district paid about $53 million too much to 36,000 workers. They are given until Dec. 10 to decide whether to pay or fight.
CLICK READ MORE FOR $53 MILLION WORTH OF LAUSD BAFFOONERY
In the latest fallout from a badly flawed payroll system that has plagued the Los Angeles public school system for nearly a year, officials have taken steps to recoup $53 million they calculate has been overpaid to about 36,000 school district employees.
Teachers and other staff in the Los Angeles Unified School District must either trust the district's claim that they were overpaid and repay the money -- or dispute the calculations and face further chaos come tax season.
For Genie Penn, a veteran second-grade teacher at Overland Elementary on the Westside, the choice is clear.
"All of a sudden they've decided I owe them $9,000?" asked an exasperated Penn, who has a graduate degree in business. "I know I owe them some money, but it is not that much. Until they can show me some proof of how much I owe them, I am not paying a dime. It's just absurd. It's mind boggling! But I guess when you work for LAUSD, nothing should surprise you."
Affected employees -- the vast majority are teachers -- have until Dec. 10 to choose whether to repay the district the entire amount they received, request a repayment plan, repay only the amount they believe they were overpaid or refuse to pay anything.
Any employee who disagrees with the district's overpayment calculation and refuses to pay some or all of the money will have to wait for L.A. Unified and union officials to work out a process for how such disputes will be resolved. Zeronian and David Holmquist, interim chief operating officer, said they expect those plans to be finalized early next year.
[OH GOOD...GLAD TO SEE EVERYTHING WILL BE OFF TO A SMOOTH, PRODUCTIVE, EFFICIENT AND NON-COMBATIVE START NEXT YEAR!]
After months of mounting confusion and frustration, many are dubious of the computer system's ability to accurately calculate over-payments. Several teachers pointed to an earlier attempt by the district to determine over-payments and under-payments that was marred by widespread inaccuracies.
Penn, for example, is flummoxed because the district claimed during the summer that she owed a couple of hundred dollars and now says she owes nearly $9,000. As far as she can tell, the new figure is impossibly high because she is paid only about $4,000 each month and, as far as she can tell, the only overpayment she received was a month's pay while she was on leave.
"These numbers just don't make any sense," echoed Stephen McDonough, a sixth-grade music teacher at Reed Middle School in North Hollywood, who was told he owes $1,900. "Nobody is clear on how they came up with them. They are asking me to take their word for it and pay them a third of my salary right before the holidays. I can't do it."
[AND NOW BRACE YOURSELF FOR SOME OF THE "STUPIDIST" PR COMMENTS EVER UTTERED...]
Holmquist urged employees to trust the district. But he could offer only a tenuous reason to do so, saying that the relative success of this month's payday indicates that repairs made so far to the payroll system appear to be working. Some technical glitches remain unresolved, however, and 3,000 employees are estimated to have had paycheck problems this month.
Are the calculations "100% guaranteed? No," Holmquist said. "But it's highly probable. We have a higher degree of confidence than ever before that we are accurate."
[OH GOOD! I'm sure people are bending over backwards to trust you and pay whatever you ask, as soon as possible, now that you have a "higher degree of confidence" in the accuracy.]
Challenging the district over the repayment totals, however, comes with considerable risk. In the letters to employees, Zeronian warned that once the December deadline passes, employees will be responsible for the total amount of the alleged overpayments, including the amount the district withheld for taxes.
[OH GOOD...NOW THE DISTRICT IS THREATENING TEACHERS WHEN THEY ARE NOT EVEN SURE THEY ARE ACCURATE!?!?!]
If Penn, the elementary school teacher, for example, refuses to pay and it is ultimately determined the district calculations are right, she will have to repay the district $8,983 -- the $6,068 the district overpaid her and the $2,915 it took out for taxes. It would then fall to Penn to try to get the excess tax money back from state and federal agencies. If the district tally for Penn is wrong, L.A. Unified will have to issue her a revised income tax form.
"It is going to be a tax nightmare for people to try to unravel," said Patty O'Connell, a partner at the accounting firm Holthouse, Carlin & Van Trigt in Los Angeles.
"These are their mistakes," he said. "If they think they put too much money in my pocket and they want to discuss it, they can come out to me at school, prove it, and then we can work something out."
[Guess what LAUSD...you blew it...not you're gonna have to eat the loss. Are you crazy??? You think you are gonna sort this out, and disrupt these teachers lives and turn their financial world upside-down? YOU'RE GONNA BE EATING MOST OF THAT $53 million you big f*cking dummies! (AND WE ALL KNOW WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS SYSTEM AND WHY IT WAS SELECTED! Just ask Monica Garcia...she should be able to tell you! Cause when your cronies have a payroll system to sell...you just GOTTA use that one!)
full article
IS THERE A PARENT IN THE CITY LEFT THAT WOULD TRUST THESE LAUSD BUFFOONS WITH THEIR KIDS? STUPID AND CORRUPT...IT'S A TRAGIC COMBINATION.
zumadogg@gmail.com
Zuma Dogg on YouTube
Posted by Zuma Dogg @ 11/10/2007 11:14:00 AM
67 Comments:
But they're not even giving teachers an honest accounting of what they owe. One teacher quoted estimates she got an extra $4000 but they want her to repay 9. So it's going to cost a lot more money in a lot more accounting fees, to get it right, if they ever do. The labor costs associated with this will double anythng they might get back. Meanwhile they build schools in areas with declining enrollment or next to freeways, while seizing a hospital in Greg Smith's district for a school, that he wanted to expand into a much-needed hospital.
But god forbid they'd build a school on the westside, for people whose kids have been displaced for years by the immigrants and illegals. But libs say, give us more money to fix these problems.
reposted so everyone can read it
But they're not even giving teachers an honest accounting of what they owe. One teacher quoted estimates she got an extra $4000 but they want her to repay 9. So it's going to cost a lot more money in a lot more accounting fees, to get it right, if they ever do. The labor costs associated with this will double anythng they might get back. Meanwhile they build schools in areas with declining enrollment or next to freeways, while seizing a hospital in Greg Smith's district for a school, that he wanted to expand into a much-needed hospital.
But god forbid they'd build a school on the westside, for people whose kids have been displaced for years by the immigrants and illegals. But libs say, give us more money to fix these problems.
our city is so messed up
Zuma, why is mayor hiring more cops?? Is the mayor being paid by the cops union? I know the shady midget mexican mayor is doing something shady. Zuma, please tell us what shady thing the mayor is doing!!!!!
http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7421004
Council blinks in face of mayor's demand to use trash fees to hire LAPD officers
By Rick Orlov, Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 11/10/2007 12:16:22 AM PST
Threatening to veto any move to limit police hiring, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa won a showdown with the City Council on Friday when it voted to move forward with expanding the force even as the city faces growing budget constraints.
But while the council voted to let Los Angeles Police Department hiring continue, it also added a provision that it must be notified when hiring exceeds 226 new officers beyond the existing force.
Now the illegal alien Mexicans are working with the Arab terrorists. This is why we need to deport all illegal aliens immediately. Wake-up American the Mexicans and Arabs are trying to destroy this country.
Sources: Feds Target Hezbollah Cell in L.A.
By James Gordon Meek
Today we report in the New York Daily News about a bizarre case unfolding in the Los Angeles communities Bell and Cudahy, where a special task force collared a dozen Arab-American and Latino suspects involved in a seemingly small-time drug and counterfeit clothing ring. While on the surface it doesn't appear to be terrorism-related, our sources say Operation Bell Bottoms targeted a "classic case of terrorism financing," with the defendants smuggling profits from selling dope and counterfeit goods in L.A. back to Iran-backed Shiite terror group Hezbollah in Syria and Lebanon.
Discord Roils L A Unified Parent Panel, today's L A Times story in California section:
A group of some 63 parents elected citywide to advise LAUSD now have a majority Spanish speakers, second= biggest group are African Americans, and there are a "handful" of others.
Many of the Mexicans insist on conducting the meetings IN SPANISH instead of English, as currently mandated. They call it "racist," to say that in America, English and not Spanish is the common language!
The Chair is some guy called Fonseca who SPEAKS ONLY IN SPANISH at an annual meeting, even though he's bilingual, infuriating the other (virtually all black) parents so that tensions have become huge.
Keep in mind, that the almost $400 million in Title I the City gets from the feds for "poor" schools that these parents want a say in spending, were put aside during the Civil rights era FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT.
But now the Hispanics not only have control over this advisory Board and the money, but are demanding our "racist" English-first mandates are illegal. And there is some CITY-PAID SCHOOL BOARD LAWYER who is upholding them on this.
It's all crazier than crazy. This is the group of parents that reps the whole city, folks, not CD14 or some Mecha school in Boyle Heights.
What is "Baffoonery"?
2:12pm,
It's YOUR response to LAUSD overpaying $53 million. Focused on all the right things again, I see, you loser. Oh...ha...wow..."buffoonery" isn't a real word...ZD just made it up...I guess no problem about the $53 million. WOW! You're so smart. You're very clever. You really deflated the attention from the issue at hand. Nothing to see here...ZD said, "buffoonery". So the $53 million is no problem.
"Buffoonery" is Villar in action and his team of spinning buffoons trying to clean up his perpetual mess.
ZD, I think you're in love with Monica Garcia. You just have a weird way of showing it.
Baffoonery is the traditional spelling for those who want to advise LAUSD as parent or community members.
Since the rest can't speak English anyway, and can't tell the difference.
They'd only get upset if you call them the baffooonery in Espanol, the rightful language of our school system and what our taxpayer public is being swindled to pay for.
On top of this ripoff payroll system and overpayments, so that's almost 200 million right there.
How many taxpayers do you presume have any idea that our local and state and federal money has turned into a school system which calls English "racist" and shuts out not only the white middle class but all other ethnic groups and the poor blacks, who are supposed to be benefiting first from Title 1 funds but are left in the dust as un-PC, fighting the Hispanics on this?
THIS SOUNDS LIKE THE LINCOLN HEIGHTS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE THEY RUNNING TWO SETS OF BOOKS!!!
CORRUPT CORRUPED !!
SHAME ON YOU STEVE KASTEN!
SHAME ON YOU!!
Lincoln Heights Chamber of Commerce has two sets of book? That makes sense: One for each bank account. Two sets of books and two bank accounts. What's the problem? Who investigates and prosecutes this type of accounting corruption?
Discord roils L.A. Unified parent panel This is what happens when people like Zuma get involved in politics!
7:58pm,
WTF does ZD have to do with that story? Nothing. I'm talking about a $53 million dollar payroll debacle...but you're trying to link me to a story about speaking english vs spanish. nice try douchebag. do you EVER get tired of losing? Aren't you worried your whole world is gonna cave in after the holidays when your boss is thrown in jail?
HOW ABOUT IF I START LISTING THINGS THAT HAPPEN WHEN CORRUPT EXTREMISTS LIKE YOUR BOSS GETS INVOLVED IN POLITICS YOU SON OF A BITCH!
We have just witnessed the birth of Captain Crabbypants!
That LAT story @ 7:58 is un-freaking-believable!
Wait... no, it isn't.
HOW ABOUT IF I START LISTING THINGS THAT HAPPEN WHEN CORRUPT EXTREMISTS LIKE YOUR BOSS GETS INVOLVED IN POLITICS YOU SON OF A BITCH!
*******************
Is this more rumor and innuendo by Stooge number 1. Or is that guy really a son of a bitch.
Aren't male dogs sons of bitches?
The bee is a busy little soul -
He has no time for birth control,
And that is why in times like these
There are so many sons o' bees!
(like 7:58 & 8:34, for example.)
Hey AW,
Are you sure LA Times didn't pick up that LAUSD story at 7:58pm from The Onion?
The article says (she) considers it racist when parents are told that, in America, they have to speak English.
I hope it isn't considered racist that the curriculum and text books are in English, too?
See, here's the problem sweetie:
If the reason you are not speaking English is because you are not able to communicate in English...
Well, that's going to be a little problem in the classroom and during the testing.
Maybe United States citizen tests should be given in Spanish, too.
Naw, that would just complicate things, 10:28. I would prefer student testing in Latin, Greek, or Aramaic.
10:28: With ballots already in Spanish for some time (and now Persian and Korean and who knows what) you don't have to know English to become a citizen. The test has meant memorizing a few words so far. New rules want to tighten that, but there are many who believe they're racist.
Of course they're a direct correlation between parents who think it's racist to be required to know English and low test scores.
As for the parent meetings: what's outrageous is, they didn't just want to speak Spanish in groups where no one spoke English, but with many blacks and some "others" who had to sit there and not know what they were saying. Their answer: learn Spanish, you racist!
EVERY other group, the Koreans and Persians etc., send their kids to weekend language/culture schools, don't expect LAUSD to become fluent and teach in their languages.
I'd like to see CM's forced to answer, if they think kids should be required to speak English, and if English speaking parents can be shut out be Spanish speaking parents at meetings, because the Hispanics outnumber them.
Voting yes: Alarcon for sure, probably Reyes (it's paimful to hear him trying to articulate anything in English), probably Cardenas and Huizar. And...? Which LAUSD Board members?
Gotta at least give Antonio credit for pushing English and national standards. Although Monica and the School Board want to make curricula more "relevant to Hispanics."
Zuma, get on the case -- what does that mean, exactly?
Hey, wait a minute!
If it's racist to expect that people are supposed to learn English, then how does the lunatic aka Nunez expect that drivers licenses for illegals are going to solve the problem that illegals encounter when trying to read traffic signs printed in English? That's some convoluted thinking for you... just as convoluted as my previous sentence!
I never knew that a traffic sign could somehow be labeled a racist!
There are in fact a number of vehicle accidents where the drivers, including a trucker who killed couple people recently, explained he couldn't read the signs -- to use the runaway truck ramp instead of crashing into some cars at a light on bottom at PCH. (Even though all the runaway truck lanes I've seen also show the truck veering off road.)
If these illegals were tested back in Mexico, they'd know something, and they could drive here legally with Mexican licenses. So clearly these people aren't trained to drive, even to read international symbols.
Anyone who has their vehicle impounded for no license, should have to pass a test to get their care back, not just pay a fine.
All of these problems would be fixed by restarting desegregation busing, increasing afternoon sports programs for at-risk youth, and hiring more Spanish-English translators in the workplace.
Hiring more Spanish-English translators at the workplace???
That should really help keep U.S. competitive.
Let's spend twice as much time on everything by translating at the workplace.
That should help increase productivity. A real competitive edge.
Larry, you're full of something in the middle of the night. People who think it's racist to be required don't need or want translators, they are making a political, anti "anglo" statement. Guess it would make sense to have translators at city expense in every car driven by an illegal, so they can not commit as many traffic infractions. As for busing, it never stopped -- that's why the westside has no schools for its local kids, the bused in/ special preference to minorities groups are what have taken over the schools in totality, from middle to high schools. Whether Westwood, Brentwood or Bel Air, never mind BHPO or further east, people's taxes are going to educate the kids of the poor and immigrants who have been bused in since the civil rights era. Why do you think the middle class must pay for private schools or move? Why does L A even in "good" neighborhoods have the crappiest schools in the country?
Take a nap, that Kool Aid isn't helping.
Larry,
Quit drinking the Kool-Aid, illegal aliens are destroying the city of Los Angeles.
The kids of the illegal aliens are in gangs and involved in criminal activity.
Just drive around Los Angeles and look at all the illegal street vendors, grafitti and trash on the streets.
Our jails are about 25% illegal aliens, why are we wasting money on these uneducated criminals.
Our schools are being ruined by the illegal alien kids, hospital emergency rooms are filled by illegal aliens?
Wake up Los Angeles and see what the Mayor and his mexican mechista fellow politicians are doing to Los Angeles.
Larry is downright scary...
I hope every person that was overpaid fights it. There is only one solution to fix LAUSD and that is to go bankrupt.
What happens if LAUSD goes bankrupt? I think that IS the solution! KILL IT!
That's what the mayor was sent to do, anyway. that's what ab 1381 was about...and what the mayoral backed school board is about. kill lasud. at first i was against it...but i DO think the district needs to be put out of it's misery. hopefully, this $53 million debacle is part of the solution at LAUSD...to finally kill it.
so it looks like zd and mt are finally on the same side of the school board issue.
Zuma, never thought I'd agree with you on anything, but you're right that LAUSD must be allowed to go bankrupt and put out of its misery.
This payroll debacle is really at least $200 million wasted: 100 plus 20 for the faulty system; this 53 in over payments; then probably at least that much in additional accounting costs to prove the overpayments and get it back, legal battles, etc.
On top of wasted inventory, building schools by freeways and on toxic dump sites, lawsuit over taking the Ambassador hotel, etc.
Plus Greig Smith is justly mad that they took the 300-bed Granada Hills Hospital by eminent domain for a school, which he was anxious to keep, while 10 county hospitals have closed and this was a viable hospital.
LAUSD operates independently of the elected city officials, but has the power to override Coucilmembers and tbe Mayor. Outrageous.
Good for the Mayor in seizing some control, and he should go further.
But not to put band aids on it, smash the carcass with a boulder.
If you asked the NC's about their school needs, you'd get an earful from angry, overtaxed people in Bel Air and Brentwood and Westwood and the Hollywood Hills, where houses are a fortune, about how their kids have no schools because they're full of bused in kids.
The new schools being built at high cost and social cost to hospitals, etc., are so the poor and immigrant kids can stop being bused far from home for their convenience -- with no thought to the people whose area schools they had taken over for decades.
Any parent commiserates with each other over this, but it falls on deaf ears, because the City Council has a disproportionate number of members fighting for their "poor" districts in a socialist way, and battling the "rich" people who pay to educate their kids.
Break up LAUSD, let the Hispanics on the Eastside and East Valley get the schools they can pay for == make them work to figure it out.
If they want to have their Mecha schools, call it "racist" to have English as the official language, and have Hispanics battle the blacks in every way -- give blacks and Hispanics separate control with obligations to secure funding, too.
(The Hispanics are stealing the blacks' Title 1 funds as it is.)
Give the westside/west valley NC's a strong voice in where and how their schools should be built, let their taxes actually stay at home, and you'll see the best school system in the country.
The rest of the country marvels at our real estate prices -- look at that whole Mayor Sam comparison with Ohio, quality of life issues == yet we have the crappiest schools.
Give the people back local control.
The NC's are a joke until schools are a part of their jurisdiction.
Zuma, you have a calling here: you are neither fish nor fowl, neither middle class nor really white, not black or brown -- you can and do say what you want. Bust the thing up and give everyone local control.
I somehow thing Larry was being facetious.
1:45
Amen! You've hit the nail squarely on the head. LAUSD, as it stands today, is so ineffective and non-responsive to the voices of parents in the westside or in the west valley.
Kill it. Put it (and us) out of its misery.
They shoot horses, don't they? (apologies to Horace McCoy)
xoxo,
valley doll
This whole LAUSD payroll mess cries out for leadership. The bureaucratic tail is wagging the dog here, and everyone suffers.
2:35: Larry is typical of the kind who populate Marc Cooper's blog, and is very mild compared to the bulk of them. Just try getting on there with a point of view that actually tries to argue for fair taxation with representation to the middle class, arguing for English as the official language of business and schools, for restricting illegal immigration, etc.
Watch your skin.
Nah, I really was being facetious.
What we REALLY need to fix this city is a sort of Kwanzaa for Mexican illegals. Maybe one where they sacrifice pre-teen girls to the Aztec rain god or something and then eat ham and cranberry sauce. Something cheery to make them feel at home here. We can call it "Villaranzaa."
after a couple weeks hearing a lot of horror stories from parents about LAUSD and speaking to LAUSD personnel...i really get the
combative, stonewall, cover-your-ass, pretend everything is perfect vibe from these LAUSD
people.
F*CK EM!
It's gotta be broken up. people on mayor sam are talking about letting
it go bankrupt as a way of shooting it like a horse that you put out of misery.
is this possible? how do you dismantle the school district?
then who takes over the education system?
the most skeptical side of zd has always felt that the mayor was sent to kill-off lausd/neuter it as much as possible.
i was all focused on the construction budget, and front-end loaded management contracts,
and the non-transparency/no-accountability of non-profit charters and all that shady potential...(AND THOSE ARE VERY REAL CONCERNS...ESPECIALLY WITH ANTONIO SETTING UP HIS OWN EDUCATION NON-PROFIT)
But after speaking with parents and administrators (and LAUSD's combative,
a-hole/cover-up/deny everything nature...
maybe the powers that be who backed Antonio to take over the school system are correct in their premise.
so then what happens? how do you do it, beyond the slow and grueling process of doing it
through charters? Is that the only/fastest way?
_________________
in a related matter...i was already given the "heads up" that ZD's blogging services will be required over Antonio's Eastside High School take-over plan. (Of course the people contacting me are AGAINST it.)
so i am gonna start aksing them which is worse? Antonio or LAUSD?
I KNOW that there is going to be a faction that will be against Antonio on any and
everything, just because he slammed the door on so many people he made campaign promises to -- and his overall shadiness/corruption.
And I think he's shady as hell, too...as you know...
but LAUSD is maybe even 2% worse. So it's like 49% vd 51% as to who is worse. And the edge MAY go to Antonio.
Any thoughts as to the chances of Antonio running his cluster, better LAUSD-losers -- and how you can put an end to the entire district.
zumadogg@gmail.com
If parents are really serious about having local control of schools, they should file a class action lawsuit in Federal court.
Maybe the best way to kill LAUSD is to Federalize it. YES, I said the Feds should take it over!
Look at the strengths:
Since local officials say illegal immigration is a Federal problem, then if the Feds are in charge of the LAUSD, they can enforce the immigration laws there.
The Feds can junk the unreliable payroll system @ LAUSD, and put in a more reliable one.
Expenses would need to be approved via the Federal voucher system; if someone's voucher isn't kosher, there will be very probing questions asked.
Villar, if the LAUSD is Federalized, will be forced to pull in his horns QUICK, and so will that dumbass operating the madrassa school. Think of what could happen to them if the Feds start asking questions concerning questionable expenses regarding the LAUSD, and then expand the scope of their investigation to include the City government, since the Mayor wanted a link between his office and the LAUSD!
Ever hear of the book, "The Octopus", by Frank Norris?
I disagree with you, 9:18. Afro-Americans can at least communicate in English; illegals aren't interested in learning English. In many ways, they're like the prospectors during the American period from 1849 - 1898, in which all they want(ed) to do is to get rich by hook or by crook, and then go home.
In the case of the American prospector, they wanted to strike it rich, then buy their own little homestead in American territory.
In the case of the illegal, they want to get rich off the backs of the American citizens, steal our land, our resources, our benefits, our medical care, and our jobs.
I've noticed that many politicians are saying that illegals do jobs Americans don't want to do. Balderdash! I can name half a dozen careers that used to employ Americans, but Americans can't work in because employers who hire illegals will continue to discriminate against their fellow citizens.
Here are the half-dozen: Plumbing, construction, roofing, house painting, gardeners, trucking.
I know of some Afro-Americans who would be willing to be employed in the above, but can't because illegals have taken all of the jobs!
Can the voters take over LAUSD by eminent domain?
7:51; That's brilliant, actually.
To 9 something re: the blacks: hey, they've been here longer than a lot of immigrants, brought against their will originally, and fed funds exist in spades for their education, like the Title 1. $400 million that the Mexicans are taking control over because they've become the majority since the funds were approved back in the 60's and 70's.
If that's all we had to deal with, realistically, we could have managed.
But because of unrestricted illegal immigration (which IS a fed problem), we need to break them up, the Hispanics TO GET THEIR OWN FUNDING UNDER FED SUPERVISION AND EXAMINATION OF ALL THE FRAUDULENT BOOKKEEPING REPORTED IN THIS BLOG, the Mecha School referred to, the two sets of books kept by that ELA Chamber of Commerce...
THEN, THE BLACKS, who could manage their own schools to the best of their ability -- at least, in English with the goal of assimilation. That's a whole lot better than the separatism of the Hispanics on OUR tax dollars, while we have no schools...
F-in brilliant, 7:51
Zuma Dogg,
For what purpose would Villar(aigosa) and his supporters want to ruin the LAUSD?
6:33am,
First of all because it needs to be put out of misery as mentioned on this post...
But mainly because there is a lot of money to be skimmed off the school system.
charters are non-profits. perhaps you are aware of the problems with front-end loaded management contracts, non-transparency, no accountability...and the money can easily disappear/be wasted.
HOWEVER, the good-spin on Villar's takeover attempt is that he wants to improve/fix the schools as a political goal. If he improves the schools...he gets bragging rights.
So I DO believe Antonio wants to "fix" the schools...not because he cares about kids or the city (i'm not saying he doesn't) -- but because it'll help his career. (And there is nothing wrong with "higher achievement" being you motivating goal...
IF the guy can not be a shady scorpion, which i'm not sure he has in him.
ALSO...for him to achieve anything (good or bad) -- he's gonna have to get re-elected...cause none of this is gonna be fixed THIS term.
So it's possible, Antonio is merely setting up "mayoral control" for the next mayor.
Summary: Why does Antonio wanna take over LAUSD? Money to be made (under shady circumstances) and higher political aspirations if he succeeds.
And I THINK he was stuck with this albatross, like it or not from the Eli/Riordan crew.
SIDE NOTE: in 2005, Eli Broad's foundation gave out over $35 million dollars to museums, eductation institutions and whatnot. (Millions and tens of millions at a time.)
He only gave $1000 bucks to LAUSD and that was for the marching band.
So that's a REAL indication of what the powers that be in the city think of LAUSD. A thousand bucks (for the band) out of over $35 million.
I hope that KINDA answers the question???
impossible to trust he has a higher purpose for our schools. It would be like giving it to the lesser evil ???
It is a good idea that the Federal Government take over. LAUSD needs to be investigated and it needs to be cleaned. The Federal Government has the resources and power to do it, if they want to do it. So far I don’t see them responding promptly or at all to the Title I parent complaints.
English must be the official language in the USA. It has been disastrous to have allowed it to go this far. If people are too lazy to learn the language, that it’s their problem. There are so many sources and opportunities to learn English for free. Mexico and other countries do not offer those services, if you do not know the language you have to pay for your classes. We cannot continue to allow the idea that is racist not to speak in Spanish at a meeting, soon will be racist for not speaking German, Italian etc. in other meetings. We have to stop the pandering of political officials and others that promote this idea to get votes or other favors.
When you have politicans who encourage illegals to continue to Speak spanish they are not going to learn English. At events these politicans have they speak to the crowd in Spanish even though there's many residents who speak English. The baby Boomers parents who are in their 60's, 70's and 80's and Latinos speak English. WHY? Because they will tell you its a privilege to be in this country and they want to respect it by learning the language. The media should start reporting that aspect of the illegal issue. These senior Latinos will tell you they are fed up with the disrespect the illegals have for this country and our city and shame on the Mayor and people like Huizar, Reyes, Alarcon, Cardenas, Nunez, Molina, Romero, Roybal Allard, Cedillo and the rest who have done absolutely NOTHING to help the low income areas of Latinos in this city. They are all worthless. They have no class, dress like slobs and only care about what in it for them.
Zuma, why is mayor hiring more cops?? Is the mayor being paid by the cops union?
Maybe because when you look at the other big cities in the US LA has the least amount of cops to patrol the streets of this city. For decades no one has cared about hiring enough cops. New York has 40,000 cops and less then 100 miles to patrol compared to LA who has only 9,000 (and that's not all on the streets) and 100 more miles to patrol.
So its about time we try to catch up.
in repsonse to my own 11/11 6:54pm post, here's what my research staff came up with:
Zuma,
If LAUSD went bankrupt it would revert to state control (similar to what happened in the compton and oakland unified districts).
to break up the school district into smaller pieces would require state legislation...and if you don't have the support of the CTA it will never pass.
so if the state controlled LAUSD you would have people from sacramento running the district.
do people in sacramento know whats best for LA kids? maybe they DO considering how screwed up LAUSD is.
as for antonio's plan -- if parents want to fight it, thats understandable, of course...
but in the long run, those schools in his cluster are supposed to be getting more resources and more attention.
So, if the mayor is able to show some real improvements, does it mean it will be a campaign issue for the Mayor...HELL YEAH!
Just as it would be for anyone else, including the Governor.
So if aspiration for higher office is the "checks and balance system" that drives a politician to make his/her best effort...GOOD!
So it kinda depends on whether you think antonio has the smarts to pull it off...AND HE DOESN'T...
BUT (AND A HUGE BUT)...
HE HAS ALL THE "EXPERTS" ON HIS TEAM, AT LEAST. So it's not like any of Antonio's own brain will be going into it...so THAT'S good.
HAVING THE RIGHT TEAM DOESN'T INSURE SUCCESS...but at least it appears to ZD Antonio has tried to get all the seasoned veterans in this area on his team. (Whether it's shady or not...who knows...but you COULD put a good spin on Antonio vs LAUSD -- when it comes down to choosing between the lesser of two evils.
The Federal Government needs to INVESTIGATE the Councils at every level. They suppose to be there to empower parents in the education of their children, that’s so far from the truth.
Parent Council at District Level: F
First group Formed of new parents that know nothing.
Second group know some, but they are there just to get information.
Third group they know, but they are so very few, they cannot change anything.
Fourth group they know how to control the meetings, know how
To use the school police to intimidate those parents that start making waves, know how to influence the council and they are in cahoots with the administration.
Read their bylaws. Nothing goes out without the administration consent.
They are a very dysfunctional group and I mean dysfunctional.
Those parents that are the parasites in this group are benefited by: Having a free breakfast or lunch and attending the big presentations at the hotels and taking pictures with the BIG PEOPLE. Others claim to have other children, one or more and they get paid for babysitting when they attend these meetings. Others the closest to the administrators receive checks by adding bogus names. Another payoff is taking free trips to other states to attend conferences. The administrators know how to buy these parents allegiance, these parents are a disgrace to other parents, but most of all they are the worst enemies of our students. Their job is to hold LAUSD accountable and all they do is benefit themselves.
First of all, LAUSD said 53 Million; not by an independent audit company like Price Waterhouse, etc.
Each employee says the figures that were given to them were grossly over what they actually received. They wont pay back what they can prove to be actual time and earnings.
Huizar was the guy that started this "new accounting". How do we know that 10% or 20% of that 53 Million is not really 'lost", unrecoverable", etc. because it was used for campaign funds for CD 14 Villa, and CD14 Huizar; or others?
You can't blame Romer or Brewer. They were trying to fix what Huizar started.
Remember the old story
"FOLLOW THE MONEY"!
OH MY GOD ... Jose Huizar, I totally want to kick you in the ballsack.
xoxo,
valley doll
If your childs school deteriorated in the last year, maybe the Mayor is involved.
Look at the Teast scores
compare with the Schools who had change in Principal.
What is really their agenda?
Is it District reform?
or the Mayor's reform?
I don't know anything about the Mayor's clusters first hand, but if last poster is an indication, he's bitten off a lot by picking the worst performing schools in the first place to try to fix.
Poster blames him for their low test scores, when low test scores are what makes them low performing in the first place.
What's that about replacing principals, is this some sort of UTLA campaign to blame the Mayor?
Mayor should have picked some decent schools and made them better or exceptional, to show what could be done. But that might have meant going into more middle class areas, or god forbid, building a school in a middle class area, which they never do.
If people in the worst schools are so intent on keeping them as they are, it's another reason to let the whole LAUSD go bankrupt, so people can seize local control of schools and budget.
Someone posted the state would then take over. How, what mechanism?
Maybe everyone paying taxes and getting nothing back could file the giant class action suit suggested.
Then what?
Jose Huizar should return the favor and kick Valley Doll in the ballsack, too.
At least I have balls, which is more than I can say for Mr. Huizar. And I'm a girl. Sad when a little ol' Valley Mom has more cajones than a big, important man like Jose. So on that note, Bite Me!!
xoxo,
valley doll
(listening to AC/DC's "I've Got Big Balls)
I DO have balls, and I DO take a stand...
Just keep my name out of it!
How is it that a female with testicles calls herself Valley Doll?
We liked her better when she just had a big ass and was chasing pirates all over the North Valley!
Zuma Dogg = Valley Doll
You heard it here first!
Big Vagina? Damn, I've got a sick kid at home and so I missed that comment before it got deleted. But for the love of god, you've already attacked my fat ass, must you go after my genitalia as well?
And yes, EVERYONE knows that Zuma Dogg and I are the same person. That's why you never see us in the same room together.
Love ya Zuma! (oh my god, there i go talking to myself again)
xoxo,
valley doll
Spelled correctly it is
buffoonery
Main Entry: buf·foon·ery
Pronunciation: \-ˈfü-nə-rē, -ˈfün-rē\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural buf·foon·er·ies
Date: 1621
: foolish or playful behavior or practice
Canada is a bi-lingual country. If you think that ALL OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA should be bi-lingual, work to make it so. Until then, I wont speak to anyone who doesnt speak AMERICAN English. DELL Computer is now opening offices in the SF valley because AMERICANS, WHO SPEAK AMERICAN ENGLISH REFUSED TO SPEAK TO "INDIA ENGLISH" which most of us dont understand. I speak more than one language but the language of my country is AMERICAN ENGLISH.
Indians speak perfectly find English, and are technically very competent, but sometimes they're not well trained and can't answer the questions but some local Americans can't either.
What really gets people ticked off at the Indians is these companies have them calling us, especially around dinner time, with rude introductions like, "Mam, do you have --XYZ software or phone service or computer?" Ask why and they just blurt on, pushy...kind of like they're trying to see you junk on the streets of Calcutta.
Upper class Indians are very polite but these guys are pushy, and told to be that way.
Had the idiots PAID more attention to - or had more concern for the under PAIDS they would have been able to prevent the Overpayments....THE IDIOTS
The L A Daily News article on Brewer's first year says he's done as good a job as can be expected, seeing he was brought into the middle of a battle between the old school board and the Mayor, but he still can't push through any of his own reforms, and is pretty wimpy in backing off so fast from his plan to spin off some 44 low performing schools into their own cluster.
They say, the huge school system is ungovernable, BUST IT UP. Amen.
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