Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Monday

Marshall Tuck, CEO, Mayor Antonio Villar's Partnership for Los Angeles Schools (PLAS).

Memo to LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy, School Board President Monica Garcia and PLAS CEO Marshall Tuck, judging from your Friday afternoon choreograph parent meeting in response to the latest sexual misconduct allegations involving a LAUSD educator, this time at Boyle Height's Roosevelt High School, district officials need to "truly embrace" openness and transparency.

But for Mayor Villar's PLAS CEO Marshall Tuck, openness and transparency does not allow for video taping of certain public meetings on PLAS campuses. During Friday's meeting at Roosevelt High School, Tuck walked up to Boyle Heights Activist Jose Aguilar who was video-taping the proceedings and requested that Aguilar stop filming. When Aguilar stood his ground and continue filming, Tuck stated that he could have Aguilar arrested if he continue to film. Aguilar again reminded Tuck that this was a public meeting open to everyone and that filming was allowed. At this point Tuck backed down and return to the front of the auditorium.

When asked after the meeting why he attempted to cease filming of the meeting, Tuck's reply was that parents were not given advance notice that filming would be allowed. But in this new media age, most would expect that some sort of video documentation of the meeting would have taken place, whether it came from the camera of a noted community activist or a cellphone of an undocumented parent of a Roosevelt student.

Thus, as LAUSD races from scandal to scandal in recent weeks, district officials should ponder making use of new media to communicate to its district parents how it is responding to situations such as Miramonte and Roosevelt. Plus, LAUSD should make use of its Channel 58 resources to convey its response to these situations. 

Remember Mr. Tuck to embrace the camera like the Mayor taking on an Photo Op.

** OTHER NEWS: 

** City Councilperson's Jan Perry and Bernard Parks are not backing off after the Redistricting Committee "beat down" of their respected council districts. Park and Perry are calling for fair, objective hearings on the redistricting process during the city council deliberations on the committee's proposed final map. As  side note, expect lawsuits to be filed in the near future. 

** We should note that our earlier request for public documents from HACLA has been fruitful fanilly. In the weeks ahead as we examine hundreds of pages of bank statements, emails and other records, The results will be publish here at Mayor Sam.

Your thoughts ................

Scott Johnson in CD 14.