Whistleblower hotline: (213) 785-6098
mayorsam@mayorsam.org

Monday, September 03, 2007

Zuma Dogg, Monica Garcia and Green Dot's Steve Barr at LAUSD Meeting About Charters

In case you missed the KCLS TV broadcast of the LAUSD meeting on Tuesday and Sunday, here is a recap featuring LAUSD board President Monica Garcia, Zuma Dogg and Green Dot Charter School's Founder/CEO Steve Barr. (Bill Gates, Oscar De La Hoya and Eli Broad give this guy tens of millions of dollars; AND he is Villaraigosa and his LAUSD majority board's Charter school poster boy. There are big plans to expand GreenDot from 10-12 schools to 100 or more. And there isn't a whole lot of land sitting around the city for 100 new schools. So something may have to give. Like your home.

Anyway, it's ZD on Charters (including his breakdown of the Semilla business plan before the LAUSD school board, even though I didn't mention the school by name, and other potential conflicts. Plus, a little Monica Garcia, Steve Barr and Zuma Dogg sings with his Brothers Gibb to bless the session with his rendition of "Too Much Heaven".



ZD Studio Show Part 2 (Mostly "Best of" with some new stuff check it out!)

ZumaTimes.com
zumadogg@gmail.com

PUBLIC NOTICE: Join Zuma Dogg this Wed September 5th for Karaoke at Barney's Beanery @ 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica starting around 10pm.

26 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said:

You need a new hat Dogg. How are you standing the heat? But you done the Bee Gees proud.

September 03, 2007 1:36 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

It was a pleasure listening to your comments. Precise, concise; easily understood, and a good grip of the subject. I hope they listen.

September 03, 2007 2:08 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Dunno about those Zee Dee Bee Gees, Zooms, but don't let anybody tell you that you're out of tune with LAUSD issues.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding of charters (Green Dot, in particular) is that they have a zero-tolerance rule on gang members, making the "two class system" you spoke about even wider and ultimately more debilitating to the future of Los Angeles. For a charter school to truly be considered successful, shouldn't they prove that they can handle a "real world" mix of L.A. students?

September 03, 2007 3:01 PM  

Blogger Zuma Dogg said:

3:01pm Jack,

oh no...you mean some public schools have to deal with "gang" related problems and others don't? Oh no...and then they approve more charters and give them more money based on the numbers. The only thing I can say is I hope LAUSD does a lot more online using YouTube/operator11 and the internet to help kids learn outside the classroom. Give them the option online for tutorials with teachers explaining the homework on youtube, and video game-style lessons and more online. Jack, maybe you can help! That way, if all homework assignments, teaching lessons, Adobe presentation/lessons are online in a youtube/myspace/internet environment, it will at least allow parents and students who WANT to work toward higher achievement may do so out side the classroom. And since it's free to access for all students, the poorest kids will get to help themselves if they want to. Every kid can go to the library after school, and many kids Do have computers. AND WE NEED MORE COMPUTERS IN SCHOOLS!

Cause let's face it, the future started on July 3, 2007 with the new LAUSD school board. And it looks like Brewer is great, but he is there to get the boards job done (and he sure seems to be the best guy for the job), but remember, the board votes to approve or "buy out" the superintendent's contract, not the other way around. So it's not like Brewer is going to be able to execute his own clear strategic vision. It'll be $35 million for part time cafeteria workers as your first order of business, and more and more Charters who get to play by their own set of standards and rules. And now, Antonio Villaraigosa announced his own non-profit to take a bunch of public education money and do with it whatever he wants. He Antonio, need a Form 700? I'll send one over to your non-profit offices.

But more importantly; that Zee Dees/Bee Gees was the realization of a dream come true. (Just the production of it. AND PLEASE JOIN ME ONE AND ALL AT BARNEY'S BEANERY @ 3rd Street Promonade in Santa Monica, Wed at 10pm for Karaoke.

Great place! A lot of fun. Great crowd. Stop by.

September 03, 2007 3:36 PM  

Blogger Mayor Sam said:

So would the key be rather than force charter schools to take gangs how about letting LAUSD kick them out?

September 03, 2007 4:06 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Exposing the scheme of privatization of public money through profitable non-profits

Hidden conflict of interest ...

Zuma is turning into a master communicator.

Zuma simplifies complicated subjects into easily digestible capsules of wisdom.

A lot more than sound bites, and even more than some great punch lines, and Zuma mixed them with entertainment! Awesome!

No wonder corrupted politicians and their followers hate and fear Zuma so much!

September 03, 2007 4:13 PM  

Blogger Zuma Dogg said:

Mayor Sam,

LOL! That WOULD help student achievement scores, wouldn't it!

Green Dot says "Public School" on the business cards. I could see a private school being able to exclude students, but maybe i need to look into Charters more, because it seems if they are public schools they have to deal with public problems, too. BECAUSE AGAIN, money is divided up based on these numbers. So it will only mean less and less money for non-charter LAUSD schools (who need it most).

Maybe instead of Charters for "cream of the crop" students, they should be for the kids who Charters WON'T ALLOW! (LOL!) In other words, let the Charter operators deal with all the special needs, english as second language and physically challenged kids. And let "regular" LAUSD deal with the rest.

September 03, 2007 4:25 PM  

Blogger Mayor Sam said:

ZD,

You may remember that we used to have something called REFORM SCHOOLS here in America. That's where tough guys like James Dean were sent when they were disrupting the education of kids who wanted to learn.

Like private schools I think that charter schools and regular public schools should be ALLOWED to boot out kids that cause trouble and send them to hard assed reform schools. And if the kids aren't making the cut in reform school they go to jail.

Its hard core and I know liberals won't like it but its the only thing troubled kids understand is hard edge discipline. THAT's why the join gangs - those are some of the most DISCIPLINED organizations around!!!

September 03, 2007 5:58 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

President Reagan, uh, I mean, Mayor Sam,

"East of Eden" and "Rebel Without A Cause" were movies, not biopics about James Dean who reportedly "Was a graduate from Santa Monica College...Went on to UCLA but left after appearing in one stage production...as he was anxious to get his acting career started."

Looks to me like he stayed in school for a bit.

As to your second point about reform schools, given the cost of imprisoning all those 9, 10, and 11 year old kids conscripted into gang service based solely on a barrio mailing address, do you really think that is the most efficient use of the public's money?

And, quick follow-up, whose budget should that come out of: LAUSD or the state?

September 03, 2007 6:28 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

One of my concerns is of the language being taught in Semilla. It is written that people who are incarcerated in the Federal, State,County and City jails use the same language, same personal names of the language and ancient tattoos which identify gang associations.

I have nothing about teaching the history of any group, but this language is used to communicate by convicted felons against of the officers law and order.

Is it Semilla's intent to give their students a "leg up" for when they live in the "real world" of incarceration?

September 03, 2007 6:38 PM  

Blogger Mayor Sam said:

Jack Me Off,

I'll take the mention of President Reagan as a compliment.

And yes apparently your skull is thick enough to not understand that my allusion to James Dean was exactly that - to the roles that he played irrespective of his own actual personal life (which by the way wasn't so great for him).

It's kind of like how sometimes folks may refer to a rogue cop as a John Wayne or an idealistic politician as Jimmy Stewart.

Keep jackin!

September 03, 2007 6:48 PM  

Blogger Mayor Sam said:

And regarding cost - LAUSD or the state? Same difference. It could be a better investment in that it would pay off in fewer incarcerations, trials, etc.

September 03, 2007 6:48 PM  

Blogger Zuma Dogg said:

Mayor Sam,

Oh Hell Yeah! Jack Hoff too, said it. It costs so much from to incarcerate and rehabilitate these people. there is money to be made in these services, too, and prison building and operating and juve detention services. lots of money on both sides...the school and the prisons. But at least the kids will be served by the happiest part time cafeteria workers!

September 03, 2007 6:59 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Well, it was a long, slow recovery after being dropped on my head as a child, Mayor Sam...

The thickness of my dome aside, I am fascinated by the mantra of right-wing extremists, whose response to most issues is typically, "Put 'em all in prison and throw away the key."

Maybe you've heard that the California prisons are already full, Mr. Mayor?

The reason we don't have "reform schools" any more is because reform schools didn't work. They punished, but they didn't educate. The product being not exactly the happy kind of people you'd want released into society.

If reform schools provided a successful model, believe me, they'd still be around.

So what's your next best idea, MS?

September 03, 2007 7:12 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Jack, one reason our prisons are full is SP40 and not deporting illegals, who make up upto 2/3 of the prison population by some accounts. I'm not one of the Mexican-bashing racists on this site, but them's the facts. And they often fail in school because they don't want to succeed in the "anglo-biased" culture and California state curriculum, which they see as dissing their culture.

So absolutely put them in a separate system and let those who want to succeed in English and read "anglo" literature and learn non-Aztlan history without being bothered by gangs do so. Mexicans who opt for this can do so, too, leaving the rest to fume about the injustices and frustrate idealistic teachers no end until the quit and move to Green Dot schools. Either that or this group keeps pulling down the whole ship. Teachers are saying this themselves now, too.

September 03, 2007 7:35 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Thanks, 7:35p...

The best fact I could find is from an August 06 Public Policy Institute of California/William R. Hewlett Foundation report that stated foreign born CA prisoners at 17%.

Latino men constitute roughly 38% of the prison population, so that 2/3 "Illegals" mark seems overstated.

Here's something the good mayor should love from that same report...

"Since 1990, the number of prisoners in California has risen three times faster than the overall adult population, standing at almost 168,000 in 2005. Adults younger than 25 years old account for a declining segment of the prison population (declining from 20% in 1990 to 14% in 2005), while the share of adults age 50 and older has nearly tripled (rising from 4% to 11%). What accounts for this shift? Surprisingly – given that criminological research tells us young people are the most likely group to commit crimes – older adults are increasingly being admitted to prison. Additionally, more inmates are aging in prison because tougher sentencing laws lead to more time served."

Maybe that's why the prisons are full?

September 03, 2007 8:51 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Language was an elective. I chose a language (not of my family) which would allow me to enter into international commerce; French. I have been able to speak with people from all over the world because I was learned French. Most Europeans speak French, most Africans speak French; educated Vientnam speak French, educated Spanish, Mexicans and South Americans speak French. We are the only country in the world that is not multi-lingual.

Its interesting that I cant get a job because company owners demand that I speak or understand the patoise of the tribes South of the Border. When did Spanish become the international language of diplomacy? I have been told that I must speak Mandrin. Haka, and Punti, the languages of China, as neither Spanish or English is not the next language of commerce.

Any comments?

September 03, 2007 9:08 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Get a job in France?

September 03, 2007 9:43 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Anonymous said...
Jack, one reason our prisons are full is SP40 and not deporting illegals, who make up upto 2/3 of the prison population by some accounts. I'm not one of the Mexican-bashing racists on this site, but them's the facts. And they often fail in school because they don't want to succeed in the "anglo-biased" culture and California state curriculum, which they see as dissing their culture.

************************

I see you are not a racist but you just make up figures like 2/3 of prisoners are illegal. Thanks for showing us you are an idiot and a racist.

Show us your proof , every report I have read from the federal government and CDC (calif dept. corrections) puts the figure at less than 20%.

September 03, 2007 10:04 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Even Europe is outraged over $35 mil for part-time cafeteria workers at LAUSD:

Der Schulenbezirk stellt die jährlichen neuen Kosten an $35,5 Millionen; die Gewerkschaftschätzung ist ungefähr $28 Millionen. Entweder Weg, der Bezirk haben kein Geld identifiziert, die Vorteile zu bezahlen. [Aber Yoli Flores Aguilar ist geschnappt worden der an Brauer den es gab Überfluss von beuracracy im System und er hat eine Woche, die $35 Millionen zu finden. Und sie sollte wissen..., dass es ihr zweiter Schulenausschuss ist, der trifft sich].
Full atricle in this language for Europe.

September 03, 2007 10:20 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

10:04: Since the illegals make up "only" 20% and the rest of the Mexicans another 20% if Hoff is
right that's not a big deal at all.
(Are you looking at stats for all of Calif. or just L A?)

Let's keep them all here, more fun for the rest of the population. We wouldn't want to send them back to Mexico, and stick them with their own criminals. Wonder how big a percentage of illegal whites makes up the percentage of Mexican jails that they have to house and care for with the ACLU and various pro-illegal rights groups watching?

Maybe some poor lady arrested for buying meds from those farmacias, that they claim is legal, but the Mexican cops can throw buyers in jail claiming they're druggies? And even if they kill them, like with some college kids on holiday, they bill the families for their keep.

The Daily News has an editorial in today's/yesterday's issue about how Calderon is furious that the U S might actually start enforcing INS laws -- article points out that as long as Mexico can send its poorest up north, some 400,000 a year with totals over 12 million already, they have no incentive to keep them down on the farm.

The illegals send home over $20 million a year, and Mexico gets to be rid of its uneducated, unemployable underclass then scream at us about making them legal, letting them drive cars with no license (or training) or insurance, steal Social Security numbers, and demand "full" rights.

They do have on staff Mariel Garza, who insists Arellano is like Rosa Parks because neither was given full status as citizens (duh, one isn't a citizen), but on the whole they make points that aren't racist just truths that people have been afraid to make. If these aren't dealt with openly, the racists will take over and have no mercy. Your Jon and Ken group attest to that.

September 03, 2007 11:30 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Meant to say the illegals send home to Mexico est. $20 billion a year, not million. Not counting cash taken with them.

September 03, 2007 11:33 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Dogg, even in Germany $35 mil is a lot of wienerschnitzel!

September 03, 2007 11:43 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

It was a pleasure listening to your comments. Precise, concise; easily understood, and a good grip of the subject. I hope they listen.

****************************

Are you smoking crack, more like a clown at a circus. Zumma is a bigger camera whore than his enemy Mayor V.

September 04, 2007 9:10 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Let's forget about all this PC crap and racist crap. The facts in evidence are clear...beyond any doubt!

You cannot dilute a FIRST WORLD Power with 30M PLUS illiterate, unskilled members of a THIRD WORLD race and culture! Period...end of story!

Why is it so hard for everyone to grasp this theory???

What in the hell are we doing...trying to make silk purses out of millions of sows????

Deport at least HALF of the illegals and put the rest on notice! Our cultures DO NOT MIX!

Let all the Mexicans be Mexicans...IN MEXICO!!! Let all of us Americans be Americans in America! Got it??? I certainly hope so!!!! It's not rocket science!

September 04, 2007 10:06 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

...and what time is that KKK rally again?

September 04, 2007 11:00 AM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home

Advertisement

Advertisement