Results tagged “board of education” from School Notebook

It's still a couple of months until the new electeds replace two outgoing members of the LAUSD Board of Education, but longtime member Julie Korenstein is making parting gifts already.

Big-time gifts: She donated more than $300,000 to schools in her board district, which is in the northeast San Fernando Valley.

The school district just sent out a press release on the donations, which come near the end of Korenstein's 22-year span on the board. She gave $320,000 to 122 schools, and $83,500 for "buses, field trips, computer software, classroom materials, serving carts parent and youth summits," according to the release.

Korenstein was known for maintaining a very small office staff to reduce costs to the school district. In July, she'll be replaced on the board by Nury Martinez, who's currently on the city of San Fernando council.

The Los Angeles school board heard budget-cut recommendations Tuesday from Superintendent Ramon Cortines, who didn't go for any sugar-coating.

"We are not going to be the same. I am not going to sit here and lie to you and say everything will the same," Cortines said. "Schools will suffer."

He later continued: "I would say that these (cuts) are not in the best interest of our children, but you don't have any choice. ... You tell me where to get the money to fill that bucket. I've taken everything I can take. What I am recommending negatively affects every aspect of this district."

The district, which has already this year cut $427 million from its $6 billion budget, needs to slice off another $140 million by the end of the year. In the 2009-10 school year, the district needs to cut $596 million -- and another $156 million in 2010-11, according to a presentation by district CFO Megan Reilly.

To reduce spending for next year's budget, Cortines had recommended laying off about 8,500 employees, including 3,600 teachers. His recommendations included:

--layoffs and reassignments of one-quarter of headquarters staff
--cutting in half the budgets of local district offices, which will be moved onto campuses
--layoffs of nearly 500 counselors
--increased class sizes across K-12
--one-day furloughs for all employees

Cortines said the avoidance of midyear cuts made more dramatic reductions now necessary. Board members will vote on his proposed cuts March 31.

Here's the take from Daily News reporter George Sanchez, who talked to some parents who protested outside the board meeting.

Also of note: Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez today continues his focus on local schools with a critical look at UTLA's 347-page contract, which requires the newest teachers to be laid off first, regardless of talent. (The teachers union and LAUSD came to a tentative contract extension through 2011 yesterday.)

The Board of Education voted today to make March 31 "Cesar E. Chavez Day" -- a paid holiday across Los Angeles Unified.

The board vote was marked by student comments and performances that celebrated the Mexican-American activist leader of farm workers. Students have marched in support of the holiday, and many walked out in 2007 (the same year as the massive immigration rally in downtown LA).

A board resolution from Yolie Flores Aguilar directed Superintendent Ramon Cortines to negotiate with unions to have Chavez Day replace Admissions Day or another paid holiday.

A 2000 state law established Chavez Day as a state holiday, authorizing schools to close for the day.

The first thing that struck me upon arriving at today's LAUSD board meeting -- where almost 9,000 initial layoff notices were on the agenda -- was the LA Schools Police officer with the handheld metal detector.

Every single parent, teacher, employee and journalist got the once-over with a wand before entering the board room. Wow.

Then, once the meeting began, board President Monica Garcia read a statement blaming the state budget for the votes board members were about to take.

"This year Sacramento put schools first in line on the chopping block and it will do it again in May," Garcia said.

Superintendent Ramon Cortines started his report on the cuts when United Teachers Los Angeles President A.J. Duffy approached the lectern, refusing to leave.

"What is going on here is a travesty," Duffy said, speaking over Garcia, who attempted to restore order.

Teachers, waving anti-layoff signs, chanted "We won't let you cut our future" and "Shame on you."

Garcia took the meeting to an adjacent room that's usually used for closed sessions.

(Board member Julie Korenstein, a big union supporter, stood looking sadly at the chanting audience with her hand on her heart. "Don't go, Julie!" union members chanted until she left.)

Then ... a verbal skirmish broke out between a set of well-dressed district mothers and Duffy.

"Why are they disrupting this to the point that we can't hear what's going on?" one mom cried. "This is about communication. You guys are preventing communication."

Teachers then went in for another round of chanting, led by UTLA organizer and Carson Councilman Mike Gipson: "You say cut back, we say fight back!"

What theater.

I went to the press room and then the cafeteria to watch the meeting at that point, leaving a board meeting room full of protesters.

Anyway, as you probably know by now, the board voted to send out the notices. Cortines stressed that he hoped he would not have to actually lay off the number of people who would receive preliminary notices.

Board member Yolie Flores Aguilar focused her anger at Sacramento: "This is what we have been handed by the state of California," she said. "there needs to be outrage, but the outrage is misplaced. It needs to be at the state level."

Much of the board debate centered on questions about seniority and "bumping rights," perhaps prompted by today's LA Times story on the cuts.

The district faces $718 million budget shortfall over the next 17 months. Through the end of the school year, the district has a negative $140 million balance, officials said.

NOTE: I was at the meeting to report on plans for a 128-unit apartment complex that may get built on the north end of Gardena High School's campus. It was approved, and I'll have more on that later this week.

The Los Angeles school district today published its agenda for the March 10 Board of Education meeting at which staff cuts will be weighed.

The board will decide whether the following groups should get notices that they may be laid off, effective June 30:

• 1,996 elementary school teachers


• 3,477 nonpermanent certificated teachers


• 498 support staff

The board will also vote to notify all administrators, supervisors, staff lawyers (and a few other Beaudry-type groups) that they "released or reassigned" in the 2009-10 school year.

Note: The agenda was sent to media, but hasn't been published online yet. When it is, it should be here.

Ben Austin, who last year was forced out of the race for the Los Angeles school board's Westside seat, has sued the political consultant he blamed when he was booted from the ballot.

Austin filed suit against Sue Burnside and her company Burnside & Associates on Tuesday -- election day -- alleging breach of oral contract, fraud and negligent misrepresentation.

In the complaint, Austin calls himself the "leading candidate for a position on the Los Angeles School Board, who had already amassed a healthy war chest of campaign funds, and a 'who's who' list of endorsements."

Austin had been expected to be a front-runner for the seat that Steve Zimmer has apparently won. As head of Green Dot-affiliated Los Angeles Parents Union, Austin would have been a reform-focused candidate. He has said he expected the endorsement on L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa -- and the complaint states that he had the mayor's backing, among that of other heavy-hitters.

He alleges that Burnside farmed out signature-gathering work to Robert Urteaga, a consultant and Montebello councilman with a felony conviction who is currently the target of a recall campaign. The signatures were gathered in the incorrect board district, disqualifying Austin, Los Angeles officials have said.

"It was a stinging defeat that has tarnished the plaintiff's reputation," the complaint reads.

Urteaga, who according to the suit told Austin that he had in turn farmed out signatures gathering, was also a target of the suit. He could not immediately be reach for comment.

Burnside has said that Austin was not her client, she never agreed to a contract with him and has never met him.

"An independent contractor misrepresented himself - without my knowledge or approval - as an employee of Burnside & Associates when he agreed to collect the signatures for Mr. Austin," Burnside wrote in an email to friends and media when Austin was disqualified in December.

She said this morning that she had not been served with the complaint and thus would not comment on the lawsuit.

Austin is seeking damages in an amount to be determined at trial.

Zimmer wrapped it up, with the generous help of United Teacher Los Angeles.

Unofficial results from the Los Angeles City Clerk show Zimmer with 56.13 percent to Mike Stryer's 43.87 percent in the election for Los Angeles Unified's Westside board seat.

Those figures do not include results from the city of West Hollywood or the small portions of Calabasas and Beverly Hills that vote in District 4. Los Angeles officials are also still counting provisional ballots, mail-in ballots that arrived on Tuesday and ballots with "snags."

In a post-mortem posted online this morning, the Los Aneles Times' Howard Blume takes a look at conflicts among the groups that supported Zimmer - especially UTLA, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the charter school contingent.

The union, in other words, accepted Zimmer's efforts to collect supporters whose priorities conflict with those of the union. With about 150 charter schools in Los Angeles -- and more on the way -- Zimmer was responding to a new political reality.

"In this campaign, every time someone would come on board, it would send some shock waves to other folks," Zimmer said, "because they weren't folks that usually worked together. But if this district is going to make it, everybody has got to pull together."

On this round, the real political tug of war was destined not to occur at the ballot box but in the aftermath.

Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Ramon Cortines has not ruled out teacher layoffs as the school district seeks to close a nearly $900 million budget gap through the next school year.

Cortines spoke to board members at a special meeting today that focused on the district's dire financial situation. LAUSD faces a $894 million budget deficit for this year and the 2009-2010 school year.

"We are doing everything we can to minimize the impact of these cuts on classrooms but the severity of the current situation requires us to look at everything," Cortines said in a statement issued by the school district after the meeting.

CFO Megan Reilly said the district was "in survival mode."

Cortines said he would cut from administration first, with a planned 30 to 50 percent cut to Beaudry (the district's downtown headquarters) and the eight local district offices. Maintenance, custodial services and transportation could also be cut.

In a list of possible cuts, Cortines offered this final bullet point: "Potential reduction in some educational programs."

The superintendent said earlier this year that the district would not cut teaching staff, but that was before state legislators passed a budget that cuts more than $10 billion from education. Districts are struggling to respond, both in the South Bay and across the region and state.

Federal stimulus funds won't be enough to fill budget holes, education officials say.

The Board of Education will vote on layoffs and cuts March 10.

KPCC's Larry Mantle this morning hosted Mike Stryer and Steve Zimmer on "Air Talk."

The two are vying to replace Marlene Canter representing District 4 on the Los Angeles Unified school board.

The 17-minute segment focused on district finances, their impact on the classroom, the candidates' endorsements, the superintendent's role, and reform (of course).

*Also noted, both candidates were asked at the end of the segment if they had children in the district. Zimmer stated he is not a parent. Stryer said he has two kids that "were at Marquez Elementary Charter School," a campus in Pacific Palisades that was one of LAUSD's first charters and is a California Distinguished School. Stryer did not add that his children, now beyond their elementary years, currently attend private schools.

Los Angeles Unified board candidate Steve Zimmer has confirmed that he's received L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's endorsement.

Zimmer's website already lists the mayor's endorsement, though the announcement won't be made until after Inauguration festivities, the candidate said in an email.

Zimmer has been vying with fellow LAUSD high school teacher Mike Stryer for Villaraigosa's nod. Both men said last month that they were seeking the mayor's endorsement in their race to replace Marlene Canter representing diverse Westside/Hollywood/Woodland Hills District 4.

Just over $85,000 was raised in the race through Dec. 31.

Some observers had thought the mayor's endorsement would go to Ben Austin, a Green Dot-connected former deputy mayor under Richard Riordan. Austin dropped out of the race in December after saying a political consulting firm had incorrectly collected nominating signatures in the wrong board district.

As Daily News politics writer/blogger Rick Orlov reported Thursday, the Los Angeles County Democratic Party has endorsed Steve Zimmer in the two-teacher race for LAUSD's District 4 board seat.

The Dems also backed San Fernando Mayor Nury Martinez in another board contest; unchallenged incumbent Board President Monica Garcia got the nod too.

The Zimmer endorsement is interesting because his challenger, Mike Stryer, has been active in Westside Democratic circles. The Palisades Democratic Club, where he's a VP, gave him $1,000.

But Zimmer has long been involved in L.A. politics, having worked on a number of local campaigns, including L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's run for Assembly in 1994.

Villaraigosa is expected to name endorsements in LAUSD board races soon.

A little over $85,000 has been raised in the two-man race to replace Marlene Canter on Los Angeles Unified's Board of Education, according to city campaign finance records.

Monday was the deadline for candidates to file records of contributions received through Dec. 31.

Mike Stryer has raised $53,000 to Steve Zimmer's approximately $32,000.*

Both men are white LAUSD high school teachers. They're vying to represent a diverse district that runs from Westchester into Hollywood and up past Pacific Palisades into Woodland Hills. The race has changed significantly since contender Ben Austin dropped out last month after a signature-gathering fiasco.

Incumbent Monica Garcia, who is unchallenged in her bid to retain representation of downtown-centered District 2 -- has raised about $107,000.

In District 6, in the northeastern San Fernando Valley, the two candidates seeking to replace Julie Korenstein have raised significantly less -- about $23,000. Louis Pugliese, who has run for a board seat before, has far outpaced San Fernando Mayor Nury Martinez, who has just $1,500.

*Digging a little deeper, I see that Stryer loaned himself $30,000. A notable portion of his contributions come from outside the district -- other parts of California and outside the state. Also: Actress Ricki Lake gave him $250.

Most of Zimmer's contributions are from L.A., and a striking number are from LAUSD teachers and other employees. (Not surprising, perhaps, since he's got UTLA's endorsement.)

Generally speaking, it looks like Stryer, who has a background in business, has a lot more high-income donors -- at least surmising based on their job titles.

Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti endorsed Steve Zimmer for L.A. Unified Board of Education today.

Garcetti's spokeswoman, Julie Wong, said her boss was backing Zimmer in the race to replace Marlene Canter in the Westside/District 4 board seat.

The eastern edge of the school board district -- which runs from Westchester north to the southwest San Fernando Valley, and east into Hollywood -- overlaps with the western side of Garcetti's Hollywood/Silver Lake/Echo Park-based council district.

The board race was last week narrowed to two candidates, both LAUSD high school school teachers. Zimmer is known for community work at and around Marshall High School, and he's been endorsed by United Teachers Los Angeles.

His opponent, Mike Stryer, is a teacher at Fairfax High with a business background.

OK, I hope this is the last time I post on this situation with former LAUSD board candidate Ben Austin and the voter-signature debacle.

Consultant Sue Burnside, who runs the political consultancy that Austin said he hired to gather signatures, denies her firm had anything to do with it. She said in a statement issued Friday that an independent contractor claimed to represent her firm as a signature gatherer.

Burnside's statement is below, followed by a letter from Austin to his supporters on his exit from the campaign, in which he writes that the wrong signatures were collected "by accident."

A second candidate hopeful in the race to replace Marlene Canter on the Los Angeles Unified Board of Education has been knocked out of the race after failing to file enough voter signatures.

Bill Ring, a parent activist, was 52 signatures short of the 500 needed to run for the Westside board seat, city election officials said. The Los Angeles City Clerk's office made the finding of "insufficient" for Ring's nominating petition on Wednesday.

The news comes after well-connected politico Ben Austin was kicked out of the race on Monday, also for failing to come up with enough voter signatures.

Austin blamed the political consultancy that he had hired, Burnside & Associates, for gathering signatures in the wrong board district. Firm head Susan Burnside -- who's been active in Los Angeles politics for 20 years -- has since said that she is looking into the matter. She added that she has been out of the country for a month and has never met Austin.

With Austin and Ring out of the race, only two candidates are left. Both are teachers.

Steve Zimmer, a teacher at Marshall High School with an activist background, received the endorsement of United Teachers Los Angeles. Mike Stryer is a teacher at Fairfax High School with a background in business.

Both had begun fundraising before Sept. 30, according to their filings with the City Ethics Commission.

Mike Stryer, a Fairfax High School teacher and candidate for Marlene Canter's District 4 LAUSD board seat, says he'd like to close the eight local district offices, in a profile in the Palisadian-Post.

"It's just another layer of bureaucracy between the school site and the central office," he said. By closing the offices, the district could save $40 million to $60 million, which could be used to reduce class sizes, add electives and improve teacher training, Stryer said.

Of course, Stryer may at least in part get his wish before even facing voters, if Senior Deputy Superintendent Raymond Cortines' pledge to cut the local district budgets in half becomes a reality.

The profile of Stryer also notes that the candidate's two children attend private schools: Viewpoint School in Calabasas and Milken School in Bel-Air.

Stryer is the UTLA chair and head of the social studies deparment at Fairfax. He's got an unusual background for an urban school teacher. According to the story:

He received his bachelor's degree in political science from Stanford and his master's degree in international relations from Yale. He worked for JPMorgan Chase in international finance in New York and for the international divisions of a gift company and a sporting goods company in Los Angeles before changing careers.