The Florida transplant ignores a lesson on the LAUSD’s long history of supporting LGBTQ+ students. Will the board hold him accountable? — “Whereas, School-dropout rates for LGBTQ students is up to triple the national rate of non-LGBTQ students, due to peer harassment and bullying;” - LAUSD Resolution The LAUSD’s new Superintendent must have experienced severe culture shock when he made his move from Florida to California. As a superintendent in Miami, Alberto…

LAUSD Board District 2 candidate Rocio Rivas shows empathy and understanding for the needs of students with moderate to severe disabilities. — This is the sixth in a series on serving students with severe special education needs. Please read the first part for an introduction to the issue. “There should be absolutely zero stigmas in regards to special day classes and special education centers.” - Board District 2 Candidate Dr. Rocio Rivas

Under Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, the Miami-Dade school district has canceled textbooks that they had approved just a few months ago. — “If the board does not approve the textbooks, they will be taking away the rights of everyone to public education that is based on facts and science.” - Miami-Dade Parent Florida’s Governor, Ron DeSantis, has tried to market his “Don’t Say Gay” law as a way to protect the rights…

With about 62,500 students in the LAUSD having disabilities, Alberto M. Carvalho needs to develop a more inclusive plan to meet their needs. — “the feeling that students with Special Needs are at most an afterthought is now a reality for many parents. I am one of those parents.” - Vicky Maronyan The LAUSD allocates over 20% of its budget toward educating children with disabilities. In the 2019–2020 school year these expenditures amounted to…

Without the defeated president’s “Big Lie” a mob would have never attacked the Capitol and Ashli Babbitt would still be alive. Trump needs to be held accountable for his actions. — “There was no reason Ashli should have lost her life that day. We must all demand justice for Ashli” - Donald Trump Two friends decide to rob a bank together. One enters the bank and the other stays in the car as the getaway driver. When things go wrong and…

NVMI’s representatives get caught in a series of lies as they try to force the LAUSD to give in to its demands under California’s PROP-39. — “Honesty is not the best policy — it is the only policy.” - A decorated Marine Corps officer on Vietnam policy The North Valley Military Institute (NVMI) applied to the LAUSD so that it could be provided with space for 750 students in LAUSD facilities during the next school year…

Is Amway heiress Betsy DeVos behind phone calls supporting the failed attempt to get the L.A. Democratic Party to endorse Maria Brenes? — “I still can’t understand why you would go after disabled children in your budget. It’s appalling.” - Rep. Barbara Lee to Betsy DeVos An alternate to the Los Angeles County Democratic Party was surprised when a call last weekend to lobby for the endorsement of María Brenes for the LAUSD…

Guest columnist Vicky Maronyan writes about her battles with the LAUSD to get the programs that would help her child meet her full potential. — “I knocked on doors and met with district officials and made sure that my daughter’s needs were on their radars; they became very familiar with my name, my face, and, most importantly, my voice.” - Vicky Maronyan The LAUSD is a huge bureaucracy where the needs of an individual student…

The Los Angeles School Board voted to send $6 million to the Florida Department of Education as that state implements a “Don’t Say Gay” law. — “Freedom is under attack in your state [Florida]. Your Republican leaders are banning books, making it harder to vote, restricting speech in classrooms, [and] even criminalizing women and doctors. I urge all of you living in Florida to join the fight. Or join us in California where we still believe…