The COVID Crisis Continues

“You can resume activities without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.”

- CDC

In a perfect world, my fully vaccinated family and I would no longer need to wear masks in public. Unfortunately, we share a country with people who are more interested in following the dictates of Trump’s cult of personality than acting in a way that benefits the common good. From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have denied the seriousness of the threat, refusing…

Melvoin Watch

“In November of 2019, I joined the community at Fairfax High protecting the BIPOC special need students from a hostile takeover of their school. I stood next to an African American young man with Autism and I thought, ‘Who would do this to him?’ I understand why Nick Melvoin got elected, people were asleep in 2017. But now in 2021, Board District 4 is awake and we can do better.”

- Tracy Cook, Board District 4 Constituent

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board Member Nick Melvoin has been a valiant fighter for the charter schools that educate 20% of…

California Recall Elections

“A few wealthy individuals and corporations have bought up our private sector and now they’re buying up the government. Campaign finance reform is the most important issue facing us today because it impacts all the others.”

- Sen. Bernie Sanders

The 2018 election of Gavin Newsom was the latest in a long line of defeats for Republicans in California. The state was once reliably red but the party has not won a statewide race since 2006.

Unable to win over the voters, California Republicans have sought to disrupt the system by abusing the recall process. On March 15, 2019, notices…

LAUSD Superintendent Search

“In a district with over 80% of families living in poverty, Austin Beutner had a moral imperative to follow the lead of the majority of BIPOC parents in the district who wanted to wait to reopen schools until it was safe to do so.”

- Jenna Schwartz, Parents Supporting Teachers

As Austin Beutner ends his tumultuous term as the leader of the country’s second-largest school district, I am drawn to the similarities of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Immediately prior to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Giuliani was a politician in decline. …

#InvestigateMelvoin #MelvoinsCharterScandal

“We aim to create a national network of high-achieving, community-based public schools that reflect the abundant socioeconomic, racial and cultural diversity of their surroundings.”

- Citizens of the World

The Citizens of the World chain of charter schools describes itself as being committed to “socio-economic, cultural and racial diversity.” They claim to be “the first national school network with a commitment to economic and racial diversity”. But just how well does this school live up to these lofty goals?

#AnotherDayAnotherCharterScandal

Athletic “facilities aren’t just important for athletes, but they’re important for all students. It is really about offering wellness and the opportunity for physical activity regardless of what folks bodies look like or how they perform on standardized fitness exams.”

- LAUSD Board President Kelly Gonez

While public school districts like the LAUSD struggle to find the funds to buy computers and other supplies needed by students, the Girls Athletic Leadership (charter) School (GALS) has the money to hire high-priced lobbyists. …

#AnotherDayAnotherCharterScandal

“You can’t send your child to CWC without directly hurting Shirley students”

- Sign directed at Citizens of the World charter school parents

The father that held the megaphone has a son who requires the services of a speech therapist. In prior school years, these services were provided in a dedicated space where there were no outside distractions. However, after Citizens of the World (COTW) charter schools used PROP-39 to take space on the Shirley Avenue Elementary School campus, this specialized space has now become one of their classrooms. …

#AnotherDayAnotherCharterScandal

“We believe that the GALS Transportation Assessment is invalid. GALS did not use [the] proper methodology in calculating the traffic impact to determine if the project meets the criteria to qualify for the important CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) exemption.”

- Right Thing Wrong Place

As I drove across Tyrone Street into this quiet neighborhood in Van Nuys, I immediately noticed how confining the street is. While Valerio Street had been marked in the center with a double yellow line, that disappeared just after the traffic light leaving no dividing line between east and westbound traffic. With no room to…