On the positive side, the teachers of Hillcrest have made one of the most serious attempts at in-District reform this process has seen.  They have written an affiliated charter proposal, which will give them some – if not nearly enough – additional control over budgetary and staff decisions.  A local group of parents and teachers would be empowered to hire and fire their own principal, and at least some additional accountability measures would be required of teachers beyond the basics of the District's existing failed contract.  We have serious concerns about the lack of strong accountability and local control that an independent charter application would have provided, as well as the lack of any track record of success – Hillcrest is arguably the lowest performing elementary school in LAUSD right now.  Nonetheless, the UTLA teachers’ proposal seems thoughtful, has at least some parental buy-in, and could present a significant improvement over the status quo.  And at a minimum, the teachers have made promises to which parents – through California's historic parent trigger – are now empowered to hold them accountable.

Additionally, ICEF Public Schools, one of the strongest charter operators in Los Angeles, submitted an application to transform Hillcrest into two small, high-performing schools.  Given ICEF’s impressive track record of success, this is clearly a great option for the parents of Hillcrest.  We strongly applaud ICEF for doing what no other charter did this year -- they volunteered for the extraordinary challenge of turning around an existing, failing school.  (We recognize there were several huge obstacles that kept other charters from doing so this year, including an extremely short time frame and ever-changing rules of the game, but we hope that future years see an increase in charters willing to take on turnarounds at the schools that currently need them most).

Unfortunately, all these positive developments have become overshadowed by the tactics of one of the applicants, which has decided that lying to parents is the only way to win their support.  Last week, Hillcrest teachers began circulating this flyer with a series of absurd lies and misinformation about the ICEF plan, the most egregious of which was that if ICEF wins, many students will no longer be allowed to attend Hillcrest, but rather be bused to some undisclosed, faraway school.  Perhaps such misinformation could be excused as a misunderstanding if it were coming from a random teacher or other individual.  This flyer, however, came directly from the Hillcrest teacher leading their effort, a UTLA chapter chair from another campus, and the UTLA Board President himself, Alex Caputo-Pearl.  Anybody who has filled out an application or paid one iota of attention to this process knows that every applicant had to agree to accept every child within attendance boundaries as a precondition of even applying for a school, which of course ICEF explicitly does in their application.  Any assertion that these individuals did not know this fact is beyond disingenuous.

Even worse, this is far from an isolated incident.  As the LA Times opines today, "mudslinging" by District staff has occasionally deterioriated the process into "an ugly disinformation campaign."  Just as we saw during the past presidential campaign, it is clear that when one side starts disseminating lies and scary rumors, it is because they have run out of real ideas and solutions.  Hillcrest is undeniably one of the lowest-performing schools in LAUSD – barely 20% of their students are at grade level in English and math.  But rather than engage parents in an honest discussion about the status quo and how to improve it, some have decided to slander an applicant with a history of successfully educating these same children.  Rather than fighting with facts and reason, they have turned to scare tactics and smear campaigns.

Ultimately, we believe far more unites than divides us as parents and teachers because it's impossible to have a great school without great teachers. We believe that we all must eventually march together in the long journey to transform public education.  We understand if we can't agree on a common agenda for improving our schools today. But if we can't treat each other as current partners, we can at least treat each other as future partners. We can disagree on policy without sinking to lies and smears in some win-at-any-cost game in which our children are the only sure losers.

In many ways, Hillcrest has become a microcosm of not only this entire resolution process, but also the entire movement to reform public education.  There are hopeful moments that reflect upon the better angels in us all.  Moments where we put aside our differences, and even our narrow self interest, to stand together for our children.  These moments give us all tangible hope for a better tomorrow.  Because we can see this hope in our own actions today.  And then there are moments where we revert back to base instinct.  Where we see a dark side of the process, where defenders of the status quo will sink to almost any level in order to stop transformational change.  These moments are the reason we needed a parent trigger.  They're the reason why parents deserve the historic power we now have.  Because we only get one fleeting chance to transform public education for our kids, and we're not going to waste that chance. 

In the coming months and years, it is crucial that we learn from Hillcrest, and preserve what's best about this process while eliminating what's worst.  But with or without this process, we will take back and transform our schools for one simple reason – because we have no choice. We are simply parents who love our children, who will fight by any means necessary to give them the education they need and the future they deserve.

The case for ICEF is relatively straightforward. (Click Read More to read the rest).

(Click Read More to continue reading)

Their plan splits a large school up into three separate academies of less than 500 students each, giving parents choice and allowing each student to get the personal attention they need. The current principal, Mr. Samaniego, is clearly a talented and dedicated school leader, and his leadership should provide a huge boost to this newly designed school. Additionally, their “elect to work” agreement makes important strides towards adult accountability, allowing some additional flexibility to its otherwise traditional contract, and giving school leadership greater staffing control.  While we would have liked to see a high quality charter apply for Burbank as well, even if one had, Burbank Middle School's plan includes enough innovative reform and strong leadership that we likely would have endorsed both plans to co-exist as separate academies on the same campus.

However, we remain disappointed with aspects of the plan. While there is increased accountability, it still falls far short of the ideal. While the pilot school model gives some increased autonomy and budgetary control, it does not go nearly far enough in allowing local control and freeing the school’s budget from a massive, inefficient centralized bureaucracy. And it is worrisome that there is no existing track record of success – Burbank’s current student performance is alarmingly poor.

In conclusion, while we remain concerned about some significant aspects of Burbank’s plan, we do not believe this is a time to let perfect be the enemy of good. We urge Superintendent Cortines to select this plan, and implore UTLA and the Burbank community to prove any skepticism we have wrong, and show that in-District, kids-first reform is indeed possible.

(Click Read More to continue reading)

In the letter, sent out on District letterhead (presumably) to all local parents, Superintendent George McKenna answers a number of hypothetical questions parents might have about the new Central EL #15. What he fails to mention, of course, is that there is a process occurring right now that will determine who is even going to run those schools in the first place, which in theory should render almost every one of his answers completely meaningless at best, and incredibly misleading at worst.

To see such a blatant dismissal of the entire process that our school board passed and our Superintendent is currently charged with implementing is disturbing, to say the least. That District resources and authority are being used to misinform parents about the options for their new elementary school is deeply disappointing. Not only do we have UTLA members passing out false and misleading information such as this flyer to parents under the guise of shadowy, fake group names, but the District leadership itself is acting as though the decisions have already been made.  Which begs a crucial question - have they?  Were Camino Nuevo and Youth Policy Institute just wasting their time submitting 200+ page applications to help serve the children of this community?

We still believe in this process -- partly because we must. It just might represent our last opportunity to save public education as we know it in Los Angeles. While these advisory votes may already be tainted, we believe the district still can and must salvage the process itself. We call upon sup cortines to denounce these tactics. And we urge him to refer back to the resolved clause in the original resolution that states that this process must be about one thing and one thing only: our children.

If this process devolves into a tragic turf battle over adult interests, then we will have no choice but to help parents organize parent trigger campaigns all across Los Angeles. One way or another, parents will take back our schools for our kids and our future for one simple reason: we have no choice.

Track record of the operator

- Does the applicant have a record of success? Have they produced impressive student achievement with similar student population to those attending the school they are applying for?

Proposed plan

To what extent does the plan contain:

- Accountability for all adults to student performance?

- More dollars in the classroom rather than to a bureaucracy?

- Choice for parents and students - multiple educational options for students?

- Strong school leadership?

- Local control - ability for local school to make staff and budgetary decisions?

- Personalized learning environment for students?

- Parental involvement - are there pathways for and prioritization of parents being involved?

Community engagement

- To what extent has the applicant engaged the community?

It is imperative that we seize this moment to pass health insurance reform.  As a Clinton White House alum from the last time we tried to pass health insurance reform, I am acutely aware that these moments of opportunity for progressive change are rare.  While it would be far better to pass a bill that included a public option – so that consumers can benefit from real competition between profit-driven corporations and a Medicare-like government agency – Congress still has the opportunity to provide quality health insurance to tens of millions of poor and working class American parents and children. 

Passing healthcare would have an added political benefit for President Obama and Congressional Democrats: it would free them up to pivot to an inherently bipartisan issue on which the Obama Administration has already demonstrated genuine leadership: education reform.  Without President Obama and Secretary Arne Duncan, there is no Race to the Top and there is no parent trigger.  The President should assemble a bipartisan coalition in Washington similar to the one we assembled in Sacramento.  In one short year, parents all across California have stood up, stood together and won historic power over the education of our own children.  Now it’s time for parents all across America to stand with President Obama and do the same thing.

If we’re serious about ensuring that every child in America grows up with real opportunity to realize their full potential and achieve their dreams, then parents and politicians have a responsibility to ensure that all of our children grow up with access to a quality public education and quality healthcare.  Right now, in this moment, President Obama, Congress, and the parents of America have the power to do just that. 

This is our moment.  This is our time.  Let’s seize it together and build a better future for every parent and child in America.

January 12, 2010

President Weingarten:

We, the undersigned, are writing to inform you of some disturbing remarks made by your affiliate, California Federation of Teachers, and its President, Marty Hittelman, in reference to public school parents in California.

Given Mr. Hittelman’s public refusal to recant or apologize for his or his organization’s incredibly offensive words, we are calling upon you and the American Federation of Teachers to denounce Mr. Hittelman’s comments.

Just last week, California passed its “Race to the Top” reform legislation in an attempt to improve our public schools and qualify for $700 million in federal grants. A key part of this legislation is a provision called the “Parent Trigger,” which would empower parents to successfully demand significant reforms at their child’s local school – essentially the same right that California teachers are already afforded. If a California school is federally designated as “failing” and 51% of parents demanded a certain change, the local education agency (LEA) is be required to make it, including in-District reconstitution or transformation by a charter operator. There are also built in checks and balances, as the LEA is empowered to provide a different reform if they find it unfeasible or unwise to implement the parents’ request.

The January 5 edition of Inside CFT, the organization’s official newsletter, referred to this provision explicitly as a “lynch mob provision.” Civil rights organizations such as National Action Network, Los Angeles immediately demanded an apology, and noted the offensiveness of referring to parents – mostly black and Latino – fighting to improve their children’s school as a “lynch mob.” But rather than simply apologize and move on, Mr. Hittelman strongly defended this characterization, stating that “basically what they're [parents] doing is lynching the school and all the teachers…”

As a group of religious leaders wrote when asking for an apology, “‘Lynch Mob’ conjures up visions of a sinister tool wielded by the Night Riders, the Ku Klux Klan, and other bigots. It’s a violent, brutal effort on the part of others to keep Blacks down economically, socially, and any other way conceivable.” Such blatant disrespect towards parents from an elected president of an organization that those same parents trust to educate their children is extremely disturbing. It is even more bothersome coming from an affiliate of AFT, which under your leadership has proven itself as a leader in exploring education reform policies that work for both our children and their teachers. Furthermore, given the long struggle of organized labor to pass the Employee Free Choice Act and empower 51% of workers through signing a petition, surely there can be sympathy for parents who desire that same right.

We can all respectfully disagree on issues of public policy and how to best improve public education. But we cannot work together for the change we need when people such as Mr. Hittelman hold parents in such contempt, and sink to using racially charged language to demean them.

Ultimately, we believe that far more unites than divides us as parents and teachers for one simple reason: because it's impossible to have a great school without great teachers. We believe that we all must eventually march together in the long journey to transform public education. If we can't agree on a common agenda today, we understand. But if we can't treat each other as current partners, we can at least treat each other as future partners. We can disagree on policy without denigrating our character with racial slurs and hyperbolic insults.

As parents, we will take back and transform our schools with or without you because we have no choice. We only get one chance to give our children a great education. And parents now have historic power under California law to transform our schools simply through community organizing. Neither Mr. Hittelman, nor anyone else, can stop us. But we also know that we're a whole lot more likely to succeed if we march together. So let us try. Let us take that first step -- which is to acknowledge that we are no more a "lynch mob," than the 51 percent of teachers who triggered the transformation of Locke High School, or the hundreds of thousands of union members across America who have improved their working conditions and their lives through a "card check" trigger. We are simply parents who love our children, who will fight by any means necessary to give them the education they need and the future they deserve.

We thank you for your leadership, courage and vision, and again call on you to condemn these hateful remarks.

Sincerely,

Shirley Ford, Parent Revolution

Reverend K.W. Tulloss, National Action Network, Los Angeles

Reverend Eric Lee, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Los Angeles

Carolynn Martin, National Council of Negro Women, View Park Section

Lois La Blance, WB Community Learning Center

Fernando Espuelas, Café Espuelas

Families in Schools

Just hours ago, the California State Senate gave their final stamp of approval this afternoon to the Parent Trigger, and in an unprecedented move, has given parents real power over the education of their children. For the first time anywhere in America, parents have been empowered and entrusted with the legal right to force dramatic change at their child's failing school. This is a historic day, and one that will send shockwaves across our entire nation.

Now, at any failing school in California, parents are in control. If 51% of parents stand up and demand change, their local school district has to give it to them. And we're done with marginal change - no more patronizing gestures or half measures. Parents will be able to demand a school district either radically overhaul the school by itself, or turn it over to a charter operator who can transform it for every student.

One month ago, all the political prognosticators gave us NO chance. Yesterday we passed the most transformative education reform in America.

And it was all because of you. Because you stood up. Because you stood together. Because you spoke with one voice that we're mad-as-hell and we're not going to take it anymore.

You called, email, and faxed your representatives. You exposed the Alice-in-Wonderland games that dominate the capital, and you demanded that for just this one time politics must be about kids. And it was.

Congratulations, to the parents of Los Angeles and all of California. Let's go put our power to good use, and transform public education for our children, our communities, and our collective future.

Fernando Espuelas declared today on his prime-time radio show  that the Revolution "seems closer to success than ever before," and he called upon his audience to call Speaker-elect John Perez.

Now is our time to stand up and make our voices heard.  Call your assemblymember, or call Speaker Bass or Speaker-elect Perez today! 

It started as a quixotic dream - take back Los Angeles' public education system from the inept bureaucrats and special interests to in order to stop the systemic failure of our kids' education.

Only 50% of kids graduate from high school and only 10% make it to college - the Los Angeles Unified School District is an abject failure.

And its failure left unchecked will lead to an inevitable degradation of our society, city and democracy - it constitutes a clear and present danger to the very future of our great country.

Now, after a critical vote in the California Senate, the Revolution seems closer to success than ever before.

Parent Revolution Executive Director Ben Austin writes:

Yesterday, the California State Senate passed the Parent Trigger by one vote.

Two weeks ago all the political prognosticators gave us NO chance. Yesterday we passed the most transformative education reform in America.

And it was all because of you. Because you stood up. Because you stood together. Because you spoke with one voice that we're mad-as-hell and we're not going to take it anymore.

You exposed the Alice-in-Wonderland games that dominate the capital, and you demanded that for just this one time politics must be about kids. And it was.

Now the bill goes to the Assembly where the defenders of the status quo are strong. We need your help. We need your voice. We need you to speak up once again in a chorus of voices from parents that drown out the special interests who defend the status quo at the expense of us all.

Stay tuned and sign up for our action alerts.

This is our time. This is our moment. Let's seize it together.

Want to be part of the change - do you want to make history by saving the next generation of students from one of the most incompetent, corrupt and ineffective public education systems in the country? Then ACT!

Call California Assembly Speaker Karen Bass right now and tell her why you want the "parent trigger" approved -- (916) 319-2047.

Two weeks ago all the political prognosticators gave us NO chance.  Yesterday we passed the most transformative education reform in America.

And it was all because of you.  Because you stood up.  Because you stood together.  Because you spoke with one voice that we're mad-as-hell and we're not going to take it anymore.

You exposed the Alice-in-Wonderland games that dominate the capital, and you demanded that for just this one time politics must be about kids.  And it was.

Now the bill goes to the Assembly where the defenders of the status quo are strong.  We need your help.  We need your voice.  We need you to speak up once again in a chorus of voices from parents that drown out the special interests who defend the status quo at the expense of us all.

Stay tuned and sign up for our action alerts. 

This is our time.  This is our moment.  Let's seize it together.

"We need to bring public education back to what it's supposed to be about: our children. And the only way that's going to happen is if parents take power."

If you missed it in the paper today, click here and give the whole thing a read. It's a strong call to action for all the parents of Los Angeles and California, and a testament to how far we have come together in our mission to give you, the parents, real power to fix our schools.

Below are phone numbers for the two most important legislators in Sacramento.  If you can take 30 seconds anytime tonight or tomorrow to call them, it will make a huge difference in this fight.  You can also see a sample script below to help you explain why this is so important:

Speaker Karen Bass --  (916) 319-2047

Senate Majority Leader Darrell Steinberg --  (916) 651-4006

Sample script:

"Hi, my name is               , and I am calling to urge you to support a real Parent Trigger in the final version of "Race to the Top" legislation.  Parents don't want more hearings or committees.  We want real power over our children's education, and we want it now.

In large part, what happens is up to Brownley.

She can ether allow reconsideration of the Romero bill this week, or she can alter her bill so that it includes the reform mechanisms in Romero's bills so that the governor will sign it.

What she cannot - should not - do is push through her weak faux-reform bill that is destined for gubernatorial veto, therefore keeping California's students from racing to the top. If she does, she has failed not only those who voted for her, but every one of the some 6 million public school students in the state.

Assemblymember Brownley has a decision to make. Her bill has some important provisions, and although the mechanisms may be misguided, we certainly appreciate the attempt to bring increased accountability to charter schools. But her next steps will show whether she actually cares about creating real change in our schools. Whether she actually cares about giving parents real power, rather than patronizing gestures. Or whether she is more interested in preserving a status quo that has left LAUSD unable to graduate more than 50% of its students from high school.

The next few days will reveal much about Assemblymember Brownley and her commitment to actually fixing public education. The parents of Los Angeles and across California call on her to do the right thing. We, along with parents and policymakers across the country, will be watching.

What did California’s newspapers have to say about that?

The San Jose Mercury News stated bluntly, “The state Assembly failed California’s schoolchildren Wednesday… Whatever happens next, Race to the Top legislation must incorporate several key provisions if California is to have any hope of qualifying for the federal funding, which could be up to $700 million. The bill must allow parents to trigger major reforms at their schools…”

The Sacramento Bee editorial opened with the headline “Assembly drags down Race to the Top.” The LA Times reminded readers that “empowering parents is one of the best ways to involve them in education.” And the SF Chronicle weighed in with the following:

SBX5-1 is controversial because it would allow students in the state's lowest-performing schools to transfer to any school in the state, or allow their parents to petition for specific strategies to turn the school around. Teachers' unions and their allies hate the provisions because they would allow students, and the money they bring with them, to flee a failing school without going through an arduous permission process.

Sad. Empowering students and parents with ways to improve their education is a positive and necessary reform.

As important as this last week has been for education reform and parental empowerment, this week is even more so. We know that those defending the status quo will continue to pressure our legislators to water down or kill reform, and we know that behind closed doors, deals are being cut. We must speak up and keep the pressure on our elected officials to ensure the parents of Los Angeles and all of California get the power they need to help fix their local schools.

I went to college with John and have known him for two decades.  I know he has the intelligence, moral rudder, as well as the requisite amount of idealism to navigate the Alice-in-Wonderland Sacramento education political universe.  But I am also not naïve about the special interests that must be placated in order to become Speaker.  He will soon have to choose between standing with parents and children, or bureaucrats and special interests – that choice will define his style of leadership, and will set the course for his nascent speakership.

Because you paid attention.  Because you called, you emailed, you testified, you protested – you demonstrated again that parents have power.  First we organized to change two schools.  Then many more.  Then we organized to pass the Choices Resolution to transform public education for every child in Los Angeles.  And now we are marching together to transform public education for every child and every parent throughout California. 

We have come this far together.  We worked with a coalition of progressive legislators, mayors, community groups and parents all across California, and we stood up and said NO to the politics of Alice-in-wonderland.  We said NO to the politics of up-is-down and down-is-up.  We stood up and said that education must be about nothing more and nothing less than our children.  You stood up when the Assembly Education Committee played games with the Parent Trigger -- when they unilaterally decided that the Parent Trigger wouldn’t trigger a school transformation,  but only a hearing.  That’s right, just a hearing.  Half our kids aren’t graduating?  We get a hearing.  Ninety percent of our kids aren’t going to college?  We get a hearing.  Our kids are literally and figuratively losing their lives day after day after day.  We get a hearing.  You said enough is enough.  You stood up and said you weren’t going to take it anymore.  And the chorus of your voices reverberated through the corridors of power in Sacramento.

Because you stood up to the utter illogic and immorality of their political games, we have a chance to make history.  We have a chance to pass the first Parent Trigger in American history and give parents real power over the education of their own children.

If you haven’t done so already, please sign up for our action alerts.  This week will be especially critical.  Negotiations are ongoing.  The Senate Leadership, along with the Governor and Mayor Villaraigosa, are pushing hard for the Parent Trigger.  In the Assembly, Current Speaker Karen Bass and Education Chair Julia Brownley have been the principle opponents of the Parent Trigger.  Incoming Speaker John Perez is an enigma.  He gave a powerful speech in favor of the Parent Trigger last week, then didn’t bother to show up to vote on it.  This will be a defining moment for his nascent speakership.

Stay tuned for updates…

Published Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009

Los Angeles, CA. (December 10, 2009)  The Parent Revolution – a campaign founded to empower parents to take back and transform their local schools – strongly opposes the watered down “parent trigger” crafted in in Sacramento backrooms without consultation from parents.  After hearing from dozens of passionate parents and community leaders yesterday about the importance of finally giving parents real power to transform failing neighborhood schools, Assemblymember Brownley today released a “parent trigger” provision that is an insult to the parents of California.

Under this bill, if half the parents sign a petition at their failing school – rather than triggering a transformation as outlined in SB 1 – it triggers a meaningless and patronizing hearing.  This provision serves the interests bureaucrats and special interests rather than parents and children.  It defends the status quo at the expense of us all.

Assemblymember Brownley got it half right -- She wrote a provision that required parental involvement, but forgot the part where you actually give parents real power.  Parents will not be fooled by patronizing measures and token gestures.  We only get one chance to give our children the future they need and the education they deserve.  We will not back down until every single parent in California has the power to take back and transform their failing neighborhood schools.

It’s nothing short of inspiring to see so many groups get seriously committed about improving educational outcomes for the children of LAUSD. But this process is just beginning, and there is much work left to be done before it can actually bring positive change to our schools. We at the Parent Revolution remain committed to ensuring every decision made in this process is first and foremost about children and what will best serve them. That means all operators – charters included – must commit to accepting attendance boundaries and serving every child. It means that the District has to give charters and others the necessary autonomy and freedoms to achieve success and produce real change. And it means that parents must be truly and honestly informed about their choices, not fed lies, scare tactics, or ridiculous propaganda.

This resolution and its continuing progress is a historic opportunity for LAUSD, but it has not yet actually changed the life of one child. Today, we can take a moment and applaud the diverse variety of groups who are fighting to doing the hard work of educating our children and bringing real change to a District desperately in need. Tomorrow, we must return to work, vigilant in our insistence that this process remains about children and children only, and actually brings the change they so desperately need.

As the battle over education policy has become extremely contentious - especially here in Los Angeles (see blog post below) - I think this is a nice reminder that not every kids-first change has to be controversial.  We even have Rachael Ray already leading the way on this one.

Unfortunately, it seems as though some in Los Angeles have taken a page out of the far right-wing playbook in their desperate attempts to stop change from coming to LAUSD. This past week, some have been circulating the flyer below through the Latino community, stating that parents who sign charter petitions are at risk of being deported (direct translation: Do not sign petitions for charter schools because you can be deported).  These sort of disgusting lies are meant to disempower communities of color, and keep them from being able to successfully fight for better schools.

Slowly but surely, parents are taking back power over their children’s schools. This clearly bothers some defenders of the status quo, who have resorted to the only tactics they have left – lies and fear mongering. But just as these tactics failed against President Obama’s campaign for change, they will fail against ours as well. Our children’s education is too important – and this moment too rare – to be derailed by the same old games and nonsense.

The press conference this morning was a great event, with leaders from throughout the education and civil rights communities – Maria Casillas, Rev. K.W. Tulloss, Board President Monica Garcia, and others – standing together as one. Together, we will fight for parents rights to ensure that their children, and every child, gets the education they need for the future they deserve.

Well, you can't fault us for daring to dream...

While last summer represented a potentially historic step forward as the LAUSD grapples with systemic failure all across Los Angeles, one problem still remained: with over 250 schools designated for transformation, it could take a decade or more to cycle through and transform each one.  And as it's written, all a parent can do is hope that their school gets picked by the Superintendent in time to affect their own child.  So over the past few months, the parents of Los Angeles had been lobbying for a "Parent Trigger," to empower parents to trigger the transformation of their own school through grassroots organizing alone.  This cuts to the core of what Parent Revolution stands for: transfer raw power to parents, because parents are in the best position to make decisions about what's good for their kids, and our collective future.

What transpired is Exhibit A as to why we need a Revolution. 

On October 23rd, Superintendent Cortines endorsed a bold, historic Parent Trigger.  For the first time in America, he announced that half the parents at the focus school OR half the parents at the feeder schools could automatically trigger a transformation of their own school simply through grassroots organizing.  National media took notice, and hailed the LAUSD as a new reform leader, rather than a poster child for the status quo.

Predictably, the special interests defending the status quo freaked out at the idea of giving parents real power over the education of their own children.  So, last Friday, the Superintendent issued a "revised" Parent Trigger.  Instead of giving the power to half the parents at the focus school OR feeder schools; he changed it to half the parents at the focus school AND half the parents at the feeder schools AND half the parents in preshool -- setting the bar impossibly high to transform a school the District and the Federal Government have already designated as needing radical improvement.  Even after raising the bar to absurd heights, the District STILL feared the wrath of empowered parents flexing their newfound muscle.  So Cortines went a step further and stripped parents of any power whatsoever -- designating their grassroots organizing as only a recommendation to him, which he alone would have the power adopt or reject.

As the LA Times editorializes today, "(The Parent Trigger) Cortines has laid out seems more likely to frustrate parents than empower them."  We'd take it a step further and guarentee parents will see right through this charade, and that not one school in Los Angeles will be transformed by this patronizing new policy.

Corines' 180 degree reversal on parental power represents not only a giant step backwards for the movement to empower parents, but also a proof-point as to why we need a Revolution in the first place: because the same old special interests and bureaucrats are still dominating the LAUSD's policy agenda at the expense of parents and children.

The Times editorial concludes by calling upon the District to put kids first for a change, because of what's at stake in this moment for our kids and our future: "If the Public School Choice initiative does not emerge as a strong reform policy, L.A. Unified will be signaling its ongoing inability to fix itself and its schools -- which could prompt an outside takeover of the district. It is imperative that students' needs not be overshadowed this time by adult priorities."

We couldn't agree more.

Parents all across Los Angeles are standing up and standing together to demand change.  We will take back our schools and we will transform public education throughout Los Angeles.  History, morality, as well as plain 'ol common sense are on our side.  The only question for the District leadership is whether they stand for change in this transformational moment, or whether they stand for more of the same special interest politics that have gotten us to where we are today.

Dear Mr. Cortines,

My name is Barbara Einstein. I am the mother of three boys (all of whom attend UC Santa Barbara) and four girls (all of whom attend Walgrove Elementary in Venice).

Our family has lived in Venice for over 20 years. Ten years ago, when it was time for our boys to go to middle school, Mark Twain (the local middle school) had a particularly poor reputation for being academically weak. Due to this, my husband and I decided to "play the game" and send our boys to a decent public school outside of Venice.

Now, as our girls are getting ready to enter middle school, we are once again saddened and frustrated to see that Mark Twain is still as it was ten years ago.

In response, I have joined the Parent Revolution. We have gathered over 1000 signatures from concerned parents of children who feed into Mark Twain. I was initially overjoyed when the School Choice resolution passed; however, I became deeply disappointed upon finding out that you did not include Mark Twain among the schools which will be available for eventual transformation in 2010.

Of our four girls, three are currently in the 4th grade. What are we supposed to do in one year from now? Should we send them to a failing institution?

Venice does not provide its community with a choice of middle schools. Must I “play the game” again (as thousands of other parents throughout Los Angeles do each year) in order to ensure that our girls receive a decent education?

Mark Twain desperately needs a transformation. I must inquire: how can I—as well as hundreds of other parents—be guaranteed that Mark Twain will make the list in the following year? In my 14 years as a parent with children in the public education system, I have witnessed just how slowly and inefficiently change actually occurs. I have lost faith in our school district and school board.

The parents of Venice are ready to take action and help carry the responsibilities that come with having a great Middle School. We are active and organized. We have patiently waited for many years and we now request that our engagement and energy in this matter be met by you and the school board.

There needs to be a process put in place which allows parents to trigger designated failing schools such as Mark Twain to become available for transformation immediately.

I urge you to give us the power we deserve.

Sincerely,

Barbara Einstein