• Education,  Polling

    Poll Watch: American Public Schools Have Near Record-Low Confidence



    According to the latest Gallup Poll.

    Americans continue to express near record-low confidence in U.S. public schools — holding in the range seen throughout the past few years of tumult for the U.S. economy and state budgets. The 34% who say they have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in public schools is unchanged from last year and statistically similar to what Gallup has found since 2005.

    The findings are from Gallup’s annual update on confidence in institutions, conducted June 9-12. Nearly all institutions — including public schools — have seen historically low confidence in recent years. This year brought little improvement beyond a slight uptick in confidence in newspapers and television news. Public schools currently rank in the middle of the pack of institutions tested — 8th out of 16 — in the general range of the presidency, U.S. Supreme Court, and medical system. The current rating is down significantly when compared with confidence levels seen throughout the 1970s and at points in the late 1980s, when about half or more Americans expressed confidence in U.S. public schools.

    Not really a surprise.

    My children were educated primarily in private and religious schools throughout their pre-college days. California public schools, which were excellent when I was a student in the 50’s and 60’s gradually succumbed to the political correctness of the day and their quality of instruction eroded.

    The future continues to be in private education as Americans flee the watered-down and politically left driven education in the public schools.

  • Day By Day,  Los Angeles Unified School District

    Day By Day August 23, 2010 – Kiss Off

    Day By Day by Chris Muir

    Ahhhh appearances, right, Chris?

    Look at the $578 Million new school in Los Angeles Unified School District.

    Next month’s opening of the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools will be auspicious for a reason other than its both storied and infamous history as the former Ambassador Hotel, where the Democratic presidential contender was assassinated in 1968.

    With an eye-popping price tag of $578 million, it will mark the inauguration of the nation’s most expensive public school ever.

    The K-12 complex to house 4,200 students has raised eyebrows across the country as the creme de la creme of “Taj Mahal” schools, $100 million-plus campuses boasting both architectural panache and deluxe amenities.

    The fact is California’s budget cannot afford such largess. Bonded indebteness pays for these schools and with the success rate of Los Angeles Unified (very high drop out rate) it is doubtful that the interest on the debt service will be easily paid in future years – leaving the tab to other non-Los Angeles California taxpayers.

    California’s public schools are a disaster because of the teacher’s unions and their involvement in the political process. Illegal immigration is also playing a big role in the decline.

    One of these days, California taxpayers may wise up – or move out.

    Previous:

    The Day by Day Archive

  • California,  Education,  Home Schooling

    Home Schooling Threatened in California; Update: Did L.A. Times Misinterpret the Ruling?

    A California appeals court (via MM) has held that parents who lack teaching credentials cannot educate their children at home.

    Advocates for the families vowed to appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court. Enforcement until then appears unlikely, but if the ruling stands, home-schooling supporters say California will have the most regressive law in the nation.

    “This decision is a direct hit against every home schooler in California,” said Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute, which represents the Sunland Christian School, which specializes in religious home schooling. “If the state Supreme Court does not reverse this . . . there will be nothing to prevent home-school witch hunts from being implemented in every corner of the state of California.”

    The ruling is here.

    Key graph:

    • “Parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children,” wrote Justice H. Walter Croskey in a Feb. 28 opinion signed by the two other members of the district court. “Parents who fail to [comply with school enrollment laws] may be subject to a criminal complaint against them, found guilty of an infraction, and subject to imposition of fines or an order to complete a parent education and counseling program.”

    So, if you home school your child a California parent can be subject to a CRIMINAL complaint.

    This absurd ruling WILL be appealed to the California Supreme Court.

    In the meantime, will the left-wing Democrat controlled California legislature pass legislation clarifying this issue, like thirty other states?

    NO WAY – why aggravate the public school monopoly behemoth and teacher’s unions that feed their campaigns? Keep the kids and parents captive.

    Update:

    Ace says not so fast with saying homeschooling is imperiled.

    Read it all.


  • Antonio Villaraigosa,  Los Angeles Unified School District

    The Miguel Contreras Learning Complex Pool Flap

    The Miguel Contreras Learning Complex opened across the street from the Los Angeles Chamber at 3rd and Bixel on Sept. 5, 2006 to 1,800 students.

    Looks like Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Vilaraigosa, his parks department and the Los Angeles Unifed School District is in trouble again.

    The water was off-limits. But it certainly seemed somebody was all wet Tuesday afternoon at an Olympic-size swimming pool near downtown Los Angeles.

    Was it Vilma Cortez, who was standing outside 3rd Street’s new Miguel Contreras Learning Complex, demanding that its high school pool be open to neighborhood kids such as her own three children, who are whiling away the summer sitting in their nearby apartment?

    Was it Los Angeles Unified School District administrators, who say the pool is already plenty used by students enrolled in campus summer school programs?

    Maybe the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, which insists the school pool was never designed for public access and lacks shallow kiddie wading areas, adequate showers and locker facilities?

    Or perhaps Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, whose staff has voiced concern that public access to the pool is impractical from both a safety and liability standpoint?

    What is the real problem here?

    Is it perhaps the Mayor does not want to draw attention to the residents of this community who are primarily illegal aliens? Does he want to keep the rift-raft and Mexican Gang Bangers out?

    Or does he wish to defuse criticism that the City and LAUSD are spending public money on illegal alien kids?

    Flap understands that KFI’s (640 AM Los Angeles Radio) John and Ken will weigh in on this story this afternoon.

    Stay tuned…….

    The $160-million campus features three small learning communities and one autonomous New Technology High School, the Los Angeles School of Global Studies.

    The Chamber and its affiliate UNITE-LA have been integral partners and instrumental in the development of the campus, which will equip students with 21st century skills to help them excel in an information-based, technologically advanced society.


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  • Antonio Villaraigosa,  Los Angeles Unified School District

    Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Pay to Play at LAUSD

    John Torres, right, special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, holds a Ruger Mini-14, a .53-caliber semiautomatic rifle, one of several weapons seized or bought undercover, as Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, left, and City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo listen at a Los Angeles news conference after law enforcement authorities fanned out across harbor areas of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., early Tuesday, July 31, 2007, in a huge sweep of gang members aimed at taking down violent offenders. Hundreds of federal agents and local police officers took part in the campaign that started at around 4 a.m.

    Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Vilaraigosa spent over $3.5 million on Los Angeles Unified School District races to gain allies on the LAUSD Board, reports the Los Angeles Times.

    And it is the usual “PAY TO PLAY” in the City.

    villarjuly26b

    Los Angles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at Panda Express opening at Universal City Walk, JUly 25, 2007

    If you want a development project approved, you contribute to the Mayor’s pet project – the control of Los Angeles City Schools.

    To help his candidates, Villaraigosa turned to an array of companies seeking to do business at City Hall, including real estate developers, media companies and potential tenants at Los Angeles International Airport.

    Partnership for Better Schools received $25,000 from Entravision Communications Corp., a Santa Monica-based Spanish-language media firm that, according to its lobbying forms, is seeking new “advertising opportunities” with the city.

    The committee also took $50,000 from Panda Restaurant Group, which hopes to obtain restaurant concessions at LAX. And it received $100,000 from New York City-based Fig Central LLC, which is seeking permission from Villaraigosa’s appointees on the Planning Commission to build an 860-unit condominium complex across the street from Staples Center.

    And, once you have your amigos installed as LAUSD Board members, they vote to waive the reimbursement of legal fees owed the District from the failed Mayoral efforts to “take over” the LAUSD.

    Flap asks: Is there a Grand Jury operating in Los Angeles County?

    Previous:

    Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Villaraigosa Tries Again to Shift Focus

    Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: NBC Telemundo Expected to Announce Results This Week

    Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Corina Villaraigosa Speaks About Commitment

    Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Telemundo Ethics Probe of Mirthala Salinas Completed

    Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Watch: Mayor Heckled at Transportation Meeting


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  • California,  Dentistry,  Education,  Politics

    School ME! Adventures in Education Watch: No Child is Like a Root Canal

    Image credit: Francisco Navarro

    Los Angeles Times: No child is like a root canal

    Yes, School Me bashed the LAUSD for pandering to parents this week.That doesn’t mean we’re above a bit of pandering ourselves as we cast about for readers. Hence we pass on this “joke”–we think it’s a joke–that landed in our e-mail. Most of you will find it painful. Teachers, we hope, will offer a toothy smile of gratitude, even though it has probably been making the rounds for years.

    Read it all.

    Actually, the situation is NOT TOO FUNNY at all.

    From Flap’s personal experience as a former LAUSD teacher and a dentist in California for over 28 years both systems (education and dentistry) are doing an equally poor job.

    To be blunt…….education and dental health in California SUCKS.

    One of the common threads…… children of Hispanic illegal aliens/immigrants.

    Ask how Flap knows in comments or over at My Dental Forum.

    Solutions anyone? Since the comments section is off at the Los Angeles Times School Me! blog.

    Discuss this blog post and MORE…. at the FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blogs, My Dental Forum.


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  • Education,  Media

    LA Times Watch: School Me! Adventures in Education – A Los Angeles Times Blog


    Los Angeles Times: Hey Hey, Ho Ho, Pandering Has Got To Go

    Via Patterico:

    Read it all.

    Welcome to the blogosphere for Bob Sipchen and the School Me! Adventures in Education.

    Bob (in the Michael Kinsley, John Carroll days) was the Sunday Opinion editor.

    Bob Sipchen last year speaking at the Los Angeles Press Club before Hugh Hewitt, Roger Simon, and Pajamas Media start-up folks.

    Previous:

    LA Times Watch: Bob Sipchen Leaves “Current” for Web Project


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  • Blogosphere,  Education,  Politics

    The FLAP: Paul Deignan v. Wallace Hettle and Bitch Ph.D

    Patterico has Scumbag of the Day: Wally Hettle

    Protein Widsom has most of the FLAP with What repercussions? (updated to include Hettle’s email to Deignan’s advisor)

    Read both of these posts and the comments. Read all of them.

    Paul Deignan’s site, Info Theory has the plaintiff’s complaint.

    Bitch Ph.D will be the defendant.

    Flap is late to post on this matter and saw the FLAP developing over the week when the California Special Election was happening and Flap was busy drilling for dollars.

    Here is the text of the letter that started it all.

    Received from either Drs. Galen B. King and Peter H. Meckl of Purdue University.

    Yesterday and last night Paul Deignan spent in “trolling” a feminist academic web site with disruptive and abusive comments.

    This is a highly visible liberal site. He was banned, but used his computer expertise to defeat the ban and taunt the host of the site.

    This kind of behavior is not unheard of on the net. But Mr. Deignan chose to do this action from a homepage that claims you as a dissertation adviser.

    Mr. Deignan has a right to free speech. He shouldn’t disrupt the discussions of others–it is highly unprofessional. And it is linked to your name.

    Might you please advise him to exercise a little discretion in the future. As matters stand, Mr. Deignan appears to be doing a bit more politicking than mechanical engineering.

    Thank you,

    Wallace
    Hettle

    The latest in Paul Deignan’s response to Wally Hettle’s letter is Text of the Hettle E-Mail

    So, what is the FLAP?

    Paul Deignan says he has been defamed by Wally Hettle. And he claims he has been damaged.

    Wally Hettle says Paul Deignan is “unprofessional” and rats him out to his major advisors of his mechanical engineer department at Purdue University.

    One of Paul’s advisors, Galen King, “Yes, we received an e-mail,” King confirmed on Wednesday. “It said that Paul was exceeding his bounds, if you will, on what is essentially a private site. He’s been asked to refrain, at least until he’s [graduated from Purdue].”

    Flap’s take on the matter is disappointment, surprise and outrage (so here we go):

    1. Surprised that Paul, in the first place, would bother with Bitch Ph.D in the first place. Flap has found leftie sites very unhospitable to rationale argument and debate. So, Paul don’t bother them with your arguments – they don’t want to listen.

    2. Disappointed at Galen King saying anything about the matter. What Paul does in his free time is his own business and does not reflect upon you or Purdue University. This being said by a parent who has had three children (one graduate alumna) attend Purdue University and who has paid many dollars to your university in tuition and fees. Freedom of speech applies to both mechanical engineering as to dentistry as to politics. Therefore, buzz out and Flap will send you an e-mail and call you on Monday (today being Veterans Day holiday) to let you know how I feel – perhaps you may even care.

    Galen King

    3. Outraged that Wallace (Wally) Hettle would write Paul Deignan’s advisors and tattle-telling, accusing Paul of inappropriate behavior and essentially denigrating Paul’s character. Wally is a HORSES ASS. And Flap will tell him so by telephone and e-mail – again on Monday since today is a holiday. There is little doubt that Wally did NOT agree with Paul’s political philosophy and wanted to put a monkey-wrench into Paul’s ability to voice his opinions. Wally wanted to HARM Paul. Flap will publish the good Dr. Hettle’s contact details so others who are predisposed can voice their displeasure. Like Patterico, Flap has NO problems releasing this information:

    Wallace Hettle
    wallace.hettle@uni.edu
    liberalwally@yahoo.com
    SEERLEY HALL 316
    UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA
    CEDAR FALLS, IA 50614-0701
    (319) 273-2942

    Here are Dr. Wally’s academic contact details:

    Instructional Faculty

    Wallace A. Hettle


    History
    University of Northern Iowa

    Office: SRL 316
    Phone: 319-273-2942
    Fax: 319-273-582
    wallace.hettle@uni.edu



    U.S. History


    B.A. and Ph.D., History, Northwestern University


    Civil War, 19th Century Southern U.S.


    The Peculiar Democracy: Southern Democrats in Peace and Civil War (Univ. of Georgia Press, 2001)

    Wallace Hettle’s Department Head is Robert F. Martin and his details are here.

    The Deans of the College are here:

    CSBS Dean and Associate Dean

    College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Dean
    Julia Wallace
    Sabin 117
    Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0403
    phone: (319) 273-2221
    fax: (319) 273 – 2222


    College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Associate Dean
    Phyllis Baker
    Sabin 121a
    Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0403
    phone: (319) 273-2109
    fax: (319) 273 – 2222

    And the equivalent of the University President is

    The Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs is James Lubker, Ph.D.
    Seerley 001
    (319) 273-2517
    (319) 273-3153 (FAX)

    Soooooo if you are predisposed to let these folks know about the FLAP and the activities of one of their faculty members – which sounds to Flap a lot more politicing, meddling, intimidation and intentional unprofessional conduct and alot LESS history of the Civil War give them a write, fax, e-mail or telephone call.

    Flap knows you will be glad you did.

  • California,  Education,  Politics

    California Democratic Party Watch: Happy in Raising Taxes

    Bob Mulholland over at the California Democratic Party Blog is delighted that Los Angeles County voted to raise their taxes for Los Angeles Unified School Bonds. Granted a goodly number of those schools have badly deteriorated in both physical plant and educational standards.

    But, school bonded indebtedness will not fix structural problems in California education – especially in the LAUSD.

    Los Angeles area schools started to deteriorate with SERRANO V. PRIEST (1971 & 1976).

    Mulholland takes a cheap shot at the California Republican Party for opposing certain tax bonds and measures over the years. The Democrats and Mulholland included have not found a tax or a tax increase they do not like. Tax and spend and redistribute – an old story that continues.

    Taxation without accountability has taken California public schools from the top to near the bottom……and please don’t tell Flap it was the tax revolt of 1978, Howard Jarvis and Prop. 13.