All Fremont Teachers Fired! but no evidence Reconstitution works

Teachers, Parents & community members from across Los Angeles speak out!

Jose Lara @ March15 "Empty Chairs" action for RIF'd teachers

Jose Lara interviews RIF'd teacher, Erica Jones, at UTLA's March 15 "Empty Chairs" action. Next, Jose responds to Obama's "post NCLB" plans & brings in Diane Ravitch. You can become his Facebook Fan at http://bit.ly/JoseLara

Jose Lara's new Video Blog & Facebook Page

Jose Lara, educator and activist in Los Angeles, just started a Video Blog. The first 'webisode' features him and parent/community leader Martha Sanchez who organized surveys of 900 parents.




Lara has also launched a public Facebook Page where he posts education related articles, videos and hosts discussions:
http://bit.ly/JoseLara

Forbes: Cortines moonlights as a "Top Corp. Exec": $151,000 in 2009

According to Forbes, since becoming LAUSD Superintendent January 1, 2009 (and while thousands of LAUSD employees lost their jobs) Mr. Cortines has been compensated $151,186 as a Director of the Scholastic Corporation.

What LAUSD program do you think Mr. Cortines should donate his corporate compensation to?

Post your idea in the comments section (below) or send us a message on Twitter @CutsHurtKids

Forbes.com:

Top Executives at Scholastic Corporation

Ramon C. Cortines

Director

Director Compensation (Scholastic Corporation) for 2009

Total Compensation

$151,186.00

SATIRE: Jason Song gets his Stairway to Nowhere...

Janet of Echo Park, one of our blog contributors, put a little humor together:

CLICK HERE TO SEE SOURCE

Yolie Flores Aguilar's POSTCARD from Brazil...

Must be nice to vacation in Brazil, 

while so many of us are doing the stay-cation thing.

Here's Janet of Echo Park yet again:

upcoming POSTCARD From Yolie Flores Aguilar, enjoying Rio de Janeiro & Sao Paulo

CLICK HERE to see source image

And a remix of Yolie's tweet (from weeks ago?)

Villaraigosa's Pre-emptive success poster Remixed...

Janet of Echo Park strikes again...she writes:

There's a poster at bus stations all around [Los Angeles] and attached to the fence across from the LA Times building entrance, applauding Mayor Villaraigosa for eliminating coal energy by 2020.  So, 11 years of pre-emptive success?

Well, there's a better idea for the poster...
http://i25.tinypic.com/15fg5kx.jpg

here's the original poster: http://i28.tinypic.com/24kwqo1.jpg

LAUSD Revised Schedule of TownHall Meetings

CLICK HERE to see larger image

Video: Aurora Ponce receives scholarship & speaks

NBC Ch4 August 11, 2009 - CutsHurtKids.org Presents Aurora Ponce her Scholarship

glad Channel 4 was there, but some corrections: 

CutsHurtKids.org (not UTLA) is who presented the over-sized check of $1683.34 from it's successful Twitter-based scholarship fundraiser. UTLA later provided its own scholarship of $1000. 

Also, due to community outrage, Aurora was in fact able to give her Valedictorian speech at her graduation from Annenberg High School (The Accelerated School). 

Press Release: Scholarship for Aurora Ponce

F O R   I M M E D I A T E   R E L E A S E

LOS ANGELES, CA - August 10, 2009 
WHAT: A scholarship of over $ 1680 will be delivered to Ms. Aurora Ponce as the result of a successful fundraiser on Twitter and Facebook led by the CutsHurtKids.org Team. 

WHEN: Tomorrow, Tuesday August 11 at 10AM. 
WHERE: Entrance to The Accelerated School, 4000 S. Main Street, Los Angeles (corner of King Blvd and Main St) MAP: http://tinyurl.com/ntzab2 
PRESS CONTACT: Jose Lara, Teacher at Santee, cell: 714-864-0543 

Tomorrow a check of over $1680 will be presented to Aurora Ponce for her courageous work in defense of education. The event is organized by Parent Leaders of The Accelerated School and ACORN. 

Jose Lara, Teacher at Santee Educational Complex (one of the Leaders of the recent hunger strike, "Hungry For A Better Education") will represent CutsHurtKids.org for the presentation of the check. 

Ms. Ponce was punished by The Accelerated School (where she was class Valedictorian) for protesting peacefully against the budget cuts, increased class sizes and teacher layoffs. 

Among other punishments, they took away her summer job, which she needed to buy books for her freshman year in college, which she is starting this Fall at UC Davis.

86% of the scholarship donations come from Public School Teachers. This is a powerful statement that our teachers care deeply about our students. 

Aurora Ponce was punished publicly, and in response, teachers and community members have stood up publicly in her defense. In this effort CutsHurtKids.org hopes to counter any chilling effect on student activists. 

We also hope the message is heard loud and clear: if a student dares to defend what is just or criticize what is unjust, the community will stand with her. 

www.CutsHurtKids.org 
http://twitter.com/CutsHurtKids

# # #

Comunicado de Prensa: una Beca para Aurora Ponce

P A R A    D I F U S I O N    I N M E D I A T A

LOS ANGELES, CA - 10 de Agosto, 2009

QUÉ: Una beca de mas de $1680 se entregará a la Srta Aurora Ponce de la exitosa recaudación de fondos que se hizo por Twitter y Facebook liderada por el equipo de CutsHurtKids.org. 

CUÁNDO: Mañana, martes 11 de agosto a las 10AM. 
DONDE: Entrada a la Escuela Acelerada, 4000 S. Main Street, Los Angeles (esquina de King Blvd y Main St) MAPA:http://tinyurl.com/ntzab2 
CONTACTO DE PRENSA: Jose Lara, maestro de Santee, celular: 714-864-0543

Mañana se entregará a Aurora Ponce un cheque por más de $1680 por su valiente labor en defensa de la educación. El evento es organizado por padres líderes de la Escuela Acelerada y ACORN. 

El maestro de Santee Educational Complex, Jose Lara (uno de los lideres de la reciente huelga de hambre, L.A. Hungry For A Better Education) representará a CutsHurtKids.org para la entrega del cheque. 

Srta Ponce fue castigada por la Escuela Acelerada por protestar pacíficamente contra los recortes presupuestarios, el aumenta del tamaño de las clases y los despedidos de maestros. 

Entre otros castigos, se le quitaron su trabajo de verano, lo cual ella necesitaba para comprar libros para la universidad en el otoño (UC Davis). 

Un 86% de las donaciones de la beca provienen de maestros de escuelas públicas. Esta es una poderosa afirmación de que nuestros maestros se preocupan profundamente por nuestros estudiantes. 

Aurora Ponce fue castigada públicamente. En respuesta, los maestros y miembros de la comunidad se han parado a su defensa. En CutsHurtKids.org esperamos que este esfuerzo contrarresta cualquier efecto negativo (chilling effect) sobre los estudiantes activistas. 

Esperamos que el mensaje se escuche alto y claro: si un(a) estudiante se atreve a defender lo que es justo o criticar lo injusto, la comunidad estará con ella. 

www.CutsHurtKids.org 
http://twitter.com/CutsHurtKids 

###

Local Political Satire: Comic strip of Arne Duncan & Yolie Aguilar Flore

comic strip by Janet of Echo Park. CLICK to see source

Jose Lara, KPFK 90.7 "#1 Civil Rights Issue is Education"

UNIVISION TV34: PAPEL Summer School

Guest Article by Robert D. Skeels: Yolie Flores Aguilar's Resolution

Echo Park, Los Angeles - July 12, 2009 - Robert D. Skeels

Let Yolie know how you feel about her betrayal of our communities and schools

Please leave comments on Yolie Flores Aguilar's blog http://bit.ly/JsZRg regarding her CORPORATE CHARTER GIVE AWAY known as "Public School Choice: A New Way for LAUSD." We don't want the Wall*Mart model of cut-throat corporate competition to ruin our children's education!

It's imperative that every parent, student, community member, and social justice activist make their voices heard. Ms. Flores Aguilar and LAUSD we don't want you to hand our schools over to corporate interests. Charter school operators are wealthy enough! Keep the public in public schools! The school board votes on this Tuesday, July 14, 2009!

Please email the Ms. Tamar Galatzan <tamar.galatzan@lausd.net> and let her know you strongly oppose Ms. Yolie Flores Aguilar's resolution and want her to vote against it.

Below is Robert D. Skeel's letter to BOE President:

Ms. Mónica García, President of LAUSD Board:

Please find this message to contain my strongest encouragement for you to vote no on Yolie Flores Aguilar's Public School Choice: A New Way for LAUSD resolution this Tuesday. Essentially a hand out to wealthy corporate charter interests, this resolution does not serve the interests of Los Angeles' children in any way. It does, however, serve the interests of organizations that already receive massive funding from the Waltons, Gates, and Broads.

My wife and I live in District 2 and my wife attends Evans Adult School. We are appalled that several LAUSD board members have aligned with deep pocketed corporate against their own communities, but it isn't too late to draw a line in the sand by voting no on this draconian resolution. Please vote no on this resolution and show that we can keep the public in public schools!

Ms. Garcia, I have voted for you many times in the past, including this last election. However, I can guarantee you will not get my vote in the future if you don't take a stand on this.
Sincerely

Robert D. Skeels and YJ Lee
Barrio Echo Parque residents for 14 years

KPFK: July 13 Launch of PAPEL Summer School

PAPEL's 1ST DAY OF SCHOOL Monday, 13 July 2009 

8AM - 5PM: Elementary School Children 

8AM - 5PM: Advanced College Preparatory Courses (8th - 12th) Fridays, 

9AM - 12PM: Advanced Seminars (Mandatory) for 8th - 12th  

For a complete schedule of classes, please visit the following temporary website: www.madrigalproductions.com  Registration is still open and will continue throughout the summer.

LOCATION:

Vista Hermosa Nature Park at 100 N. Toluca Street 

Martin Terrones: "we will be at the top of the park overlooking the downtown LA landscape.  If you can't participate at all but would like to donate water or fruit, even school supplies, bring them on by."

Martin Terrones & Sean Leys, former hunger strikers in the Hungry for a Better Education campaign, annouce the July 13 launch of: P.A.P.E.L. SUMMER SCHOOL (People's Assemby for Popular Education & Liberation).  

Here, they speak on KPFK radio 90.7 in Los Angeles on July 10, 2009

Report: LA County 2008-2009 Civil Grand Jury - ARTS EDUCATION AT LAUSD

TOO SMALL TO READ? just click this link:
p235-p256 MasterDocument2009-06-04

What does CutsHurtKids.org Tweet about? Take a look...

Today marks 3 months of Tweeting by CutsHurtKids.org.  We took our 1000+ tweets & made tag clouds with wordle.net.

Here's three different ways to view the words we tweeted the most.

You can see we use #hashtags LAUSD & UTLA a lot. Both are short & commonly used tags for RSS feeds.

Also, we tweet a lot in the afternoons and evenings, hence the PM.  

There were a lot of tweets in May and June, not so many in April (and July's just begun).

We retweet a lot, which explains the big "RT".  You can also see some of the people we've retweeted or tweeted at.

You can also see some of the campaigns we've been involved in, particularly our collective grassroots mapping project at CutsHurtKids.org & the Hunger Strike (LAhungry4ED), among others.

PAPEL Teacher Participation Information Form

Martin Terrones, of PAPEL (People's Assembly for Popular Education & Liberation) writes,

"As some of you may have heard, LAUSD's budget cuts have taken effect and a toll on our students, many of whom, we've learned, have been locked in their homes by their parents for fear that they may leave and get into trouble by joining the wrong crowd or by ending up on the wrong place at the wrong time.  

As a result, members of the newly created People's Assembly for Popular Education & Liberation (PAPEL) have decided to hold summer school to help save as many of those students as we possibly can.  We may not be able to help the hundreds of thousands of students affected by these cuts this summer.  But however many we can help and save will be more than our elected officials are willing to themselves.

And so, if you are interested in teaching a class for a few hours a week over a 6-week period of time (or less, depending on availability), please complete the questionnaire form and return it IMMEDIATELY so I can compile a master schedule of classes and determine what teachers will be available to teach.  

If you are not interested but you know someone who may be, please forward the email to them.  We need your help if this is going to be a success.  I can't emphasize enough how important your participation, however limited, will be to starting a movement that will resonate with other school districts already mired by their own budget cuts."

Martin Terrones sent this form, below, for interested teachers to fill out. Completed forms can be sent to him at clase@madrigalproductions.com 

Summer School Teacher Sign-up

	TEACHER CONTACT INFORMATION
Teacher Name:
Home Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Telephone (mobile):
Telephone (home):
Email:
	TEACHING EXPERIENCE (if any)
Teaching Grade Level (if any):
Name of School Where You Taught:
Subject(s) Taught:
	EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION
Contact Person:
Relationship to Teacher:
Telephone Number:
Email:

Please list your undergraduate degree(s) earned.

          

If you are still in the process of getting a degree, please list the major you are considering or academic subject you are most interested in.

          

If you are not in college or have no undergraduate or advanced degree and would like to teach, please discuss your experience in the area you are interested in teaching.
(Please note: You do not need a university degree to educate our kids. We are simply trying to ascertain the different skills our community possesses so we can provide our students with a wider array of courses or skills to teach them.)

          

In order of preference, please list the subject(s) you would like to teach. If possible, please be as specific as possible (e.g. California History; Chicana/o Art; Chicana/o Literature; History of the Roman Empire; American Authors of the 20th Century; Pre-Colombian Art; History of Rock ‘n Roll; Mexico in Transition, 1810 – 1910; Poets of the Revolution; Geometry; Molecular Biology; Human Anatomy; Mechanical Physics; Astronomy, etc.).

	Subject/Topic	Course Description
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Based on your preference, please list the top 3 best days of the week that you would like to teach and the preferred 2-hour block of time. 

Please note: Because we are offering students specific courses to register for, we are asking that teachers sign up for a two-hour block of time, two days a week. If you wish to commit to a single day for 4-hours, that will be acceptable also. For example, if you are teaching a literature course, we would appreciate you committing to teach Tuesdays/Thursdays, 1Pm – 3PM or Tuesdays 1PM-5PM.  While we are still considering how long to keep the summer program going, we are tentatively trying to shoot for a 5-week session.  If you are unable to commit for that period of time, we will try our best to find someone to take over in your absence.  Whatever time you can provide, we will be most appreciative. 

	Preferred Day(s) of the Week	Preferred Block of Time
Ex.	Monday/Wednesday	8AM – 10AM or 1PM – 5PM
1.
2.
3.