More L.A. Leaders Come Out Against Teachers Union, in Support of 'Don't Hold Us Back' Reform at LAUSD

Categories: Education

dont hold us back newspaper ad.jpg
The L.A. Civic Alliance gives this ad -- which recently appeared in the Times, Daily News and La Opinion -- a big fat thumbs up.
See also: "Progressives Find Religion on LAUSD Reform," today's print piece by Hillel Aron.

In case you haven't heard, the door to much-needed education reform in L.A. will either be thrown open or slammed shut this fall. More specifically, the Los Angeles Unified School District is in the process of renegotiating its contract with the all-powerful United Teachers Los Angeles union.

Those unfamiliar with the self-serving antics of our local teachers union -- ahem, Occupy L.A. -- may not see the correlation between failing students and teachers' job protection. But in assuring that no K-12 educator is singled out from another, UTLA has become one of the biggest obstacles to fixing our broken system. Don't believe us? Ask the non-partisan, mixed-bag Los Angeles Civic Alliance:

In a letter sent to LAUSD and UTLA on Monday, 22 movers and shakers on the Civic Alliance throw their (significant) weight behind the "Don't Hold Us Back" campaign, currently being run by various charities and minority groups against the rigid demands of the teachers union.

LA Weekly freelancer Hillel Aron wrote of the initial supergroup:

What's fascinating about the crowd behind this ad is that it is heavy with key minority groups and most of the groups have serious, real track records in helping under-served people. And: these groups are dominated by Democrats.

Ten years ago, most of these people would have been extremely reluctant to call out UTLA.

That would have been seen as anti-union.

Now, the support of the Civic Alliance is one more nail in the coffin of a fading dictator. Opposing one of California's most politically powerful labor unions is no longer a radical stance.

dance of the lemons cover image.jpg
For more on UTLA vs. reform, see February 2010 cover story "Dance of the Lemons," by Beth Barrett.
And no one's suggesting teachers should go underpaid and overworked -- just that they be held accountable for their job performance. Reformers like ex-LAUSD board member Yolie Flores have been arguing, exasperated, for years, that ineffective teachers need to be pushed out (especially in low-performing schools) for those pulling in results. But in the eyes of the teachers union, that would be unfair to its members.

In other words, the needs of one group of workers has been coming before California kids, and in turn the future of our floundering state.

No one can say the signatures on the Civil Alliance letter are all charter-backed Bill Gates types with corporate interests -- long the argument of anti-reformers. Instead, they range from lawyers to journalists to tree-huggers (though they're not exactly in the lower echelons of the 99 percent):

Edward J. Avila
President, Alliance for a Better Community

Elise Buik
President & CEO, United Way of Greater Los Angeles

James Cuno
President & CEO, The J. Paul Getty Trust

John Emerson
Chairman Emeritus, Music Center

David Fleming
Of Counsel, Latham & Watkins LLP
Founding Chair, LA County Business Federation

Ronald Gastelum
Attorney at Law

Russell Goldsmith
Chairman & CEO, City National Bank

Antonia Hernandez
President & CEO, California Community Foundation

Mickey Kantor
Partner, Mayer Brown LLP

George Kieffer
Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Philips, LLP

Stewart Kwoh
President & Executive Director, Asian Pacific American Legal Center

Andy Lipkis
President, TreePeople

Cindy Miscikowski
President, Board of Harbor Commissioners
Port of Los Angeles

Thomas M. Priselac
President & CEO, Cedars Sinai Health System

Robert K. Ross, M.D.
President & CEO, The California Endowment

John H. Semcken III
Vice President, Majestic Realty Co.

Robert Simonds
The Robert Simonds Company

Steve Soboroff
Soboroff Partners

Blair Taylor
President & CEO, Los Angeles Urban League

Gary Toebben
President & CEO, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce

Matthew A. Toldeo
CEO & Publisher, Los Angeles Business Journal

John Mack
Vice President, Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners
Former President, Los Angeles Urban League

Their letter asks LAUSD to give teachers and administrators more flexibility in changing the curriculum to fit the needs of students, and give the district itself more power to change up, evaluate and reward its employees. Seems simple enough -- but when it comes to UTLA, no reform is too simple to fight to the death (e.g.).

Good to see the opposition finally gain some middle-of-the-road flack.

[@simone_electra/swilson@laweekly.com]


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3 comments
rdsathene
rdsathene

I know facts are of little consequence to yellow journalists like Ms. Wilson, but for those of us outside of the Ayn Rand circle of influence, there are some egregious factual errors in this piece.

"self-serving antics of our local teachers union -- ahem, Occupy L.A."

No need to tell the truth that many of us at OccupyLAUSD were not members of UTLA, or any union for that matter, since that would get in the way of the false narrative this drivel presents. Unlike the well paid members of the "Don't Hold Us Back" astroturf coalition, we were grassroots activists demanding former Gates Executive Deasy to hire back librarians in our schools and to stop wasting our money on programs proven not to work.

"may not see the correlation between failing students and teachers' job protection."

Please cite one legitimate peer reviewed study that backs this wildly specious statement. I know you aren't really a journalist, but this goes beyond the pale. Yolie Flores' wholly uneducated opinions, policy papers or preliminary reports from right wing thinks like the NCTQ, or the vile Gates Foundation itself are not considered peer reviewed studies. You won't be able to find any such studies, since none exists, but don't let that inconvenient fact muddle your mendaciousness Ms. Wilson.

Another amusing oversight of this article is to state that the individuals on the list above are in addition to the Broad/Gates backed groups that comprise the so-called "don't hold us back coalition."

I know this would require Wilson to research her writing, but she might want to look at names like Kwoh, Buik, Avila, Taylor, and Mack and see if they have anything in common with the groups already onboard the reactionary anti-public education groups comprising "don't hold us back." Here's a hint, they are the CEOs and Executive Directors of those selfsame organizations, each of whom make massive six figure salaries and collect money from anti-public school foundations including the Broad, Gates, Milken, and others to advocate their policies and ideas. Now that's self serving!

The handful of other 1%ers on above list that aren't Gates Foundation hacks are some folks really concerned about inner cities? I mean, the Chamber of Commerce? That's a bastion or worker and civil rights if we've ever seen one.

I'm sure this disgusting piece of propaganda will be well received by those who read the Weakly in between chapters of The Fountainhead, but for those of us that actually possess critical thinking skills, it is repugnant. Aside from her extremist boss, Wilson has an uncanny ability to write on education without ever having to tell the truth or reference factual information. Bravo.

Robert D. SkeelsVolunteer Director, PESJA-LA

rdsathene
rdsathene

I know facts are of little consequence to yellow journalists like Ms. Wilson, but for those of us outside of the Ayn Rand circle of influence, there are some egregious factual errors in this piece."self-serving antics of our local teachers union -- ahem, Occupy L.A."No need to tell the truth that many of us at OccupyLAUSD were not members of UTLA, or any union for that matter, since that would get in the way of the false narrative this drivel presents. Unlike the well paid members of the "Don't Hold Us Back" astroturf coalition, we were grassroots activists demanding former Gates Executive Deasy to hire back librarians in our schools and to stop wasting our money on programs proven not to work."may not see the correlation between failing students and teachers' job protection."Please cite one legitimate peer reviewed study that backs this wildly specious statement. I know you aren't really a journalist, but this goes beyond the pale. Yolie Flores' wholly uneducated opinions, policy papers or preliminary reports from right wing thinks like the NCTQ, or the vile Gates Foundation itself are not considered peer reviewed studies. You won't be able to find any such studies, since none exists, but don't let that inconvenient fact muddle your mendaciousness Ms. Wilson.Another amusing oversight of this article is to state that the individuals on the list above are in addition to the Broad/Gates backed groups that comprise the so-called "don't hold us back coalition."I know this would require Wilson to research her writing, but she might want to look at names like Kwoh, Buik, Avila, Taylor, and Mack and see if they have anything in common with the groups already onboard the reactionary anti-public education groups comprising "don't hold us back." Here's a hint, they are the CEOs and Executive Directors of those selfsame organizations, each of whom make massive six figure salaries and collect money from anti-public school foundations including the Broad, Gates, Milken, and others to advocate their policies and ideas. Now that's self serving!The handful of other 1%ers on above list that aren't Gates Foundation hacks are some folks really concerned about inner cities? I mean, the Chamber of Commerce? That's a bastion or worker and civil rights if we've ever seen one.I'm sure this disgusting piece of propaganda will be well received by those who read the Weakly in between chapters of The Fountainhead, but for those of us that actually possess critical thinking skills, it is repugnant. Aside from her extremist boss, Wilson has an uncanny ability to write on education without ever having to tell the truth or reference factual information. Bravo.Robert D. SkeelsVolunteer Director, PESJA-LAschoolsmatter.info

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