Might Will Not Make Right
“Keep your website up and hear from our attorneys now that you know the truth.” - Charter School Advocate Michael Trujillo
In the 2020 elections, those supporting public education in the LAUSD won three out of the four seats available on the school board. However, these three victories were not enough to keep control of the board. As the year came to a close Tanya Ortiz Franklin joined Nick Melvoin, Kelly Gonez, and Monica Garcia to form a majority that served at the pleasure of the charter school industry.
The return on investment for the millions of dollars that the charters spent on these elections has been stunning:
The district continued to provide these publicly funded private schools with space needed by public schools despite evidence of theft and fraud when charters lied about the amount of space they needed.
Unencumbered by proper review of building plans, charter schools plowed ahead with plans to build on sites thought to be polluted with toxic waste and in neighborhoods not equipped to safely handle the increased traffic.
Citizens of the World charter schools received permission to open in one neighborhood and then opened in another, without gaining approval, but faced no consequences for their action.
The Crenshaw Entrepreneurial Academy continues to advertise for students and solicit donations despite the fact that its charter was rejected by the LAUSD.
The Public Policy Charter School in South L.A. was allowed by the district to open for the school year despite not having the funds to operate. In September it closed without warning to parents in the middle of a school day, leaving them scrambling to pick up their children.
Board Member Nick Melvoin advocated that Palisades Charter High School be the first in line to get access to bond money, prioritizing them over the public schools that he is supposed to represent.
According to data released by the Charter School Division, charter schools ended the year owing $13,758,747 to the students of Los Angeles. Some of this debt is years old. All of it is past due.
Not satisfied with the power that they already hold, the charter school industry and its supporters have tried to silence critics through intimidation and legal threats. As an example, the Citizens of the World chain of charter schools pressured LAUSD bureaucrats to silence activists at Shirley Avenue Elementary School. When this did not work, they tried to get the LA School Police to declare activities protected by the First Amendment illegal. To strengthen their hand, the charter chain filed a restraining order against the loudest of the protestors, using laws that are meant to protect victims of stalking.
Following in Citizens of the World’s footsteps, a charter school industry political operative, Michael Trujillo, threatened me in a recent Twitter exchange. He stated that I would “hear from our attorneys” if I did not remove information about Nick Melvoin’s (possibly former) Chief Advisor. Ironically, the facts that he deemed to be incorrect came from his own Tweet and his client, Allison Holdorff Polhill’s website (which as of this writing still claims that she “currently serves as chief advisor and district director to the vice president of the Los Angeles Unified School District”). The information that Trujillo provided also did not change the nature of the allegations against Polhill.
With all three board seats up for election in 2022 held by the charter school industry, it is more important than ever to speak truth to power. I will, therefore, continue to expose the corruption of these publicly funded private schools and the damage that they do to the 80% of students who attend public schools. No amount of threats by Trujillo will stop that.
Carl has been making outlandish claims for years and nothing has ever bore fruit, he’s like 0 for 289. He should sit this one out, he won’t. See y’all next year. Have a nice Sunday.
— Michael Trujillo (@mikehtrujillo) December 26, 2021
A look back at some of the other stories that I covered during the past year:
January
Parent Engagement Continues To Be Pushed Aside In Country’s Second Largest School District: The majority supported by charter schools on LAUSD’s Board continues to block reinstatement of Parent Engagement and Special Ed Committees.
February
Expanding Inequity: As Los Angeles school closures approach the first anniversary, teachers from a high-priced private school jump the COVID-19 vaccination line.
This Is How To Fight For Public Education: Los Angeles board members could learn from the approach of newly elected Oakland Unified School Board trustee Mike Hutchinson.
March
Getting Advice From Texas? LAUSD School Board President Kelly Gonez brings in a controversial former Texas Education Agency official to coach the board on governance.
Educating The Squeaky Wheel: Many parents remain cautious about physically returning to school while groups pushing a forced reopening get an outsized voice in the media.
April
New Lawsuit Against LAUSD Jeopardizes The Health Of Families: If successful, the suit would reduce social distancing and prohibit the district from requiring COVID-19 testing as campuses are reopened.
Teacher? Babysitter? Social Director? Therapist? For years, those claiming that they want to reform education have savagely attacked the teaching profession. The pandemic proved them wrong.
May
Charter School Presses On With Invasions: Bassett Street Elementary School thought they had repelled a co-location from Citizens of the World charter schools. Unfortunately, they haven’t.
Nick Melvoin’s Vote In Support Of Failed Charter School Repudiated: School board member was in the minority on the vote to deny Prepa Tec’s renewal. California’s State Board of Education upheld the board’s decision.
June
“Speak UP” For White Parents With Financial Privilege: Nick Melvoin’s charter school advocacy group releases a study proving they were wrong about reopening schools after the COVID-19 pandemic.
California Legislature Puts Profits Over Students: The charter school industry successfully lobbies against efforts to prevent another $50 million theft of scarce education funds.
July
A Case Study In White Savior Complex: Citizens of the World Charter Schools’ mission to celebrate diversity ended up hurting the BIPOC communities they sought to help.
The Charter School Industry Buys Itself A Governor: Supporters of privatizing education are already reaping the rewards of financing the campaign against the Republican recall of Gavin Newsom.
August
A Charter School’s Attack On The First Amendment: Instead of listening to the concerns of the community at Shirley Avenue Elementary School, Citizens of the World attempts to silence them.
Is School Voucher System In Los Angeles A Done Deal? The elected school board has not voted to implement the Student-Centered Funding scheme, but the LAUSD website says it is beginning in 2022
September
Ethics Complaints Filed Against School Board Member: Nick Melvoin is accused of diverting LAUSD resources meant to help students in an attempt to gain an advantage in his re-election campaign.
Shouldn’t All Children Be Safe In The Schools They Attend? The California Charter School Association blocks a bill requiring private schools to follow the same environmental rules as public schools.
October
An Ethically Challenged School Board: LAUSD School Board President Kelly Gonez voted to approve a contract with a former employer. She then accepted a campaign donation from them.
Charter School Hatches Plan To Avoid Oversight: Citizens of the World will open a franchise “adjacent” to Culver City where its operations will be subject to LAUSD rules that are more lax.
November
School Board Governs From The Right In A Deep Blue County: Democrats vastly outnumber Republicans in Los Angeles, but the LAUSD School Board is dominated by those promoting right-wing ideals.
Another Example Of Failed Charter School Oversight: LAUSD’s Jose Cole-Guitierrez’s department finds issues at Citizens of the World but provides no consequences. Is it time for his head to roll?
December
New Leader Of Los Angeles Schools Selected Behind Closed Doors: Hopes are high for LAUSD Superintendent selected unanimously by a divided school board, but the fact remains that stakeholders had no input.
School District Takes A Step Backward On COVID: Caving in to pressure from a vocal anti-vax minority, Los Angeles schools will not enforce the vaccine mandate when classes resume in January.
As we celebrate the new year I would like to express my appreciation to Nicole Thiroux-Petersen, Cindy Petersen, and Sari Rynew for providing inspiration and for fine-tuning my blogs with their editing skills. Thanks to Tracy Cook for her task-mastering skills and gathering together public school activists for Sunday morning Zooms. I also appreciate Emiliana Dore, Francine Matthews-Flores, Eastside Padres Contra La Privatización, Nicolle Fefferman, Audrey Wauchope Lieberstein, and Angie Romo for providing Voices From The Community during 2021.
Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for students with special education needs and public education. He is an elected member of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council and serves as the Education Chair. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD’s District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him “a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles.” For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.