A Debate on Education in Los Angeles with UTLA and Parent Revolution - Part 1

Compton's McKinley Elementary School has found itself at the center of the on-going national debate on education. Touching off this latest battle is the so-called "Parent Trigger" option, outlined in The Parent Empowerment Act of 2010, which recently passed California's state legislature by a slim but bipartisan majority. Under the trigger option a majority of parents whose students are enrolled in a school deemed by the California Department of Education (CDE) as "chronically underperforming," can petition that school to enact one of four intervention models. These intervention models are replacing the school principal; exerting some control over staffing and budget; closing the school completely and sending students to a nearby, better performing school; or establishing a charter school in place of the existing school.

On January 13, 2011, Uprising Radio's Sonali Kolhatkar hosted Gabe Rose, Deputy Director of Parent Revolution in a debate with A J Duffy of United Teachers of Los Angeles over the Parent Trigger law and the state of public education in LA. This is part 1 of the interview.

Martina Steiner recorded this interview. Special thanks to Ty Swonger.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Parent Revolution
• UTLA
• Gabe Rose
• A J Duffy
• Sonali Kolhatkar
• Uprising
• education
• Los Angeles

[pileon1999]

Duffy's a union tard. The public sector unions are sealing their own fate.

[MsJanetWood]

If it weren't for the "evil teachers' unions", all the "good, little children" would go to the LIBRARY to STUDY and do their HOMEWORK!

They would also eat their vegetables and drink their milk.

They would visit their grandmother and accompany her to church every Sunday!

Teaching is a predominately female profession. Attacking teachers is attacking WOMEN!

Who does that?

[z28ace]

@MsJanetWood your right. we should hold the students accountable. But that is the parents job not yours. the problem isnt that we are bad mouthing all the teachers, we are only bad mouthing the bad ones. And you have to understand that some teachers dont teach and are only there for a paycheck. that is the main problem. we need to agree to pay the better teachers more and fire the bad teachers. those cops you use a reference, it doesnt matter where they work, they both need to do the job right.

[MsJanetWood]

Do you think a POLICE OFFICER working in East L.A. has the SAME LEVEL of STRESS and PRESSURE, as cop in Beverly Hills?

Do you think WALKING along RODEO DRIVE is EQUAL to WALKING ALONG 54TH AND CRENSHAW?

A policeman friend of mine went to his wife's Back-to-School-Night. Imagine his surprise when he realized he had PREVIOUSLY ARRESTED half of the parents in attendance!

Stop blaming the teachers!

Schools are a reflection of their communities!

It's time we held students accountable!