Lake Jyvasjarvi I have never lived anywhere for 5 months other than Jyvaskyla, Finland. As my Fulbright journey concludes, there is so much to still digest. It will take months, if not years, to truly assimilate all the learning. Before I left Southern California, I wrote about the what I would miss the most from home and what I looked forward to experiencing in Finland. It is safe to say I met my goals. Top 7 Goals 1. Discussing Education Helsinki Workshop Through professional development programs, Fulbright Finland connected teachers with scholars and researchers, for the purpose of putting inquisitive minds together. The Making Democracies Resilient to Modern Threats seminar provided participants with fascinating research and presentations. 2. Nordic Model Bus station in Espoo What does an efficient and earnest country look like? It looks like Finland. Yes, people pay higher taxes, but get so much in return. I for one appreciated the well-maintained ro
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L. A. School Board Fails to Heed Jackie Goldberg's Haunting Advice
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What does the passing of the current LAUSD budget for 09-10 mean to schools with a high percentage of new teachers? These teachers will be fired and replaced with demoted/displaced workers from Downtown headquarters and Local District offices. Per LAUSD policy, positions created by the firing of new teachers must be reserved for displaced workers. Even if schools are able to buy back positions with the increased Title 1 funding, those positions will be offered to displaced workers first. L.A. Academy has dozens of new teachers who will no longer be serving our students, arguably some of the least served students in society, come July 1st.
Jackie Goldberg, a former school board member, vividly warned the current school board about approving the current budget cuts. Nonetheless, Marlene Canter, Yolie Flores Aguilar, Monica Garcia, and Richard Vladovic voted to approve the layoffs of thousands of teachers (Garcia saying it was in the name of the children) thus assuring that schools in South Central such as L.A. Academy, Jefferson HS, Bethune MS, 75th St., and newly built schools like Miguel Contreras Learning Center and Frank del Olmo School will bear the brunt of the budget cuts.
What does this mean for children? It means that teachers who have worked with these children, who know what their needs are and how to cultivate their potential, will not be around to encourage these children to be the best they can be.
The displaced workers chose to not work directly with students a long time ago, for varied reasons. Many were not around classrooms when standards-based education arrived, technology became embedded in instruction, and programs such as block scheduling and small learning communities were implemented. This is not to say they will not be successful, but to have to train dozens of workers at schools where professional development time is already a luxury, and where the new school year starts in 10 weeks, is a recipe for disaster.
The one school board who represents schools such as L.A. Academy, Richard Vladovic, voted to approve the budget cuts. If our own school board member fails to advocate for our schools, who is representing these children? Only public pressure will force our elected politicians to not let this educational catastrophe occur. Consider doing one of the following:
1. ATTEND THE RALLY/PRESS CONFERENCE THIS MONDAY, APRIL 20th, TO PROTEST RICHARD VLADOVIC'S VOTE CAST AT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION BUDGET MEETING ON 4-13-09. JOIN TEACHERS AND CONCERNED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AT WADSWORTH AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, 981 E. 41ST ST. FROM 4:00 P.M. TO 5:30 P.M.TO PROTEST VLADOVIC'S AFFIRMING VOTE.
2. PLEASE, CALL THE LA SCHOOL BOARD AND TELL THEM TO CREATE SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR SCHOOLS WITH LARGE NUMBERS OF NEW TEACHERS.
School Board Members
Ms. Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte District 1 (213) 241-6382
Ms. Monica Garcia District 2 (213) 241-6180
Ms. Tamar Galatzan District 3 (213) 241-6386
Ms Marlene Canter District 4 (213) 241-6387
Ms. Yolie Flores Aguilar District 5 (213) 241-6383
Ms. Julie Korenstein District 6 (213) 241-6388
Mr. Richard Vladovic District 7 (213) 241-6385
Superintendent of Schools Ramon C. Cortines Address: 333 S. Beaudry Ave., 24th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90017 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3307 Los Angeles, CA 90051 Tel: 213-241-7000 Fax: 213-241-8442 superintendent@lausd.net
As my Fulbright journey becomes a reality, I am one part excitement and anticipation, another part forlorn about what I am leaving behind. So each day, leading up to my departure this time next week, I will post what I am most looking forward to learning and what I will seriously miss from my life in Los Angeles. Looking Forward To Discussing Education In our August orientation, I met some of the world's most intelligent and passionate educators. It feeds the soul! These are people for whom teaching is not just a job, but a calling. In just the few days we spent together, I knew that the ideas produced could actually make a difference in improving educational practices in the U.S. Now, I will have the opportunity to have these same type of discussions with educators in Finland while visiting their schools. Here is some more information about the Finnish education system, from the Fulbright Center in Finland. Will Miss Sunny California The fruits. The vegetable
February marked a number of school visits ranging from elementary (primary) to middle school (lower secondary) and high school (upper secondary.) As the Fulbrighters get their feet wet, mastering public transportation, integrating in schools, and networking in the education world, the question that keeps arising in lunch rooms and private conversations is why do we have so much violence in schools? History Department, Jyvaskyla Normal School (Lower and Upper Secondary) I was trying to explain my school environment both to the History department at the University of Jyvaskyla Teacher Training School (the Finnish version of a lab school) and to seniors at Schildt school, both mature audiences who can handle a nuanced discussion. It never occurred to me just how much I’ve internalized and to an extent, normalized the violence in our society. The new high school seniors asked if gun control might be feasible after Stoneman How does one explain the dramatic rise in pov
The joyous children of Haapalan school What happens in a school system that treats its teachers so well that there is a competition to enter teacher education programs? A competition that in some places is more challenging than being accepted into medical school? What happens is a stable and healthy school system. In the month I have been in Finland I have spoken to teachers, students, education officials, professors, and non-profit organization leaders. I am only scratching the surface. But it seems to me that the foundation of this very successful school system is to trust the human capital to do what they have been trained to do. Preparation You have to earn a master’s degree to be a teacher in Finland. Teacher training involves conducting research and you are required to produce a Bachelor’s thesis as well as a Master’s one. So not only do you enter the university system as a well-prepared tri-lingual student (Finns speak three languages: Finnish, Swedish, and Eng
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