He doesn’t care about special needs children or English Language Learners and in fact labeled these sub-groups as “LEFTOVERS” (that’s how it appeared with all caps) in his 40+ page “plan” for “reform” that was actually written by who-really-knows at that time. We said then and still believe now more than ever that the only reason he wanted control of LAUSD was for the big pot of bond money. LAUSD has a much bigger budget and larger piggy bank than the city. He and his developer friends would love to control the purse-strings and the land.

He is disingenuous about supporting his own partnership schools. Using one as a photo op backdrop several years back, I was told by an LAUSD maintenance worker that he paid to “doctor” the “set”. He had landscaping crews bring in grass and plants. Painters did a rush job of putting a fresh coat of paint on only the front of the school building. After his speech and photo op; the grass and plants were picked up and removed. Within a month the paint was peeling off the building much to the consternation of the school administration.

The Charter Offices don’t have a clue as to who is teaching in their schools, either. I’m still trying to find out how many teachers on charter sites that have enrolled students with high-functioning autism (they don’t take the lower funcitoning kids) have a Level II Moderate/Severe Special Education Teaching Credential which is needed to teach students with autism. LAUSD has a Teacher Credentialing database and office that keeps track. The Charter Office told me that each school is responsible for their own record-keeping. If charters refuse to tell people (as has been done to me) whether a teacher is qualified – they are violating NCLB requirements as well. How can families be expected to make “informed” decisions when facts are not available?

Steve Zimmer is an honest man who has worked with his constituents – many who have or provide supports for students with special needs, English Language Learners, Foster and homeless youth. When he realized, by looking at data, that charters were not doing a proper job of serving these students, he suggested wisely that more oversight was needed. In order to provide more data, we need information.

Oversight is not a bad word. Compliance is not a bad word. The mayor is disingenuous in his claims regarding Mr. Zimmer’s performance. It’s his job to ensure that ALL children, not the select few that are “hand-picked” for “reform” efforts are provided an education with the supports they need. Charter schools tend to use exclusive and discriminatory enrollment practices. What little data we can access backs this up. Why the mayor would be angry with a school board member who is trying to create transparency and accountability to better serve his constituents is beyond me.

I still don’t understand why the mayor didn’t try to improve the lot of our children within his current capabilities and control. We asked him in 2005: Please! Provide safe streets for our children to walk to and from school. Provide living-wage jobs for their parents and families with affordable health care and clinics in their neighborhoods so students can come to school well-fed, healthy and ready to learn. Provide affordable day care and after-school programs so children can be safe until their families return from work. THAT is what a mayor has responsibility for and jurisdiction over. Sticking his nose into education and the school district business is over-reaching his authority. He hasn’t done a good job as a mayor for our familes and has no right to make such statements against Mr. Zimmer.