Locke High principal rips L.A. Unified; Locke High seeks to leave L.A. Unified

 

 LA's school system is a complete disaster yet even the most basic reform measures have encountered fierce resistence from a horrific, powerful, entrenched status quo consisting of the union, bureaucracy and politicians.  Steve Barr is doing AMAZING things to shake things up and his latest move is bold and brilliant!  For more on Steve, see this article -- http://www.laweekly.com/news/news/the-secret-of-his-success/15159/ -- in which he says (one of my all-time favorite quotes!):

So is Duffy’s fear off base that Barr might be creaming the top of the student population, selecting only the most capable? “It’s bullshit,” says Barr. “It’s like me saying, ‘Duffy’s a pig fucker.’ Have I seen him fuck a pig? Do I have photos? No. So I can’t say it. He should check these things out before he says them.”

The first article from the LA Times last week provides some background -- a brave principal speaking out:

The principal of one of Los Angeles' most troubled high schools lashed out at the city school system Thursday, saying the behemoth organization is resistant to dramatic reforms needed at his campus and other low-performing schools.

"It is criminal to allow a school to continue on year after year, the way this one has," said Frank Wells, head of Locke High School in South Los Angeles. "I went to Locke thinking I could turn it around, but I ran into a brick wall."

Wells' comments came in an impromptu, impassioned speech given at a charter school in Inglewood run by Green Dot Public Schools — one of the state's leading operators of publicly funded, independently run charter schools...

"Nothing is going to change in the lives of [Locke's] kids unless we do something revolutionary overnight," Wells said...

While going out of his way to emphasize that there are many effective teachers at Locke, Wells highlighted the district's failure to put its best teachers in its worst schools, where they are needed most. More funding, he said, is not the solution.

"The more you fail, the more money they throw at you," he said. "We're filthy rich; I don't want any more of your money. Send me quality teachers."

One might reasonably ask why more principals don't speak out.  The second article provides the answer: they risk losing their jobs, as the forces of the status quo don't hesitate to put a knife in the back of anyone who challenges them:

Underscoring the anxiety and anger the plan is unleashing within the district, Locke Principal Frank Wells was escorted off campus and relieved of his duties late Tuesday afternoon pending the outcome of a district investigation into allegations that Wells allowed teachers to leave their classrooms to collect and sign petitions.

Wells called the charges "a total fabrication," saying no classes were disrupted as teachers signed and collected signatures during non-class time. Teachers who helped collect signatures supported Wells' version of events...

The decision to remove Wells came days after he visited a Green Dot campus and publicly lashed out at the district, saying it would take "revolutionary" change to improve his school.

Brewer and top officials said Wells' contract as principal will not be renewed next year because of "leadership problems" during his three years on campus. The allegations surrounding the signatures forced them to remove him immediately, they said.

But the forces of the status quo are absolutely panicked now in light of Steve Barr's bold gambit.  (I hope he has bodyguards!):

A.J. Duffy, president of the union, angrily denounced Green Dot's collection of signatures, saying teachers should have been given a chance to first hear other reform ideas from the union and other groups. He said the union is trying to pull together a counter plan to present to Locke teachers in coming weeks.

One final comment: I'd heard Brewer, the new Superintendent of LA's schools, was totally lame and this sure confirms it:

A Locke takeover would also complicate matters for Supt. David L. Brewer, who is still trying to assert his authority over the nation's second-largest district since being hired late last year. Until last month, Brewer and board President Marlene Canter were trying to strike a deal with Barr over Locke, but talks broke down over Barr's rejection of Brewer's demand that teachers be district employees, subject to the UTLA contract.

"Why would we dilute something that is working?" Barr said in an interview, referring to the promising early results his other schools have posted. "Every conversation I had with the superintendent, it was, 'Have you talked to the union?' Who runs this district: the superintendent or the union?"

Brewer expressed frustration that Barr had "moved unilaterally without finishing that discussion." He and Canter expressed hope that in coming months the district would launch an "innovation division" to help groups like Green Dot implement their reform plans in district schools, while keeping them part of the district.

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Locke High principal rips L.A. Unified

Frank Wells of the troubled high school in South L.A. expressed frustration over the handling of reforms.

By Joel Rubin
Times Staff Writer

May 4, 2007

The principal of one of Los Angeles' most troubled high schools lashed out at the city school system Thursday, saying the behemoth organization is resistant to dramatic reforms needed at his campus and other low-performing schools.

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Locke High seeks to leave L.A. Unified

Its teachers have signed petitions urging control be given to Green Dot charter schools. The loss would be a blow to the district and union.

By Joel Rubin
Times Staff Writer

May 10, 2007

Challenging the balance of power in the city's public school system, a leading charter school organization is poised to wrest control of a failing high school from the elected Los Angeles Board of Education.