Sadly, national politics seem to be playing out in our own backyard. Proof positive is a recently released report from the L.A. Unified Task Force (formerly headed by now Superintendent Austin Beutner) entitled Hard Choices (click HERE). The report squarely places the blame for the District’s lack of achievement and finances at the feet of classroom teachers and frontline managers. The irony of the report is the apparent absolution of District-represented senior leadership and the Board of Education, both past and present. Yet, it is they who make policy and propagate resolution after resolution, ultimately burdening teachers and administrators with bulletins, memoranda, and reference guides by the thousands.
So it is important
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By now, you have learned of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Council 31, et al. (Click here) The heavily anticipated 5 – 4 ruling reversed over 40 years of legal precedence (Abood v. Detroit Bd. of Ed., 431 U.S. 209, 1977) and strikes down laws in California, New York, and 20 other states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, which held that employees who are represented by a union should pay their fair share of fees to support the union that represents them in collective bargaining, contract administration, and grievance adjustment. The Abood case, in a unanimous decision from the Supreme Court, affirmed that because the “designation of a union as exclusive representatives carries with it great responsibilities, it inevitably also entails substantial costs.”
Justice Elena Kagan offers a brilliant synopsis in her dissenting opinion in the Janus case, calling out the five opposing jurists as “Black robed rulers overriding citizens’ choices,”
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This week’s Update is in memoriam to the death of the professional career of more than one of our members. Once again, AALA members find themselves in the crossfire of harsh disciplinary action with little to no progressive discipline. Once again, administrators are being released from their assignments with little notice, no evaluation, and no reasons given. And to make matters worse, those fortunate enough to not be victims, cannot yet inhale a sigh of relief because the District reserves the right to change assignments up to the last working day of this month. More than one AALA member was released from their administrative assignment at the 11th hour last year.
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“Prestidigitation,” loosely translated, means actions taken with quick fingers! And with the stroke of a red pen, a couple of vaguely opaque sentences, and a dash of hocus pocus the District made the unthinkable happen in the Superintendent’s Final Budget 2018-19: The disappearance of Program 13027 funds.
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It is important for AALA and its members to ALWAYS have our EYES WIDE OPEN. Take some important time to read the New York Times article entitled “A New Principal Pushes for Change. Then the Investigations Start” (click HERE). The article strikes at the heart of what many administrators know, are living and experiencing
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Last week’s page one article, A Sea of White, resonated throughout the District with AALA membership. We received numerous letters thanking us for printing the general sentiment of LAUSD frontline managers. Because of the current toxic and retaliatory climate in the District, members are hesitant to voice their concerns, or heaven forbid, complain! Therefore, since you have entrusted AALA with your concerns, it is incumbent upon your leadership to step out and be a voice for those who, for fear of retaliation, cannot speak. Below are just some of the most compelling communications we have received.
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AALA administrators are at a disadvantage when it comes to showing solidarity, especially when in the middle of negotiations. They cannot beat the strike threat drum because the contract prohibits work stoppages for administrators. Wearing T-shirts on a given day is also almost impossible, especially if you are the sole administrator at a site. And even if we did, the most reaction we would receive is probably a quick head turn for dressing more casually than usual. Moreover, administrators cannot leave their work sites and descend upon a Board meeting to show unity and solidarity.
Being the problem solvers we are, and because we are now at the negotiations table, the idea emerged to
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It has come to our attention that for the last couple of months the Update and any communication from AALA that is sent to an lausd.net address may have been diverted to the recipient’s junk mail. While we are not clear on the reason, we know that it is not the intention of the District to restrict
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The newly-selected LAUSD Superintendent is scheduled to begin the job in a few days. This Superintendent is the self-professed “unconventional” choice; the result of a “bold” move by the Board of Education. Thus, the “conventional” approach is for the rumor mill to run amok, and for longtime dedicated employees to suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome by reliving what happens when a Superintendent with no educational experience or credentials of any kind
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Following is a summary of the April 19, 2018, AALA Representative Assembly meeting, the fourth and final meeting of the 2017-2018 school year. Complete agendas and minutes are posted on the AALA website.
AALA President’s Report
1. AALA membership numbers: Nonschool, 791;
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The following individuals have been selected by their peers to
receive 2018 AALA Administrator of the Year recognition. There is one recipient for each of the five AALA departments. Congratulations to the following administrators:
Ellen Baker, Principal
North Valley Occupational Center
Adult Department
Celia Mata
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The following individuals have been selected by their peers to
receive 2018 AALA Administrator of the Year recognition. There is one recipient for each of the five AALA departments. Congratulations to the following administrators:
Ellen Baker, Principal
North Valley Occupational Center
Adult Department
Celia Mata
AALA travelled to Sacramento (SMF) this week with ACSA Region XVI for Legislative Action Day 2018. The day provided an up-close-and-personal opportunity to interact with our elected officials. Four ACSA Region XVI teams visited Senators Holly Mitchell and Kevin De
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AALA travelled to Sacramento (SMF) this week with ACSA Region XVI for Legislative Action Day 2018. The day provided an up-close-and-personal opportunity to interact with our elected officials. Four ACSA Region XVI teams visited Senators Holly Mitchell and Kevin De
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AALA members are aware that this is a most challenging political year for public education in California, as we will be electing a new Governor and State Superintendent of Public Instruction. To prepare
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As the Members of the Board of Education begin interviewing the finalists for the position of Superintendent of LAUSD, AALA wishes to emphasize the essential qualities that are obligatory for the future leader of the District to possess. We feel it critical that
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As the Members of the Board of Education begin interviewing the finalists for the position of Superintendent of LAUSD, AALA wishes to emphasize the essential qualities that are obligatory for the future leader of the District to possess. We feel it critical that the Board Members hire a person who has a history with the District demonstrating continuous, steady, and proven leadership. We need a superintendent who is intimately familiar with the District, its vision, and the mission towards 100% graduation. One who has:
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The Professional Learning & Leadership Development (PLLD) Branch provides a variety of high-quality supports to teachers, administrators, and District leaders, not the least of which is a no-cost program that meets the administrative services credential requirements. These supports are critical as administrators in LAUSD and in districts throughout the nation are being asked to effectively lead communities in increasingly complex times. Today’s leaders not only manage systems, but they must be prepared to facilitate and, indeed, lead transformation. As Fullan and Quinn (2016) note, today’s educational leaders must
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By now, we have all heard about the principal in Australia who was found dead at her desk on a Sunday evening last month. We know that it is not uncommon for administrators to work on the weekend and late into the evenings, so Trish Antulov’s husband was not alarmed when the evening arrived and she was still not at home. However, by 10:00 p.m., after several unanswered phone calls, he went to the school and found that his wife had died at her desk. Mr. Antulov said Trish worked long hours and “… she just didn’t have time to look after herself properly. She was under a lot of stress and terrible pressure just to be successful in her job.” According to
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