City Councilman Thomas Small is not ready to announce whether he will support or oppose one of the most magnetic issues on the Nov. 8 ballot, legalization of marijuana. “I have decided to not come down yet on Prop. 64,” he said. “I don’t feel as if I have a good enough grasp of what it would look like.” Mr. … Read More
Analysis: There Still Isn’t a Teacher Shortage Again
The Learning Policy Institute released a report on teacher shortages last month, co-authored by Linda Darling-Hammond, that warned of a serious shortfall if current trends continued. At a forum accompanying the release, many heavy hitters in education policy agreed that something must be done. Critics of the report — myself included — found fault with the report’s methodology and alarmist … Read More
Visiting the Spirited Mind of a Preschool Teacher
Photo: Alexandra Vaillancourt
Dateline Boston — I’m so happy to be teaching again. Although it has been four years since my last teaching position, I have slid right back into my role as if I never had left. Once a teacher, always a teacher. What I love most about working with 3-year-olds is teaching them things we take for granted, such as waiting … Read More
No Rush – Limbaugh New West President
Dr. Limbaugh
Dr. James M. Limbaugh, who formerly held posts in Montana, Texas and Maryland, has been selected president of West Los Angeles College. He succeeds Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh, who held the office for four years, until June of last year when he accepted a position in San Diego. Most recently, Dr. Limbaugh served as interim president at Oxnard College in the Ventura … Read More
Clarke on Enforcement if Pot Prop Passes
Driving while high? Photo: Reuters/Ilya Naymushin
Second of two parts. Re: “Mayor Clarke Will Vote for Pot Prop” Unlike most Californians who will be voting to legalize marijuana on Nov. 8, Mayor Jim Clarke is concerned about the impact on law enforcement. Mr. Clarke is curious about “what sort of technology has been put into place for detecting whether you are driving under the influence of … Read More
Greenberg Calls Culver City an Ethical Desert
City Atty. Carol Schwab is flanked by former councilman Andy Weissman, right, and former councilman Mehaul O'Leary.
Culver City is an ethical desert due to lack of state-mandated ethics training and City Atty. Carol Schwab’s lax attitude toward ethics. In matters involving factual determinations, the City Council is legally required to be a “reasonably impartial, noninvolved reviewer.” Politics and common law bias—“an interest … of such importance [] that it could have influenced [] judgment”—are verboten. At … Read More
If Only Garcetti Were Serious About the Homeless
L.A. Watchdog — Mayor Garcetti and the Herb Wesson-led City Council are using the homeless issue to pick our pockets for almost $2 billion over the next 30 years. The reason: To cover up their abject failure to make this unfortunate situation a priority in the city’s budget over the last four years. If Prop. HHH (Homeless Reduction and Prevention, … Read More
Unions Flop on Police on Campuses
Police on campus – right or wrong? Photo, Getty Images
The Dignity in Schools Campaign, a coalition of more than 100 civil rights groups, has called for the removal of all law enforcement officers from the nation’s public schools. “The presence of police in schools has escalated dramatically in the last several decades, and the figures on arrests and referrals to law enforcement show disproportionate targeting of black and Latino … Read More
Mayor Clarke Will Vote for Pot Prop
Re: “Should Pot Measure Pass?” Mayor Jim Clarke says he “probably” will vote next month for Prop. 64, the legalization of marijuana. “I have not thought much about,” he said, adding that he is not strongly motivated. “I need to do more reading on it. Need to look at the ballot arguments, pro and con.” Speculating, Mr. Clarke, a Democrat, … Read More
Immigrant Loves America Because Everything Is Free
Third in a series. Re: “My Sad Surprise En Route to the Beach” As my friend and I were walking on the warm sands at Santa Monica beach, my friendwas telling me about her recent trip to Iran. I listened patiently. I wanted to learn. This is what sociologist researchers do. Finally, though, my patience ended. I couldn’t take more. … Read More