Carl J. Petersen
Bio
Carl Petersen is a former Green Party candidate for the LAUSD School Board and a longtime advocate for public education and special needs families. Now based in Washington State, he writes about politics, culture, and their intersections.
Stories (325)
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Checking The Math
“Whoever is detected in a shameful fraud is ever after not believed even if they speak the truth.” – Phaedrus When appearing at the Northridge East Neighborhood Council’s candidate forum, LAUSD BD 3 candidate Dan Chang answered a question about the budget by citing his qualifications. “Having a math teacher,” he said, “and a budget expert and someone who really loves the numbers is just an important part of providing oversight in LA Unified.”
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in The Swamp
School Board Candidates Face The Voters
“My goodness, great question.” – Dan Chang On Saturday, September 14, 2024, the Northridge East Neighborhood Council’s Education Committee hosted a forum for the two candidates in the November 5th runoff election. The videos posted below are the answers provided by Scott M. Schmerelson and Dan Chang broken down by question. While some banter between questions and housekeeping is not included, the candidates’ answers are presented in full.
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in The Swamp
Special Education in Los Angeles is in Crisis
“We have a parent who sits with her son every day because there is no one-on-one to safely transfer her son in and out of his walker. They haven’t even gotten a call back to hear what is going on with that.” – Parent/Teacher speaking at SpEd Committee meeting
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in The Swamp
Not Fit To Serve
“Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.” – Donald Trump Governor Tim Walz's honorable service in the National Guard included a deployment to Europe, providing base security while the soldiers normally stationed there served in Iraq. There was once a time when Americans would look at 24 years in the military and reflectively say “Thank you for your service.” That would be before Trump transformed the American political landscape.
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in The Swamp
Proposed Resolution Seeks To Make Public School Students Whole
“To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice.” – Magna Carta Last week the LAUSD Charter School Division finally provided an update on how much charter schools still owe the students of the District for past due overallocation fees. The Division’s chair, José Cole-Gutiérrez, refuses to keep his promise to provide up-to-date information; this data is almost two months old.
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in The Swamp
Those Pesky Parents
“I thrive under controversy.” – LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvahlo At the end of the 2023-24 school year, LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho made an appearance during a meeting of the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) responding to recommendations made by this state-mandated group of students, parents, teachers, and other community members who have ties to those who require Special Education services. A brief question and answer period provided the leader of the country's second-largest school district the opportunity to show empathy to parents who often feel that the LAUSD is an adversary instead of a partner in ensuring vulnerable children receive the services they need. Instead, he veered into a complaint about how he is sometimes criticized. He should consider using some of his $440,000 annual salary to purchase armor for his thin skin.
By Carl J. Petersen2 years ago in The Swamp
