Big Education Ape: The Educated Guess � CSBA Scott Plotkin’s troubling resignation

Monday, July 26, 2010

The Educated Guess � CSBA Scott Plotkin’s troubling resignation

CSBA Scott Plotkin’s troubling resignation

Caught in lies he told the news media last week about questionable credit card expenses and about salary cuts over the past year that he claimed he took – but didn’t, Scott Plotkin resigned Friday as executive director of the California School Boards Association. In a brief statement on CSBA’s web site, Plotkin wrote, “I am sorry if my actions have damaged the reputation of CSBA and the vital work being conducted by the Association. It was certainly not my intent.”
There is no “if” about it. Plotkin, who effectively led the organization for nine years, has scorched it on his way out. And the CSBA officers and board members must go beyond their tight-lipped responses to questions about pay and expenses if it’s to rebuild its credibility with the public and the nearly 1,000 school districts whose CSBA dues are funded through tax dollars.
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By John Fensterwald on July 26th, 2010

Parents form Educacy, set goal for 2012

Posted in Advocacy organizations, Revenue and taxes

Setting their sights on as-yet undefined statewide initiative in 2012, a parent group in Silicon Valley is organizing to increase education funding. As Educacy, the name of their non-profit group indicates, the focus will be advocacy on behalf of parents.
“Parents have been the missing link” in school reform and in discussions about the need for more money for schools, said Kay Louie of Redwood City, one of three lead figures behind the organization.
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By John Fensterwald on July 23rd, 2010

Ramon Cortines retiring next spring

Posted in Uncategorized

Eighteen months into his three-year contract, Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Ramon Cortines disclosed Thursday that he will retire sometime next spring, ending a tumultuous tenure in which he led district reforms and dealt with massive budget cuts.
Cortines, who turned 78 yesterday, had already been planning a transition. On Aug.2, his possible successor, John Deasy, deputy director of education for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, starts as deputy superintendent.
In his long career, Cortines headed New York City’s Department of Education and served as superintendent of schools in Pasadena, San Francisco and San Jose and advised several U.S. presidents on education. Last year, he opened up low-performing and new schools in Los Angeles Unified to charter school operators and outside groups; a second phase is in the works.

By John Fensterwald on July 23rd, 2010

Charter revocation rules not yet final

Posted in Charters

The State Board of Education moved closer to adoption but has not yet passed new rules for revoking poorly performing charter schools.
At their meeting last week, members appeared to agree with using API scores to determine which charters should be annually reviewed for possible revocation. However, they also want alternatives to the proposal to consider revoking charters of schools in the lowest 10 percent of API scores and whose scores ranked in the lowest 20 percent of schools with similar student populations.
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By John Fensterwald on July 22nd, 2010

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