The Los Angeles Times’ History of Putting Kids Last
– Los Angeles Times Editorial Board
During my first run for the LAUSD School Board, I was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times (LAT) Editorial Board as they considered who they would endorse. Unfortunately, this discussion devolved into an argument over my support of the opt-out movement for standardized testing. I had explained that one of the reasons that my wife and I had decided to exercise our rights under the state education code and exempt our children from taking these tests was the unnecessary stress it imposed on students. A member of the Editorial Board accused me of hypocrisy as I had also allowed my children to choose to take AP tests. She was unswayed by my argument that since the payoff for undergoing the stress of taking an AP test was possibly receiving college credits, the stress of taking that test was an acceptable cost. To her, stress was a necessary part of life and she did not see a reason why children should be protected from it.
To no one’s surprise, the LAT endorsed Tamar Galatzan, who was supported by the charter industry, in that election. Fresh on the heels of multiple scandals that wasted taxpayer money and exposed Superintendent John Deasy’s incompetence, the Times pushed for this incumbent who, in their own words, was “such a reflexively pro-Deasy vote that she neglected to ask key questions about problematic proposals. That includes the proposal to spend half a billion dollars on iPads for every student, which she continued to support for far too long.” Contradicting this statement, they lauded her as “the board member most likely to take independent positions”. As an example, they cited her opposition to parent centers.
In that same cycle, the LAT endorsed Ref Rodriguez, even afterquestions had arisen over fundraising that had occurred during the early stages of his campaign. Rodriguez had been one of the founders of the PUC chain of charter schools and was also a candidate CONTINUE READING: The Los Angeles Times’ History of Putting Kids Last
