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 (315)
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Well-Intentioned But Flawed (And Perhaps Dangerous)
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” – German Proverb Almost 11% of the unhoused population in the United States is located within the City and County of Los Angeles. In 2023, only New York City had more than the 71,320 Angelenos without a home. For visualization, that is more than the number of people who attended Super Bowl LXI at the $5.5 billion SoFi Stadium.
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in The Swamp
A Look At The 2024 Los Angeles Election Results
“People often say that, in a democracy, decisions are made by a majority of the people. Of course, that is not true. Decisions are made by a majority of those who make themselves heard and who vote—a very different thing.” – Walter H. Judd
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in The Swamp
The Lady With Large Vocal Capacity Has Sung
“The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.” – John F. Kennedy Three weeks after the November 5, 2024 election, Los Angeles County released its final update of the vote totals. Unlike the primary election where the vote leader in two races changed as votes were counted, the results in this year’s races stayed relatively steady. Sherlett Hendy Newbill, Scott Schmerelson, and Karla Griego led when the first results were released on November 5, 2024, and they were all declared winners of their races when the counting was finished. Supporters of Public Education will retain the majority in the new term.
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in Education
...And The Use Of Protest Votes. Top Story - December 2024.
“Opposing someone you dislike is emotionally so much more satisfying than picking the lesser of two evils, but the end result may not be so satisfying. Welcome to politics.” – electoral-vote.com, 11/18/24
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in The Swamp
End Of An Era
“There is no greater investment that we can make in our society (than being an educator)” – Dr. George McKenna The last time Steve Zimmer set foot in the LAUSD Board Room was in 2017 when he represented Board District 4. The Charter School Industry had just conducted one of its trademark campaigns against him, full of lies and personal attacks, and he was, understandably, demoralized by the process. Nick Melvoin took over his seat and Zimmer disappeared from the LAUSD.
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in Education
Holding My Tongue...
“I do believe that the public should have a part in the evaluation of the superintendent.” – Scott Schmerelson As my Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) Board representative, Scott Schmerelson’s timid leadership has increasingly frustrated me. In previous terms, he had stepped up to the plate by leading efforts to move students out of harm’s way during the Porter Ranch gas leak and being the only vote to oppose the expansion of Granada Hills Charter School, but that courage has been absent in recent years. Too often he had acquiesced to a Superintendent who was failing and increasingly alienating the parents in the District he was supposed to serve. A low point in the term came when he was the sole vote to support the North Valley Military Institute’s (NVMI) efforts to push an LAUSD school off their campus.
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in Education
Why Was This School Board Race So Close?
“Many parents…said administrators bungled the rollout of the new admissions policy, which was confusing, did not include their input, caught them by surprise, and stirred deep concerns about the future direction of the popular honors programs.” – Los Angeles Times, 11/11/24
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in Education
