La Opinion: Schools Brace for the Worst

Distritos Escolares se Preparan para lo Peor
Araceli Martinez Ortega, February 14, 2012
La Opinion

SACRAMENTO, California.— La mayoría de los distritos escolares de California están a toda prisa alistando sus presupuestos, preparándose para lo peor porque no sabrán hasta noviembre si los votantes aprobarán una iniciativa de aumento de impuestos que les permitiría evitar recortes masivos.

El problema es que si esa iniciativa falla, ni los legisladores ni el gobernador Jerry Brown tienen un plan B para evitar reducciones al gasto de las escuelas por 4,800 millones de dólares, el equivalente a tres semanas del ciclo escolar.

Por eso entidades como el Distrito Escolar Unificado de Los Angeles (LAUSD), el segundo más grande de la nación, considerará hoy durante la reunión semanal de su Junta Escolar, la eliminación de su División de Programas de Educación para Adultos; el programa de Inglés como Segunda Lengua (ESL), y otros programas como preparación para la ciudadanía y cursos generales de educación. Eso sin contar que se planea enviar avisos de despido a 1,500 maestros y otros trabajadores de las escuelas.

Mónica Carazo, portavoz de LAUSD, dijo que si los votantes no aprueban la iniciativa de aumento de impuestos del gobernador, el distrito tendrá que hacer recortes al menos por 550 millones de dólares.

"Por eso es que tenemos que comenzar a ver de dónde vamos a recortar", señaló.

Según la Coalición por los Derechos Humanos de los Inmigrantes (CHIRLA), los programas que quiere cortar LAUSD sirven a 28% de los estudiantes y representan sólo el 2% de su presupuesto total.

En un comunicado, la directora ejecutiva de CHIRLA Angélica Salas dijo que la organización se opone a la eliminación de la División de Educación para Adultos porque representa una tabla de salvación para las comunidades inmigrantes y de bajos ingresos y un apoyo para la recuperación económica de la región.

ColorLines: History of Bigotry for Radio Hosts John and Ken

History of Bigotry for for Radio Hosts who Called Whitney Houston "Crack Hoe"
Jorge Rivas, February 17, 2012
ColorLines.com

 

On Friday, KFI radio hosts John & Ken apologized for referring to Whitney Houston as a “crack hoe.” John Chester Kobylt and Kenneth Robertson Chiampou host “The John and Ken Show,” on KFI AM 640 in Southern California. Their show is the nation’s most listened to local talk radio program.

“It’s like, ‘Ah Jesus … here comes the crack ho again, what’s she gonna do?” the radio DJs said on Saturday’s show. They went on to say Houston was “cracked out for 20 years.”

“We made a mistake, and we accept the station’s decision. We used language that was inappropriate, and we sincerely apologize to our listeners and to the family of Ms. Houston,” John Kobylt said in a statement published on their website.

Press Statement: John and Ken Should be Suspended Indefinitely

Press Statement regarding the John and Ken suspension today:

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles applauds KFI’s decision to temporarily suspend John & Ken for, once again, spreading insults and hate.  Their distasteful, inappropriate and offensive diatribes know no bounds.  We call on KFI to consider suspending these two traffickers of hate indefinitely.  We also call on KTLA TV 5 to remove this objectionable pair from the station's daily programming.  Multicultural Los Angeles deserves better than John and Ken.

Making a difference in the lives of immigrants and others who send money abroad

February 14, 2012

Written by Richard Cordray

Over my years of public service, I’ve met a lot of hard-working people who regularly send money transfers, or remittances, to family members and others abroad. Remittances from the U.S. to other parts of the world total in the tens of billions of dollars each year.

CDN: Immigrant Student Retreat (Feb. 17-19, 2012)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:February 15, 2012

11th Annual Immigrant Student Retreat – One Goal, Many Dreams

Leaders from 52 California colleges and universities gather to educate, advocate, and organize

Los Angeles – The California Dream Network (CDN), a project of CHIRLA, will bring together over 250 student leaders representing over fifty-two, high school, college and university campuses from throughout the State of California the weekend of February 17-19, 2012.  The 11th Annual Immigrant Student Retreat – One Goal Many Dreams is the first state-wide conference post approval of AB130 and AB131, the California Dream Act.  Current students, alumni, and other community leaders from all across California will participate in three intensive days of workshops, sessions, strategy meetings, and seminars to educate, organize, mobilize, advocate, and network within and for the immigrant rights movement.

WHAT:           Eighteen (18) workshops, seminars, presentations, group activities, lectures, videos, open discussions, strategy sessions, and campaign updates.  Workshop themes include:  a) Using Facebook and Twitter to Motivate your Peers; b) Bold and Beautiful:  Advancing your Cause through Media; c) Fundraising 101; d) AB130 and AB131:  Next steps for the California Dream Act; e) Branding your efforts like Coca Cola.

WHEN:           Starting Friday, February 17, 2012 thru Sunday, February 19, 2012

                        Friday:  5 pm – 9 pm

                        Saturday:  9 am – 7 pm

                                               Sunday:  9 am – 6 pm

Los Angeles Times: Parents in School Case Need Protection

Attorneys call for protection of parents in school abuse case
by Sam Allen, February 9, 2012
Los Angeles Times
 
A local immigrant rights group has called on the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to provide protections for undocumented parents whose children were allegedly victimized in the Miramonte Elementary School teacher abuse scandal.

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles asked for the sheriff to assure the parents that their immigration status will not be affected if they go to authorities with claims of abuse.

NBC 4: Undocumented Residents Fearful in Miramonte School Case

Undocumented Miramonte Parents Fearful of Coming Forward
Lawyers of undocumented Miramonte Elementary School parents say they are afraid to come forward with allegations for fear they'll be deported
Jason Kandel, February 9, 2012
NBC 4

An attorney representing undocumented families of children allegedly abused by a Miramonte Elementary School teacher sought an assurance on Thursday from LA County Sheriff Lee Baca that the families will not be turned over to immigration authorities.

The news came during a press conference at the offices of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles where lawyers announced they are filing complaints against the Los Angeles Unified School District in the Miramonte School scandal.

“Most of these families represent a lot of families out there who would not speak to authorities because of their immigration status,” said attorney Jessica Dominguez, who is representing eight Miramonte families. “How sad is that, that families are not speaking up because they’re afraid of getting deported?”

A father whose daughter was allegedly abused by former teacher Mark Berndt spoke to the press, but said he would not speak to authorities because he’s afraid of being deported.

Patch: Congress Could Hurt Low-Income Children & their Parents

Depriving Immigrants of "Child Tax Credit"
by Jorge-Mario Cabrera, Patch.com, February 2012

Eliberto bought his four-year old boy a tricycle last year. This year, with the tax refund he will receive, he would like to get his older son a toe-pedaled, mini fire engine truck. His two-year old boy will settle for a considerable amount of Pampers, Gerber puree, and two sets of new outfits. 

Come next year, Eliberto and his wife Sonia once again will file their income taxes using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). But they will receive nothing in return from Uncle Sam if the U.S. Congress approves a proposal to tax the children of the poor.

Eliberto’s two sons are U.S.-born.

The money that the couple gets from the IRS’sChild Tax Credit program—the only one they qualify for—is spent almost entirely on their children, said Eliberto, who did not provide a last name to protect his family. The Van Nuys resident earns about $20,000 a year through full-time employment and says that every two weeks approximately $154 disappear from his already small paycheck to pay federal and state taxes.

Squeezing Child Tax Credit

Eliberto and Sonia are really worried. Talk of Congress moving forward with a proposal to restrict the Child Tax Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit refund only to taxpayers who have a Social Security number will impact their family budget and that of more than 2 million working families who pay income and payroll taxes. Hard-working families and low-income families reportedly pay more than $9 billion in payroll taxes each year. Eliberto pays $5,544 in taxes every year but receives $2,000 in return as part of the ACTC program.

“If I don’t get that little bit of help for my children, it will affect what I buy for them,” he said. “With that money I buy food, clothing, diapers, medications, and if I have any left over, a couple of toys.” He added: “They are getting older and now they ask me to get them little things to play.”

Press Statement: Guardians of the Most Vulnerable

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 9, 2012

Guardians of the Most Vulnerable

Attorneys representing families in the Miramonte School sex scandal call for swift and coordinated assistance to victims, written assurances by Sheriff Baca that undocumented victims will not be deported through Secure Communities program, and a culture of collective vigilance to prevent these crimes from happening again

Los Angeles – Just a couple of days before a completely different set of teachers and administrators was to begin a new chapter at Miramonte Elementary School, the first lawsuits were filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of eight children and their families who were victimized by the sex scandal that has attracted international attention.  The laws firms of Owen, Patterson & Owen and The Law Office of Jessica Dominguez, with support from the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), a human rights organization based in Los Angeles, announced this Thursday their intent to seek protections and assistance for the most vulnerable in this case of despicable violations of sacred trust and responsibility.  The most salient concern for these advocate attorneys and CHIRLA is the children who were victimized by the inability of the LAUSD staff to appropriately protect them from harm and their families, many who are immigrants and fearful of immigration retaliation.  The following are statements from Angelica Salas, CHIRLA executive Director; Jessica Dominguez, immigration attorney; and, Gregory James Owen, attorney at Owen, Patterson & Owen.

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