Carl J. Petersen
Bio
Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for students with SpEd needs and public education. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD’s District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Opinions are his own.
Stories (309)
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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. Petersenabout a year ago in The Swamp
Desperate Republicans And The Threat Of Violence
“If I don't get elected, it's going to be a bloodbath for the whole country.” – Donald Trump The Republican party has lost touch with the electorate. Voters have soundly rejected its conservative views on abortion and marriage equality. Beholden to lobbyists from the gun industry, Republican politicians have rejected common sense gun control proposals that enjoy widespread, bipartisan support. While Republican politicians continue to deny that man-made climate change is an issue, “two-thirds of Americans prioritize developing alternative energy sources, like wind and solar.” The party advocates repealing Obamacare even though 62% of Americans view the Affordable Care Act favorably.
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in The Swamp
Defenders Of Public Education?
“I love the poorly educated.” – Donald Trump I dropped out of the Democratic party in 2017 during my second run for an LAUSD School Board seat. Frustrated by local Democratic clubs who ignored the party’s positions on public education and unions to endorse my opponent, Monica Garcia, I registered with the Green Party. With their stated opposition to charter schools, members of this party understood the dangers posed by these publicly funded private schools and were more supportive of my candidacy. Supporters of the Green party’s Congressional candidate, Keneth Meija, even distributed my literature as they canvassed within the shared parts of our districts.
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in The Swamp
Gender Confusion
“Boys have a penis and girls have a vagina.” – from Kindergarten Cop In an email to the Los Angeles City Council supporting last year’s violent protest in front of Saticoy Elementary School a member of the NoHo West Neighborhood Council wrote about her belief that “aggressive activists in the LGTBQ+ [SIC] community [had] hijacked our education system in the name of equity and inclusion.” In her view, schools should only be focused on “math, reading, science and history”. However, the ignorant hatred directed toward an Olympic boxer from Algeria shows why our education systems need to delve into these topics.
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in The Swamp
School District Continues To Stonewall Efforts To Reform Special Education
“I think that especially under superintendent (Alberto) Carvalho, they are cracking down on attempts to empower families to ask for what they want.” – Outgoing CAC Chair Ariel Harman-Holmes
By Carl J. Petersenabout a year ago in The Swamp
