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 (180/0)
Killing Puppies and Kicking Babies
“All life is precious.” – Governor Kristi Noem “I hated that dog.” – Governor Kristi Noem Next to holding a baby at a campaign rally, nothing does more to humanize a political candidate than a video of them frolicking with the family dog. The love of man’s best friend is bipartisan with dog owners “just as likely to come from either side of the political spectrum.” A Pew Research Center survey found that 97% of pet owners consider their pets part of their family.
By Carl J. Petersen2 days ago in The Swamp
Our Kids Can’t Wait
“The placement continues to be an IEP decision and it is based on the individual student’s needs. There is definitely still a need for special day programs or other classes that are more restrictive for our students.” – LAUSD Department of Special Education
By Carl J. Petersen7 days ago in Education
Celebrating Second Chances
“I’m Broken” – Pantera Days before my 39th birthday we walked into the Back to School night as a family with the truth buried in a shallow grave. This was the first time we were trying to do something together since my wife had moved out of the house a few weeks before that night. The wounds created by our rapidly deteriorating relationship were still raw and open, but we had agreed to try and put the anger and pain aside to provide a sense of normalcy for my daughter.
By Carl J. Petersen21 days ago in Families
Well-Intentioned Whistleblower or Opportunist?
“I want to believe that you're telling the truth But something tells me don't trust you” – Agnostic Front When a family enrolls a child in a school, the district immediately starts incurring expenses. Space must be reserved for each student and teachers assigned to those classrooms. The district must ensure that textbooks and other supplies are available. These costs are constant and do not change when a child misses a day of school.
By Carl J. Petersen24 days ago in The Swamp
Another One Bites The Dust
“You took me for everything that I had And kicked me out on my own” – Queen As Los Angeles students prepared to return to school at the end of the Summer break, families at the North Valley Military Institute (NVMI) were in for a rude awakening. The charter school’s administration had rejected the LAUSD’s offer of space under PROP-39 the previous April but continued to tell parents that a new campus would be ready in time to start classes. Ignoring the NMVI’s impending collapse, the Los Angeles County Office of Education’s (LACOE) regulators did nothing to ensure parents were warned to make alternative arrangements. They even allowed the school to hold its orientation session for new students. When Mark Ryan announced the school would close one week into the school year, families were left scrambling, their children behind their peers in their new schools.
By Carl J. Petersenabout a month ago in The Swamp
Hate Did Not Win (So Far)
“Ultra nationalism, dictatorship, and anti-semitism were the ideas of Hitler.” – BYJU'S A key component of the right-wing infecting our country today is the appropriation of patriotic symbols to represent these beliefs suggesting that it is unAmerican to disagree with them. This ultra-nationalism has been on display during violent protests held by Leave Our Kids Alone (LOKA), including the one in front of Saticoy Elementary School on June 2, 2023. This included not only the literal wrapping of themselves in the American flag but also speeches claiming that their hatred of the LGBTQ+ community was somehow an American value.
By Carl J. Petersenabout a month ago in The Swamp