School District Race Is Starting To Get Crowded
Principal Richard Ramos is the third candidate challenging incumbent Scott Schmerelson in next year’s LAUSD election for the Valley’s BD3 seat.
“My experience separates me from others who are running for Board District 3 and makes me hopeful that we can be the country's premier district together through building consensus and making strategic decisions”
– Richard Ramos
With a majority on the LAUSD School Board of just one vote, supporters of public education have no room for error in next year's elections. They currently hold three of the four odd-numbered board districts that will be on the ballot next year and losing any of them without defeating Tanya Ortiz Franklin will hand control of the Board back to the charter school industry.
As election day gets closer, most of the attention, and money, will probably be focused on Board District 5, which will be an open seat with incumbent Jackie Goldberg's retirement. However, there should be room for some fireworks in the other races, especially since supporters of the charter school industry are expected to dump millions of dollars in the races to defeat anyone who has not given total support to these publicly funded private schools.
It was not a surprise when the first candidate to challenge Board District 3’s Scott Schmerelson was revealed to be an employee of Granada Hills Charter School. Following in the footsteps of Marilyn Koziatek, Testing Coordinator Dr. Janie Dam, represents another attempt by the charter school to punish Schmerelson for being the only vote to deny their request to expand the charter school to grades TK through 12. Deviation from total support will not be tolerated.
Dr. Dam will not be the only privatization candidate vying for a place on the ballot since Dan Chang, a founder of Great Public Schools Los Angeles and a charter school industry supporter, has also filed with the LA City Ethics Commission. In past elections, Chang directed at least $100,000 in spending in favor of Alex Johnson, a protege of Mark Ridley-Thomas. He was also responsible for spending more than $143,000 in an attempt to protect Tamar Galatzan in the election where she was unseated by Schmerelson. On June 6, 2023, I sent emails to the addresses that Chang filed with the Ethics Commission, asking for an introductory comment, but as of the publication of this article, I have not heard back from him.
Richard Ramos is the most recent entrant in the race. When asked to tell readers a little bit about himself and his positions he provided the following statement (published as provided):
“Been with district for 27 years as teacher aide, teacher, instructional coach, Title 1/English Learner Coordiantor and elementary and middle school principal. Currently serve at Northridge Middle School.”
When asked if there is anything that he would say sets him apart from the incumbent he responded with the following (published as provided):
“The following separates me from the other candidates.
I am the only candidate running with the following:
1. I am on the front lines as a sitting principal bearing witness to how LAUSD handled the response to the California fires that impacted Valley Schools and the COVID-19 pandemic. Having been tasked with taking our middle school from brick-and-mortar learning to online in a matter of days with the support of our teachers, staff, scholars, and families was a monumental feat for all our school personnel. My knowledge of the current district systems positions me to hit the ground and tackle pressing educational issues.
2. My wife Irene works as a psychologist, my daughter Katrina is a school administrative assistant, my son-in-law is a plant manager, my nephew is a building and grounds worker, and yes, all of us work for LAUSD, and we are LAUSD Alum. Further, my grandchildren Ariana 7, and Mikaela, 5, attend a Valley LAUSD elementary school. We are truly homegrown San Fernando Valley natives, we love and support LAUSD.
3. I have experience as a former elected official, having served as City of San Fernando Councilmember in 1999, giving me working knowledge of how government systems work.
4. I was recently selected as Cahn Fellow for distinguished principals where we get to work alongside professors from Columbia Teachers College, a program funded to nurture principals nationwide.
5. In my first principal job at Haddon Elementary in Pacoima, I used my organizer skills to coalesce a faction of Parent Revolution towards supporting significant changes in what would become Haddon STEAM Magnet and Academy.
6. At my current middle school, I led the charge to bring Career Technical Education electives and founding a second magnet option for parents with the Liberal Arts Magnet for aspiring students seeking to become educators. Our first Magnet School, the Medical Health Magnet, has received the Magnet Schools of America School of Distinction Award for three consecutive years.
7. Lastly, my parents, who came to the USA with a 3rd and 6th-grade education, positioned me with an understanding to advocate for those that do not have a voice at the table where decisions are made about the future of LAUSD and their children. I am a passionate advocate, and my mission throughout my 27 years with LAUSD has been to serve our scholars, families, and staff.
My experience separates me from others who are running for Board District 3 and makes me hopeful that we can be the country's premier district together through building consensus and making strategic decisions.”
With a growing list of competitors, Schmerelson is going to have his work cut out for him during this campaign season. As a former principal, he should be particularly worried that Ramos is challenging him from where his support has been the strongest in the past.
Schmerleson has already proven in past elections that he believes in the importance of public education, but have his actions been enough to motivate his base for another election? His failure to take the lead in the fight to save Primary Promise or to pass protections for children with moderate to severe Special Education needs leaves him vulnerable and time is running out to change course.
____________________________
Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for public education, particularly for students with special education needs, who serves as the Education Chair for the Northridge East Neighborhood Council. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD’s District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him “a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles.” For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.
About the Creator
Carl J. Petersen
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.
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What happens to your body when you stop drinking coffee
You have been consuming coffee for your entire adult life, but now you have made the decision to quit. Initially, you feel relieved knowing that you are no longer dependent on the coffee drug. However, this feeling doesn't last long. Your hands begin to shake, you experience a severe headache, and you have an uncontrollable urge to go to the nearest coffee shop and inject caffeine directly into your veins. What exactly happens when you stop drinking coffee? Let's explore. The addictive nature of coffee is not due to its taste, but rather a white, bitter chemical present in the coffee beans called caffeine. It's important to note that caffeine is classified as an addictive drug by the Food and Drug Administration, despite being legal. Once your body becomes accustomed to caffeine, it craves the substance because it causes an increase in dopamine levels in the brain by blocking certain receptors. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that induces feelings of happiness. When you consume coffee, caffeine enters your bloodstream through the stomach and small intestine, and then circulates throughout your body, stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain. Essentially, the caffeine in coffee tricks your body into producing chemicals that make you feel happy and more alert. This sensation is pleasurable, and as a result, your body is reluctant to give it up easily. However, how quickly do withdrawal symptoms occur after your last sip of coffee? And what are the long-term effects? According to a study published in Psychopharmacology, which compiled 170 years of research, caffeine withdrawal symptoms can begin as early as 12 hours after your final cup of coffee. Unfortunately, there is even worse news. The unpleasant symptoms and changes in your body can persist for up to nine days after you stop consuming caffeine. Regrettably, some of the most severe symptoms manifest immediately. Individuals vary, and each person's body reacts differently to coffee withdrawal. Nonetheless, we are on the verge of exploring what will probably transpire for most individuals who opt to abruptly cease consuming coffee. Following your final sip of coffee, the liquid will travel down your esophagus and into your stomach. Subsequently, a portion of the caffeine in the beverage permeates your stomach lining and enters your bloodstream. Within moments, the coffee will progress into your small intestine where the remaining caffeine diffuses through the tissue and commences circulating throughout your body. It only takes a few minutes for this process to conclude. Hence, it only requires a few sips of coffee to help you feel alert. The peak levels of caffeine in your body typically occur approximately an hour after you finish your coffee. After that point, it will be a gradual decline. Around an hour later, your body gradually begins to metabolize all the caffeine circulating in your bloodstream. This is manageable until your body realizes that it will not receive a replenishment the following day. Upon waking up on your initial day without coffee, you will experience drowsiness. However, the unpleasant symptoms are just about to commence. As you make your way to the kitchen and sit down to have a glass of orange juice instead of your usual coffee, you may notice your hands trembling. In fact, you might sense every part of your body starting to tremble. This is paradoxical because an excess of caffeine can induce similar symptoms due to its potent stimulant properties that accelerate the transmission of signals through the nervous system. When this stimulant is eliminated, the same adverse effects can manifest. Your body became accustomed to the additional energy provided by caffeine, so when the substance is withdrawn, the nervous system decelerates slightly and the signals from the brain to the rest of the body become less consistent. The appropriate levels of these signals have now been achieved, which is positive. However, your body is not accustomed to functioning without the assistance of coffee. This is why you may experience tremors on your first day without caffeine. As you sit at the kitchen table, lost in thought, a certain feeling starts to creep into your mind. You are likely thinking about coffee and how you would do anything for just a sip. This is when a headache begins to develop. In addition to increasing dopamine levels in your body to induce feelings of happiness, caffeine also tricks the brain into perceiving an emergency, which some scientists believe may trigger the release of adrenaline. This is another reason why coffee makes you feel so alert. Unfortunately, once the body becomes accustomed to an influx of these chemicals, it starts to crave them. Without its daily dose of caffeine, the body undergoes a peculiar change. Instead of maintaining normal hormone levels, your body starts releasing adenosine into the bloodstream. Adenosine is a chemical that signals the body to rest or sleep. This alteration in brain chemistry is what leads to the development of caffeine withdrawal headaches. Another change that occurs the morning after you quit coffee is the enlargement of your blood vessels. This is actually beneficial because it allows for increased oxygen flow to the brain. However, since your body has become accustomed to constricted blood vessels as a result of coffee consumption, the return to normal can be painful. In fact, caffeine can reduce blood flow to the brain by up to 27 percent, which means that once it is eliminated from your system, blood flow can increase by the same percentage. This sudden change can be a shock to your system. When caffeine causes blood vessels to narrow, your body responds by increasing the number of adenosine receptors on the blood cells, which causes them to enlarge. However, caffeine binds to these same receptors, resulting in the shrinking of blood cells. When the caffeine has completely left your system, the cells will still have additional receptors without any caffeine to block them, causing the blood vessels to swell. The sudden transition from insufficient blood flow due to caffeine to excessive blood flow can result in withdrawal headaches the day after you cease consuming coffee. Regrettably, this symptom may persist for several days. Once your throbbing headache begins to diminish, you may observe a peculiar change in your morning routine. If you typically have a bowel movement after your morning coffee, you are not alone. This is because the caffeine in coffee can induce contractions in the stomach, intestines, and colon, signaling the body that it is time to defecate. For individuals aiming to maintain regularity, this can be quite beneficial, but now that you have stopped drinking coffee, you may experience constipation. Additionally, caffeine inhibits an anti-diuretic hormone produced in the pituitary gland, leading the body to believe it is more hydrated than it actually is. Consequently, you may feel the need to urinate more frequently while consuming coffee. However, upon abstaining from the brown liquid for the first day, your body may become disoriented. Your hormones may be imbalanced, causing the body to retain all the fluids and waste it would typically expel after your morning cup of coffee. Interestingly, coffee can prompt the body to prepare for a bowel movement within minutes of consumption. Unfortunately, your initial day without coffee may be marked by bathroom difficulties, potentially leading to constipation for the majority of the day. In addition to gastrointestinal issues, you may also experience difficulties with concentration during the first few days after eliminating coffee from your routine. As you strive to navigate your initial workday without coffee, you may find yourself less productive. Your brain is not receiving the usual dose of dopamine, resulting in a buildup of adenosine, the hormone responsible for drowsiness. Consequently, maintaining focus and accomplishing tasks on your first day of work will be challenging without coffee. Unfortunately, the situation may not improve the following day. Your body has become dependent on the energy boost provided by coffee, making it difficult to recover in just a day or two. As a result, you may experience decreased productivity throughout the entire week. However, there is some good news. Various research studies have shown that once individuals overcome their caffeine withdrawal, their productivity surpasses their previous levels. This is because daily consumption of caffeine may enhance focus, but it is an artificial effect. When the body operates at its optimal levels without the aid of external substances, productivity can be sustained for longer periods. As you near the end of your first day without coffee, you may find it to be a grueling experience. Unfortunately, there are even more severe side effects to anticipate. As the day progresses, you may become easily annoyed and irritated by minor things. These reactions are simply additional consequences of the ongoing changes in your body. The hormonal imbalance, fatigue, and lack of energy may make you long to curl up and sleep until the withdrawal symptoms subside. Additionally, along with irritability, you may also experience increasing levels of anxiety. However, like most coffee-related side effects, these symptoms will eventually pass and may even have positive effects on your health. The anxiousness arises from the imbalance of the aforementioned chemicals, as well as norepinephrine and glutamate. These two individuals are particularly accountable for that lingering feeling of anxiety in your mind. Regrettably, even sleep will not alleviate this situation. You find yourself lying in bed, gazing at the ceiling, hoping for rest to come. Considering that you have been tired all day, you anticipate that you would easily fall asleep. However, this is not the case. Your body is struggling to return to its previous state of normalcy before coffee became a regular part of your life. Unfortunately, a consequence of this process is a lack of sleep. Your first night without coffee will likely be restless as you toss and turn, attempting to coax your body into slumber. This is a part of the recovery process from addiction because even though you have chosen to give up coffee, your body's chemical processes have not yet adjusted. Hormone levels remain imbalanced, and the brain is desperately trying to adapt to the chemical changes caused by the absence of caffeine throughout the day. Eventually, you will drift off to sleep, but since your sleep was likely not restful, the second day without coffee will be even worse than the first. You will wake up feeling even more fatigued than the previous day. All the withdrawal symptoms from the previous day will likely persist, along with some new ones. Numerous studies have discovered that the primary symptom experienced after quitting coffee is fatigue. Interestingly, contrary to popular belief, coffee does not actually provide much energy at all. It is the way it disrupts your body's internal chemistry in a controlled manner that tricks you into thinking you have more energy when you consume coffee. Coffee only contains approximately 1 calorie per cup, and since calories are the measure of energy in food and beverages, it is evident that coffee does not provide much energy at all. On average, a single egg contains around 78 calories, which means you would need to consume 78 cups of coffee to obtain the same amount of energy as eating one egg. Engaging in such behavior would have severe consequences for your well-being, therefore it is strongly advised against attempting it. As the second day progresses without the consumption of coffee, you may begin to experience feelings of sadness. Dopamine, glutamate, and norepinephrine are all chemical substances that play a crucial role in regulating your mood. The presence of caffeine in coffee disrupts the balance of these chemicals. Since your body tries to compensate for the absence of caffeine, it may overcompensate in its efforts to regulate these hormones and restore them to their normal levels. This withdrawal process can exacerbate symptoms for individuals who have been diagnosed with a mood disorder. This is why you may experience feelings of sadness for a few days after discontinuing coffee consumption. Some studies even suggest that long-term coffee drinkers are more susceptible to developing mood disorders, such as depression, due to the significant changes caffeine can induce in the brain's chemistry. Therefore, it is possible that sadness may be a part of your future once you start consuming coffee. As you progress through the second day without coffee, you are likely to feel tired, irritable, and sad simultaneously. However, it is important to persevere and remember that better days lie ahead. A few days after giving up coffee, you may observe a decrease in your blood pressure, which comes with various benefits. Lower blood pressure is associated with reduced stress and anxiety levels. Therefore, after enduring the challenging process of caffeine withdrawal for a few days, you will begin to experience positive effects on your overall well-being. The caffeine present in coffee can elevate blood pressure and deceive the body into entering a state of heightened alertness. While a temporary increase in blood pressure can be advantageous in situations where one needs to defend against an attack or escape from a threat, consistently high blood pressure can have detrimental effects on your health. It has even been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks or strokes. Within a week of giving up coffee, your body will start adjusting to the reduced levels of adrenaline and caffeine. As a result, your blood pressure will decrease to more sustainable levels. Approximately a week after quitting coffee, you should experience a significant reduction in withdrawal symptoms, or they may become much more manageable. If this is not the case, it could indicate that you were consuming excessive amounts of coffee. Once you start feeling better, you may notice an increase in your smiles, which is beneficial because after one or two weeks of abstaining from coffee, your teeth will gradually regain some of their original color. Coffee is acidic and can potentially stain or harm your teeth. However, once you stop consuming this beverage, your body can begin repairing the damage it has caused. Coffee can cause dryness in the mouth, which typically protects the teeth from enamel buildup. This, combined with its acidity, can lead to lasting damage. Additionally, coffee contains tannins that can cause the teeth to become stained by the colors of various foods and drinks. Interestingly, brushing your teeth immediately after drinking coffee can worsen the problem as it spreads the acids and compounds that stain your teeth instead of removing them. Therefore, it is recommended to wait for at least 30 minutes after consuming coffee before brushing your teeth. Now that you have completely quit drinking coffee, your teeth are grateful, and you will begin to notice a lightening of the brownish color associated with coffee stains. In the following week or two, your teeth may even appear noticeably brighter. After weeks of adjustment, your body chemistry is almost entirely back to normal. Without the adverse effects of caffeine withdrawal, you can expect to have a restful night's sleep almost every night. Your brain can now consistently engage in slow-wave and REM sleep, which are essential for its restoration process. You will also notice a decrease in your need to use the restroom, allowing you to have a more restful sleep throughout the night. Additionally, if you used to rely on a cup of coffee in the afternoon or early evening to give you that extra boost before the end of the day, you will experience even more noticeable effects. Research has shown that consuming coffee up to six hours before bedtime can significantly disrupt your sleep cycle and make it more difficult to fall asleep initially. This is because the caffeine present in your system tricks your body into thinking it should be awake instead of resting. After two weeks of abstaining from coffee, you will feel like a rejuvenated individual, or at least return to the state you were in before becoming dependent on the beverage. It is interesting to note that although many people rely on coffee to wake up in the morning, studies have revealed that individuals who remove coffee from their daily routine tend to feel more well-rested and alert. This is likely due to the fact that there is no substitute for a good night's sleep and taking care of oneself. Now, you have reached the long-term effects of eliminating coffee from your life. You have endured caffeine withdrawal, mood swings, and the adjustment of your body's chemical balance. However, you are now experiencing the benefits associated with a coffee-free lifestyle. But how will this decision impact you in the long run? It has been several weeks since your last cup of coffee, and you are feeling great. There is a biological explanation for this improvement. Throughout the time you consumed coffee, your body was thrown off balance by the addictive caffeine compound. Now that it has been completely eliminated from your system, your hormone levels have returned to normal, resulting in your overall well-being. Returning to normal hormone levels has been found to be particularly advantageous for women due to the potential disruption of estrogen levels caused by caffeine in coffee. In certain women, caffeine can decrease estrogen levels, resulting in symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, and a decreased sex drive. While these conditions are not life-threatening, they can certainly induce stress, especially if the individual is unaware of the underlying cause. On the other hand, caffeine can increase estrogen production in other women, leading to more severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS), depression, and the development of non-cancerous lumps on the breasts and uterus. However, as the amount of caffeine consumed is gradually reduced over several weeks, estrogen levels return to normal. It is important to note that caffeine consumption affects hormone levels in both men and women. The longer one abstains from coffee, the better they will feel, despite the challenging withdrawal period that may last for days or even weeks. In fact, it has been discovered that individuals who quit drinking coffee can experience weight loss in the weeks following their decision. This weight loss is likely attributed to the additives in coffee, such as milk and sugar, rather than the coffee itself. A study conducted by Duke University revealed that coffee, along with other caffeinated beverages, increases a person's daily sugar intake by approximately 10%. By eliminating coffee from your diet, your body begins to utilize stored fats instead of burning the excess sugars present in your morning beverage. Consequently, this can lead to weight loss and an overall improvement in well-being. However, it is important for everyone to be aware of the consequences when they stop consuming coffee. While there are benefits to quitting coffee, such as potential weight loss, there is also a possibility of gaining weight instead. Coffee has the ability to suppress your appetite without you even realizing it. This means that once your body adjusts to the absence of caffeine, you may find yourself having a larger appetite in the mornings. There are a few reasons for this. Initially, when your body was still craving caffeine, you may have tried to satisfy that craving by consuming sugary treats like donuts or cookies. However, as time goes on, you may come to realize that you should have been having a more substantial breakfast each morning, and that the coffee was tricking your body into feeling full when it wasn't. There is an important lesson to be learned from this. After a few weeks of abstaining from coffee, you may notice that you feel hungrier than before. This is simply your body's way of telling you that you should be consuming more calories. It doesn't mean you should indulge in sugary foods, but rather that your morning routine should consist of more fruits and cereals instead of relying on an addictive substance found in a hot beverage. As a result, you may experience some weight gain. However, it's important not to panic. Just because you gain a little weight from eating a larger, healthier breakfast instead of skipping it for a cup of coffee doesn't mean it's a cause for concern. Perhaps now that you're feeling better overall, you'll have more time for exercise or other activities. This could lead to shedding the weight you gained while also living a healthier lifestyle. One of the most pleasing outcomes you may notice after a few weeks without coffee is a more youthful appearance. Researchers suggest that eliminating coffee from your daily routine could result in healthier skin. Without the diuretic effects of caffeine, your body retains more water, which can contribute to a more youthful complexion. This is beneficial not only for your internal processes but also for your skin. With improved sleep, reduced anxiety, and healthier skin, your body appears to be rejuvenated. While you are not physically reversing in age, the negative effects caused by coffee and caffeine on your skin and body are nearly completely reversed. Research has shown that the caffeine present in coffee can hinder skin cells from producing collagen, a crucial protein that maintains skin structure and aids in cell repair, resulting in a more youthful appearance. Additionally, there might be a link between caffeine and the interference of DNA synthesis in skin cells. If this is accurate, eliminating coffee from your daily routine could potentially enhance skin cell multiplication. The advantages of decreasing coffee intake or eliminating it altogether are plentiful. However, most things are generally acceptable in moderation. One common belief is that coffee consumption can hinder growth or lead to bone loss. But is there any truth to this claim? Surprisingly, there is some evidence from the National Institute of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements and Harvard Health Publishing suggesting that caffeine in coffee can impact bone health. Yet, ceasing coffee consumption will not necessarily result in stronger bones. Scientists have found that coffee's caffeine can increase calcium excretion and decrease absorption, but the overall calcium loss from coffee consumption is minimal and does not have adverse effects on growth. The misconception surrounding coffee and bone health highlights the importance of understanding correlation versus causation. Studies have revealed that individuals who consume more coffee tend to consume less calcium-rich beverages like milk, leading to weaker bones. Therefore, medical professionals caution that quitting coffee will not directly strengthen your bones. Nevertheless, it is advised to substitute coffee with a beverage that is abundant in calcium and Vitamin D. This substitution will undoubtedly contribute to the development of stronger bones and the prevention of osteoporosis. Ultimately, eliminating coffee from your daily routine may initially make you feel unpleasant, but it will have long-term benefits. It is worth noting that research indicates the average American consumes approximately 200 milligrams of caffeine per day from both food and beverages. While this amount may be slightly excessive, it is unlikely to be fatal. However, consuming 600 milligrams or the equivalent of four cups of coffee per day could potentially lead to severe health issues.
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Take your Bibles and turn to Proverbs 14:8. I'm going to share with you a message "Ignorance and Prayer." When you read your Bible, it says, "My people are perishing because of ignorance." The Bible does not say they are perishing because they do not fast or pray, but because of ignorance. This is a significant issue because many people pray and fast incorrectly. By the end of this message, I hope to open your eyes and understanding so you can do things correctly.
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