My Opinion

Congratulations to Ms. Octavia Spencer for winning an Academy Award the other evening for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for “The Help.” I thoroughly enjoyed her on-screen passion, humor and audacity. Her irreverence shimmered like glitter, her rage took on an artistic flair, and the relationship she formed with another "outsider" in the film was telling of her humanity beyond the boundaries of race so clearly defined and articulated in the film.

Re “It Is Time to Protect Parent-Donated Services” and “When Did ‘Union’ Become a Four-Letter Word in Culver City?”

The expansion of El Marino Language School to accommodate a full-day kindergarten requires the relocation of CCUSD’s other high school, Culver Park.

Re “When Did ‘Union’ Become a Four-Letter Word in Culver City?”

First of two parts

I was pretty upset when I first heard that one of our school's unions was trying to take over the 20 or so parent-funded teaching adjuncts at El Marino Language School. But as an El Marino parent and a shameless optimist (as well as an unapologetic opportunist), I am beginning to see how this could really work out in my favor.

The ongoing conversation in our community about the parent-funded "adjuncts" working at El Marino Language School has raised a number of difficult issues for CCUSD.

[Editor’s Note: The third-year School Board member responded to questions about last night’s bombastic meeting.]

[Editor’s Note: The School Board President, as the person at the vortex of the controversy between parents of El Marino Language School and the Assn. of Classified Employees, this morning issued his response to last night’s stormy four-hour Board meeting.]

Come and talk with us about it at Move LA’s 4th annual Transportation Conversation, “L.A. On the Verge of a Transit Breakthrough,” on Friday at Union Station. Register here. The final agenda is below and — if you don’t take transit — there are directions to parking in the Metro Headquarters.

I am criticizing Gov. Brown’s plan to impose higher taxes on working Californians. I have released an analysis showing that a half-cent sales tax increase would cost California thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in lost investment.