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 (313)
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Three LAUSD Incumbents Running For Re-election
“Even though school board members are the nation’s largest group of elected officials,1 their role in shaping education remains opaque for many parents, educators, and voters.” – 5 Reasons To Pay Attention to Local School Board Elections
By Carl J. Petersen5 months ago in The Swamp
Red States In Glass Houses
“Don't throw stones at your neighbors if your own windows are glass.” – Benjamin Franklin Working as a swing shift Supervisor, my team often becomes the fall guys for problems we did not create. It is easier for others to point fingers than to look inward. I reminded my crew that before we criticize, we must first ask: “Is our own house in order?”
By Carl J. Petersen5 months ago in The Swamp
From Woodstock to Vancouver: A Family Story in Nine Inch Nails
“Take the skin and peel it back. Now doesn't that make you feel better?” – Trent Reznor, “March of the Pigs” My father was a reluctant participant in our trip to Woodstock ’94. His contemporaries may have been practicing peace and love at Max Yasgur's farm in 1969, but he was musically stuck in an earlier era. The more modern acts at the Woodstock sequel were even more foreign to him. Still, he made the most of it, even claiming a patch of land for three generations of Petersens—including my daughter, just shy of two years old.
By Carl J. Petersen5 months ago in Beat
CCSA Doesn't Care
“The single largest variable that predicts SAT scores is family income. If you want higher SAT scores, you need to get your kids born into wealthier families. You know, it's great to tell kids to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, but you better put boots on them first.” – Paul Houston
By Carl J. Petersen5 months ago in The Swamp
Live Aid: The Day The Music Mattered
“If there`s a problem, you have to go out and solve it.” – Sir Bob Geldof The summer of 1985 marked a turning point: freshly graduated from high school, I took a job as Head Counselor at the local Cub Scout Camp and skipped our family's vacation for the first time. As my parents prepared to leave, my Mom handed me her credit card with a strict warning: “This is just for emergencies.”
By Carl J. Petersen5 months ago in Art
LACOE Charter School Oversight Is Broken—And It's About to Get Worse
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana The Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) has repeatedly prioritized the political ideology of charter school expansion over the academic success and physical safety of students, as evidenced by its mishandling of the North Valley Military Institute (NVMI). This charter school had been slated for closure by the LAUSD because of its overwhelming failures during its first charter term and had appealed to the county in an attempt to remain open. Upholding the elected LAUSD board would send a clear message that charter schools need to show superior results if they want to continue receiving funds diverted from the public education system.
By Carl J. Petersen6 months ago in The Swamp
Hope Out Of Chaos
“Maybe life is up and down But my life's been 'what' till now” – Limp Bizkit Science says that the Earth’s orbit around the sun remains relatively stable. Yet, somehow, as each year passes, it feels like time is moving faster. The New Year's baby is already a middle-aged man; 2025 is already halfway done.
By Carl J. Petersen7 months ago in Journal
Born In East LA: American Citizens Caught in ICE’s Dragnet
“If and when we do encounter individuals subject to arrest, our law enforcement is trained to ask a series of well-determined questions to determine status and removability.” – Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin
By Carl J. Petersen7 months ago in The Swamp
The Budget That Cried Wolf: A School District's Endless Fiscal Cliff
“It’s clearly a budget. It’s got lots of numbers in it.” – George W. Bush The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is currently operating under a $11 billion ($11,000,000,000) general fund budget (per the second interim report). These funds not only cover teaching Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic, but also provide critical services at neighborhood schools like maintaining facilities, after-school care, and delivering special education supports.
By Carl J. Petersen7 months ago in The Swamp
Pride Under Siege: The LAPD’s Troubled History With the LGBTQ+ Community
“I’ve got nothing against fags; that’s not what this is about.” – Attributed to LAPD Officer Skip Giuliani While thought of as a deep blue city, Los Angeles has elements of far-right extremism that betray its liberal electorate. This is especially true within its police force as displayed by its historical treatment of the LGBTQ+ community. In 2023, a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) spokesperson offered the following apology:
By Carl J. Petersen7 months ago in Pride
