Patt Morrison for Wednesday, June 20, 2012

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

1-3 p.m.

 

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

 

1:06 – 1:39 OPEN

 

1:41:30 – 1:58:30 - Unafraid, but still undocumented

It was almost a year ago that Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas wrote an essay in the New York Times magazine outing his undocumented status. Since then, he’s become a symbol for immigration reform and enthusiastically welcomed President Obama’s announcement Friday that the administration will protect as many as 1.4 million undocumented immigrants from deportation. But Vargas won’t be among those. That’s because Vargas is 31 years old, and the change in procedure only applies to unauthorized immigrants up to age 30. Still, Vargas isn’t bitter. As he told the Huffington Post, "Look, I knew when I got into this that this thing was bigger than me…I knew that there were important principles and the futures of millions of people involved. And I know that when change happens there will always be some people born too late or too soon." How do other undocumented immigrants over 30 feel?

 

Guests:

TBD

 

2:06 – 2:39 - John Deasy: Big Man on Campus

Just because the school year is over doesn’t mean John Deasy and the LAUSD have had time off. Superintendent Deasy joins Patt to talk about the issues facing L.A. schools, including the recent court ruling that LAUSD must incorporate student test scores into teacher evaluations. The teachers union UTLA has proposed a counter teacher evaluation plan based on the California Standards for the Teaching Profession issued by the Department of Education, but it will be up to the superintendent to persuade UTLA to get behind its chosen method of teacher evaluations. We also check in on the misconduct at Miramonte Elementary School and Deasy’s subsequent order for principals to send any unreported misconduct from the last 40 years to LAUSD headquarters. So far, the district has received over 8,000 files and the deadline has been extended to this Friday. Finally, in a tentative agreement between LAUSD and UTLA last week, teachers will be required to take 10 furlough days – a move that could cut the school year by five days – in exchange for 4,000 rescinded pink slips. Patt also takes your calls for the Big Man on Campus.

 

Guest:

John Deasy, Superintendent, LAUSD

 

2:41:30 – 2:58:30 - Is the American dream being roped off for VIPs only?

America is ideally supposed to be a meritocracy – where those who are the most capable are at the top – but there is an evident lack of diversity among those who occupy positions of power. In “Twilight of the Elites,” Christopher Hayes reframes the debate about institutional dysfunction and public mistrust of our institutions as systemic deficiencies inflamed by the friction between the haves and the have-nots. Hayes points to SAT testing as one meritocratic system that was meant to provide more opportunities, but has gradually been subverted to favor those born into wealthy families. As a result, the leaders of tomorrow are not the most capable, but rather those with the most resources. Hayes doesn’t call for the total elimination of our current social contract, but for a leveling of the playing field. Have average Americans been marginalized by an institutional aristocracy?

 

Guest:

Christopher Hayes, host of MSNBC’s ‘UP with Chris Hayes’ and author of the new book ‘Twilight of the Elites: America After Meritocracy’”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lauren Osen

Southern California Public Radio - 89.3 KPCC

626-583-5173 / 626-483-5278

losen@scpr.org @Patt_Morrison