Resolution

Whereas, Dean Mel Brown served as an outstanding Professor of English at
Los Angeles Trade-Technical College from 1972 until 1998 in a career Distinguished by exemplary Leadership in his department and teaching Discipline.

Whereas, Dean Mel Brown had an indelible impact upon thousands of Students teaching English as well important life skills and lessons in “Living a fulfilled life.”

Whereas, Dean Mel Brown continued to serve in an administrative capacity
As Dean of The academic Affairs until 1998, manifesting himself as a role model, scholar, poet, author and gentle man of eloquence and influence.

Whereas, Dean Mel Brown continued to assist and advise the faculty of Los Angeles Trade-Technical College even after his retirement from the Los Angeles Community College in 1998 in his new position as executive Secretary of the teamsters Union, by speaking impassionedly on behalf of The College to the Board of trustees during his last regular meeting of the Board' in 2004;

Resolved that the Academic Senate of Los Angeles Trade-Technical college
Recognize the extraordinary efforts of Dean Mel Brown in improving the Quality of California community college education and Governance by conferring, upon him the honor of "`Faculty Emeritus" and establishing an Annual scholarship in his name.

Chini Johnson
President, Academic Senate
Los Angeles Trade-Technical College
April 1, 2005

Professor Mel Brown A Great Mentor and Teacher

Long Time Faculty, Mentor and Language Arts Department Chair, Professor Mel Brown passed away Sunday, March 27 2005 in Bakersfield, CA.
Professor Brown was a dedicated instructor in the Language Arts Dept. at Trade Technical College.
Before he retired in 1998, he was a mentor to many and had a unique way of teaching that had proven results. Brown was also a champion for student’s rights and fought for equality both in and out the classrooms. He also fought for the union in behalf of instructors for full time and hourly for fair wages and health benefits.
In behalf of all LATTC Student Body, Faculty staff, and Alumni, our deepest sympathies to his family.

Dear Chancellor Landsberger

Since the arrival of the "Three Amigos," Castro, Arzate, and Barron, Trade Tech has undergone a rapid demise. Enrollment has been dwindling due to the destruction in the trade/professional disciplines such as:

*Nursing
*Graphic Arts
*Printing
*Cabinet/Carpentry
*and Welding

The PACE Program and Middle College were quietly cancelled for the lack of enrollment and Journalism was never revived. The Teach Project is dying on the vine, mainly because of disinterest and incompetence on the part of his minions.

We feel strongly that Castro suffers from a mental disorder called Ethno-Phile-Syndrome. All his appointments (Mostly not qualified), come from a specific ethnic group, which has created enormous resentment among the faculty -- The esprit de corps in zero. Therefore we suggest and strongly recommend to remove/transfer him as soon as possible...

Memo Courtesy of Dr. Theile / Dr. McClain

The LACCD Is Responsible

A letter from one of the most respected Instructors at LATTC has surface last week in an Inter-Office Memo in regards of the President of LATTC and the demise of LATT. But all the blame can't be laid on Dr. Daniel Castro. The Los Angeles Community College District Chancellor's Office and the Board of Trustees are just as responsible. With the numerous complaints that were filed with the LACCD, those suits at the District did NOTHING! Now after the lawsuits are starting to pile up against LATTC & LACCD they want to make it right! TOO DAMN LATE NOW!
To many lives of Faculty, Staff, and Student have been ruined or destroyed by their lack of concern.

ED CODE VIOLATIONS AT LATTC

• California Ed Code Violations By LATTC
  
  
  Section 71020-71051 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this section to foster the creation, implementation, and phase-in of comprehensive community college accountability system that describes the performance of the community colleges in meeting postsecondary educational needs of the students.
  
  It is further the intent of the Legislature that this accountability systems assist all participants in the community college system, including students, faculty, staff, administrators, local governing boards, the chancellor.........educational and fiscal strengths and weakness of the college in order to improve educational quality in community colleges.
  
  
  Fiscal Conditions of the Community College District
  
  71020.5 (k) Fiscal conditions of the community college district.
  (5) Be designed to streamline the use of multiple performance measures from appropriated sources of data, including, but not limited to, matriculations evaluations, categorical program evaluations, the community college management information systems, and other existing data collection and evaluation systems.
  (6) Provide feedback to individual colleges in order to improve access to community college, students performance, educational programs where needed.
  (7) Produce a published report of community college accountability.
  
  71022.
  All meetings of the board shall be open to publics except as otherwise provided. The board may hold executive session closed to the public to consider the employment of any person, or dismissal or other form of disciplinary action to be taken against any officer of employee under the jurisdiction of the board, except where that person, officer or employee request a public hearing.
  
  
  
  The Title V Violations
  
  Section 51023.7 Students
  
  The college and the community college district require a quick summary of what.
  
  The governing board of a community college district shall adopt polices and procedures that provide the students opportunity to participate effectively in the district and college governance. Among other matters, said policies and procedures...........
  
  Students shall be provided an opportunity to participate in formulation and development of district and college policies and procedures that have or will have a significant effect on students. This right includes the opportunity to participate in processes for jointly developing recommendations to the governing board regarding policies and procedures.
  
  (See more requirements under Section 51023.7 Students)
  
  (These are a few Ed code violations that have been ignored by this LATTC and the LACCD).
  
  Grading policies;
  Codes of student conduct;
  Academic disciplinary policies;
  Curriculum development;
  Courses or programs which should be intimated or discontinued;
  Processes for institutional planning and budget development;
  Standards and policies regarding student preparation and success;
  Student services planning and development;
  Student fees within the authority of the district to adopt;
  And other district and college policies, procedure, or related matter that the district governing board determines will have a significant effect on the students.
  
  
  Section 51024
  · Matriculation Services
  
  Section 51021
  Curriculum
  Each Community College shall establish such programs of education and courses (that reflects the current job market and community trends).
  
  Budget and Accounting
  
  Ed Code 76060
  
  Associated Students Trust Funds (A.S.O.)
  
  Student Representation Fee
• 
  Ed Code 76060.5
• Fees collected pursuant to EC 76060.5 shall be placed in a fund known as the Student Representation Fee Trust Fund and shall be deposited in a bank or banks, subject to approval of the governing board. Such accounts must be insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (EC76063)

Expenditure of These Moneys...

• Fees collected pursuant to EC72253 Money
  
  
  
  

The Stealing of LATTC's Funds, Trust and Spirit

It seems amazing that the ones that are entrusted with the welfare of the college's funding operation are the same ones that are stealing from the people who need it most the students. Since 2001 Trade Tech has been raped, robed, beaten down like Cinnamon Girl in a third world country. The NASA program where Trade Tech students attend classes at USC; was started with help of a Trade Tech student and Dr. Moreno. This is one great opportunity for many students of color to have a career with the NASA Space program. Now evidence of misappropriation of fedreal grants has surface is not a shock to me, but it is just the tip of the iceburg. The education diversity has been lacking for years and it's getting even worse with allegations of Dr. Castro and others have violated Title V, and by shutting down Community Services and Continuing Ed to a trickle, no campus newspaper and God knows what other programs have fallen aside. Faculty and staff are scared to talk freely. Some even say; "It's like he's (Castro), running this campus like a little island nation," (You know other Castro). But it don't ends there. There's allegations A.S.O. is a running joke, who is their Advisor working for? The A.S.O. excutive board doesn't even know their own budget. In the 1999-2000 school year, the A.S.O. had reserve close to a million dollars that belongs to the STUDENTS!! not the administration. That means that any student that wishes to review the official bank balance sheet to see how much is in the reserve funds she or he has that right, that's called an audit. It makes you wonder if what they're saying about Dr. Castro and those close to him are true, "They have raided the cookie jar." The Financial Manager has had a history of hiding from the A.S.O. officers the organization's own account balance, (A Violation of the California Ed Code), and this was before Dr. Castro. Now the LACCD has to answer with their hearing impaired selves. There's technology jumping off everywhere around the LACCD but at three campuses including this one. Students and the community have been asking for programs in Media Technology, Television Broadcasting & Production, Dental Technology, and more advance Computer Science Technology Programs for years. LACCD board members thinks no one south of the 10 Frwy, east of La Brea, north of the 105 Frwy, and west of Alameda would be interested in these programs. How racist is that? A school like Trade-Technical college can't have these programs. Yes they (The LACCD Board), will have to answer. The LACCD Board have allowed this administration to continue screwing over us! We the STUDENTS and COMMUNITY that happen to be of COLOR! Harassing good administrators (The ones that haven't been sent away), faculty and staff members that gave a damn about the students by rewarding them with harassments, transfers and force early retirements. And you going tell us that you the LACCD are unaware of this? When my daughter comes over and tells me about these horror stories about what's happening at LATTC, it made me think. What can I do? And the answer came to me. I just can see attorneys drulling over documents that have been uncovered even as I'm writing this commentary. The LACCD board members (Well a least some of them), will think twice about running for any public office in the future. Please stay tune for more updates.

The California Whistle Blowers Act

Whistleblower Protection Act

SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares that unlawful activities of private corporations may result in damages not only to the corporation and its shareholders and investors, but also to employees of the corporation and the public at large. The damages caused by unlawful activities may be prevented by the early detection of corporate wrongdoing. The employees of a corporation are in a unique position to report corporate wrongdoing to an appropriate government or law enforcement agency.

The Legislature finds and declares that it is the public policy of the State of California to encourage employees to notify an appropriate government or law enforcement agency when they have reason to believe their employer is violating laws enacted for the protection of corporate shareholders, investors, employees, and the general public.

It is the intent of the Legislature to protect employees who refuse to act at the direction of their employer or refuse to participate in activities of an employer that would result in a violation of law.

1102.5. (a) An employer may not make, adopt, or enforce any rule, regulation, or policy preventing an employee from disclosing information to a government or law enforcement agency, where the employee has reasonable cause to believe that the information discloses a violation of state or federal statute, or a violation or noncompliance with a state or federal rule or regulation.
(b) An employer may not retaliate against an employee for disclosing information to a government or law enforcement agency, where the employee has reasonable cause to believe that the information discloses a violation of state or federal statute, or a violation or noncompliance with a state or federal rule or regulation.
(c) An employer may not retaliate against an employee for refusing to participate in an activity that would result in a violation of state or federal statute, or a violation or noncompliance with a state or federal rule or regulation.
(d) An employer may not retaliate against an employee for having exercised his or her rights under subdivision (a), (b), or (c) in any former employment.
(e) A report made by an employee of a government agency to his or her employer is a disclosure of information to a government or law enforcement agency pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b).
(f) In addition to other penalties, an employer that is a corporation or limited liability company is liable for a civil penalty not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each violation of this section.
(g) This section does not apply to rules, regulations, or policies which implement, or to actions by employers against employees who violate, the confidentiality of the lawyer-client privilege of Article 3 (commencing with Section 950), the physician-patient privilege of Article 6 (commencing with Section 990) of Chapter 4 of Division 8 of the Evidence Code, or trade secret information.

1102.6. In a civil action or administrative proceeding brought pursuant to Section 1102.5, once it has been demonstrated by a preponderance of the evidence that an activity proscribed by Section 1102.5 was a contributing factor in the alleged prohibited action against the employee, the employer shall have the burden of proof to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that the alleged action would have occurred for legitimate, independent reasons even if the employee had not engaged in activities protected by Section 1102.5.

All information was provided by the state of California Department of Labor and the state of California web site.

http://www.californiastatelaborlaws.com/state_whistle_blower.asp

File a Complaints If They Don't Stop!

Are you under acts of reprisal, retaliation, threats, coercion, or similar acts by a supervisor(s) and no one is lifting a finger to help you? Well the state of California frowns on that. Under the Whistleblower Protection Act you can embrassed that community college district and your supervisor by filing a lawsuit under the Whistleblower Complaints Statutes. Just take a look at brief section

(b) A person who intentionally engages in acts of reprisal, retaliation, threats, coercion, or similar acts against an employee or applicant for employment with a public school employer for having made a protected disclosure is subject to a fine not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) and imprisonment in the county jail for a period not to exceed one year. An employee, officer, or administrator who intentionally engages in that conduct shall also be subject to discipline by the public school employer. If no adverse action is instituted by the public school employer, and it is determined that there is reasonable cause to believe that an act of reprisal, retaliation, threats, coercion, or similar acts prohibited by Section 87163, the local law enforcement agency may report the nature and details of the activity to the governing board of the community college district.