"The scope of services includes supporting efforts to advocate with LAUSD leadership and board members for a long-term facilities solution for NVMI, supporting public relations efforts within Los Angeles, and supporting charter renewal efforts." - North Valley Military Institute
The LA School Report once described David Tokofsky as "perhaps the quintessential behind-the-scenes player in Los Angeles education circles, operating as something between a professional gadfly and e'minence grise." After serving as the representative for Board District 5 from 1995 through 2007, he took on the role of "Strategist" for the Associated Administrators Los Angeles (AALA), which represents administrators in the LAUSD. He is a frequent speaker during public comment at board meetings and is acknowledged to have his fingers on the pulse of what is happening in the district.
While it is generally assumed that Tokofsky sides with those who want to strengthen public schools, the November agenda of the Board of Trustees for the North Valley Military Institute (NVMI) revealed that the charter school negotiated with him to provide consulting services. For $2,800 a month Tokofsky would provide "efforts to advocate with LAUSD leadership and board members for a long-term facilities solution for NVMI, supporting public relations efforts within Los Angeles and supporting charter renewal efforts." The contract would be in place for a period of six months.
The fact that Tokofsky would choose to align himself with a school that has the negative reputation carried by NVMI is astonishing. It is one of the few charters to have actually been turned down for renewal by the LAUSD due to its negative performance and only continues to operate because the unelected Los Angeles County Office of Education ignored its own staff and accepted its appeal. The approval by the county occurred despite the fact that the required independent audit statement was not on file.
Without proper oversight by the county, the school was charging students to attend summer school in violation of the California Education Code. For families who could not afford this charge, NVMI allowed students and parents to work for the school but paid them less than the minimum wage.
An administrator for the charter school was also alleged to have engaged in "abhorrent child sex abuse." The families of the victims alleged that "the school claimed it had no obligation to report the [improper] conduct to the authorities." Instead of protecting the students in their care, NVMI was accused of "intentionally and maliciously [filing] false reports of child abuse [by both sets of parents] with the Department of Children and Family Services".
A consulting deal between Tokofsky and NVMI also has ethical consequences since the school is currently co-located on an LAUSD campus. Parents from the public school where NVMI is co-located are fighting to protect their children from the charter school staff and students. Can they feel secure that their principal is fighting for them when a staffer from the administrators' union is moonlighting as a mouthpiece for NVMI?
It is hard to see how even a die-hard supporter of charter schools would argue that a school with NVMI's record should remain open. Still, for a total payment of $16,800, Tokofsky is willing to risk his and his employer's reputations to lobby on their behalf. It seems like an awfully low price to sell one's soul.
Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for students with special education needs and public education. He was elected to the Northridge East Neighborhood Council and is the Education Chair. 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.
