The well-known Hilton Hotels attract guests of all ethnicities and cultures due to their 4-star rating, rave reviews, amenities, and luxury ambiance. These qualities also attracted Heather M. Bassett. After carefully researching her many Hotel options in the area, Heather decided this Hotel was where her and 7-year old daughter would stay, as they visited Disneyland for her daughter’s first time. To their dismay, Heather’s decision wasn’t filled with “fond memories” as Kathrine S. (Hilton Hotel’s Corporate Guest Relations Specialist) states:

“We strive to make sure that each guest has an excellent stay with fond memories”, but rather, Heather and her daughter’s stay resulted in memories of inconveniences and great stresses; as they experienced unethical practices from the Hotel staff.

Heather explains her story: Heather’s decision to stay at the Hilton Hotel – Anaheim was influenced by a couple amenities; such as the water playground area for her daughter, a refrigerator in the room, and the most important factor, a restaurant in the Hotel which offered vegetarian food. As a vegetarian and borderline vegan, Heather completed her due diligence as traveling requires extra research on menu options and hours of food preparation for the days not eating out. On the day of travel, she carried two small ice chests filled with pre-made food, including: smoothies, non-dairy yogurt, beans, and vegetable dishes, which quickly went into the room refrigerator, upon their arrival. Heather planned their first night to dine at The Mix, and already knew the menu options they would order. After driving 9 hours, restless, and hungry, Heather and her daughter arrived at the Mix around 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. eagerly anticipating the food options. To their utter disbelief, the waitress expressed, the Hotel couldn’t accommodate their vegetarian requests because the “chief wasn’t there,” apologized, and said “there was nothing they could do.” Heather immediately spoke with one of the Hotel Managers, but he too just apologized and assisted them with looking at a map of the other restaurants in the area.  

The next morning Heather and her daughter awoke in total excitement, dressed, and went to the refrigerator to find there was no cooling coming from the inside, at all. The refrigerator didn’t work and all their food for the next two days, was ruined. Heather contacted Hilton customer service late that night, but all that was offered was $100 off the bill.

                                    Vegetarian Challenges

If you are not a vegetarian/border line vegan one cannot possibly imagine how these issues impacts someone’s life; especially on vacation. You see, Heather and her daughter refrain from eating sugars, processed foods, gluten, dairy, meat, and eggs so without their prepared food, their health was affected, they experienced uncomfortable symptoms, and were incredibly inconvenienced with making trips to the grocery store, but couldn’t prepare meals, or put food in the refrigerator because the Hotel didn’t offer to come fix or replace it.  

Over a year later, November 2019, Heather emailed her thorough complaint to two of Hilton Hotel customer service representatives, CEO – Christopher Nassetta and finally mailed a certified letter to Jonathan Witter – Chief Customer Officer, requesting small compensation and the Hotel policies for vegetarian options being made available to the guests. The only thing Heather received were apologies from 3 representatives and this statement from Executive Ambassador Colleen Rosales who wrote;

“In the future should you have a problem at a hotel please bring your concerns to the management team so that they can investigate it and make it right while you are the hotel.”
And customer service representative Marielle O who stated:

“Anything below our Brand Standards is immediately addressed. We regret to inform you we are only able to go back as far as 12 months to address any issues. We sincerely apologize.”

Clearly, the actions communicated from these representatives were not executed at the time of Heather’s stay, complaint instructions were not provided to Heather, and most importantly, the Hotel is now neglecting the main issue of discrimination against a vegetarian’s lifestyle.

Hilton Hotel may be one of the largest brands in the World but fails greatly in Hotel guest accommodation.

Freweini Mebrahtu has dedicated her life to keeping girls in school by designing a reusable menstrual pad and trying to end the cultural stigma around the issue — and because of her work, she has been named the 2019 CNN Hero of the Year.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Mebrahtu said when receiving the award. “I am so humbled and grateful for CNN … this is for all the girls and women everywhere. Dignity for all.”

Online voters selected Mebrahtu as the 2019 CNN Hero of the Year award from among the Top 10 CNN Heroes finalists. Mebrahtu — who is from Ethiopia and studied chemical engineering in the US — designed and patented a reusable menstrual pad in 2005.

She and her team produce 750,000 reusable pads a year at her factory in Ethiopia. Nearly 800,000 girls and women have benefited from her work. More than 80 percent of the pads she manufactures are sold to non-governmental organizations that distribute them for free.

SAN DIEGO, CA—- Covered California continued its statewide open enrollment campaign by teaming up with the Challenged Athletes Foundation in San Diego for its Holiday Boot Camp on Tuesday. The event comes as Covered California alerts consumers about a critical upcoming deadline. Consumers must sign up by December 15 if they want their coverage to start on January 1.

“We want all Californians to know that if they want coverage for all of 2020, the deadline to sign up is this Sunday,” said Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee said. “Now is the time to check if you qualify for the new state subsidies that are available for the first time this year, which are lowering costs for hundreds of thousands of Californians, and ring in the New Year with a quality health care plan.”

The event continues Covered California’s campaign of teaming up with well-known Californians who promote healthy lifestyles and understand the importance of access to quality care. 

Scout Bassett will share her awe-inspiring story of perseverance and courage, which saw her go from being adopted as an amputee from a chemical fire in Nanjing, China to growing up with a family in the United States, and eventually becoming a World Record-holding Paralympian in the 400 meters and American record-holder in 100-meter and 200-meter sprints.

The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) was established in 1997 and assists, supports, and provides opportunity to people with physical challenges — like Bassett and hundreds and others — so that they can lead active lifestyles and compete in athletic events.

“CAF believes all people deserve the right to a healthy lifestyle and wellness through sports. We are excited to host an inclusive Holiday Bootcamp with Covered California to showcase our commitment to athletes of all ages and abilities, and a shared priority for staying healthy”, says Bob Babbitt, Co-Founder of CAF.

In addition, Covered California will be joined by Betina Gozo at the Boot Camp.  Gozo began learning dance, performing and music at a very young age and used her love of fitness to become a Nike Master Trainer.  She has traveled the country working to help people become the best versions of themselves through fitness and health.

Covered California also wants to make sure that consumers know that California has restored the penalty that was part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act from 2014 through 2018, meaning consumers who do not get covered could face a fine when they file their 2020 taxes in the spring of 2021.

For those facing a penalty, a family of four would pay at least $2,000, and potentially more, for not having health insurance throughout 2020.

“Consumers need to take action now during open enrollment,” Lee said. “This is when people can sign up to get health insurance and avoid the potential of a big surprise when they file their taxes in 2021.”

Those interested in learning more about their coverage options can:

• Visit www.CoveredCA.com.
• Get free and confidential in-person assistance, in a variety of languages, from a certified enroller.
• Have a certified enroller call them and help them for free.
• Call Covered California at (800) 300-1506.

Open enrollment runs through January 31, 2020.

By Dr. Salvatore J. Giorgianni, Jr.

African-American boys and men in America continue to kill themselves at an alarming rate.

Over the past several months the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has released several reports about the demographics of this national disgrace. African-American men and boys continue to have a higher death rate in nine of the 10 leading causes of death than is seen in women.  It is most unfortunate that the overall healthcare system is inherently non-male friendly, and, in some health care situations men tell us they do not feel welcome at all.

One consequence of this shocking and disturbing reality is the male suicide rate in America.  Males are 3 to 7 times more likely than females to commit suicide, which explains why suicide is the 6^th leading cause of death for males. According to the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, African Americans are 20 percent more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population.

African American youth, particularly young men, who are exposed to violence are at a greater risk for PTSD by over 25 percent. African Americans are also more likely to be exposed to factors that increase the risk for developing a mental health condition, such as discrimination, social isolation, homelessness and exposure to violence.

In the African American community, people often misunderstand what a mental health condition is and therefore the subject is uncommon. This lack of understanding leads many to believe that a mental health condition is a personal weakness or a form of punishment and that impedes boys and men from talking about emotional issues let alone seeking medical help.

A careful reading of the CDC data shows that the current rate of suicide for males is the overwhelming majority of all suicides.  And the news gets worse. Recently, the CDC highlighted a significant increase in the number of suicides for teens and younger men. The incidence of suicide for Millennials increased almost 300% from the 1950s for the Baby Boomer generation.

Most male suicides occur in boys and men who have not been diagnosed as depressed or have a history of mental health issues. We believe, in part, this is because:a lack of cultural competence in mental health care, which results in misdiagnosis and inadequate treatment for those of color; African-American men, like men in general, access health care far less frequently then do women; there are no clear guidelines on when and how to screen men; health care providers do not properly or regularly screen them for emotional-wellness.  The importance of the screening is underscored by the fact that this is something integral to Well Woman Visits, and for post-partum female care.

Earlier this year, Men’s Health Network (MHN) convened a meeting of 27 internationally recognized experts in health care and mental health to examine the failure to identify mental stress and depression in boys and men and propose a comprehensive call-to-action that provides a blueprint for identifying and helping boys and men in trouble before it is too late.  This free report is found at www.MensHealthLibrary.com, Behavioral Aspects of Depression and Anxiety in the American Male.

While the reasons for this national tragedy are complex and still not certain one thing is certain, this is unacceptable in a society that values lives.  Report after report, death after death, the situation becomes more and more tragic. There is a tragic and perplexing lack of acknowledgement of the magnitude of male suicide.  All too many studies give top line results without underscoring the disparity in male suicide by homogenizing data.  This would not be an acceptable practice in most any other type of medical reporting.

Men’s Health Network recommends that those charged with the health and social welfare of boys and men consider the following: 1) acknowledge the heterogeneity of boys and men and the unique needs of diverse populations; 2) develop culturally appropriate male-focused screening tools; 3) develop  guidelines that recognize the need to regularly and routinely screen boys and men; 4) address the poor reimbursement for behavioral health clinical services and; 5) establish culturally and gender appropriate programs to identify, interrupt, triage, and manage mental health issues in African-American boys and men for those in the community who interact with boys and men.

In addition, we urge insurance companies and other payers to include adequately reimbursed Well-Man medical visits similar to the yearly Well Woman Visits required under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). The ACA, as passed by Congress, does not provide for Well Man Visits.

Men’s Health Network (MHN) is the oldest non-profit organization whose mission is to reach men, boys, and their families about comprehensive wellness and health matters.  MHN believes much more can and must be done by all stakeholders in both the public and private sector to address the root causes of suicide and prevent them.  The humanitarian, emotional and financial cost to American society of continuing to treat the growing treads of male suicide as just another blended statistic in a long litany of health concerns is no longer acceptable. 

We genuinely hope that this new data from the CDC will be the catalyst to bring the topic of men’s health onto the front burner in any discussions of healthcare, whether in Congress, among presidential hopefuls, or in the media. By doing so, we’ll not only save the lives of thousands of men and boys who are dying prematurely, but also improve the lives of the women and girls who love them.

According to the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, African Americans are 20 percent more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population. African American youth who are exposed to violence are at a greater risk for PTSD by over 25 percent.¹ African Americans are also more likely to be exposed to factors that increase the risk for developing a mental health condition, such as homelessness and exposure to violence.

In the African American community, people often misunderstand what a mental health condition is and therefore the subject is uncommon. This lack of understanding leads many to believe that a mental health condition is a personal weakness or a form of punishment.

REDLANDS, CA—- Cooking guru, entrepreneur and auctioneer extraordinaire, Martha Green served as the keynote speaker at the recent Salvation Army Red Kettle Kick Off at the ESRI Café in Redlands.  The event raised $72,000 of the $100,000 goal. All funds raised will go to help the Homeless, Hungry and Hopeless.

“Please give at the Red Kettles this Christmas Season so that we can help more people in need,” said Green.  Last Christmas The Salvation Army assisted over 1000 families and delivered 5,500 toys to 1,400 children.

The Red Kettles are one of the main fundraisers for The Salvation Army and the funds raised help those in need here in the county throughout the year.

The Salvation Army has served the Inland Empire since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination.
“Just wanted to take a quick moment to thank all who attended and donated to this years Red Kettle Kickoff”, said Major Edward “Duke” Markham, Corps Officer/Administrator, The Salvation Army San Bernardino California South Division.  “I want to thank Martha Green for joing us, she did a great job and has shared that she will continue to be of support to us and our mission here in San Bernardino County to help those in need,” Major Markham.
Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.  For more information please call: 909.792.6868 or 909.888.1336.
-end-

About The Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps
The Salvation Army has been in existence since 1865 and in San Bernardino County since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination.  The Salvation Army provides emergency services including food; lodging for homeless or displaced families; clothing and furniture; assistance with rent or mortgage and transportation when funds are available.

The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of The Universal Christian Church, and also offering holistic programs for people of all ages. One of the largest charitable and international service organizations in the world,

The Salvation Army of San Bernardino serves the communities of: Redlands, Yucaipa, Calimesa, Mentone, Bloomington, Loma Linda, Colton, Grand Terrace, Highland, Rialto, Muscoy, San Bernardino and other Mountain Communities. Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY. Our local numbers are (909) 888-1336 or (909) 792-6868.

NABJ President Heads to Doha for Al Jazeera Press Freedom Symposium

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) President Dorothy Tucker will travel to Doha, Qatar in the coming days as part of the organization’s plans to intensify efforts to combat increasing verbal and physical attacks against journalists, including NABJ members, in the United States and abroad. 

Tucker, who was elected in August, will speak at the two-day Al Jazeera Center for Public Liberties and Human Rights’ symposium, titled “The Challenges of Press Freedom: Facing Impunity, Rule of Law and Human Rights.” 

The speech, which will be live streamed globally on December 9, will call for action and unity in the international fight for press freedom and journalists protection and share NABJ’s plan to be an active partner in the cause. Tucker plans to sign an NABJ Declaration of Partnership, meet with leaders of Al Jazeera and heads of various press freedom organizations while in Doha. 

According to a recent analysis from Reporters Without Borders’ 2019 World Press Freedom Index, the United States has been classified as a “problematic” media climate. “Of all the world’s regions, it is the Americas (North and South) that have suffered the greatest deterioration in its regional score measuring the level of press freedom,” the analysis states.
More than a year after NABJ passed a resolution condemning the U.S. Administration’s detrimental actions, statements and hostile attitude toward press freedom, NABJ is disheartened that progress has not been made. As a world leader, other countries follow the United State’s example and now more than ever we have seen a rise in not only the disrespectful and demeaning attacks that some Black journalists have experienced while covering their beats — such as the White House — but also in the rise in dangerous work environments for international journalists, sadly leading to violence, imprisonment and death.

“America must do better and governments worldwide must do better. No journalist should be attacked or harmed for simply striving to do their jobs effectively. Action must be taken because at this very moment a journalist somewhere in this world is being treated like a criminal or worse,” said NABJ President Dorothy Tucker. “The United States should be ashamed that esteemed journalists and NABJ members like April D. Ryan (American Urban Radio Networks, CNN), Joy-Ann Reid (MSNBC), Abby Phillip (CNN), and Yamiche Alcindor (PBS NewsHour) have been consistently and publicly verbally attacked by our own president for simply asking the important and tough questions that citizens deserve answers to. And, unfortunately, efforts to dilute and destroy press freedom abroad hit closer to home than one may think.”

During its National Convention in South Florida this summer, NABJ celebrated two Black journalists who have brought to light the heart-wrenching deaths of international journalists whose murders were a result of reporting on their governments. NABJ’s 2019 Journalist of the Year Karen Attiah, Washington Post Global Opinions editor, boldly used her platform and the pages of her Opinions section to sound the alarm on the disappearance and subsequent murder of her colleague Jamal Khashoggi. 
As Khashoggi’s editor, Attiah advocated for justice on his behalf after it was revealed that agents connected to the Saudi government were responsible for his murder. Khashoggi was forced to flee Saudi Arabia in 2017 and, upon Attiah’s recommendation, the Post hired him as a Global Opinions columnist. 

This summer, NABJ also honored Pap Saine, co-publisher and managing editor of The Point newspaper in The Gambia as the recipient of the 2019 Percy Qoboza Foreign Journalist of the Year Award. Saine has been arrested, criminally charged and imprisoned in the West African country for simply doing his job as a reporter. In 2009, he was sentenced to two years in prison with five other journalists for using his platform to criticize then-Gambian President Yahyah Jammeh’s comments about press freedom and the unsolved murder of his colleague and newspaper co-founder Deyda Hydara, a previous NABJ Percy Qoboza honoree. While he was eventually pardoned, he continued to endure harassment from the government.
Also, during NABJ’s Convention, media partner Al Jazeera shared the story of one of its journalists and the persecution he has endured. Mahmoud Hussein, who has been detained in Egypt for more than 1,100 days, since December 20, 2016, was allegedly accused of  “incitement against state institutions and broadcasting false news with the aim of spreading chaos.” 
According to Al Jazeera, Hussein’s incarceration is unfounded and has breached Egypt’s penal code, which sets a maximum pretrial detention period of 620 days for individuals being investigated for a felony. NABJ agrees with the International Press Institute’s call for the penal code to be upheld.

These stories are just some of the shameful incidents occurring around the world to muzzle journalists.

The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, led by the Freedom of the Press Foundation and the Committee to Protect Journalists, in collaboration with other press freedom groups, reports that in the United States:

• 32 U.S. journalists have faced physical attacks so far in 2019
• 5 were killed in 2018
• 46 faced physical attacks in 2017
• Since 2017, 55 U.S. reporters have been attacked while covering protests

The Committee to Protect Journalists also reports that:

• 40 journalists and media workers have been killed to date in 2019 worldwide
• 64 journalists are missing worldwide so far in 2019
• 251 journalists were imprisoned in 2018

NABJ applauds these organizations for their valiant efforts to ensure that attacks on press freedom and the journalism profession do not go unnoticed and will endeavor to partner with such organizations to help advance this cause.

“As the attacks on press freedom continue to grow across the globe, we implore all governments to condemn any behavior that promotes the silencing of journalists and undue interference with their work, which in turn infringes on the public’s right to have access to information without censorship,” Tucker said.

Tucker is also extending NABJ’s support to the International Press Institute, Al Jazeera Media Network, the International News Safety Institute, and the Africa Media Initiative and their development of theInternational Declaration on the Protection of Journalists. The declaration outlines guidelines to ensure a global culture of safety for media professionals and offers important solutions to cease the harm that is being done to the journalism profession. We encourage all news companies, the United States government and other nations worldwide to consider adopting the solutions offered in the declaration.

Among its many solutions, the declaration states:

• All journalists, media professionals and associated personnel have the right to protection from all human rights violations and abuses, including through killing, torture, enforced disappearance, arbitrary arrest and detention, expulsion, intimidation, harassment, threats, etc.

• Journalists, media professionals and associated personnel whose fundamental rights and freedoms have been violated must be granted legal, medical and psychological aid in case such violations occur. Perpetrators of such violations should be brought to justice and denied immunity.

According to Tucker, NABJ will work with and support the International Press Institute, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation, and others to continue to call attention to lives that have been lost or impacted by efforts to suppress and, in many cases, kill press freedom.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR THIS HISTORIC EVENT

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Experience a NEW renaissance inspired by Harlem’s late nights and hot jazz, at The Cotton Club 2020, Saturday, February 15. Come dressed in your 1920’s inspired attire and take a step into an unforgettable era of art, culture and music in the prestigious Renaissance Room at the National Orange Show, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Garrett Management Group (GMG), LLC is pulling out all the stops Valentine’s Day weekend, where guests will enjoy a divine 3-course dinner, dancing and dynamite jazz performances by j.dee and the Big Time Band, with host Jammin Jay Lamont. Guaranteed to be the hippest event of 2020!

Tickets are on-sale now and can be purchased at www.gmgevents.net, www.showclix.com and for additional information by calling 1-866-514-3391. VIP Access is available for $100.00 where guests can expect to enjoy a 3-course pre-fixe dinner in the best seats in the house. VIP Access includes reserved seating, waiter service and a complimentary bottle of champagne at each table. A limited supply of VIP tickets is available and guests are encouraged to purchase their tickets early. General Admission tickets are $75.00. General Admission tickets are available for a discounted rate of $70.00 when purchased as a group of 6 or more.

The Cotton Club 2020 celebrates a great turning point in history where blacks began to control their social culture, music and artistry– what is recognized as the Harlem Renaissance. GMG is not just creating the music from this era, but they are creating the space and platform to make it happen. The infamous jazz clubs of the 1920’s were usually run by white gangsters selling bootleg liquor during Prohibition. Black people were not typically stakeholders in the clubs where they performed. However, this Cotton Club is from the black perspective, OUR point of view—reclaiming what makes us great. The event also allows a younger generation to experience the rich history of the Harlem Renaissance. GMG understands this event is different than anything else they have produced. “We’re recreating a historic moment in time, says Managing Partner, Alton Garrett. “From the fashion and costumes of the evening, it is the personal participation that will drive the excitement and energy around this event. Better believe people are going to show up and show out!”

By Lou Yeboah

Why? Don’t you know that if you want to walk on water, you got to get out of the boat. Forward is a fight. On the road to moving forward are many obstacles. It’s not the easy road of the least resistance but the hard road of great resistance. Why? Because Satan does all he can to prevent our growth and development. He knows how great that path is so he resists every step forward we take. But I want you to know that you have all the weapons of warfare you need to carry on for, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” [Isaiah 54:17] “If God be for you who can be against you?” [Romans 8:31]. I tell you, don’t let anything get in the way of you moving forward. God wants to do more than you can ever imagine. Move out and move forward!

You see, there is only one way to move in the Kingdom: Move Forward! When we ‘Move Forward’ the Lord will open the door! Be dissatisfied with your position. As Paul said in [Philippians 3:12] “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” I tell you, God has created an open place for you to walk in. If you would just believe and move forward into the things of God, “He would supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” It’s time to ‘Move Forward! Don’t wander in wilderness – move out and move forward. The command given is, “Forward!”

As [Deut. 1:7] says, “Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore he would give to your fathers – to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – and to their descendans after them.” [Deut. 1:7-8]. You have stayed long enough in this mountain…now set up your journey. Go up and possess the land.” Forward March!

I want you to know that the purpose of my thought and intention today is to convey the significance of the moment or occasion we as a people of God have embarked upon. It is an occasion of opportunity, a point of entering, a moment of possessing.  Now is the time we must move. “For a great door and effectual is opened unto (us).” For God desires to take us places that “eyes have not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” Shake yourself off from the things that inhibit or obstruct your mobility and progression from entering into the things God has prepared for you. Forward March!

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media

According to the California Education Code, all California school districts will have to submit a first interim budget report by December 15.

This report compares the school district’s ongoing fiscal condition to what was projected in the budget they submitted in July. The report includes the latest student enrollment and attendance figures, data on staffing, year-to-date accounting, and projections of expenditures and cash flow.

Through this review, districts assess whether they will be able to meet their obligations and are required to self-certify whether their fiscal condition is positive, qualified, or negative (i.e., will meet, may not meet, or will not be solvent over the next three years).

Most school districts will certify that they will meet their financial obligations for the current and two subsequent fiscal years, but there are a growing number of districts that will assign themselves qualified or negative certifications.

Large school districts, based on their July budgets, that may be on the list of qualified or negative certifications include Los Angeles Unified, Sacramento City Unified, Sweetwater Union, and Oakland Unified.

Districts with negative and qualified certifications must come to terms with the fact that unless they find new revenue sources or gain better control their expenditures, they will have to request a state loan to avoid fiscal insolvency.

According to Assembly Bill 1200, called the Eastin Act, the state of California is required to maintain the financial soundness of public-school districts. Since 1991, when the bill passed, nine districts have been given emergency loans. Four are still repaying loans they accepted.

Under AB 1200, a district secures a state loan through Legislative action. A state-appointed administrator takes over, the superintendent is fired, and the board of education becomes an advisory body. All decisions about the district’s operational priorities are taken away from the local level until the state loan is paid in full.

State intervention has not guaranteed that the school district in receivership will be better managed. This must concern school districts facing this prospect.

Inglewood Unified is currently the only school district in state receivership. Its experience is “the canary in the coal mine” that districts on the verge of accepting a state loan need to look at closely.

In September 2012, the governor approved Senate Bill (SB) 533 authorizing a loan up-to $55 million to Inglewood Unified to allow it to avoid fiscal insolvency. The State Superintendent and California Department of Education (CDE) took over Inglewood’s schools and drew down $29 million from the loan, obligating the school district to pay $1.8 Million a year for 30 years to retire the loan.

Between 2012 and 2017, the state superintendent appointed three administrators, two interim administrators and one trustee. During this period of unstable leadership, the district’s finances and operations did not significantly improve and little progress was made toward being able to return to local control.

In 2015, the Joint Legislative Audit Committee approved an audit concerning the State Superintendent of Public Instruction’s oversight of the Inglewood Unified School District.

A key recommendation the State Auditor made to the Legislature was “any future state emergency funding for a school district appropriated by the Legislature should specifically require the state superintendent to document the selection and appointment process of a state administrator, including the rationales for progressing certain candidates once screened or reasons that particular individuals were ultimately selected to serve as state administrator.”

So far, the Legislature has failed to implement the recommendation put forth by the audit. It’s clear that Inglewood’s progress has suffered because of a lack of stable leadership provided by the state.

A similar experience happening to any other school district in the future is unacceptable.

In 2018, Assembly Bill (AB) 1840 provided financial relief to Inglewood Unified and Oakland Unified as both school districts struggled to balance their budgets and pay off state loans. In that legislation, responsibility for managing a school district under state receivership was removed from CDE and given to each of the responsible County’s Office of Education.

The last State Administrator appointed by CDE to lead Inglewood Unified, Dr. Thelma Melendez, recently retired. Under the guidelines of AB 1840, a new County Administrator, Dr. Erika Torres, was announced by the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE).

All that is known about how this appointment was made is that the Fiscal Crisis Management and Assistance Team (FCMAT pronounced Fick-mat) identified 26 candidates to be interviewed, a LACOE interview panel made a recommendation and it was approved by County Superintendent Debra Durado, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and President of the Board of Education Linda Darling-Hammond.

Before her appointment, Torres was acting interim County Administrator and, for about a year, she was the LACOE Deputy Superintendent charged with working with Melendez. So, she takes the job already knowing what needs to be prioritized and what resources she will need to succeed in turning around the school district.

This may be the model that should be adopted for future state takeovers. Instead of firing the superintendent of the school district, a reasonable transition period should be observed. Prior to the appointment of Torres, each state administrator had to figure out on their own how they would lead. That process failed to produce satisfactory progress.

It is time for the Legislature—hopefully, during the upcoming session—to craft legislation that will provide better direction on how school districts under state receivership are managed. The future of the students in those districts will be the beneficiaries of the legislation they approve.

ATLANTA, GA— Actress and Comedian B. Simone has recently launched a cosmetic line. The line features an assortment of lip glosses, mattes and liners to enhance the natural beauty of the everyday woman. The up-and-coming beauty mogul reached a whopping $100,000 in sales in just 24 hours on Black Friday. B. Simone Beauty is available exclusively at bsimonebeauty.com.

B. Simone’s Instagram videos have received recognition from the likes of Chris Brown, Rihanna, Lil Boosie, TI and many more. She has a crazy social media following of over 3.8 million. Her ultimate goal is to be an actress and movie star aka the “Female Jamie Foxx.” She recently released a new freestyle titled “Raw Shit” that received 1.6 million views in 48 hours. Aside from selling out of lip gloss, releasing new music, and partying with Rap-star crush Da Baby, Simone is prepping for a national comedy tour with comedy legend Martin Lawrence in February.

“I just wanted to create something to sell that I love and use every day. I know beauty and I’m a licensed cosmetologist. I went over to China and developed a formula from scratch. We finally got it right and I’m proud of it,” B. Simone tells Dash Radio.

Select cosmetics are still available, but all new colors will be released in January. Visit bsimonebeauty.com for more information.