Jonathan Offt

Official Homepage

Jonathan Offt

LA Nonprofit Formed to Advance Charter Schools

by

A group of parents in the Californian city of Los Angeles have banded together in an effort to improve the education system in the city (or harm it, depending on who’s side you’re taking in this battle). Spearheaded by the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, the organization is called Great Public Schools Now and has a drafted proposal calling for $490 million to enroll half of the students in the L.A. Unified School District over the next 8 years. With the nonprofit being run by two executives from ExED, a company that helps manage charters schools and their business operations, there is a real hope in many parents that the educational quality in the city will improve if the proposal is accepted.Education_by_mayani_online

In an interview on Tuesday, the two executives from ExED (William E.B. Siart and Anita Landecker) said that the goal of the nonprofit was to develop high quality schools of all kinds, not just charter schools and that no funding target has been set. Aside from working to create more charter schools, the nonprofit is also going to try to replicate or expand successful public school models that have been shown to work in traditionally underperforming schools. While these are nice sentiments, it should be known that recognized that the L.A Unified Board of Education has had no say whatsoever in the drafting of the proposal and is actually scheduled to vote next week on a resolution to oppose this plan.

There are a number of reasons that this attempt to change the L.A. educational landscape is running into opposition and concerned parents. One of the main reasons people are speaking out against it is that this would be a massive expansion of charter schools that aren’t held to the same level of accountability as public schools are. This expansion would also threaten the solvency of L.A. Unified and leave it with fewer resources and flexibility to deal with children who are more expensive to educate. Other groups are upset that the plan was developed in private with no input from outside sources. Regardless of the people for or against the proposal, the passing of it would result in some massive changes in the way children are educated in Los Angeles.

If you’d like to read more, the link is here.

Blue Shield Accused of Backing Out of Charity Pledge

by

Regulators and consumer groups in the state of California are currently engaged in a battle with one of the country’s largest insurance companies in an attempt to make them follow through with a promise to pay out to charity. It turns out that in return for approval for a $1.2 billion buyout of Medicaid insurer Care1st Health Plan, Blue Shield promised that it would pay $14 million every year for 10 years to either Blue Shield’s foundation or other charities, in addition to any payments it was already planning on making. While the buyout was a huge deal and this deal was necessary to have it happen, $140 million over 10 years is a lot of money and Blue Shield is trying to get away from that promise.insurance

Blue Shield executives are arguing that the original agreement called for only a minimum donation of $14 million a year and that they weren’t required to go over their normal giving of about $35 million a year. Obviously, both consumer advocates and governmental regulatory committees are not ok with Blue Shield trying to escape its philanthropic requirements and are currently working to force the company to stick to its agreement, especially since it ended up succeeding in its buyout attempts. Shelley Rouillard, director of the Department of Managed Health Care, has also spoken about her disappointment with the firm and has reached out in an attempt to mend the issue so that the philanthropic donations happen.

This isn’t the first time that Blue Shield has recently been in the news. California recently took away the company’s long-held tax exemption for numerous reasons. Among the reasons was the state auditors at the California Franchise Tax Board found that the insurer had $4 billion surplus and was failing to offer more affordable coverage even though it considered itself a nonprofit. Part of this recent push by officials to get Blue Shield to live up to its philanthropic promises is to force the company to act like the nonprofit that it claims to be. The extra donations are the best way to do this and regain the trust of Californian consumers — now we just have to wait and see how the company reacts.

If you’d like to read more, the link is here.

This Celeb-Backed Nonprofit Wants to Turn Ideas into Reality

by

When people think of Lupe Fiasco, they usually think of hit songs like “Kick Push” and “The Show Goes On”. If they know more about him, they might also think of his various fashion lines and the work he has done in collaboration with fashion labels and charities across the country. Now, you can add one more item to this growing list: philanthropic entrepreneur. While Lupe has been involved with various charities and nonprofits since his career began, his newest venture is aimed at so much more than just philanthropy — it’s looking to give people a helping hand by presenting them with the opportunity to do so based on their ideas and hard work.

neighborhood startup fund
Image via Neighborhood Start-up Fund

Lupe has teamed up with a member of the Waze team, entrepreneur Di-Ann Eisnor, to launch Neighborhood Start Fund. This is a unique nonprofit that does more than just help people when it comes to charity and helping the underserved. The purpose of the organization is to turn communities and neighborhoods into incubators for invention and opportunity by rewarding people who have truly valid ideas with the money and support needed to turn their ideas into a reality. The group is going to travel to neighborhoods across the country and host “idea competitions”. People will present their ideas to a panel of judges from industries including food, retail, entertainment, and technology. These judges will then choose the best idea from those who entered, with the winner getting $5,000 to turn their idea into a working prototype that can be used to get further funding and create a working business.

This is a new sort of approach to the troubles that some philanthropies and nonprofits run into — once you’ve given the help, what happens next? The rewarding of what basically amounts to grant money for the construction of a working prototype is a huge incentive to would-be inventors who frequently struggle to get the seed money they need to get to the prototype level. Winning (and even just signing up) also gets you much more than just the money needed to begin prototype construction. Everyone gets access to workshops, mentors, and networking opportunities that are aimed at giving every neighborhood the chance to become an economic engine in and of itself.

If you’d like to read more, the link is here.

Critter Crusaders Wants to Help Your Pet

by

There is nothing more fearful to a pet owner than being unable to help you pet in its time of need because no one knows what’s wrong. The only thing that might be even worse, is being unable to secure the help and care that you know they need because it’s too far out of your budget and you can’t afford it. Pets are so frequently part of the family that people will go far and above the norm to get them the help they need. And if this help can’t be afforded or found, people will frequently turn to euthanasia to prevent any prolonged suffering that their furry loved ones might have to go through.

jonathan offt and the critter crusaders in cedar rapids, iowa
Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette Dr. Jennifer Feuerbach gives Peanut, an 8-year-old male chihuahua, a brief exam before performing an ultrasound exam Aug. 12 at Frey Animal Hospital in southwest Cedar Rapids. Vet tech Scott Labath is holding Peanut, who is being cared for through Critter Crusaders.

Critter Crusaders, located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was founded on the knowledge that people frequently don’t realize that their pets can be treated for serious issues, prolonging life and improving the quality of life of the pet. Critter Crusaders works to raise money for the care and rehabilitation of old and sick animals who have been given up so that they can be readopted and live out the rest of their lives in a home full of love. Started in 2008, Critter Crusaders is usually contacted by animal shelters, rescue groups, or animal hospitals in regards to specific animals that need more care. Their first patient was a 2 year old husky that was going blind due to cataracts and was given up by its owners due to the belief that she couldn’t be helped. The Crusaders took the dog and and gathered donations from Iowa residents, getting the dog the proper care and allowing her to be rehabilitated and readopted only a few months later.

Now, in an attempt to raise more funding and gain more awareness for their cause, Critter Crusaders is holding a benefit concert on September 11th, with all of the money raised going directly towards vet bills for the animals that are being cared for. Last year the group helped and healed 360 animals. This year, they helped that many in May alone and are in need of funds and volunteers. With a 7 member board and active volunteers, this is a small nonprofit that could use your help! Donations can be given all year long at www.crittercrusaderscr.com or PO Box 10111, Cedar Rapids, IA, 52410 and the concert is being held at Kirkwood’s Ballantyne Auditorium and is featuring Alice Peacock.

If you’d like to read more, the link is here. Please feel free to donate or volunteer! Everything will be appreciated by both the staff and the animals they’re caring for.

South Carolina Under Pressure to Take Down Flag

by

On June 17th, another painful chapter in our country’s history of race relations was written. A white, racist, domestic terrorist named Dylann Roof shot and killed 9 people (including a state senator) at a historical black church with strong links to the civil rights movement. This most recent tragedy is just another in a line of mass shootings by young, white men. The main difference is that this time, it was clearly motivated by race (Roof himself admits to that) and it is now drawing one of the standing symbols of Southern pride into the question, the battle flag of the confederacy during the Civil War.

What most people know as the confederate flag was never actually adopted by the confederate government, it was only the flag carried into battle by the rebel armies. While some people see it as a symbol of southern pride and history, it has most frequently been used by hate-groups as a symbol against the civil rights movement and for segregation. Regardless how those who aren’t racist see it, it is one of the most widely recognized and used symbols of racial hate and white power. Now the entire state is being lambasted by the media and internet for allowing the confederate flag to wave in a position of such high importance, leading to the state legislature facing increasing pressure from people around the country to get with the times and remove this symbol of hatred from the public view.

Making the entire controversy around the confederate battle flag even more painful is the fact that the flag wasn’t flown at half mast after the massacre. Since the shooting, South Carolina residents have been rallying in an attempt to get the flag taken down permanently and multiple politicians have come out in favor of the same, including the state governor. Unfortunately, it’ll take a 2/3s majority in the state legislature to remove the flag due to state laws and while that certainly seems likely, it won’t happen until it actually does.

If you’d like to read more, the link is here.

A Year After Ebola is Found, Lapses Are Happening

by

Everyone remembers where they were when ebola was first found in western Africa and how the media exploded in a furor over how we were all going to die miserable and painful deaths as blood spurted from out from our eyes and we were all reduced to living zombies. Now that the initial surge of irrational fear, that was furiously flamed by the catastrophe-loving media, is over and done with, something more sinister is happening. The efforts against ebola are officially a year old and the sense of pervasive doom and gloom has been replaced with optimism. And while optimism isn’t bad, it’s leading to complacency and this is allowing the disease to make a comeback in African countries as nonprofits, medical workers, and governments start resting on their laurels before the fight is over.jonathon_offt_ebola

After the initial success against ebola in both Africa and around the world (in terms of preventing it from leaving the African continent), it seems as though people have gotten lazy and complacent, endangering both themselves and the populations who still need to deal with this disease. Ebola is a virulent disease and preventing it is far easier than curing it. However preventing it means following the instructions placed down to the letter and any deviation from those instructions can lead to further infections and the disease spreading to new, untouched communities who don’t know how to deal with it. Unfortunately the rules in places for fighting ebola are stringent and unbending and it seems as though people are starting to chafe against them and take it upon themselves to break them and try to find shortcuts.

Last week, three doctors in Guinea were diagnosed as being infected with ebola due to a lack of care and ignoring of proper procedures. The fact that theses are doctors who are ignoring the proven medical advice for countering ebola is a worrisome trend that can’t be ignored. Medical professionals, whether they are from hospitals or from nonprofits volunteering, are one the front line against this disease and they need to show others how following the rules prevents further outbreaks. If this trend continues then there’s a chance that ebola might, once again, spiral out of control and threaten the entire region as it once did. Hopefully the rules, including those referring to funeral procedures, will be reinforced and followed so this disease can finally die out again.

If you’d like to read more, the link is here.

The Islamic State Might Be Harvesting Organs

by

The Islamic State has proved time and time again that it is a bastion of horror and brutality that hasn’t been rivaled in the terror it inspires in years. Between the stories of kidnapping and executions cushioned between the sieges, slave markets, and mass rapes, it would have been reasonable to think that there wasn’t much more ISIS could do to provoke horror in the eyes and minds of those opposed to it. It turns out that people are wrong; new reports from Iraq’s ambassador to the United Nations (UN) show that ISIS might be harvesting organs to help finance its cause. If this turns out to be true, it would not only be unprecedented, but would also be just one more thing the people living under ISIS control need to fear.Emblem_of_the_Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant

There are two main sources of evidence for this new story of organ harvesting to be true. The first is that of dozens of reports of Mosul doctors being executed for not following through with the orders to harvest organs. The second is the fact that there have been multiple bodies found with surgical incisions who are missing kidneys, livers, and other vital organs that are frequently sought after for a number of medical reasons and procedures. The good news is that the bodies that were missing organs were found in mass graves which means that the people are dead. However that doesn’t mean that they were dead when the organs were harvested and knowing how ISIS operates, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that they very well might have been alive at the time of extraction.

The executing of doctors for refusing to take part is another sign that points to the victims being alive. While a doctor might not want to harvest from a corpse, it would be difficult to imagine doctors willing to die for that reason. Harvesting from a live victim is a much more reasonable excuse for refusal until death, especially if religious reasons are taken into account. Either way, the news is incredibly disturbing and points to how savage ISIS is and will be in regards to reaching its goals.

If you’d like to read more, the link is here.

Al-Qaeda in Yemen Claims France Attack

by

Even though it was days ago, the world is still reeling and in shock from the sudden brutality of the terrorist attack the French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo’s office. 2 masked men who were heavily armed with AK-47s and had military training stormed the office and sought out some of France’s most beloved and esteemed cartoonists by name before executing a total of 12 people and 2 police officers while wounding another 11 (including 4 who were seriously wounded). As the world watched and waited, France underwent its most intense anti-terrorism efforts in recent years as it tracked down the shooters and finally killed them after a standoff. While the shooters had told a witness before they fled the magazine office that they were working for Al-Qaeda in Yemen, no one knew if this was true because no one had taken any claim for the attack until now.

Today a spokesman for Al-Qaeda in Yemen backed up the claims of the terrorists and said that Al-Qaeda in Yemen had ordered the attacks due to Charlie Hebdo’s constant mocking of the Prophet Muhammad and Islam in general. The main offense was taken at the magazine’s publishing of photos of the prophet, something that certain interpretations of Islam forbid. Nasr al-Ansi, the leader of Al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula, announced that his group had chosen the target, financed the attack, and planned the entire thing after Charlie Hebdo made it onto a list of enemies that it would attack.

Terrorism experts now believe that the Charlie Hebdo attack points to a shift in tactics from terrorist organizations as they focus less on attacking high-security targets and more on commando-style attacks on softer targets. With airports and hotels so secured, attacking places like magazines that anger them is a more effective way to get their message out there and in front of people all around the world. Hopefully this isn’t the case though or else people in all occupations will be under threat.

If you’d like to read more, the link is here.

Kurds Have Recaptured Key Kobane Hill

by

Possibly the most important battle in the war against ISIS is going on right now in and around the Syrian town of Kobane on the Turkish-Syrian border. ISIS fighters have been battling Kurdish Peshmerga and defense forces for over 3 weeks in defense of the town that, if it falls, will give ISIS unfettered control and access to a large and uninterrupted Turkish-Syrian border. This would be a terrible situation because it would allow ISIS to move fighters, equipment, and money over the border with little to no opposition. While airstrikes from foreign powers have started just recently, the Kurds have been fighting against insurmountable odds for the past weeks and were facing certain defeat.

It seems as though the Kurds have struck a blow against the seemingly inexorable progress of ISIS fighters when they took back a key hill right outside of Kobane with the help of airstrikes from United States fighter planes. Tall Shair hill was taken by ISIS forces over 10 days ago during heavy fighting on the outside of the town. Now that Kurds have taken it back, it seems as though the tide might begin to turn in their favor. The Kurds have put up with the brunt of fighting in the area and breaking the siege of Kobane would both lessen the stress they’re feeling as well as convincing foreign powers to add more support and airstrikes to the battle.

Ideally this most recent victory will force Turkey to either join the war or at least allow Kurds who want to fight through it’s borders. Turkey seems to be the one hitch in the international effort to defeat ISIS and if they were to actually join the fight and stop killing Kurds who want to fight then the war on the ground might change faster than we expect. That being said, the battle for Kobane is probably the most important battle in this war to date and if it falls, things will quickly get worse.

If you’d like to read more, the link is here.