Working. Back with more posting later this morning. In the meantime….
After Friday’s 600 student melee at Locke High School that was reportedly started by two rival tagging crews, yesterday afternoon, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa slammed LAUSD for being reactive—instead of proactive— in it’s approach to campus violence.
“We’ve known for some time that schools with the highest dropout rate” said Villaraigosa, “and lowest achievement rate, in schools that are most overcrowded, these kinds of conflicts occur.”
Indeed, according to the California Department of Education, Locke has a dropout rate of 46.2 percent and its Academic Performance Index score was 504, which means it’s at rock bottom in the state.
Locke is the high school that is slated to be converted to a group of smaller charter schools by Green Dot and Steve Barr. Locke will hand over the reigns to Green Dot this July.
“Thank God for Green Dot …” said Villaraigosa yesterday. “If they could take over Locke High School tomorrow I’d feel more comfortable.”
Yeah, I’d go with that.
Locke isn’t going to be an easy project for Green Dot. But, again, ABTT—Anything’s Better Than This.
And we have not forgotten how the local district and the teachers union fought to stop Green Dot’s charter conversion plan.
Maybe it would work better for all the schools if they got rid of the teachers union that protects and overpays bad teachers.
Charter schools are a very mixed bag…but a necessary option and potential corrective given the systemic failure. In some instances charter schools are as bad, and as corruptly administered, as system schools – or worse. It sounds like Green Dot is a sound operation. I’ve lost sympathy with teachers unions, but the issue isn’t that teachers are overpaid. Skilled teachers are underpaid and the financial incentive for experienced teachers is to become administrators – many of whom are overpaid in job categories that have mushroomed without producing any value for the schools they allegedly serve. Some system of merit pay needs to be established and standards have to be raised. I also have to say that, in fairness, a lot of teachers are facing insurmountable odds and discipline issues that an education degree and good intentions don’t necessarily prepare them for.
I’m certain that pouring more money into the present structures can’t solve the problems, but I’m also convinced that the problems can’t be solved overall without directing significantl more resources, including financial, toward the classrooms AND surrounding communities. Among other things, underperforming schools probably need to develop a team of what would essentially be community and family outreach organizers and some appropriate networking and intervention programs beyond the classroom. If they can’t get enough parents involved in the classroom, they should seek to recruit other adults from the neighborhoods. Geoffrey Canada’s Harlem Children’s Zone is one of the few hopeful models I’ve seen that looks at the failures of the educational system as part of a bigger picture.
Mayor VillaBaboso is talking about LAUSD not being reactive. The LAUSD should react to Mayor VillaBaboso welcoming every illegal immigrant who sneaks across the border with open arms to Los Angeles. How is the LAUSD supposed to keep up with the constant increase of poor uneduated kids into the city of Los Angeles and it’s schools. You first have to STOP increasing the enrollment of more uneducated illegal immigrant students into LAUSD, then you start to help the kids of American citizens first.
These two problems are connected, you can’t fix one without the other.
I have been attending Locke from the start. Green dot is no different from the old Locke. If academically they wanted to improve the school, okay i give them A BIT of credit. Locke is Locke and it still remains the same.
Interesting. I’d love to hear details.