Chronically Poor Performing Schools say “Keep your Stinking $3.75 Million Dollars!”

14Dec
by Leticia Chavez-Garcia

According the the Los Angeles Times, these four LAUSD schools recently voted to reject substantial funding for their schools after calls by UTLA to do so.  The vote was urged by UTLA President, Alex Caputo, who denounced the funding organization, Great Public Schools Now. Why? Because they have supported public charter schools and UTLA has long been on a vicious crusade against charter schools and the people who support them.

What do these four (4) Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) schools all have in common? A few things.  For starters, all four of these schools share the shameful distinction of being among the worst rated schools in California.  For example, both Drew Middle School and Gompers Middle School are rated at the bottom of the rating scale and their last recorded API’s were in the low 600’s.  While Pacoima Middle School and San Fernando High School did slightly better, they were still posting at a level 2 (out of 10) and had posted APIs in the 600s as well.  All four of these schools have had long struggles with meeting the state standards and had a higher than 50% failing rate of students.  The state refers to these schools as “chronically underperforming” due their lack of academic growth over many years, despite many interventions and increased programs and intervention by the California Department of Education.

Teachers at these schools have often complained that they lack resources (i.e., money) to help improve results for the poor students who have been condemned to the academic hell of these awful schools.  They share that as well.  Complaints about lack of funding has long been the number one excuse (yes, excuse) for the poor ratings these schools consistently receive and the inability to properly educate its students.

By far, the most disturbing commonality they share, is their refusal to put the children of these schools first.  If I were a parent at one of these schools, I would call for a revolt against the selfish teachers of these schools that just turned down considerable funding because they don’t like the organization that is granting it, Great Public Schools Now.

The grants offered is money offered to the schools for the good of the students. It seems to me that the teachers do not have the right to reject it simply for political reasons!  These “grown-ups” should be ashamed of themselves.  It says a lot about these teachers and the pettiness that consumes them and keeps them from doing the right thing for kids when they vote to reject sorely needed money!

Perhaps you are starting to understand why these schools are “chronically under-performing” year after year.  Parents in any one these schools, should demand that the staff of the site and its administrators either find an alternate source of funding to replace the loss or sue the district on behalf of the students who will be losing out on important programs due to lack of funding.

Parents have the right to question whether this move was in the best interest of its students.  Here’s what you can do:

  • Write a letter to the administration stating your disdain and demanding alternate resources so the kids don’t continue to lose out!
  • Circulate a petition to the administration and school board signed by as many parents as possible to request the funding be restored
  • Do a press release denouncing the action of UTLA and request that any future grant funding be approved by parents and not the politically motivated members of UTLA

P.S. The one variable that never changes, the teachers who teach at these schools. Think about that for a moment.  

What do you think?

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Leticia Chavez-Garcia

Leticia Chavez-Garcia is a Mother, Grandmother, former Middle School Teacher, former Member of a School Board of Education and an Education Advocate for hundreds of parents and students in the Inland Empire. Having become a mother at 15, Leticia knows what it’s like to be a single mother trying to navigate the education system. Leticia received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science and Public Administration from California Baptist University and a Masters’ Degree in Education Technology from Cal State Fullerton in her 30’s. Leticia has used her knowledge and experience to help hundreds of families as an Education Advocate in the Inland Empire and currently works as an Education Specialist.

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