Monday, October 05, 2009

Congratulations re: Schools: It’s All Politics Ma’ Dear

Dan Basalone writes Diana L. Chapman re: Schools: It’s All Politics Ma’ Dear (4LAKids 1o/4)

Congratulations on your article that appeared in Scott Folsom's "4 L.A. Kids" recent edition.  Your assessment of the situation at San Pedro HS seems right on target.  What is happening is classic scapegoating by the Superintendent and five board members aligned with the Mayor, including your Board Member Dr. Vladovic.  Overcrowding has been and continues to be a major problem in some schools such as San Pedro.  The new school construction has solved many of the problems, but that will flounder as the new construction becomes politicized and outside operators are allowed to take over the new schools instead of them becoming truly neighborhood schools.  By the way, is San Pedro HS a year round school; because if it is, it probably has students attending school 163 days per year instead of the 180 at traditional schools.  As a retired teacher and administrator in LAUSD for over 40 years, I am appalled by the lack of educational leadership from the Superintendent and the majority of the Board of Education.  The citizens of LAUSD are paying over a quarter million dollars a year for a superintendent to provide leadership and problem solving not to be an auctioneer giving away schools and construction contracts.  The Mayor of Los Angeles now has control of the bond money for school construction and the assignment of personnel in schools....classic political patronage.

Dan Basalone

smf notes that San Pedro High is on a traditional calendar.

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