Mayor seeks partnership with South L.A. schools
Catherine Cloutier | 1-29-2010 | Comments |

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Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s Partnership of Los Angeles Schools held a community forum this week in South Los Angeles to discuss education, which he called the “greatest civil rights issue of our time.”

“I went to schools that oftentimes did not have enough textbooks, had dilapidated buildings, and teachers who didn’t want to be there,” Villaraigosa told the hundreds of parents, grandparents, and teachers gathered Thursday night at the Victory Baptist Church.

Villaraigosa attributed his success in school to his mother, whom he joked constantly nagged him to “stay in school.” But Villaraigosa emphasized that, “Roosevelt High School had at 75 percent dropout rate when I went there.”

But Roosevelt’s dropout rate has gone down in the past year. In fact, the number of students graduating in four years has risen 4 percent. Villaraigosa credits these successes to the involvement of the Partnership of Los Angeles Schools.

The forum encouraged public comment regarding the possible inclusion of Jefferson High School and Carver Middle Schools into the Partnership’s “Family of Schools.”

The Partnership takes over low-performing schools without severing their relationship with L. A. Unified. Schools remain a part of the district and the teachers a part of its union, but the schools receive increased funding and guidance through the Partnership.

Parents will have the opportunity to vote for the Partnership’s management of Jefferson and Carver on Feb. 2 and 6. Their vote will serve as an advisory for Superintendent Ramon Cortines, who will then share his opinion with to the L.A. Unified School Board.

Under the sponsorship of Villaraigosa, the Partnership began in the fall of 2008 and now has 12 schools in South Los Angeles, Watts, and Boyle Heights.

One of these schools, the Santee Education Complex, was the lowest-performing high school in L.A. Unified before the Partnership’s influence. In 2009, only one year since the Partnership’s inception, the school graduated 152 more students than the year before.

Now, Jefferson holds that undesirable position. Out of 743 students who entered Jefferson as freshmen in 2004, only 185 graduated in four years.

Carver is the third lowest-performing middle school. Eight-seven percent of students perform below the grade level in English. That number soars to 97 percent when it comes to math.

“The attention that these schools need is not really there. We consider these schools neglected,” Smith said. “We have a team of 27 people who work directly with schools like these. We provide resources…and training, as well as we tell every student that we believe that they can graduate college and career ready. They’re not really getting that right now.”

Among those resources is $60 million to be spent over 10 years. Villaraigosa hopes to raise another $5 million this year. Partnership Superintendent Angela Bass said the money will buy computers for every classroom and will ensure that each school has a functional library.

“It’s important that you utilize as many resources as possible in order to give students the best opportunities possible,” Smith said.

But not everyone in the audience agreed that the Partnership would be Jefferson and Carver’s saving grace.

"It’s an over-simplification to think that it will solve the problem,” said Jefferson teacher David Garcia. “Another level of bureaucracy is not the answer.”

Los Angeles Academy teacher Joseph Zeccola said the schools are not the problem.

“The problem is we don’t get the resources we need,” Zeccola said.

Zeccola went on to point out the unequal distribution of resources within L.A. Unified. “Don’t you think it’s offensive that we have to compete [for Race to the Top funds] to prevent layoffs? The schools in the Valley are getting those resources.”

L.A. Unified submitted its application for Race to the Top funds on January 19. Schools will be awarded federal grants that reward increased test scores and school ratings.

But Smith argued that despite the reluctance to the Partnership’s presence in the schools, it will provide much-needed resources.

“We can’t gamble on children’s future,” Smith said. “We have proven results that say we improve the schools, even with one year under our belt. So, we hope the teachers realize that they’re going to be better with us than without us.”

Photo credit Tyrone Washington, Mayoral Photographer.

Tags: carver middle school jefferson high school mayor antonio villaraigosa partnership for los angeles schools south los angeles