Steve Lopez answers his mail

Dear Tom Iannucci:

Saw your letter to the editor regarding my column on the Green Dot takeover of Locke High in Watts. It was similar to e-mails sent to me by other teachers. So let me make this clear:

My intention was not to throw “verbal stones at L.A. Unified teachers who “show up for work every day with the intention of changing the lives of the students who are put in our charge.”

We thank you for your efforts.

But the fact of the matter is that Locke was, for the most part, a colossal, shameful, unforgivable failure. The vast majority of students never graduated. And as one teacher described it in my column, kids were out of control at times, smoking dope and spray painting the walls of his classroom.

That is not a knock on teachers. No doubt, there are burned out teachers at every school, and Locke had to have its fair share. But the column was about a system that was broken at this one school, and about the hope that Green Dot can make some improvements.

It’s not a sure thing. We’ll have to wait and see.

But surely someone who cares so much about students as you do, Tom, would support the effort, right?

 

Read Steve Lopez's recent columns.

(Find full text of Tom Iannucci's letter to the editor after the jump.) 

Hands on deck

Re "Shaping up -- no thanks to LAUSD," Column, July 23

It is easy to stand on the sidelines and pass judgment on what you see, like an armchair quarterback. Steve Lopez throws verbal stones at those of us in the Los Angeles Unified School District who show up for work every day with the intention of changing the lives of the students who are put in our charge. Dedicated professionals strive to make a difference, working unnoticed and ignored by politicians and journalists The only time any attention is paid is when there is a shooting, fight or some other negative action on our campuses. Even then, these acts only involve a small segment of the thousands who make up the LAUSD.

Lopez claims this "battleship" is "listing," but I would like to add that all hands are on deck, fighting to right the ship.

Tom Iannucci

Los Angeles

Comments

[Another LAUSD]

I used to teach at a middle school that fed into Locke.

One day, first period - 7:40 am - one of my 13 year old students came in high as a kite. I just looked at his little blood shot eyes and told him to see the vice principal. I got a note back five minutes later, stating that the administration could not do anything and the student had to be admitted back to class.

This is the answer that is provided all too often.

Another time, I asked the counselor why of the 10 to 20 percent of children who fail their grade, almost none of them are held back - all going on to schools like Locke. I was told that it boiled down to two factors. First, the school(s) just could not handle holding back 50 to 100 kids per year. Not enough room. Not enough teachers. Second, it was in the interest of the school to see its lowest performing (and, typically, poorest behaved) students leave the school. These kids make the learning experience more difficult for the other children. Not to mention they lower test scores.

So if you want to ask why schools like Locke, Washington, Fremont, Jordan and the like are doing such a poor job, I would submit to examine some of the issues described above.

[Steve Wesson@lausd.net]

Summer School served 600-700 kids instead of the 2100 kids it general serves, adversely impacting the community. That means about 1,400 kids were denied access to their home school for the summer. Maxine Walters' education complex, an alternative school about a mile from Locke did not have room for those who were not accepted. This was disappointing. Despite that, the media and Green Dot spin was a positive, even covering up the summer school fights, stating there have been no fights... Wow! What a bold face lie...
When Steve Barr attempted to secure the required signatures, there were all kinds of promises... Community based leadership and shared decision making to ensure kids' interest would be a priority. Heck, he even gave us his phone number. Now, you can not get a return call. I read all the LA times articles and never a balance approach. Despite my disappointment, any organization taking over Locke will be better than it was... But, is just better a goal? Just caring is better than the history of neglect at Locke.
I wish Green Dot well for the kids' sake. And, to be just, lets give them a chance. Just do not trust them.

[Dan DeVol]

My wife likes you and your sweet columns. She says that they are sisterly, sometimes girlish and she appreciates that.
But she feels that you got a little "catty" over Sarah Palin. She said she knew girls like you in high school. They would say terrible things about the pretty and popular girls. A way of leveling the score to their playing field. I say, Nah.
But, Steve, I am curious about her counter part. Joseph Biden. You look his age so you understand the role of young males in the 1960's when they were called to arms. The first real test of their emerging manhood. It was called military service or national service. Nothing more challenging than what every generation of males have faced since the beginning of time in every society.
Did Joe get out of it? Don't tell me he slipped out the back door when other men were answering the call to arms? To serve their country.
What is his military history? We know how he met his first wife in the Bahamas on Spring Break, his athleticism, but nothing about the real stuff that one faces that eventually makes you what you are by middle age.
Don't tell me hid. Or health prevented suiting up. This man wants to be a heart beat from Commander in Chief. Does he have it? Inside, Steve. Like you have. You served too. My wife says she doesn't think so. I say you never ran from a life's challenge.
Respectfully submitted,
Dan DeVol

[Katy Wayman]

This comment has nothing to do with the ohers but unfortunately I am not clever enough or just not patient enough to figure out how to email you directly. I wanted to commend you on your book, The Soloist. I finished it yesterday... it touched my heart. I stopped reading for a few years but have now discovered my love for it all over again. I am so happy I picked up your book at Barnes & Noble last week.
Let me give you a short history on myself. I have lived in Southern California my whole life, the inland empire to be exact, without ever visiting L.A. Growing up my parents always bashed downtown so I never had any desire to go.
My boyfriend lives in North Hollywood, I told him about your book and asked him if he would take me to skid row and the 2nd street tunnel. We went there Wednesday Oct 2nd. When he took me to the tunnel I was telling him how Nathaniel would play the violin and cello. Come to find out a few years ago when my boyfriend was zipping around downtown he had seen Nathaniel a few times. He was fairly excited that he had seen the man that I had been talking about all week. The other great part is YOUR book filled me with so much inspiration that for the first time in my life I actually wanted to go downtown.
Music is a huge part of my life as is reading now. I believe both can be incredibly emotionally educational. Not too many people in my life understand what music means to me, how good it is for your soul. Music.... I can never say enough about it. With all that rambling there is a point. Your book was written, obviously, in such a personal tone that it got under my skin and amazed me. Thank you for everything you did for me and for Nathaniel. I believe that friendship is unconditional and non-judgmental. It was absolutely refreshing to know that there are more people in the world with the same outlook.

Katy

[Daniel Perez]

My name is Daniel Perez. I’m a high school math teacher of 14 years. I served in The U.S. Marine Corps 1984-1988. I majored in, and tutored, mathematics during college, math degree 1994 Cal State L.A. I continued tutoring as I became a full time math teacher. I immediately saw the need for after school intervention at the inner city school where I taught. While my teaching and tutoring careers advanced, I devised an after-school tutoring system. Feb 2006 I piloted Homework Academy. That 2nd semester of 2005-2006 school year proved that Homework Academy could be a successful resource in filling the need of supplemental education for the children of the families in lower economic communities.

In August 2006, I applied for Homework Academy’s tax exempt status. It was granted in April 2007, retroactive August 2006. Meanwhile, I invested my life saving to launch and operate Homework Academy Sept. 2006.

Homework Academy is a fully loaded classroom, capacity 90, with a 2 student – to – 1 tutor supervision ratio, where we closely assist students through every subject of their daily homework assignments. From 2:30 pm thru 7:30pm, Monday thru Thursday, we have tutored over 200 kids in homework, 1-to-1 reading and State Testing Practice. In this time we have also employed 60 high school and college aged tutors.

I direct each daily session of Homework Academy using a technique called “Tree Teaching”. I’ve practiced a method, over the years, of managing tutors and the students, the way a tree trunk supports the branches and leaves. The tutors are branches, the students are leaves. I named it “Tree Teaching”.

We have averaged raising Homework Academy students GPA, one (1) point per student, per semester of tutoring. We have relieved the family worries of child supervision after school by providing a safe, well balanced, learning sanctuary. We have been the answer for homework hassles which hamper household happiness. We are the solution to closing the achievement gap in our community and remedying the Program Improvement epidemic which 60% of the neighboring schools are labeled as. We want to start a culture of true after-school tutoring, fun, rigorous, bureaucracy free, and with parent involvement. We want to reduce the staggering rate of high school non-graduates occurring in our community, and many others.

As we approached the end of our 2nd full school year of tutoring, June 2008, I was diagnosed with cancer. Due to this catastrophic situation, Homework Academy was forced to close. I was the only person who could run the classroom in the true spirit of Homework Academy. It had to be that way. I vowed to come back after I beat cancer.

I am now better. Nov 2008 ended 5 months of intensive chemotherapy and radiation treatment. I am going to fully recover soon. I will then lead a fundraising campaign which will allow Homework Academy to re-open by September 2009. Thank you for reading my statement. Please advise.

[Rosanna Alulema]

Dear Mr Lopez
I am writing that I like your book if your could sign it for me.and keep up the good work I hope to hear from you.