|
|
 Times staff writer
Hector Becerra waded in where many fear to tread when he asked why Asian children do better in school than Latinos and African Americans. E-mails poured in. Some questioned his scholarship; other wondered about his integrity, saying the article just reinforced stereotypes. But many engaged in a real and thoughtful conversation. Here's Hector:
But most e-mailers were thoughtful, even if they wondered why I
didn’t delve into other issues. One wrote that Asians "outperform the
rest of us" not just because of expectations, but because of their "willingness and ability to delay gratification."
That issue came up during my reporting, but I had limited space for
the story. Most of the time, it was Latino parents who brought it up.
Antonia Hernandez, 46, said that from when her children were very
young, she noticed that the Asian children seemed to wear less
expensive clothing than the Latino children.
"I see the Chinese children with cheap tennis shoes, even Payless,
and our kids, they want the best sneakers," Hernandez said. "They say, 'How am I going to wear those cheap shoes?' It’s different priorities."
I met Hernandez at a meeting at Lincoln High for the parents of students failing algebra, a graduation requirement.
The rest of the conversation is here. Click and join in...
—Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times
Earlier this year the principal at John Burroughs High School in Burbank banned drama students and their instructor, Scott Bailey, from staging "The Laramie Project," the story about the killing of gay college student Matthew Shepard. Instead, this spring, the young actors (pictured) performed "The Laramie Project" off-campus on their own and staged the more conventional "Romeo & Juliet" at the school under Bailey's direction. But, as it turned out, "Romeo & Juliet," at least this version, was not without it's own controversy, reports the Burbank Leader. Some parents were concerned about what they considered to be the overly sexualized nature of the play — phallic imagery of swords, and a kissing scene between Romeo and Juliet, who were played by two girls, Bailey said. Another mother was concerned about the French maid costumes chosen for students who played servants, he said.
Mike Delbarian, whose son was in the play, was particularly offended by a scene in which he says actors took off plastic long-nose masks, set them on the floor and pretended to be masturbating the masks.
"It was just unbelievable," he said. "It’s not ‘Romeo and Juliet.' "
Future plays at John Burroughs will probably be more conventional. Bailey has quit to teach at a charter school in the Valley.
-- Jesus Sanchez
Photo: Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times
The news is that middle schools are switching from big, fancy graduation galas to lower-key "transition" ceremonies, so that leaving eighth grade won't have the same ring of finality of a high school graduation. But I can't help thinking -- an eighth-grader owns these shoes?
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times
Teachers at John C. Fremont High School in Los Angeles protested against proposed cuts to state spending on education. Many teachers ignored pleas by LA Unified to remain in class this morning.
Photo: Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times
 With the price of tuition and books skyrocketing, today's GI Bill benefits cover only half the costs of a college education, the Press-Telegram reports. As a result, soldiers returning home from often harrowing tours of duty find a new and difficult fight ahead of them.
Initiated more than six decades ago, the Serviceman's Readjustment Act -- commonly referred to as the GI Bill -- promised veterans a tuition-free education plus a living stipend. At the time, that amounted to about $500 a year for tuition, books and supplies.
Today, GI Bill benefits range from $300 to $1,200 a month depending on the number of courses a veteran is taking. Benefits run for 36 months, for a total of about $40,000, and veterans have 10 years to tap into the money.
But that still amounts to only about half of the costs at many of the nation's universities. In Southern California, the California State University system's annual costs are about $18,000. At UC campuses, annual expenses can hit $25,000.
More in the full story.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Illustration: Michael Osbun/Tribune Media Services
 After Friday night's commencement ceremony at Daniel Murphy High, there will be no new crop of freshman to replace the graduates of the Catholic boys academy. The small Fairfax district school, whose graduates include current L.A. councilman Bernard Parks, is closing after half a century.
Officials of the Los Angeles Archdiocese blamed falling enrollment, down to about 230 last year, when they announced the closure last year. But many school supporters said Daniel Murphy is the victim of a financial squeeze as the district seeks to pay off the massive $660 million settlement with victims of clergy abuse. "We don't want another set of victims," support group President Robert Barner said last fall. "There is an opportunity here to send a strong message to young people and families throughout the archdiocese that we value children and that you will not make them pay for past mistakes."
-- Jesus Sanchez
 L.A. is the second-greenest big city in the U.S.? Depends on whether you believe the Brookings Institution, which delivers this startling bit of news, or the naysayers who scoff at fuzzy data. Margot Roosevelt tries to clear things up.
Does L.A. lead in school sex scandals, too? Another teacher suspected of having sex with a student is arrested. Andrew Blankstein has the story.
Ever since the new owner took over Centinela Hospital Medical Center in South L.A., services have been shrinking. Most private insurance contracts have been canceled and 13% of the staff laid off. Is this the way to serve a community? Daniel Costello looks for answers.
A first in the O.C. -- all the candidates running for office in the 1st District are Vietnamese. My-Thuan Tran reports on the new political landscape.
Too many hands-off caches of cash are a big reason for California's current money crisis. Plain speaking from George Skelton.
 It wouldn't be a playoff series without a brouhaha, and ours is here. The NBA says the Lakers' Derek Fisher fouled the Spurs' Brent Barry in the last seconds of the game, and the Spurs should have gotten two free throws. (Hey, didn't NBA honchos read Plaschke's great two-fouls means no-fouls column yesterday?) Yeah, the Lakers won Game 4 by 2 points. Commiserate with Steve Springer.
The B of A/Countrywide deal is still on, but the players are changing. E. Scott Reckard and Kathy M. Kristof explain.
Mary McNamara takes her kids to the Hollywood Bowl to see the Police. Shares her music, learns some lessons, makes you laugh.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photos: Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News; cgee / Your Scene
How did Harrison Ford learn to wield a bull whip? With help from the master: Anthony De Longis.
He is one of the rare gentlemen who can extinguish a candle flame with
the flick of a bull whip. But growing up in London in Ontario, Canada,
Anthony De Longis always favored school plays over sports.
"I felt very awkward," recalls De Longis, who now divides his time
between Canyon Country and Vancouver. "I was never particularly
physically adept, and I realized as an actor, my physical instrument is
a huge part of my storytelling vocabulary. So I set out to do something
about it, and I found that I liked fencing very much. I was a fencing
champion my senior year [in high school] in saber, which is the
theatrical one, of course. It's very flamboyant!"
Full story here.
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Anthony De Longis
 Oh no -- California's losing the cheese race to Wisconsin. (Whose license plates do say America's Dairyland.) AP via LAT
The soldiers of San Pedro-based Company C (a.k.a. Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 160th Infantry of the California National Guard) came home today after a 12-month tour in Iraq, amid laughing and hugging and kissing and more than a few tears. Story and lovely photos in the Daily Breeze.
The bloody night in the Valley that left two dead and eight wounded in shootings has residents wondering, what's this summer going to be like? LADN
Someone's been aiming lasers at airplanes taking off from John Wayne Airport. OC Reg
Colleagues of the Three Valleys Municipal Water District director who lied about winning the Medal of Honor want him to quit. SGV Trib
Police used a Taser on a Baldwin Park school board member early this morning after he allegedly broke windows in a house and then drove drunk with his headlights off. Star-News (That'll be some reelection campaign.)
Sex education classes aren't offered at five school districts in San Bernardino County. SB Sun
Snow! At Big Bear! Daily Bulletin
--Veronique de Turenne
Photos: Los Angeles Times; AP
Day One with a bullet. Well, a shell casing, anyway. That's what's been found so far in the excavation of the Barker Ranch, where Charles Manson and his murderous band of followers once lived. Louis Sahagun is following the story.
An L.A. Unified police officer who reported sex abuse at South East High School says he was punished with "freeway therapy" and transferred to another campus for embarrassing school administrators. Richard Winton has the details.
That prison plan to shift low-risk offenders to community-level care? Great idea, says Michael Rothfeld.
West Nile virus has been found in 13 birds in the O.C. so far this month, David Reyes reports.
You're excused! San Diego city workers who don't want to officiate at gay weddings can just say no. AP via LAT.
Profits at Home Depot drop 66% as the housing slump continues.
Steve Lopez waxes nostalgic for the soon-to-be termed-out Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Who gave what to whom? L.A.'s richest residents (Geffen, Spielberg, Redstone, Selleck) spread their wealth all around the political spectrum, Tina Daunt reports.
Are you missing baseball's super-slugger Barry Bonds? Yeah, neither is the city of San Francisco, where he's quickly vanishing from the collective consciousness. John M. Glionna reports on Bonds' post-Giants slump.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photos: Los Angeles Times; Associated Press
 Former Dodgers catcher Mike Piazza retires. LAT
Here's a traffic nightmare: Lakers series at Staples Center vs. "American Idol" finals at the Nokia Theatre tomorrow night.
Commencement tonight at CalState Northridge. The Homeroom
California's state parks need $1.2 billion in repairs. LADN
Subway sandwich shops in downtown L.A. go to 24-hour service. Angelenic
The sounds of summer -- the genius behind the Beach Boys sound, Brian Wilson, sets local concert dates. Los Anjealous
A career in education: woman graduates after 17 years in night school. The Signal.
Taxes on wrestling, sideshows and menageries to rise in Pasadena. Star-News
LA's still using too much power and the DWP's David Nahai's still scolding. LAist
--Veronique de Turenne & Jesus Sanchez
Photo: Los Angeles Times
So we ran a story recently in The Times about a study that found a majority of the kids in South L.A. schools are scared and sad. And in the best tradition of journalism, some kids from Jordan High, a South L.A. school, ran a rebuttal in their newspaper, The Bulldog Times. Mitchell Landsburg, who wrote our story, follows up in our education blog, The Homeroom: [Student Evelyn Garcia] quotes senior Steven Hubbard as saying: “I don’t know where they
got these results from. From what the L.A. Times article said being
lazy and tired means that you’re clinically depressed. If that’s true,
then everyone I know is clinically depressed, including the teachers
and the president of the United States!!! Where do they get off saying
that anyway? I’m always happy, and so are the people that I hang with!”
There's more, lots more, and let's just say these kids aren't afraid to speak their minds.
--Veronique de Turenne
Traffic is still recovering from that wrong-way crash that left three dead on the I-5 today. LAT
Port of LA says OK to ban on indie truckers by 2013. Daily Breeze
Ventura County goes to court to try to confiscate $385,000 in drug profits.
Jury selection starts on Monday for the last three civil cases stemming from the Santa Monica Farmer's Market disaster in 2003, when an 86-year-old man killed 10 people as his car careened through the crowded outdoor venue. LADN
A Pasadena mother, her son and his wife all graduate from nursing school. Star-News
Why the new Narnia movie is really better as a book. Jacket Copy
Whittier schools hope the revised state budget will save the jobs of some of the 140 teachers and 30 administrators who got pink slips. Whittier Daily News
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times
Those two LAUSD honchos who did nothing when a student reported
she was sexually abused by a substitute teacher are back on the
job. That's right: They've been criminally charged, yet they're back at the school. Richard Winton and Howard Blume explain what on Earth is going on.
Why did Inglewood police shoot and kill an unarmed man on Sunday? The cops involved say they heard gunshots, but neither weapons nor bullets were found. Police search for reasons but the community demands answers. Molly Hennessy-Fiske and Hector Becerra have the story.
Game 5 of the series is tomorrow and Kobe says he'll be ready. To do what? Mike Bresnahan visits with the Lakers' injured MVP.
The UCLA snooping scandal -- still growing. Sixty-eight current and former workers, including four doctors, pried into medical records that were none of their business. Lawanda J. Jackson, the employee indicted by a grand jury last month, looked at 61 separate files, including those of celebs and her fellow employees. More details from Charles Ornstein.
LAX to Florida for $18? Great travel deals are out there, if you know where to look, says Peter Pae.
Visions of the Virgin Mary in the Mojave Desert, where the faithful
have headed for 20 years for Our Lady of the Rock gatherings. The
Catholic Church isn't thrilled, but attendees say they find solace. Paloma Esquivel makes a visit. (And a photo gallery -- Virgin Mary in a sandwich, anyone? -- here.)
Jimmy Fallon's going to take over for Conan when the time comes. Oh -- and a new "90210" series, a "Boston Legal" pickup, and a "Family Guy" spin-off. Matea Gold and Maria Elena Fernandez have details of NBC's fall lineup.
Fabulist James Frey ("A Million Little Pieces") writes a crummy novel. David Ulin has the review.
--Veronique de Turenne
Photos: Los Angeles Times
 Michael Jackson gets to keep Neverland Ranch. LAT
Must-haves for the girl about town from Caroline on Crack.
Kaiser is opening a $370-million hospital in Irvine. OC Reg
Gerry Garcia of Long Beach is 5 foot 6, weighs 150 pounds and is (almost) named for a rocker. He's also on the new season of "American Gladiators." Press-Telegram
MTV wants to hire a really, really young blogger. Fishbowl LA
Locke High trying to recover from brawl and lockdown. LAT
Are there any secrets any more? A leaked video clip of the Sex and the City movie suggests that Carrie is ... nope. We're not going to blow it for you. But Defamer will, if you insist on knowing.
Monrovia puts residents on squatter watch. Foothill Cities
Remembering the last hours of KHJ Boss Radio. Van Nuys Boomers
Baskin-Robbins goes soft-serve. Fast Food Maven
-- Veronique de Turenne & Jesus Sanchez
Photos: Los Angeles Times
 Fabian Nuñez, the speaker of the state Assembly, leaves the Legislature on Tuesday. What's the legacy this son of a gardener has left behind? He fulfilled his promise to make his chamber once again "the house of ideas," but what about his vow to restore the people's faith in government? Nancy Vogel looks at one chapter of Nuñez's political career.
An overturned big rig on the 60 Freeway is causing a major backup, Francisco Vara-Orta reports.
Actor Dennis Farina says he forgot all about that gun in his briefcase as he tried to get on a plane at LAX. Yeah, he's been booked on a weapons charge, Jean-Paul Renaud reports.
Everybody's a screenwriter in L.A., including these charter school kids.
Why are these gifted kids being ignored in the public schools? Stressing test scores puts the spotlight on underachievers, educators say, and the smartest kids fall through the cracks. Details from Carla Rivera.
Catch-22: The weaker dollar increased demand for U.S. goods, but there aren't enough containers to ship them, so exports go down and the dollar weakens and ... well, you get the picture. Ronald D. White explains what's happening.
So the series is tied and Bill Plaschke wonders what's going on with Kobe.
Cliff Moore gave up his two-hour commute on public transportation to drive the 25 minutes to work instead. He'd rather take the bus, but changes by the MTA made his bus ride even longer and more unpredictable, so he hit the road. Steve Hymon explains.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photos: Los Angeles Times
The school-within-a-school at Jefferson High is giving students personalized attention and a chance to shine. Jason Song visits the Student Empowerment Academy:
The sound of the Los Angeles Unified School District's preferred future
comes from the north end of Jefferson High School's campus. It's loud.
Students
at one end of a warehouse-sized classroom mill around computers, their
voices reverberating off the concrete floor as they compare notes. At
the other end, a math teacher practically shouts to her students.
Although chaos seems to be the order of the day at the Student
Empowerment Academy, the small campus has produced some of the biggest
academic gains in the district. The school, which is housed on
Jefferson's campus but has its own administration and teachers, scored
a 638 on the most recent state Academic Performance Index, which
measures schools and districts on student test scores in math, English
and other subjects. Jefferson scored a 457. The state target for 2007
was 800.
More in Jason's full story about the school.
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times
 Don't mess with moms - they lead a protest against The Governator's planned education cuts. LAT
Teens and Mother's Day in The Homeroom.
Train quarantined in Canada due to deadly mystery illness. AP via Daily Breeze
The New York Times, which seems to be under the impression the longboard is dead, says the sport of soul surfers is making a comeback. NYT
How about some soothing 15th century music for Mother's Day? Jouyassance
Worldwide protests against Scientology tomorrow by Anonymous. LAist
Just fyi, Saturday's also National Train Day. Not sure what that means, but their graphic sure is great.
 Lindsay Lohan's too high-maintenance to play a Manson girl in an indie film, says Nikki Finke.
Coldplay tours the U.S., plays San Jose twice, but skips L.A.? Los Anjealous
Keeping up with the greens. LALATimes
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Los Angeles Times
That school sex scandal just keeps getting worse. Now LAPD detectives are investigating a dean who they think may have hidden photos, a scrapbook and notes about an affair between a girl at the Foshay Learning Center and accused molester Stephen Thomas Rooney, an administrator there at the time. Richard Winton digs deeper into the story.
A spate of attacks by coyotes in the Inland Empire has parents worried and officials warning to steer clear of the bold and wily animals. David Kelly explains.
What are the odds? Back-to-back fouls caught by two guys sitting side-by-side. Yes, it's Bob Pool with the story.
It's a $500-million payday for "Grand Theft Auto IV" in its first week on the market, says Alex Pham.
Ummm -- never mind. Don Perata, the Democratic leader of the state Senate, says he'll stop his campaign to recall Jeff Denham, a GOP senator from Atwater, who ticked off Perata when he refused to vote for a state budget proposal. Details of the spat from Patrick McGreevy.
 An animal control officer in Lakewood was on a routine call when a pit bull attacked him, leaving him with wounds and bites on his arms and hands, and a broken knuckle. Rong-Gong Lin II has the full story.
Contract talks failed, so janitors say they're going to strike. Andrea Chang talks to the union.
Blonds do have more fun, when they're Cameron Diaz and Mae West, says Susan King.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photos: Associated Press, Los Angeles Times
The Santa Monica middle school teacher accused of having sex with students was the focus of an investigation in 2006. LAT
A San Pedro juice bar generously offers to squeeze your salary. (As if gas prices aren't doing a good enough job.) San Pedro News
Photogs who posted pics of UC Irvine students on gay porn sites won't be prosecuted. OC Reg
People don't seem to understand the whole taco truck issue, says Eating LA.
Super sales make it a super time to buy in downtown L.A. Curbed LA
Speaking of which, LAist lays out the reasons to hit the Downtown Art Walk.
Mildred Loving, the woman whose court case made interracial marriage legal, has died. LAT
More sex in the schools - a Woodland Hills principal says he didn't know an assistant swim coach was having sex with a sophomore girl in 2004. LADN
This flatulence billboard makes him sick. Here in Van Nuys
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times
| |
Times staff writer
Hector Becerra waded in where many fear to tread when he asked why Asian children do better in school than Latinos and African Americans. E-mails poured in. Some questioned his scholarship; other wondered about his integrity, saying the article just reinforced stereotypes. But many engaged in a real and thoughtful conversation. Here's Hector:
