Excitement and enthusiasm were in the air as teachers in my
new high school in a middle class neighborhood prepared their classrooms by
decorating their bulletin boards, displaying student work, and straightening
desks. Welcome messages abounded, Remind.com messages were sent, and we opened
our doors to meet the parents.
I have done these events for 24 years, four times a year at
my former school in South Central L.A. But this year’s Back to School Night
left me reflecting, and perhaps shedding a tear.
First, my new parents were fantastic. They were friendly,
enthusiastic, and supportive of the new ideas I bring to the school. I knew in
them I would have allies to incorporate my findings from my Fulbright exchange
in Finland earlier this year. Parent after parent nodded their heads and
strongly affirmed that break time was important to students, teachers, and
workers in general. They were excited to hear about the summer travel programs
I had prepared.
As I looked at their warm and s…
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A Message From a Teacher in South Central
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Dear Superintendent Cortines and LAUSD Board Members,
In the next week, you will be voting on important budget decisions that I am sure have taken their toll on your personal and professional lives. I have no doubt as to the integrity and thoroughness of your decision making process, but as leaders, I'm sure you will agree that the best decisions are made when the greatest amount of data are available to help you decide the most viable course of action.
As CCSS California Teacher of the Year 2009, I wish to share the data from my school, Los Angeles Academy Middle School, located in South Central Los Angeles.
Three years ago, the Jefferson family of schools was plagued by race-riots, student walkouts, and disturbingly low academic performance. Our school experienced the impact of the turmoil in the local high school, but made significant efforts to distinguish ourselves as academic leaders in our community. We targeted the issue of teacher turnover that peaked at a high of 35 teachers three years ago, and reduced it to less than 5 in the last academic year by instituting a comprehensive new teacher support program. In a community where students had to suffer the consequences of a non-stable faculty, we reached a point where we could offer students the knowledge and security that their teachers would be there to support them in their three year journey at our school. That is, until now.
L.A. Academy has developed a successful GATE/Advanced Studies Program that has doubled its participants to 580, almost 30% of the school population. Over 150 students attend our school on an Advanced Studies permit. These are students we might have otherwise lost to charter schools, but who made an educated decision to stay with LAUSD because of the quality of our program. This program could not have reached this level of quality without the dedication, and countless volunteer hours of our 42 GATE teachers. 18 of these teachers received Reduction in Force Notices, with more at risk. If these teachers are terminated, the quality of one of the few prosperous middle school GATE programs in South L.A. will be significantly diminished.
The talent and quality of our teachers can be seen in their biographies, located at:
One of our young and talented teachers, who is a positive role model for African-American boys, is at risk for being terminated. Lamar Queen's instructional rap videos are a hit in the educational community and have made mathematics instruction much easier to grasp and enjoy for his students, thanks to his creative videos. They can be seen at:
As a school, and as a community, our teachers are overwhelmingly new. As a result, 42 of our staff of 112 teachers received a RIF. This is 37% of our faculty. The actual number of terminated teachers might be higher, because provisional teachers are not sent RIF's. Most schools in West L.A. and the Valley received RIF's in the single digits. It is unconscionable that South L.A. is scheduled to bear the brunt of the proposed layoffs.
Because South Central has been disproportionately hit with 40% of the entire district's RIF's, our students will be left to wonder what they did to deserve this. No amount of explaining will help erase the feeling that once again, they are the forgotten children, the ones whose dedicated and caring teachers will be entirely gone from their lives within three months. As a point of consideration, most of these teachers choose to work in South L.A., as do I, and are not here because of demotions or forced service.
If you vote to pass the proposed reduction in force without any provisions to mitigate the destructive effect it will have on South Central Los Angeles, then let there be no doubt as to the wholesale devastation this will cause for our school, our community, and the academic and emotional well-being of all of our students. Please, do not forget South Central.
Leticia (Martha) Infante NBC Teacher/GATE Coordinator CCSS California Teacher of the Year 2009 Los Angeles Academy Middle School 323-238-1844
As my Fulbright journey becomes a reality, I am one part excitement and anticipation, another part forlorn about what I am leaving behind. So each day, leading up to my departure this time next week, I will post what I am most looking forward to learning and what I will seriously miss from my life in Los Angeles.
Looking Forward To
Discussing Education
In our August orientation, I met some of the world's most intelligent and passionate educators. It feeds the soul! These are people for whom teaching is not just a job, but a calling. In just the few days we spent together, I knew that the ideas produced could actually make a difference in improving educational practices in the U.S. Now, I will have the opportunity to have these same type of discussions with educators in Finland while visiting their schools.
Here is some more information about the Finnish education system, from the Fulbright Center in Finland.
What I Want to Experience
Aurora Borealis
What I Will Miss
My Husband
My daughter, my old family, my new family, my dogs, my cats. But you only live once, and there is important work to do. Adelante!
February marked a number of school visits ranging from
elementary (primary) to middle school (lower secondary) and high school (upper
secondary.) As the Fulbrighters get their feet wet, mastering public
transportation, integrating in schools, and networking in the education world,
the question that keeps arising in lunch rooms and private conversations is why
do we have so much violence in schools?
I was trying to explain my school environment both to the
History department at the University of Jyvaskyla Teacher Training School (the
Finnish version of a lab school) and to seniors at Schildt school, both mature
audiences who can handle a nuanced discussion. It never occurred to me just how
much I’ve internalized and to an extent, normalized the violence in our
society.
How does one explain the dramatic rise in poverty we have
experienced over the last few years, and the vast wealth inequality that has
existed for much longer? How do I explain that our society values the
protection of …
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