Comments on: 64 Worst: LAUSD vs. Lack of a Middle Class

By: bunnicula

bunnicula — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:50:57 +0000

LAUSD wins in a landslide. I went thru the system….honestly I would fear going thru it now. Knowing quite a few people who work for LAUSD and hearing their experiences with LAUSD. They reiterate how LAUSD continues to perpetuate it’s antiquated ways.

A lot of the kids nowadays have no respect for the teachers and know how to “work” the system, so that even teachers that try to help them get screwed.

To be honest it seems really hard to get anything resolved within LAUSD so pretty surprised that ‘dorit’ was able to track the right person and get the problems resolved. Was this before all the budget cuts? I recently had to help a family member call to be able to find out about his pension because he kept getting the run around. We never got the answer, the lawyer even tried and could not get the actual information.

By: dorit

dorit — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:38:38 +0000

As an LAUSD mom, my second grader goes to our local school; 414 student body, 92% title one (meaning they are poor and can get a free lunch. Why any parent would take what the district calls a lunch even if it is free is another story), 67% English learner, API 72; I am rather happy with the school (micheltoren Street in Silver Lake) with local district 4 and LAUSD as a whole. (yes we have had problems, but I found the right person to call and most of the problems have been fixed) The fact that the local “middle class” (note- according the income breakdown, many middle class families, depending on how many kids they have, are considered title one) finds ways to not send their kids to our school, paying up to $25,000 per child for privet school, just means we don’t have to put up with the high maintenance parents and we don’t lose our title one money (which pay for sooo much at our school- full time nurse, music teachers, computers, and the like- with out parents needing to buy wrapping paper or towels with the schools name on them)

By: marshall

marshall — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:27:59 +0000

Lack of Middle Class = Return to historical norms. Meh.

Ongoing failure of LAUSD = eventual riot by drug crazed, illiterate children and the end of civilization as we know it.

Or something like that…

By: galaxiekat

galaxiekat — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 05:12:37 +0000

i’m trying to teach my kids empowerment. they haven’t been told that they’re important or viable. we have a huge amount of resources in our hands. we need to break out of the cycle of poverty and accept what we’ve got and make that middle class.

educating other people’s children is never an easy task. and it has been broken since it’s inception.

By: Ms. Banneker

Ms. Banneker — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 04:55:21 +0000

@galaxiekat

if the system is not broke, then why are you trying to “fix things”?

By: galaxiekat

galaxiekat — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 04:50:25 +0000

i don’t like to believe i’m part of the problem. i’m trying to fix things. i work with inner city kids. i’m not the problem. dammit. step into my shoes, and try to look me in the eye and tell me i’m part of one of the worst parts of los angeles.

i understand that i am not lausd. but as a teacher, when you say the system i work in is broke, you’re saying i’m not part of the solution.

By: frazgo

frazgo — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 01:55:37 +0000

I went with LAUSD as we’ll bring up the standard of living for anyone without a good basic education.

By: Dave Bullock / eecue

Dave Bullock / eecue — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:59:53 +0000

Wait, so roughly 1/3 of LA’s population is middle class, so how is that a lack of a middle class? Also I don’t consider people who make 100k a year upper class. I think your definition of middle class is way off.

By: David Markland

David Markland — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:29:39 +0000

I think the lack of a middle class is a symptom of a poor education system here in L.A. – fix the LAUSD, you may be able to do something about the disparity.

Alas, the LAUSD is worse, because its tangible, and there’s so little being done to fix it.