In This Issue:  | | • | MAYOR'S SCHOOL TAKEOVER MAY PROVE UNLAWFUL: The mayor of L.A. moves to take over school district; state law poses challenge. | | | • | REFORM BURST AT LAUSD — Romer: Recent advances not prompted by mayor | | | • | LAUSD LEFT THE PARENTS BEHIND: Audit finds district gave up on reforms + STATE AUDIT SUMMARY | | | • | GATES DONATES $1.3 MILLION TO LAUSD TO IMPROVE MATH CLASSES + SCHOOL OFFICIALS UNVEIL EFFORTS ON PANDEMIC FLU + BOARD FIGHTS SCHOOL TAKEOVER SIGNING | | | • | A LETTER TO ALL PARENTS FROM STATE SUPERINTENDENT JACK O'CONNELL + MEMO: MAYOR'S OFFICE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO WORK IN EDUCATION, YOUTH & FAMILIES | | | • | MARQUEZ CHARTER SEEKS STUDENTS + EVENTS: Coming up next week... | | | • | What can YOU do? | |
Featured Links: | | | | "THIS (AB 1381) IS A SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE TO THAT SCHOOL SYSTEM AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY SET UP. THEY ARE SIMPLY TRYING TO CIRCUMVENT THE STATE CONSTITUTION." — Richard Peterson, Professor at the Pepperdine University School of Law and an Expert on Education Law.
Pepperdine isn't exactly the ACLU bleeding heart law school of judicial activism – the dean of the school of law is former Whitewater Special Prosecutor (and Clinton nemesis) Ken Starr.
Next Monday the Governor will sign AB1381, part of the promise he made to 'sign anything' with the Mayor and the bill's sponsors. One can call AB 1381 a lot of things; I've called it lots of things. "Anything" is the least of them.
Noise has been made that the LAUSD Board of Ed is being nasty and peckish not letting the Gov and the Mayor sign their bill at Roosevelt High School next week during school hours. That is noise and noise only. I was at a bill signing on school grounds with Antonio Villaraigosa and the former Governor once – it was disruptive of the school's educational program and few kids got to participate in the photo op/"educational opportunity". (It also rained as hard as I've ever seen it - all day long - probably neither Villaraigosa's nor Davis' fault!)
The incident at Foshay last week at another political event staged by the Mayor - when school was disrupted and a child fainted - should've been a wake up call. Unfortunately only the Board of Ed woke up.
MOVING RIGHT ALONG: It is interesting that the announcement of good things happening ("Reform Burst …") at LAUSD draws fire for being a tardy response to the mayoral takeover attempt. The programs announced were part and parcel of the parent and community driven A-G College Prep Graduation Requirement Initiative — and the outcomes-in-progress of meetings and good old hard work over the past eighteen months by District staff, UTLA, college and university folks; and community and parent groups – including many of those supporting the Mayor. To attack that work as a defensive response to the takeover is… is… — "Anything" seems to be the most apropos euphemism of the moment!
THE STATE AUDIT REPORT ("LAUSD Left the Parents Behind") is troubling and tends to validate some common perceptions –
• It vindicates those of us who have been critical of the District's sorry record in parent involvement and engagement – and I include the mayor among us. Not to let LAUSD off the hook, but the mayor's record of parent engagement isn't all that good either. The job posting "Memo: Mayor's Office Looking for Great People to Work in Education, Youth, And Families" seems to say that the previous promise to "develop specifics and engage parents after the bill passes" really meant: "….after the bill passes AND we staff up our bureaucracy."
• The Audit Report also draws some conclusions that seem to support the Mayor/UTLA's stance of too much central staff bureaucracy. I agree on a need for decentralization — resources and decision making needs to be transferred closer to the school site and resources need to be focused on the classroom – far from Beaudry and City Hall! Central serves the schools, not vice versa. However I want to see all that "top heavy centralized bureaucracy" data disaggregated because some things absolutely need to be centralized – purchasing, recordkeeping, payroll and most particularly the $19.3 billion school construction and modernization program. We do not want to return to the bad old days when "Peter Principled" administrators were put in charge of multi-million dollar building projects any more than we want politicians and crony developers in charge. Give me a 'top gun' professional engineer every time, for every project.
ELSEWHERE the Gates Foundation gave $1.3 million (not enough!) to help LAUSD's 17 (not 3!) lowest performing high schools, the right folks got engaged on pandemic influenza – (which could be next year's biggest challenge to our schools), and Jack O'Connell offers some good advice.
Onward! —smf
MAYOR'S SCHOOL TAKEOVER MAY PROVE UNLAWFUL: The mayor of L.A. moves to take over school district; state law poses challenge.
by Shannon Urtnowski, Living Editor, Pepperdine University Graphic
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa made a controversial proposal, which was brought to the state's attention one year ago, to take control of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
His initial proposal to gain full power over district operations was quickly shot down by the school board, so he compromised.
Assembly Bill 1381, an agreed bill between Villaraigosa and the labor union United Teachers of Los Angeles, was formed to better bond parents, teachers and students and improve the school environment to promote better learning.
The bill, which was passed by the state legislature Aug. 30, will shift power from the school board to the superintendent and create a Council of Mayors representing the 27 cities within the boundaries of Los Angeles Unified School District and the five members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, according to the Web site for KFWB News 980.
"This is a substantial change to that school system as it was originally set up," said Richard Peterson, a professor at the School of Law and an expert on education law. "They are simply trying to circumvent the state constitution."
AB1381 is scheduled to take effect starting Jan. 1st.
Although the bill was passed by the legislature, voices of complaint continue to ring from the Los Angeles school board about AD1381's approaching implementation.
"You would be hard-pressed to find any teacher who agrees that the LAUSD should be completely and solely under the mayor's control," Kristen Rush said in an e-mail. "Trading one bureaucracy for another is not the answer."
Yet, Rush, a 2006 Pepperdine alumna teaching eighth grade in South Central Los Angeles, said a change is needed. Though she does not completely agree with the proposal, she said she hopes well for the future of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
"I hope the mayor will be able to make improvements," Rush said. "Clearly the district isn't working well enough to provide for all the students coming to school everyday."
Dr. June Schmieder-Ramirez, interim associate dean of the Humanities Division of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology, said what the proposal is lacking is proper incorporation of the people with their government. She said she believes that this cooperation will also help ease the pressure on any given individual involved with education reform, including Villaraigosa himself.
"It is really going to be a challenge for the mayor because the mayor is going to be working in the cities as well as addressing the under-privileged schools," Schmieder-Ramirez said. "The mayor has his work cut out for him."
Though the school district is in the process of creating a lawsuit against the proposal, some graduate students said they admire the effort the mayor is putting forth toward education.
"It is his duty to make sure his people, his constituents, have the best possible prospects for life, and one of the keys to that is education," said Jay Parmelee, a student at the School of Law, in an e-mail. "He's doing what he was elected to do. You have to admire his valor for that."
Vincent Beerman, a student at the School of Public Policy, said he is particularly in favor of the mayor's proposal.
"Initially, my gut reaction is that it seems that the schools have had a lot of years to implement change and they have failed to do that," Beerman said. "For a local leader to sit down and address the different local needs seems like a good idea."
Whether or not locals agree with AB1381 proposed by Villaraigosa, the general consensus is that education in Los Angeles has been long in need of attention.
"Hopefully it will bring positive changes, but will incorporate the people in LAUSD who know the students and the issues best, the teacher and the school board," Rush said of AB1381.
REFORM BURST AT LAUSD — Romer: Recent advances not prompted by mayor
by Naush Boghossian, Staff Writer, LA Daily News
September 12, 2006 - For the third time this summer, Los Angeles Unified School District officials rolled out a new program Tuesday that critics said was implemented hastily in response to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's school-reform drive.
The newly announced expansion of the district's vocational-education program is designed to stem the tide of dropouts, as well entice to those who have left school to return and earn their diplomas.
Just three weeks earlier, the district launched the $10 million Diploma Project, which deploys advisers to 80 schools to help keep at-risk students in school.
And in June, the district announced a $36 million program to overhaul the district's 17 lowest-performing schools by hiring teachers and counselors.
Although city officials commend the district's recent dropout-prevention efforts, they say the programs could have been implemented years ago and are only in response to Villaraigosa's efforts to change the governance structure of the district and gain a greater role by overseeing schools.
"New programs and ideas that address the LAUSD's dropout crisis are absolutely essential," said Nathan James, a spokesman for the mayor. "For years, the district has refused to recognize the size of this problem and today's students are paying the price.
"This announcement is a direct result of Mayor Villaraigosa's leadership in raising the issue of dropouts and advocating for fundamental school reform."
School board member Mike Lansing said the unveiling of the vocational program fulfills a yearslong promise to concentrate on the needs of older students.
"Our focus has been on elementary students and programs," Lansing said during a news conference Tuesday at the Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center. "We know our focus now has to be on secondary students."
Currently, about 1,000 students are enrolled in the vocational-education programs, but district officials hope to expand that tenfold. Officials plan to combine a more rigorous curriculum with work-based learning in fields such as nursing, plumbing and computer repair.
"There is a full-fledged dropout prevention under way," Superintendent Roy Romer said. "We're going to provide an additional track, a vocational track.
"We're going to make it more attractive for students to return and finish high school."
Officials said the expanded vocational offerings, the Diploma Project and other dropout-prevention programs will be funded with $18.6 million allocated in the current fiscal budget.
The quick succession of reform efforts has raised eyebrows among city leaders, who say the district made them a priority only in response to Villaraigosa's efforts.
Villaraigosa persuaded the state Legislature to pass Assembly Bill 1381, which is awaiting a promised signature from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger by the end of the month. The legislation gives the mayor a significant role in the district while shifting authority from the school board to the superintendent.
City Controller Laura Chick, a Villaraigosa ally, said the district's recent effort to slow its dropout rate is disingenuous.
"I have watched LAUSD basically ignore and completely under-resource the whole issue of students not going to school, becoming chronic truants and then true-blood high school dropouts. To pretend this has been a priority item that they have been hard at work on is disingenuous at the least and it's not the case," Chick said.
"It should have been something they fixed and addressed a long time ago."
United Teachers Los Angeles President A.J. Duffy said the district is implementing improvements in response to increased pressure on all fronts.
"They're moving so quickly now because not just the city government apparatus but UTLA has been putting maximum pressure on them to start moving quickly," Duffy said.
But Romer rejected that notion and said the district has been working on a long-range plan that was developed years ago.
"There's still a series of things we're going to lay out, but we always said we would start in elementary, then go to middle schools, then high schools," Romer said. "It's part of how you evolve a district that's reforming."
Duffy, who has been pushing the expansion of vocational offerings for more than a year, said district officials did not work with him and the teachers in developing the program.
In fact, Duffy said, the district stopped working with him after the union collaborated with Villaraigosa on AB 1381.
He said he will send a letter to Romer requesting a cost breakdown of the new program and how the money will be spent.
"We want to see where all this money is going. Is it actually going to classrooms and the creation of vocational-education programs? Or is it going to salaries and administrative costs?
"Because if that's their idea of reform, then we're not interested in that."
Villaraigosa said the district's vocational-education efforts are important, but not enough to keep Los Angeles an economically first-class city.
James, the mayor's spokesman, said Villaraigosa wants to expand the vocational options beyond the traditional auto repair and manual trades and focus on high-tech skills such as computer programming and technology.
He also wants to connect schools with businesses, expand internships and bring business leaders into the classrooms to make high school more relevant for students.
LAUSD LEFT THE PARENTS BEHIND: Audit finds district gave up on reforms + STATE AUDIT SUMMARY
________________________
* Represents regular program employees supported by LAUSD’s general fund.
GATES DONATES $1.3 MILLION TO LAUSD TO IMPROVE MATH CLASSES + SCHOOL OFFICIALS UNVEIL EFFORTS ON PANDEMIC FLU + BOARD FIGHTS SCHOOL TAKEOVER SIGNING
►GATES DONATES $1.3 MILLION TO LAUSD TO IMPROVE MATH CLASSES
Associated Press
Thu, Sep. 14, 2006 - LOS ANGELES - The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledged $1.3 million to the Los Angeles Unified School District to improve algebra classes and other courses that prepare students for college.
The grant will help all high schools in the district next year but for its first year, it will fund pilot programs in 17 high schools and provide 120 math teachers with more training and resources.
The campuses include Arleta, Crenshaw, Dorsey, Francis Polytechnic, Grant, Hamilton, Los Angeles, North Hollywood, San Fernando, Sylmar, University, Van Nuys, Venice, Verdugo Hills and Westchester high schools.
"The investments we make to improve instruction in our schools are investments in our children's future," Superintendent Roy Romer said.
The foundation has invested more than $24.3 million in the Los Angeles region to open new high schools and strengthen existing ones.
►SCHOOL OFFICIALS UNVEIL EFFORTS TO STOP TRANSMISSION OF PANDEMIC FLU
KABC – abc7.com
LOS ANGELES, September 13, 2006 - Los Angeles County educators and health officials Wednesday outlined their efforts to prevent students from becoming ill in the event of a pandemic flu which could infect 30 percent of the population.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell joined Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Roy Romer and health officials at Bravo Medical Magnet High School to release checklists to help schools plan for such a scenario.
"While we hope a pandemic never occurs, schools must be prepared to help protect the health and safety of staff and students," O'Connell said.
"These planning checklists will help to protect our children by minimizing the impact to their education should a pandemic force school closures for any length of time."
For its part, LAUSD has included pandemic flu in its emergency operations plan, scheduled regular meetings with county health officials and distributed brochures, DVDs and posters on preventing transmission of the flu.
"Our basic response is to try to prevent the spread of disease," Romer said. "It is a matter of preparation. It is a matter of education."
No vaccine is available for the virulent flu strand known as H5N1, or avian influenza, which differs from the seasonal flu and could have a much higher mortality rate, said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, the county's public health director.
If a pandemic occurs, state health officials believe up to 30 percent of the population could be affected.
"We know that we will have a pandemic - we just don't know when," Fielding said. "The other thing we know is that unless we prepare now, we will not be prepared when it occurs."
To avoid catching the flu, children should frequently wash their hands, cover their mouths when they cough and stay home if they are sick.
Health officials also recommend getting a seasonal flu shot.
"If we do this, we're not only going to do a better job if and when we have the pandemic, we're going to do a better job keeping our kids in school, helping them to learn," Fielding said.
►L.A. BOARD OF EDUCATION FIGHTS SCHOOL TAKEOVER SIGNING
KABC – abc7.com
LOS ANGELES, September 13, 2006 - The Los Angeles board of education has decided the signing of legislation giving the mayor substantial authority over public schools will not take place at an LAUSD campus during school hours, it was reported Wednesday.
The board, which opposes the legislation and is expected to file a lawsuit over it, directed staff Tuesday to keep the signing ceremony off school grounds during the school week.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had planned to stage the event at Roosevelt High School in Boyle Heights.
"The Roosevelt principal is very uncomfortable about the safety of kids and protecting the students during an event of this magnitude," school board President Marlene Canter said.
Board policy prohibits the staging of partisan political events on Los Angeles Unified School District campuses. An event last week at Foshay Learning Center violated those strictures.
That event - Villaraigosa's endorsement of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides - was "the straw that broke the camel's back," Canter said, adding that the board felt compelled to enforce its own policy.
Students at Foshay were kept waiting in a hot auditorium when the event ran late and one girl fainted.
A LETTER TO ALL PARENTS FROM STATE SUPERINTENDENT JACK O'CONNELL + MEMO: MAYOR'S OFFICE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO WORK IN EDUCATION, YOUTH & FAMILIES
►A LETTER TO ALL PARENTS FROM STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION JACK O'CONNELL
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
1430 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 319-0800
September 8, 2006
Dear Parents:
As the traditional school year begins, I want to wish you a positive and productive year and encourage you to stay engaged in the academic success of your child.
California schools are holding students to higher expectations than ever before, because to succeed in the demanding and rapidly changing global economy of today and tomorrow requires higher skill levels. My goal for California’s public education system is to prepare all students to become the excellent communicators, problem solvers and higher level thinkers their future will demand. In addition, we must engage and inspire students with a love for learning that will help them become the lifetime learners they will need to be in order to succeed as adults.
Parent participation is critical to reaching these goals. Even if you have no experience with the subject your child is studying, there are many ways you can help your child succeed:
• Start by meeting with your child’s teacher early in the school year, and ask about expectations for homework, reading outside of school and longterm assignments.
• Find out how to contact your child’s teacher if you have questions outside of Back to School Night or regularly scheduled conferences.
• Provide a quiet place and regular time for your child to study each day.
• Turn off the television and eliminate other distractions as much as possible during homework time.
• Offer your child encouragement, and reward good study habits and completed assignments with praise or a favorite activity.
Taking these steps will make a world of difference in your child’s performance at school.
Most important, they will remind your children on a daily basis that learning and working hard are top priorities for you, and that you care about their achievement in school.
I’m convinced that with your help, the 2006-07 school year will be better than ever for children in California’s schools.
Sincerely,
/s/JACK O’CONNELL
►MEMO: MAYOR'S OFFICE LOOKING FOR GREAT PEOPLE TO WORK IN EDUCATION, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2006 21:59:00 -0700
From: Marcus Castain
To: la.alumni@anderson.ucla.edu
Subject: Mayor'’s Office Looking for Great People to Work in Education, Youth, and Families
Following the passage of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's landmark legislation to improve public education in Los Angeles, the Mayor’s Education, Youth, and Families team is expanding!
Working under the leadership of Deputy Mayor Ramon Cortines, this team is charged with implementing AB 1381 by working with LAUSD and city agencies serving children, youth, and families to improve the quality of public education in Los Angeles.
Specifically, this team is responsible for the following:
• Transformation of three clusters of schools across the city in the Mayor’s Community Partnership for School Excellence (school clusters have not yet been decided but will consist of 3 large high schools with their feeder middle and elementary schools, adult education centers, and early childhood centers). This “district within a district” will be comparable to the creation of a large, new urban school district (on par with San Francisco Unified) and will become operational by July 2007.
• Implementation of governance changes to LAUSD including the selection of the next superintendent, facilitation of the Council of Mayors of LAUSD, and annual review of the district’s budget;
• Integration of municipal and community services to support the needs of the schools. These services will include city departments such as libraries, recreation and parks, planning, and police as well as non-profit service providers and LA County services.
The Education, Youth, and Families team is looking for several creative, hard-working change agents with differing skill sets and backgrounds. Individuals should be flexible as roles will change considerably as this initiative evolves over the coming years.
The team is looking for individuals with the following skills and expertise:
• Understanding of the strengths, challenges, and opportunities of LA’s public schools;
• Strategies for instructional improvement;
• Management of organizational change;
• New school start-up and creation;
• Operational programs to support school transformation;
• Facilitation of diverse stakeholders to develop plans and implement change; and Coordination of government agencies (both city and county), community organizations, non-profit service providers, and businesses toward the common goal of improving services for children, youth, and families.
Compensation: Compensation will be competitive and will be commensurate with experience.
To Apply: Submit cover letters and resumes to Susan Jack (susan.jack@lacity.org) by Monday, September 25, 2006.
************************************
Marcus Castain
Associate Director for Education, Youth, and Families
Office of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
200 North Spring Street, Room 303
Los Angeles, CA 90012
marcus.castain@lacity.org
(213) 978-0756
fax (213) 978-0775
__________________
► Who will pay for this expansion in the Mayor's Staff? - smf
MARQUEZ CHARTER SEEKS STUDENTS + EVENTS: Coming up next week...
► MARQUEZ CHARTER SEEKS STUDENTS
Katy Anastasi, PTA Co-President of Marquez Charter Elementary reports they have an incredible new Principal, Mr. Phil Hollis. Also, they are bringing the Digital Edge to Marquez this year, in which each classroom will be using Apple MacBooks on a 2:1 basis.
It promises to be a wonderful year!
"We are short of students in all grades, and I was wondering if you could please keep us in mind should anyone come to you and tell you that they are not happy with their current school. We are facing the loss of teachers, which we would be a huge loss for so many here at Marquez. We need 8-10 4th and 5th graders, and 6-10 students in the lower grades. As you know, Marquez offers a very enriching education, especially for 5th graders, who participate in numerous historical plays throughout the year."
Marquez Charter School
16821 Marquez Avenue
Pacific Palisades, California 90272
tel (310) 454-4019 fax (310) 573-1532
http://www.marquezcharter.org/
• smf notes: This sounds like an opportunity for Westside parents in private schools to save their kid's college money for college!
________________________________________
► EVENTS: COMING UP NEXT WEEK:
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:
http://www.laschools.org/bond/
Phone: 213.633.7493
►Meets Wednesday Sept 20 @ 10AM at the LAUSD Board Room, 333 Beaudry Ave, LA 90017
____________________________________________________
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:
http://www.laschools.org/happenings/
Phone: 213.633.7616
►MONDAY SEP 18, 2006 @ 6:00 P.M.
SOUTH REGION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL #4: Pre-Demolition Meeting
Bryson Elementary School
4470 Missouri Ave.
South Gate, CA 90280
►TUESDAY SEP 19, 2006 @ 6:30 TO 8:00 P.M.
VALLEY REGION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL #9: PEA Hearing & Pre-Demolition Meeting — Please join us at this public hearing to discuss the findings of the Preliminary Environmental Assessment (PEA). The PEA determines if an environmental clean up action is necessary to ensure the health and safety of our children. We will be accepting your comments and questions regarding the PEA for this project.
And immediately following the public hearing, we will hold the Pre-Demolition meeting.
Hazeltine Elementary School
7150 Hazeltine Ave.
Van Nuys, CA 91405
►THURSDAY SEP 21, 2006 @ 6:30 TO 8:00 P.M.
VALLEY REGION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL #8: PEA Hearing and Pre-Demolition Meeting — Please join us at this public hearing to discuss the findings of the Preliminary Environmental Assessment (PEA). The PEA determines if an environmental clean up action is necessary to ensure the health and safety of our children. We will be accepting your comments and questions regarding the PEA for this project.
And immediately following the public hearing, we will hold the Pre-Demolition meeting.
Morningside Elementary School
576 N. Maclay Avenue
San Fernando, CA 91340
*Dates and times subject to change.
What can YOU do?
►CONTACT YOUR ASSEMBLYPERSON AND STATE SENATOR [link below to find them]. Tell them what you think about their wasting their time, effort and the taxpayer's money on the mayor's attempt at takeover or makeover – an effort that is patently unconstitutional and will never survive a court challenge. Their time, the mayor's time, the board of education's time – all of our time, thinking and hard work - is better spent working together rather than at odds to continue and support the very real efforts at reform already begun. Their time is better spent helping LAUSD find a new superintendent, guaranteeing an improved funding stream for all California schools and helping kids in the classroom, on the playground; during, before and after school.
• TO DETERMINE WHO YOUR ASSEMBLYPERSON & SENATOR IS & GET THEIR ADDRESS PHONE & FAX NUMBERS:
http://192.234.213.69/smapsearch/framepage.asp
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:
Marlene.Canter@lausd.net • 213-241-6387
Monica.Garcia@lausd.net • 213-241-6180
Julie.Korenstein@lausd.net • 213-241-6388
Marguerite.LaMotte@lausd.net • 213-241-6382
Mike.Lansing@lausd.net • 213-241-6385
Jon.Lauritzen@lausd.net • 213-241-6386
David.Tokofsky@lausd.net • 213-241-6383
...or your city councilperson, mayor, the governor, member of congress, senator - or the president. Tell them what you really think!
Call or e-mail Governor Schwarzenegger: 213-897-0322 e-mail: http://www.govmail.ca.gov/
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child.
• Vote.
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