Will Inglewood Unified School District (IUSD) go full charter? That is the question on Inglewood stakeholders minds, as a recently released audit reveals IUSD has yet to turn a positive corner, since going under state control in 2012. As Los Angeles Unified (LAUSD) board member Monica Ratliff explores turning one of the nations largest school districts into a full charter district, Inglewood teachers are wondering if IUSD is headed in the same direction, under the leadership of newly appointed state trustee, Vincent Matthews.
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2 Urban Girls remains skeptical of enrollment numbers being reported, since they directly conflict with numbers the California Department of Education (CDE) is disbursing in lottery funds, to IUSD.
Related article: Are Local School Districts reporting accurately to the CA Dept. of Education
When asked how he would address the declining enrollment, Mr. Mathews said:
“We plan to get the word out in a number of ways,” Matthews continued. “The district has a website and newsletter that’s updated and goes out to the public just to make sure people are informed about what is going on here. We are working with the City Council to expand our efforts in publicizing the great things Inglewood schools are offering. We need to make sure we take advantage of all the opportunities that present themselves to be sure we are getting the word out about what’s going on here.”
They could start with consistent advertising and support of local based media outlets.
Read the full details of the audit on WaveNewspapers.com.
4 Comments
As a resident and employee of the IUSD, I am awe-struck by the news that the district is in a worse predicament than presented by the former State Trustee, Dr. Don Brann. If you remember, IUSD created its own honors high school on the campus of West LA College at the turn of the millennium. The school later was encouraged to become a dependent charter to not only attract more students from outside of the district but keep the students within the district who wanted to go elsewhere (schools that had more course offerings and programs). Under the charter, the community members were able to be involved more, not only with the School Site Council, but under the Ad Hoc Committee – the committee that held decision-making capabilities and were selected by the members of the school. In the summer of 2014, Dr. Don Brann filed to have the charter removed one year before it was to expire. The staff and students and parents of the school had no idea that this was going to occur. The staff found out after its return at the beginning of the school year, 2014-2015. It has been reported that all stakeholders were accepting of this. Not true! None of us knew what was actually going on until months later. A meeting was never held with the community or those directly affected by the decision at the school. City Honors became a public high school which now meant that the district could do with it what they pleased. In the last two years, there have been unqualified principals who have no idea how to run a honors high school in place. This year, there are over 40 special education students and no special education teachers to support their learning environment. Under FAPE, this is definitely illegal. All students must have an “appropriate” environment to learn. City Honors, since it’s creation by IUSD, was never meant to house special needs students due to the goals of the district. The goals were to provide students, who would otherwise go to “other” schools that provided more rigorous course offerings, with an education inside of Inglewood borders. Since the state takeover, the district has done everything in its power to tear down what City Honors used to be. Teachers, students and staff constantly speak out at board meeting but more community support is needed. We are losing our school to the likes of unqualified people who want nothing more than to tear the essence of high standards, excellent teaching, and students who matriculate to five-star universities. Where is the community? Where is School Site Council? Where are our concerned parents? It’s sad that a student had to write a newspaper article on having no soap in the bathroom when on Kelso, our bathrooms were always stocked with toiletries and niceties for our young ladies and men. If a student wrote an article on something like sanitation, can you imagine what is now going on that never went on before. It used to be a pleasure, an honor to teach and work at such a school that, at one time, sent all students to college….now, there seems to be no difference between it and the other two high schools. Shame on IUSD!!!!
Who would “all” stakeholders include? I don’t recall a public notice appearing in the city’s “official” newspaper. Do you?
Stakeholders are always people who have an interest in the school: students, parents, teachers, custodial staff, community members, as well as any businesses linked to the school. City Honors has always had internship programs offered to students in past years.
I do not remember seeing a newspaper article but then again, the stakeholders were not aware of the application to stop the charter. Again, there should have been a discussion addressing the pros and cons of this decision (by the state trustee) PRIOR to the submission of the application to CDE followed by a vote. None of this occurred.
Not sure which official newspaper you are referring to but I have no knowledge of any article before July 1st mentioning the reasons as to why this decision was made nor afterward. I would say look through archives or call the newspaper directly to inquire.
I just want the truth to be told about this issue. The school, unfortunately, is NOT what it used to be – due to decisions made by people who have no vested interest in the school, whose children would never attend Inglewood schools, or who came under the administration of Dr. Brann.