Dear 2UrbanGirls,
I read your article the other day about the possible closure and consolidation of schools within the Inglewood Unified School District and there was so much to digest I felt the urge and obligation to submit a second letter regarding this matter as it appears that this pandemic of “omission” of facts and truth has leaked from the 9th floor of Inglewood City Hall ,right to the front steps of Inglewood Unified School District.
2UrbanGirls these actions by IUSD shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, the handwriting has been on the wall for a long time, if you were inclined enough to pay attention , affordable housing developer’s have been salivating for years to wrestle control of IUSD vast swaths of land under the rouse and charade of building ” affordable housing” .
In fact 2UrbanGirls, it was your blog that began to expose the scheme in real time whether you realize it or not.
The same blog that politicians regularly dismiss as ‘that little blog’ that lacks credibility, despite the fact you have a proven track record of being more right than wrong, and in my opinion, much more fairer in presenting a balance view of the issues based on facts.
Well opinions can be debated but facts are facts and the fact of the matter is and it shouldn’t be lost on anyone that we did in fact did have a former school board member whom recieved a quite hefty campaign donation from an affordable housing developer back in 2015.
He received the $20,000 before leasing or selling surplus land at IUSD was an option or on anyone’s radar.
Coincidence much ? I think not.
It also shouldn’t be lost on anyone , that IUSD attempted to close Warren Lane 2 years ago like thieves in the night in order to execute this same scheme until they got unexpected pushback from the community.
Again let us not forget, Ed Roski, the former owner of the Los Angeles Kings , whom has alleged ties to our Assemblywoman Autumn Burke proposed the same type of project at Morningside High school, until your blog reported this action being executed by the State and County appointed Superintendent, Dr. Erika Torres and the Board of trustees and mysteriously disappeared from the School Board meeting agenda and til this day has not come back to the board for consideration.
Related: Inglewood Unified pulls controversial board agenda item
Maybe it’s me but I’d like to consider myself a pessimistic optimist in the sense that I firmly believe these school closures aren’t about low birth rates, but underutilized land because mark my words, more baby’s will be birthed but you can’t build more land and it’s quite easy to steal land from poor black and brown people if we’re not paying attention.
Don’t let them fool you this isn’t about saving IUSD. This is simply and purely about a fire sale of IUSD land and greedy developer’s planting the seeds for a large payday at taxpayers expense.
Marvin McCoy
2 Comments
Indeed the new administrator has a very hard time either with truth telling or reading those funny squiggly things called numbers …..
For many years the School Board-members had no clues where the schools they voted each month to impact were located, but they were never considered the wise obtainers of significant education degrees. They were elected based on who threw money into their campaign and whether or not the union thought they could get a raise if that person was elected and then worked phone banks to inspired votes for those who promised raises.
But now our tax dollars goes to an administrator our board has no say in hiring, who apparently is so not interested or hopes we aren’t she reports student enrollment at boarded up for sale no longer active schools…
No this is not about covid at home cyber teaching Both Children of Promise and Fresh Step are CLOSED – FOR SALE – EMPTY! But their enrollment numbers appear on IUSD website,,,
Even if we are to believe those numbers are real the 2020census show that 23.5 % of Inglewood’s population of 107,762 is between 5 and 18 okay so that equal 25,324 young people ..
So no honey, there is no shortage of student age children to justify the only 11,562 that IUSD claims to have enrolled (even if some of those children have imaginary friends that were counted)
How about someone at IUSD tell the truth. When only 6 out of 100 of IUSD understand those simple percentage numbers why would anyone believe any of the lies on the IUSD website?
Thank you for bringing this up !
To use anticipated “Decreasing birth rate” as the excuse for declining enrollment is about as ridiculous as thinking the groundhog can really predict the winner of the horse race.
Declining enrollment at Inglewood Unified is the direct result of the wrong decisions having been made by those elected to represent the residents of this community one step at a time
Enriching Builders and Contractors has become the IUSD priority rather than student education.. The consequence being those who have had the opportunity and wanted their children to learn have been enrolling their students where teaching remains a priority. Notice they did not stop having children they simply educate the elsewhere!
Why is this? For far toooooo long residents have voted according to slick mailer claims and endorsement lists made by those who will never be a impacted by the decisions made you those elected! We must learn to ask where those printing dollars come from? In the case of Board members it has been the same Builders who are awarded the contracts paid out of the school bonds and matching state funds all of which are tax dollars we are required to provide.
Make no mistake about the how this happened…..Inglewood had among the highest student achievement programs in California …and then…..multiple steps were taken
unscrupulous outsiders saw the opportunity to cash in and encouraged voters to vote for those whose decisions were redirected to focus on building new walls rather than student development.
When educational levels decrease surrounding property values follow…..and then ……the next important step – putting someone in place with authority to free up state property (aka sell schools) at bargain basement rates for those who have funded the elected along the “approval required” path at the state elected level.
Next, put a majority in place who will happily dance (VOTE) on command to enact zoning changes which provides the ease of acquisition since eminent domain procedures enable the city to “assemble” larger parcels which the millionaires are then able to purchase at discount rates without the need to persuade homeowners to leave the neighborhoods they are a part of….yep kicking out home owners for the “greater good” of building multi-unit high-rent dwelling units or condos with small % low-mod set asides.
Silence implies consent ….Hmm, are the elected all the way to Sacramento a part of this dismantling of our community.?
Why else would the rezoning have been so quietly kept?
Why else would closure of Freeman/ Lane been kept so hush hush?
Here’s a tough one : Why did Ballmer pretend to be building bowling lanes and use “Murphy’s Bowl” to identify his Basketball Arena as a Bowling Alley project?
Ask yourself why would a Korean rail company care who is elected as Inglewood’s Mayor?
Why is a Mega High rise builder throwing $ 50,000 into the Inglewood Mayoral race?
Could it be a coincidence that the destruction of the school district so nicely benefits those who have contributed to putting the Mayoral team in office?