Los Angeles, CA – Thousands of spirited Los Angles Unified School District (LAUSD) workers rallied on May 7 to protest proposed cutbacks and layoffs by Superintendent Alberto Carvalho.

In front of LAUSD headquarters, the educator’s union, United Teachers of Los Angles (UTLA) and SEIU 99 school workers voiced a united strong message of “no cutbacks and no layoffs” that will hurt students.

Ainelda Gonzalez, a Miramonte teacher and UTLA chapter chair stated, “Cutbacks will hurt our students with cuts to counselor hours and cuts to teacher aides, who are vital in supporting student learning and development.

At the rally, UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz gave a strong message saying what LAUSD workers won in 2023 in the three-day strike will not be cut!

UTLA reported in their bulletin, “By unilaterally cutting school-site budgets, Carvalho is creating chaos as schools scramble to save as many positions as possible. With a projected $6.27 billion in reserves, Carvalho and the district are trying to undermine what we fought for out on the picket lines and won — class size reductions and increased staffing to support our students’ mental health, well-being, and academic achievement.”

The rally was attended by many community organizations, including Reclaim Our Schools, a coalition advocating for public education. A delegation of Centro CSO attended and joined the loud chanting, “No cutbacks!”

Centro CSO members circulated a flier on our campaign to stop the construction of a large Extera charter school in an East Los Angeles residential community. This project would cause pollution, traffic and parking problems. An appeal hearing is set for September 17 at the LA County board of supervisors meeting on a motion by Supervisor Hilda Solis. Centro CSO encourages people to attend and send public comments opposing the Extera construction project.

Centro CSO is a long-time strong ally of UTLA and advocates for public education against privatization by charter schools.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #Labor #Teachers #LAUSD #UTLA #CentroCSO

Los Angeles, CA – In a hotly debated Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) board meeting February 13, a motion to lessen the negative impact on public schools from charter school co-location passed 4 to 3.

The original September 2023 motion, by Jackie Goldberg and Dr. Rociso Rivas, basically called for a study by the superintendent on the negative impact of charter schools that reside inside public schools. At the Tuesday meeting, a new policy was approved that will help hold back the growth of charter school co-locations.

Antonieta Garcia of East Los Angeles, an advocate and mother of children in LAUSD, stated: “This is a big victory for our ELA community. We have been fighting co-location and the saturation of charter schools for many years!”

The charter industry has used California’s Proposition 39 to target Black and Chicano community public schools to take up classroom space and recruit students. Co-locations negatively impact local public schools by taking away funding and classroom space.

The motion makes one of the most significant changes to local charter school policy since the state first required school systems to offer space to charters more than 20 years ago.

United Teachers Los Angeles led the campaign in support of the motion; uniting with Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, Reclaim Our Schools, Eastside Padres, and Centro CSO.

Centro CSO in the past has led successful campaigns against charter schools. At Garfield High School, they stopped a Green Dot takeover; at Roosevelt High, they stopped a Collegiate Charter school co-location, and they stopped KIPP Promesa from building a large charter school in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. Centro CSO also supported the work to oust KIPP Poder at Gascon School in Montebello Unified School District.

Several mothers of LAUSD students called in to make a public comment supporting the motion, giving examples of how charter schools target students with recruitment campaigns causing lower enrollment in local public schools.

Boyle Heights and East LA are saturated with charter schools due to the ex-LAUSD board member Monica Garcia opening the door. Four of our good public schools have an Extera Charter school on campus at Second Street, Breed Street, Lorena and Eastman elementary schools. East LA also has several KIPP, Arts and Action and now a charter high school Ednovate Esperanza near Garfield High.

Antonia Montes, teacher at Eastman Avenue school, spoke via phone, pointing out how Extera charter school took over more space causing problems at Eastman Avenue school. She stated about the February 13 resolution, “This is a first step in minimizing disruption to our students' academic and vital social emotional growth.”

Dr. Rocio Rivas in particular has portrayed charter backers as trying to destroy public education by “privatizing” it. The charter industry, she said, has been “taken over by charter school management organizations, huge industries that are profiting.”

The resolution prohibits charters from moving onto campuses deemed especially vulnerable to harm by disruption.

Board members George McKenna and Jackie Goldberg – who won office with support from the teachers union – are not running for reelection. Goldberg is a long time social justice champion who has criticized the charter school industry for targeting our working-class Black and Chicano communities.

Voting for the resolution were Goldberg, Rivas, McKenna and Scott Schmerelson. Voting against it were Nick Melvoin, Tanya Ortiz Franklin and Kelly Gonez. These last three are supported by the charter school industry with large sums of campaign money.

Future charter school policy will be at stake next year in school board elections that are usually the most high-spending in the nation.

The last LAUSD board election of Dr. Rocio Rivas gave it a pro-public, pro-union majority. This is why this year's LAUSD elections are critical to re-elect Scot Schmerelson and either Karla Griego or Fidencio Gallardo to replace Jackie Goldberg who is retiring after a long successful career in public office.

This has been a long fight against privatization. Parents, students and teachers rejoiced when the vote was announced. Dr. Rivas and Ms. Goldberg met the joyous crowd outside to cheers and chants of “Si se puede!”

#LosAngeles #PeoplesStruggles #PublicEducation #SchoolBoard #LAUSD #CentroCSO

Los Angeles, CA – At 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday March 21, over 30,000 school workers in the Los Angeles Unified School (LAUSD) including food service workers, custodians, special education assistants and many more job titles will walk off the job on a strike. The workers are members of SEIU Local 99, also known as Education Workers United.

LAUSD and SEIU Local 99 have been in contract negotiations since 2020. After three years of bargaining, they decided to call a strike to show the boss they are serious about winning a contract with significant wage increases, expanded health care benefits and sufficient staffing and resources to keep schools clean and safe.

On Friday, March 17 LAUSD filed charges saying that a strike by the school workers would be against the law. However, those charges were quickly found to not have merit and dismissed. The union members say they are ready to move forward with the strike as planned.

David Huerta is the president of SEIU California and SEIU United Service Workers West. Huerta released the following statement about the strike.

“Workers’ right to take collective action – free from threats or intimidation – is what binds us together as a labor movement. We won’t stand by while a powerful employer like LAUSD bullies and harasses workers to gain leverage at the bargaining table. SEIU members in California – 700,000 strong – stand united with SEIU Local 99 school workers who are striking to demand the district respect their fundamental rights. School workers have our unwavering support as they bargain in good faith for wages that allow them to put food on the table for their own children and for the staffing and support that matters to all students in LAUSD.”

The strike is set to run from 4:30 a.m. Tuesday through the school day on Thursday.

#LosAngelesCA #PeoplesStruggles #strike #LAUSD #Strikes #TeachersUnions

Los Angeles, CA – Dr. Rocio Rivas was finally declared winner in the highly anticipated Los Angeles Unified School District board race for District 2. On December 13 she was sworn in at an LAUSD board meeting. Board member and longtime human rights activist Jackie Goldberg gave her the oath of office while surrounded by family.

LAUSD District 2 includes East LA, Boyle Heights and several other east area communities. The LAUSD is the second largest in the nation, with majority Chicano students.

In her acceptance speech, Rivas thanked the community, mothers and union members for running a grassroots campaign, pointing out the key role of women in our history of struggle for equality. She spoke of fighting racism and supporting the working class, and how her and family moved to LA from Mexico and their struggles. Rivas acknowledged the history of struggle for public education by the Chicano movement and acknowledged several activists including Carlos Montes.

Dr. Rivas ran a grassroots race with door-to-door canvassing and local outreach efforts. United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) had also endorsed Dr. Rivas ran an excellent independent campaign on her behalf. As of December 1, votes total showed Dr. Rivas ahead with 55,159 to loser Maria Brenes with 49,927 votes, a clear victory.

Dr. Rocio Rivas is a parent of an LAUSD student, has a PhD in education, and studied education systems in South America and Europe. She is critical of the neoliberal politics that target privatization of public resources like education. She works with current board member Jackie Goldberg.

The choices were clear, with Dr. Rocio Rivas advocating for public education and holding charter schools accountable. Defeated candidate Maria Brenes had hollow slogans about educational choices, and supported charter schools like KIPP Promesa, which attempted to build a large school in Boyle Heights. Centro CSO organized and sued successfully and in April stopped this KIPP Promesa charter school.

But the community and public did not fall for the million-dollar campaign for Brenes with four to five mailers per week. Brenes benefited from millions from Netflix owner Reed Hastings and big developers. Toward the end, Brenes started sending false attack pieces against Dr. Rivas, but to no avail.

Brenes also had an independent campaign effort directed by the same consultant for Sheriff Alex Villanueva, Javier Gonzalez. A former labor activist, Javier Gonzalez sold out for the money and the politics of hate promoted by now former LA Sheriff Villanueva – who lost his reelection bid. Brenes has been employed by the non-profit InnerCity Struggle with her husband Luis Sanchez. ICS is a fake grassroots group that pretends to do social justice advocacy, but in reality, is anti-union and supports the privatization of public education.

The defeat came despite the millions spent on Brenes’s behalf and came ten years after her husband was defeated in a similar race for LAUSD. The unity of parents, teachers and students to fight for public education made it possible for Dr. Rivas’s victory.

#LosAngelesCA #ChicanoLatino #LAUSD #PublicEducation #Elections

Los Angeles, CA – As of January 29, UTLA strike victories continue. At a contentious public LAUSD meeting the Board voted 5-1 for a “moratorium on new charter schools.” A loud but small rally by the pro-charter forces chanted and gave misleading speeches promoting their lies. The LAUSD boardroom was packed, with many waiting outside and watching on remote TV. The pro-charter forces packed the room hoping to pressure the board members to vote against a resolution to cap new charter schools. To counter, Eastside Parents Against Privatization leader Eloisa Galindo and Julie Regalado spoke in support of a moratorium on charters. They also told of the damage and segregation charters school cause at LAUSD.

This moratorium or cap on new charter schools was a victory won during the massive strike and rallies during the UTLA strike January 14 to 22. The strike saw over 30,000 teachers striking and over 300,000 students boycotting schools. The demands were: to improve LAUSD public schools, lower class sizes, community schools, more nurses, librarians and counselors, along with ethnic studies and decent wages. After round the clock negotiations at LA city hall, the pro-charter Superintendent Austin Beutner caved and included a moratorium of new charter school as part of the tentative agreement.

The charter moratorium agreement does not try to eliminate the current large number of charter schools nor those that are in co-locations. However, the agreement does call for advance notices and for an effort to go to the California state government for changes and more future funding. LAUSD has been hit by a proliferation of charter schools which drain over $600 million per year in primarily Black and brown neighborhoods of Los Angeles. UTLA made holding charters schools back a central part of the demands and on second day of strike held a massive rally at the office of the CA Charter Schools Association.

Centro CSO in Boyle Heights wholeheartedly participated in the UTLA strike by walking the picket lines every day at Breed Street School. CSO joined all the rallies and worked closely with Eastside Parents Against Privatization. The parent group and Centro CSO are part of the fight against the mega KIPP Promesa charter school project to build a large 625-student school in the heart of Boyle Heights at the old Lincoln Hospital. With the Boyle Heights Neighborhood Association, a lawsuit was filed on January 4 against the city of Los Angeles and KIPP Promesa charter school. February and March will see the court and community battle to stop this mega KIPP school.

Please donate to pay for legal fees of the lawsuit http://gofundme.com/HelpCentroCSO and participate in CSO’s upcoming meeting February 20 at 6 p.m. at the Boyle Heights Benjamin Franklin Library. For more information call 323-943-2030.

#LosAngelesCA #PeoplesStruggles #LAUSD #UTLA #TeachersUnions #charterSchools

Los Angeles, CA – Day five of UTLA teachers strike started with citywide enthusiastic picketing at all LAUSD schools, January 18. The night before, parents held a protest outside the home of former Wall Street banker and school Superintendent Austin Beutner. Parents were angered that the LA police department showed up in full force to protect the representative of the super rich. Beutner is pushing a plan to “reimagine LAUSD” – a cover for dismantling and privatizing LAUSD. Leading a misinformation campaign, Beutner has misled parents about student absences. In the media, Beutner is making proposals while belittling the mass protest that has brought the country’s 2nd largest school district to a standstill.

In the afternoon a mass rally was held on the steps of LA city hall while negotiations were underway inside. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti brought the LAUSD board and UTLA to the negotiation table. Garcetti opened LA city hall for the meetings, while the mass rally chanted outside.

Thousands of teachers, staff, supporters, students and parents chanted, sang, danced and raised their fists in a broad show of unity and a militant spirit. The rally was led by Cecily Myart-Cruz, UTLA NEA vice president. Speakers included students and teachers. Alex Caputo-Pearl, the UTLA president, gave a rousing speech saying that UTLA is making history. Caputo-Pearl said UTLA has brought LAUSD and its top politicians to the ground. He asked all to continue the strong picket lines to win a victory for the whole community.

The community group Centro CSO continued participation in the with the daily picketing in the early morning at Breed Street School in Boyle Heights. CSO members, along with the parents of LAUSD student Jesse Romero, who was killed by LAPS August 9, 2016, also participated in the UTLA rally.

Negotiations continue and strike picket lines will resume Monday morning January 21.

#LosAngelesCA #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #ChicanoLatino #LAUSD #PublicSectorUnions #Strikes #UTLA #TeachersUnions #AustinBeutner #UTLAStrike

Los Angeles, CA – Citywide, UTLA teachers and parents continue the strong momentum and LAUSD politicians are feeling the pressure. Negotiations have restarted today, January 17. The UTLA strike is getting national attention and the newly elected California Governor Gavin Newsom is calling on LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner and LA Mayor Eric Garcetti to continue with negotiations. Newsom is bringing both politicians in to negotiate at LA City Hall. UTLA has the strength and momentum to win for fully-funded, public, community schools.

Teachers throughout the city held picket lines with parents and students in unity. In Boyle Heights strong picket lines at Breed Street Elementary started once again as early as 4 a.m. Three contingents, one on Breed Street at the student drop off; one at the other entrance on 3rd Street and Chicago Street where staff parks – but not a single car was there; and the contingent along 4th Street rallied and made a lot of noise.

Teachers and Centro CSO hung a large banner on the fence at Breed Street Elementary facing the thousands of passing cars. The banner slogan reads, “Support for public education! No privatization and no mega KIPP Promesa Charter School!” With pouring rain, high winds, but an unwavering spirit, the large group kept the picket line strong.

California 53rd Assemblyman Miguel Santiago made an appearance at Breed Street Elementary. Centro CSO members approached him to ask him about his stance on the strike.

“I asked Santiago if he would be urging LAUSD Board President Monica Garcia to support the teachers and to support their demands,” says longtime Chicano revolutionary Carlos Montes. “He just smiled, but I’m hoping he takes what we asked of him serious.”

After the morning pickets, all East-Area UTLA members inundated the sidewalks of major streets. A massive sea of red shirts, banners and chants greeted the shouts and honks of support from motorists.

In Boyle Heights, strikers and supporters lined the streets for miles, chanting, “Everywhere we go, people wanna know who we are! So we tell em ‘We are the teachers, the mighty mighty teachers! Fighting for justice and for education!’” and “Huelga! Huelga!” (the Spanish word for strike).

The future of public education in Los Angeles will depends on the outcome of the UTLA strike.

At the monthly Centro CSO meeting, Lupe Torres, who is a UTLA chapter chair and teacher at Marvin Avenue School, gave a strike report. Part of the report included an in-depth talk about the failed model in teaching by KIPP Charter school. Carlos Cerdan, who is also a UTLA chapter chair at Breed Street Elementary, stated that this strike opened his eyes.

“The inequalities we face as teachers has never been clearer as it is now. It's like the veil was lifted,” says Cerdan. “Our school and teachers have been facing so much repression from LAUSD administrators and principals, since our strike.”

Picket lines will continue tomorrow Friday, January 18 to complete the first school week of the intense strike. The evening of January 16, UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl announced during the daily press conference that UTLA and LAUSD were re-entering negotiations. Centro CSO live-streamed the announcement at their monthly meeting.

Plans are to continue picketing in the morning, and joining the massive rally at Grand Park 10:30 a.m., January 18, in downtown Los Angeles, gathering in front of City Hall, and ending each school day with the ongoing picketing. All are encouraged to participate and to join the striking teachers and staff of UTLA.

#LosAngelesCA #PeoplesStruggles #CentroCSO #LAUSD #teachersStrike #Strikes #UTLA #TeachersUnions

According to a statement from the UTLA, “United Teachers Los Angeles proudly represents more than 2000 substitutes in our bargaining unit, and we are fighting for improvements for them and all of our members. More than 34,000 experienced educators are prepared to go on strike if we have to, including our substitute members. It is outrageously irresponsible for Supt. Austin Beutner to force this strike when the district holds $1.9 billion in reserves and it is even more irresponsible to think that 400 substitutes can educate more than 600,000 students. We believe that it is illegal for the district to hire people outside our bargaining unit to teach in LAUSD classrooms.”

Chicano community leader Carlos Montes calls on all in the community and Chicano movement to join the picket lines to support UTLA teachers strike on January 10 at your local school.

#LosAngelesCA #PeoplesStruggles #LAUSD #UTLA #TeachersUnions

Los Angeles, CA – This morning, December 19, United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) joined by parents, student and supporters, announced they will strike on Thursday, January 10, 2019. Centro CSO urges parents and students to join the picket line at their local school to stand united with our teachers.

“I am so angry, and ready to strike,” says Lupe Torres a public school teacher at Marvin Elementary and East LA resident. “It's time to show the public the bureaucracy of LAUSD.”

More than 50,000 teachers and supporters marched on December 14 to show the support in numbers. The march and rally occurred as LAUSD and UTLA were still in fact-finding stage. The fact-finding report did confirm that LAUSD has a reserve of $1.8 billion and made several recommendations proposed by UTLA.

Centro CSO and many other allies will join the picket line to stand in solidarity with our local teachers in Boyle Heights.

#LosAngelesCA #PeoplesStruggles #LAUSD #teachersUnions #strikes

La junta identifica tres áreas y formulo demandas que serán implementadas a través de acciones que se enfoquen en cuestiones centrales sobre la educación.

Primeramente el grupo se centro en la cuestión de Materias Educacionales. Las demandas en esta área exigen que:

(1) Los departamentos de estudios Chicanos / as, que enseñan la historia de Mexicanas/os y sus experiencias sociales, culturales, políticas y económicas en los Estados Unidos sean institucionados en cada colegio y universidad. (2) Que los estudios Chicanas/os se incluyan como parte de ciencias sociales desde la primaria a la secundaria (K-12). Se decidió que continuaremos un plan de enfoque que analice y desarrolle materias que presentemente tenemos y se enseñan en el sistema escolar. También se sugerio que nos enfoquemos en escuelas especificas en la área del Este de Los Ángeles a la vez que los estudiantes se organizan y organizan alrededor de sus áreas estos temas. La segunda cuestión es Edificar Mas Escuelas.

Las demandas son que:

(1) el estado de California use fondos Públicos para edificar mas escuelas en lugar de aumentar mas cárceles. (2) Que se creen mas escuelas en áreas sobre pobladas para eliminar los salones sobre capacitados. (3) Que se haga una limpieza de los espacios escolares, especialmente los baños estudiantiles, que haiga más reparaciones, buen cuidado y que se modernizan las escuelas publicas.

La tercer cuestión es la Educación Bilingüe. Las demandas en esta área piden poner mas presión en la junta directiva del distrito de Los Ángeles para:

(1) informar a las familias sobre sus derechos en las escuelas. Específicamente el derecho a escoger programas bilingües con una forma de excepción o “waiver.” (Un “Waiver” es la palabra en ingles para la forma que le da la opción a los padres de familia de pedir clases de Educación Bilingüe para sus hijas/os). (2) Que haiga programas educacionales de alta calidad para todos los grupos de estudiantes. (Algunas clases han sido creadas como clases de materias nombradas “regulares” y otras bajo el titulan de “aceleradas” agregando más desigualdades entre estudiantes). (3) Que se acaben los exámenes normalizados como el SAT 9 en los grados primarios que discriminan a base de lenguaje, cultura y clase. (4) La ultima demanda es deshacer la proposición 227. (Esta proposición es la proposición que deshizo los programas bilingües en el sistema escolar en el estado de California).

¡LIBERACION REQUIERE UNA VERDADERA EDUCACION!

En la conferencia también se decidió completar ciertas tareas como: organizar la lista de demandas, desarrollar un diario para informar la comunidad, solicitar mas participación, establecer mas alianzas con otros grupos que traten cuestiones educacionales y organizar un entrenamiento para desarrollar nuestras habilidades como organizadoras / es.

Las/Los participantes decidieron comenzar con el entrenamiento de organizadores el 9 de diciembre del 2000 con los miembros de La Nueva Raza Izquierda y otros habitantes y miembros de la comunidad. El objetivo es transformar los temas de la campana en acciones locales para extender nuestras ideas a la comunidad como una nueva estrategia para hacer cambios en el sistema de escuelas publicas. El entrenamiento nos ayudara a alcanzar un mejor entendimiento de las condiciones entre la comunidad educacional y otros sectores con quienes necesitamos trabajar.

La presentación de entrenamiento proveerá un análisis más claro. Ayúdenos a motivar el pueblo y a mejor utilizar nuestros recursos. ¡El entrenamiento proveerá la base de como organizar! El plan es traer un entrenador profesional que nos de información en como avanzar nuestras demandas en una campaña organizada por el pueblo y posiblemente implementar nuestra causa para la juventud de nuestras comunidades.

¡Necesitamos descifrar como crear una campaña popular que motive a la gente a participar en la lucha para cambiar las condiciones deshumanas en las escuelas publicas y el sistema educacional!

Datos sobre la retención de estudiantes: Se ha documentado que al retener los estudiantes en primer grado aumenta las posibilidades de no terminar la secundaria por un 50% y un 90% cuando la retención es en segundo grado.

Impacto discriminatorio en los estudiantes en escuelas bajo presupuestadas: El Proyecto de Derechos Civiles de Harvard encontró que las escuelas del condado de Los Ángeles en comunidades de color (Chicana/os, Afro Americanos) tienden a tener 12 veces más menos materiales básicos que las escuelas en comunidades blancas o Anglosajonas y 6 veces más posibilidades de contar con maestras/os con menos experiencia.

#LosÁngelesCA #LosAngelesCA #ImmigrantRights #News #ChicanoLatino #LAUSD #NuevaIzquierdaDeLaRaza #Proposición227

Los últimos meses se han intensificado los esfuerzos para desmantelar los exámenes de normas restrictivas. La Raza Nueva Izquierda ah tomado cuestiones como ésta como parte de su campaña contra las injusticias del sistema educacional de los Estados Unidos. La Coalición para Justicia Educacional ha enfrentado específicamente el distrito escolar de Los Angeles. Conocidos mejor como “Standardized Testing” o “Stanford 9” estos exámenes se están usando para juzgar la habilidad de los estudiantes sin considerar que en realidad no muestran la habilidad de un estudiante ni lo que ha aprendido en su clase durante el año Estos exámenes han sido diseñados y compuestos por preguntas que son racistas y clasistas. Por su naturaleza excluyen a una gran parte de la población Chicana/o, Latina, Afro Americana, Indígena y Asiática. Los exámenes solo se otorgan en Inglés. Lo cual quiere decir que un estudiante que está académicamente avanzado pero todavía está desarrollando el inglés como segundo idioma no va a recibir una puntuación muy alta. Entonces este estudiante es juzgado como si tuviera pocas habilidades en lugar de decir el examen no demuestra puntuación valida porque esta examinando cuantas ingles sabe o no sabe en lugar de su nivel académico. El lenguaje y los terminos también son terminos no al nivel de los estudiantes y el contenido de las preguntas refleja estereotipos que ofenden a culturas que no son anglosajonas.

Además, la situación educacional se empeora porque algunos maestros se sienten forzados a enseñar hacia el examen normalizado en lugar de las materias que en realidad necesitan los estudiantes. Algunos funcionarios estatales están hablando de ofrecer recompensas monetarias a los maestros que suban sus niveles de puntuación en los examenes normalizados del estado. La recompensa crea un ambiente de capitalismo e individualista entre maestras/os que en lugar de compartir van a competir. El estado le quita validez a los estudios y conocimientos de los maestros en como mejor ayudar nuestros estudiantes. Mejor se enfoca en presionar, criticar y sugerir medios de examinar donde no se fija en si en realidad el estudiante ha tenido el tiempo de aprender y procesar las materias academicas de cada grado. Por su naturaleza “El Standford 9” y otras formas de “Standardized Testing” están diseñados para que no triunfe un estudiante de un grupo “minoritario” la escuela y entonces poder decir que son menos inteligentes o no tratan bastante. El sistema educacional desde sus raíces ha fallado a las naciones oprimidas con el propósito de mantener una clase laboral oprimida. Este (los examenes normalizados en las escuelas) es el método y la excusa para mantener una clase de trabajadores que no puedan cuestionar el sistema educacional o el sistema en general y así poder mantener una nación o naciones oprimidas.

Unase con nosotros para organizar por una educación mejor y luchar por una sociedad con verdadera justicia y democracia. Llamenos al (323)266-1408 para participar en nuestra próxima actividad.

¡POR LA AUTO DETERMINACION!

#LosÁngelesCA #LosAngelesCA #ImmigrantRights #News #ChicanoLatino #LAUSD #Proposición21 #CoaliciónParaJusticiaEducacional

The first issue is educational curriculum. We demand that Chicana/o Studies, which teaches about the history of Mexicana/os and their social, cultural, political and economic experiences in the United States, be given full institutional status in every college campus.

Chicana/o Studies needs to be included in the social studies curriculum of grades K-12. We plan to focus on curriculum development in the present school system, targeting a few schools in the East Los Angeles area, and mobilizing students around these issues.

The second issue was building more schools. The state of California needs to use public funds to build more schools rather than more jails, especially in densely populated areas, to eliminate the overcrowded classrooms.

The schools we have are in bad condition. There needs to be a clean up of all school campuses (especially the student rest rooms), along with more money for repairs, for safety and to modernize the public school campuses.

The third issue was bilingual education. The demands are to put more pressure on the L.A. District School Board to inform parents of their rights to request a Bilingual Waiver. A waiver is a parent's request form to receive bilingual education classes for their child. We demand equal education for all students on all “track systems.” Some track systems have “honors” curriculum and others have “regular” curriculum. This type of tracking only causes more academic inequality among students. Standardized testing, like the SAT 9, which discriminates on the basis of language, class and race must be stopped.

The last demand is to repeal Proposition 227. This state proposition abolished bilingual education in the California public school system.

Liberation requires a real education. The current policies of the L.A. school district are discriminatory and under-educate our kids. Research documents that holding students back in first grade increases the chances that a student will drop out by 50%, and that holding students back in second grade increases the chances of dropout by 90%. The Harvard Civil Rights Project found that L.A. county schools in communities of color are 12 times more likely to lack basic materials than schools in white communities, and are six times as likely to have less experienced teachers.

For further information contact

NEW RAZA LEFT

511 ECHANDIA

LOS ANGELES, CA 90003

(323) 221-4000

#LosAngelesCA #LosAngeles #ImmigrantRights #News #ChicanoLatino #NewRazaLeft #Proposition227 #LAUSD

Overcrowded and old inner city schools, lack of resources and support for teachers, high push-out rates, and forced racist standardized testing. Combine this with the destruction of bilingual education and the push by profit driven business interests to take over the LAUSD. The LAUSD continues to use race and class biased testing.

Rank and file teachers have organized a movement to stop standardized testing in the schools. Efforts to dismantle standardized testing have intensified in the past months. The New Raza Left has taken up this issue as part of its campaign against the injustice of the U.S. educational system.

The Coalition for Educational Justice has specifically confronted the school district. Known as standardized testing or Stanford 9 testing, these exams are being used to judge students ability, but in reality they do not demonstrate anything about a student's ability, or what a student has learned in his or her class during the year.

These exams have been designed and are composed of questions that are racist and elitist. By nature they exclude a large portion of the Chicano/a, Latino/a, African American, Indigenous and Asian population. The exams are only given in English, which means that a student who is academically advanced but still developing English as a second language will not receive a high grade. That student is then judged as though they didn't have abilities, instead of saying that the exam's grading system in not valid, because it is testing how much English someone does or does not know, instead of their academic level. The language and terms are also not at the students level, and the content of the questions reflect stereotypes offensive to cultures that are not Anglo.

In addition, the educational situation is getting worse because some teachers feel forced to teach to the standardized test instead of teaching material that the students actually need. Some state officials are talking about paying bonuses to teachers that reach the prescribed grade levels for the state standardized tests. The bonus system creates an environment of capitalist greed and individualism among teachers, who will then compete rather than cooperate. The state then takes away the validity of the teachers' studies and knowledge of how to best help our students.

It would be better if they focused on pressuring, criticizing and suggesting ways of testing which do not focus on whether or not a student has had time to learn and process academic material from each grade. By nature the Stanford 9 and other standardized tests are designed for students from minority groups and schools not to succeed, so they can then say that they are less intelligent and don't try enough.

The educational system has failed the oppressed nations from the beginning with the purpose of keeping the working class oppressed. This – standardized testing in the schools – is the model and the excuse for maintaining a working class that cannot question the educational system or the system in general, and then keep one or more nations oppressed.

Join with us to organize for a better education and struggle for a society with real justice and democracy. Call us at (323) 266-1408 to participate in our next activity.

For Self-Determination!

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