Los Angeles Unified School District
Encyclopedia
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California
. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States
. Only the New York City Department of Education
has a larger student population. During the 2007-2008 school year, LAUSD served 694,288 students, and had 45,473 teachers and 38,494 other employees. It is the second largest employer in Los Angeles County, after the county government. The total school district budget for 2009-2010 is $7.3 billion. In enrollment breakdown by ethnic group, 73% of its students were of Hispanic
origin and 11% of its students were African American
. White American
students comprise 9% of the student population, while Asian American
students comprise 4%; students of Filipino origin
form 2% of the student population. Native Americans
and Pacific Islanders
together are less than 1%.
The school district
consists of Los Angeles
and all or portions of several adjoining Southern California cities. LAUSD has its own police force, the Los Angeles School Police Department
, which was established in 1948 to provide police
services for LAUSD schools. The LAUSD enrolls a third of the preschoolers in Los Angeles County, and operates almost as many buses as the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
. The LAUSD school construction program rivals the Big Dig in terms of expenditures, and LAUSD cafeterias serve about 500,000 meals a day, rivaling the output of local McDonald's
restaurants.
The LAUSD has a reputation for extremely crowded schools with large class sizes, high drop-out and expulsion rates, low academic performance in many schools, poor maintenance and incompetent administration. In 2007, LAUSD's dropout rate was 26 percent for grades 9 through 12. Bond issues and ambitious renovation programs have not uniformly eased these conditions. As part of its school-construction project, LAUSD opened two high schools (Santee Education Complex
and South East
) in 2005 and four high schools (Arleta
, Contreras Learning Complex, Panorama
, and East Valley
) in 2006.
Los Angeles Unified School District is governed by a seven-member Board of Education, which appoints a superintendent, who runs the daily operations of the district. Members of the board are elected directly by voters from separate districts that encompass communities that the LAUSD serves. The district's current superintendent is John Deasy. He succeeds Ramon C. Cortines
. Cortines was appointed acting superintendent after the school board decided to buyout the contract of David M. Brewer III, a former Navy Vice-Admiral who served as head of the Navy's Education and Training Division and was in charge of the SeaLift Command. From 2001 until his retirement in October, 2006, the district was led by former Colorado
governor
and Democratic Party
chairman Roy Romer.
The seven current members of Board of Education include Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte (District 1), Board President Monica Garcia (District 2),Tamar Galatzan (District 3), Steve Zimmer (District 4), Bennett Kayser (District 5), Nury Martinez (District 6), and Richard Vladovic (District 7).
Every LAUSD household or residential area is zoned to an elementary school, a middle school and a high school, in one of the eight local school districts. Each local school district is run by an area superintendent and is headquartered within the district.
, formed on September 19, 1853, and the Los Angeles City High School District
, formed in 1890. The latter provided 9-12 educational services, while the former did so for K-8. On July 1, 1961 the LA City school district and the Palos Verdes School District merged, forming the Los Angeles Unified School District.
The annexation left the Topanga School District and the Las Vergenes Union School District (then renamed to the West County Union High School District) as separate remnants of the high school district. The high school district changed its name to the West County Union High School District. LAUSD annexed the Topanga district on July 1, 1962. Since the Las Vergenes Union School District had the same boundary as the remaining West County Union High School District, on July 1, 1962 West County ceased to exist.
plan of mandatory student reassignment in the nation." A desegregation busing
plan was developed to be implemented in the 1978 school year. Two lawsuits to stop the enforced busing plan, both titled Bustop, Inc. v. Los Angeles Bd. of Ed., were filed by the group Bustop Inc. and were petitioned to the United States Supreme Court. The petitions to stop the busing plan were subsequently denied by Justice Rehnquist and Justice Powell. California Constitutional Proposition 1, which mandated that busing follow the Equal protection clause
of the U.S. Constitution passed in 1979 with 70% of the vote. The Crawford v. Board of Ed. of Los Angeles lawsuit was heard in the Supreme Court in 1982. The Supreme Court upheld the decision that Proposition 1 was constitutional.
Various attempts at program reform have been attempted. In one reform, individual schools were given more authority over day to day decisions and public school choice
was implemented. In the 1990s, LEARN and LAAMP were created, giving principals even more authority to make changes in curriculum hopefully benefiting students. Regardless, student achievement failed to increase.
Later attempted reform led to the creation of eleven minidistricts with decentralized management and their own individual superintendents. Due to the cost of this additional bureaucracy, then Superintendent Romer called for reversing the measure and re-merging the minidistricts. United Teachers Los Angeles
, the union representing LAUSD teachers, supported this plan. Eight numbered Local Districts arose from the merger replacing the eleven districts.
The practice has prompted concerns and a growing number of inquiries from the district's board members and LAUSD's bond oversight committee. Some district officials defend the practice, saying use of consultants ebbs and flows with the various stages of construction.
Efforts to reform Facilities by Superintendent Ramon Cortines, from 2009–2010, has continued to result in union complaints and audit issues regarding consultants. Former Chief of Facilities James Sohn
, hired on 2009, lead the effort to reduce consultant payments by 20% and increase consultant company competition. However, this effort has been ridiculed by audits from Los Angeles County Controller Wendy Greuel and confidential internal audits by the Office of Inspector General in LAUSD that consistently found lax oversight and conflicts of interest. The confidential report by the OIG office, prompted by whistleblowers, found “irregularities in $65 million worth of contracts.” This includes costs that exceed pre-approved amounts by 50% and contracts worth $31 million without school board approval. James Sohn’s declaration to decrease 20% consultants costs were also shown to be disingenuous by the OIG audit report which found many consultants switched companies with a higher billing rate, offsetting the 20% reduction and companies increased hourly billing rate prior to the 20% reduction, therefore negating any difference. James Sohn disputes these charges.
James Sohn has also introduced a new contract type, called Agency Construction Manager (Agency CM) which claim to offer many benefits, including maximizing consultant services, lower costs, increase productivity and increase small business competition (see Construction Management
). Agency CM is an attempt to replace the old consultant model of billing for an hourly rate in favor of a “lump sum task order”. Task orders are designed to provide payment for completion of a particular task, regardless of the amount of hours worked. Criticisms with this include the lack of adequate tracking of consultant employees. Comparing district to consultant
staffing would not be accurate. These contracts were also cited in the confidential OIG report as “vague” in detail.
Teamster union officials have also complained about layoffs within Facilities that have resulted in massive district demotions and layoffs. Teamster representative, Connie Oser, has alleged that district staff have been removed while consultant contracts have been continuously and repeatedly approved by the board, consultant employees shuffled between companies, and the use of Agency CM, which enables tracking of consultants, difficult. Superintendent Ramon Cortines and former Chief Facilities Sohn have both claimed consultants have been reduced in far greater numbers than district staff. This claim cannot be verified since the use of Agency CM contracts.
Allegations have also surfaced against James Sohn’s management staff. Many of his Executive level staff have been prior consultants. The Director of Facilities Program Management, Margaret Brown, has a pending lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and retaliation in San Ramon Unified, of which three of four cases have been settled. James Sohn has also been criticized for his attempt to purge all non-legally required documents in each employee computer system. After Teamsters
union complaints, LAUSD halted this practice. James Sohn claimed this is a customary process done by construction programs. He did not provide any evidence to support this claim.
in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Chinea stated that, in many schools she served, the students had no interest in learning, abused the teachers, vandalized property, and joined gangs
. Chinea, who was injured on the job, stated that teachers are underpaid and under-appreciated in the district. She described the campuses in LAUSD as a "mess, filthy, dilapidated and without supplies." Chinea believes that the district is taking little action against the conditions rampant in various low-income schools.
On January 5, 2008 Sandy Banks of the Los Angeles Times
reported that vandals and thieves targeted LAUSD schools in various neighborhoods during holidays. Banks said that the lack of police presence allows thieves to target schools.
33-year old Alberto Gutierrez sued the Los Angeles Unified School District, saying that the principal of the San Fernando High School
, where he was assigned, retaliated against him when Gutierrez asked students to "think critically" about the role of the United States in the Iraq War. Jose Luis Rodriguez, the principal, says that he spoke to Gutierrez because some parents did not appreciate Gutierrez requiring students to attend off-campus screenings of Fahrenheit 9/11
and Crash
.
advocated bringing control of the public school system under his office, removing power from the Board of Education. This sparked some protest from teachers, LAUSD board members and many residents of communities not within the City of Los Angeles but served by LAUSD.
In August, 2006, after a compromise was brokered which allowed the mayor large control while retaining an elected school board and allowing input to be provided from surrounding cities, California State Assembly Bill 1381 passed, giving the mayor a measure of control over district administration. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
signed the law on September 18, 2006. The Board of Education immediately filed suit to block the law, claiming that it violates the state constitution by allowing a local government to take over an educational agency.
AB 1381 was required to sunset on January 1, 2013, unless extended by the Legislature. On December 21, 2006, AB 1381 was ruled unconstitutional. The mayor appealed, but later dropped his appeal as two of the candidates he supported for school board were elected, essentially giving him indirect control over the school district.
engaged to customize software purchased from SAP AG
. The Deloitte contract was $55,000,000 (U.S.) with the total cost estimated to be $95,000,000. The system went live in January 2007. As of 2008, a number of problems have been experienced with some staff getting overpaid and some underpaid, or even not at all. Deloitte representatives and District officials have pointed fingers at each other. Some of the problems have been software and hardware, some have been due to the complexity of labor agreements, salary scales, work rules and job assignments within the district.
Source: Los Angeles Times
LAUSD serves all of the following communities:
and portions of the following communities:
s and 439 schools on the traditional calendar. About 47% of all LAUSD students are enrolled in year round schools.
or Vista Hermosa Learning Center), in the densely populated Westlake
district just west of downtown, was originally envisioned as a mixed-use education and retail complex to include several schools, shops and a public park. After more than a decade of delays stemming from the environmental review
process, ground was broken for construction in 1995 . Midway through construction it was discovered that explosive methane
and toxic hydrogen sulfide
were seeping from an old underground oil field. Later, an active surface fault was found under one of the completed buildings, necessitating its removal. The LAUSD had spent an estimated $175 million dollars on the project by 2004, with an additional $110 million budgeted for cleanup efforts. The total cost is estimated by LAUSD at $300 million. Critics have speculated that it may end up costing closer to $500 million. Designed by architectural firm DLR Group
WWCOT, the school opened in 2008 as Edward R. Roybal Learning Center.
in densely populated Koreatown
. The LAUSD fought over the landmark with, among others, Donald Trump
(with the legal battle dating back to 1989). In 2001, the LAUSD finally obtained legal ownership of the property. Plans to demolish the building, the site where Senator Robert F. Kennedy
was shot, were met with strong opposition from preservationists
. In August 2005, LAUSD settled a lawsuit over the matter that had been filed by numerous preservationist groups: most of the Ambassador complex would be destroyed, but the Paul Williams
-designed coffee shop and the Coconut Grove nightclub
would be preserved, with the Grove serving as the auditorium
for a new school to be built on the site. Demolition began in late 2005 and the last section of the hotel fell on January 16, 2006.
The project construction became the most expensive school in the United States. It Has 3 Elementary Schools, 3 Middle Schools, 4 High Schools including LAHSA. The Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools
opened in September 2010 at the cost of $578 million to serve 4,200 K-12 students. Costs in 2010 were $350 per 1 ft2. Amidst great controversy the district attributed the high costs to material, land prices, seismic code, and unionized labor.
found high levels of carcinogen
s in soil used as foundation fill for a high school then under construction. A small controversy brewed on the matter, with some neighborhood activists and LAUSD critics claiming a repeat of the Belmont Learning Center fiasco. State scientists determined that the contaminated soil was sufficiently deep to pose no threat to students on the site, and the now-called Santee Educational Complex opened its doors in July 2005.
since 1973. The All District High School Band allows members the opportunity to perform in Bandfest, at Disneyland, and on other special events. The 300 members are required "to maintain a 2.5 or greater grade point average, and stay in good standing with home school program."
Originally organized to meet the minimum requirement of having 100 members on the band to perform in the Rose Parade, the Honor Band has performed at Anaheim Stadium, Hollywood Bowl
, Hollywood Christmas Lane Parade (now Hollywood Christmas Parade)
, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
, Rams
and Raiders
football games, and Super Bowl
s XI, XIV, and XVII. They were present at the Governor's Inauguration in Sacramento, XXIV Olympiad Salute, and the World Series
during the past 25 years.
in an attempt to balance the district's budget. Librarians who could demonstrate they had taught within the past five years could avoid layoff by being classified as teachers.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Only the New York City Department of Education
New York City Department of Education
The New York City Department of Education is the branch of municipal government in New York City that manages the city's public school system. It is the largest school system in the United States, with over 1.1 million students taught in more than 1,700 separate schools...
has a larger student population. During the 2007-2008 school year, LAUSD served 694,288 students, and had 45,473 teachers and 38,494 other employees. It is the second largest employer in Los Angeles County, after the county government. The total school district budget for 2009-2010 is $7.3 billion. In enrollment breakdown by ethnic group, 73% of its students were of Hispanic
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
origin and 11% of its students were African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
. White American
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
students comprise 9% of the student population, while Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
students comprise 4%; students of Filipino origin
Filipino American
Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...
form 2% of the student population. Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
and Pacific Islanders
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
together are less than 1%.
The school district
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
consists of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and all or portions of several adjoining Southern California cities. LAUSD has its own police force, the Los Angeles School Police Department
Los Angeles School Police Department
The Los Angeles School Police Department is a law enforcement agency in Los Angeles, California, whose duties are to provide police services to the Los Angeles Unified School District and to enforce state and city laws...
, which was established in 1948 to provide police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
services for LAUSD schools. The LAUSD enrolls a third of the preschoolers in Los Angeles County, and operates almost as many buses as the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the California state-chartered regional transportation planning agency and public transportation operating agency for the County of Los Angeles formed in 1993 out of a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the...
. The LAUSD school construction program rivals the Big Dig in terms of expenditures, and LAUSD cafeterias serve about 500,000 meals a day, rivaling the output of local McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
restaurants.
The LAUSD has a reputation for extremely crowded schools with large class sizes, high drop-out and expulsion rates, low academic performance in many schools, poor maintenance and incompetent administration. In 2007, LAUSD's dropout rate was 26 percent for grades 9 through 12. Bond issues and ambitious renovation programs have not uniformly eased these conditions. As part of its school-construction project, LAUSD opened two high schools (Santee Education Complex
Santee Education Complex
Santee Education Complex is a secondary school located at 1921 South Maple Avenue in Los Angeles, California, United States.Santee, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, and is located in the South Los Angeles area...
and South East
South East High School (South Gate, California)
Ms. Criss Ms. Corral Ms. George Address 2720 Tweedy BoulevardSouth Gate, California 90280 Enrollment 2,800 Athletic Conference Eastern LeagueCIF Los Angeles City Section Colors SilverBlue Nickname Jaguars...
) in 2005 and four high schools (Arleta
Arleta High School
Arleta High School is a secondary school located on Van Nuys Boulevard in the Arleta section of Los Angeles, California in the San Fernando Valley....
, Contreras Learning Complex, Panorama
Panorama High School
Panorama High School is a secondary school located on Van Nuys Boulevard in the Panorama City district of Los Angeles, California, United States. Designed by architect DLR Group WWCOT, Panorama High School opened its doors in 2006 welcoming grades 9, 10, and 11. It is a part of the Los Angeles...
, and East Valley
East Valley High School (Los Angeles)
East Valley High School is a secondary school located at 5525 Vineland Avenue in the North Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States....
) in 2006.
Governance
Ramon C. Cortines
Ramon Curtis Cortines is a retired American educator who was the Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District in Los Angeles, California from January 1, 2009 to April 16, 2011....
. Cortines was appointed acting superintendent after the school board decided to buyout the contract of David M. Brewer III, a former Navy Vice-Admiral who served as head of the Navy's Education and Training Division and was in charge of the SeaLift Command. From 2001 until his retirement in October, 2006, the district was led by former Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
and Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
chairman Roy Romer.
The seven current members of Board of Education include Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte (District 1), Board President Monica Garcia (District 2),Tamar Galatzan (District 3), Steve Zimmer (District 4), Bennett Kayser (District 5), Nury Martinez (District 6), and Richard Vladovic (District 7).
Every LAUSD household or residential area is zoned to an elementary school, a middle school and a high school, in one of the eight local school districts. Each local school district is run by an area superintendent and is headquartered within the district.
History
The Los Angeles Unified School District was once composed of two separate districts: the Los Angeles City School DistrictLos Angeles City School District
The Los Angeles City School District was a school district that served Los Angeles, California, and some adjoining areas between 1870 and 1961.-History:...
, formed on September 19, 1853, and the Los Angeles City High School District
Los Angeles City High School District
Los Angeles City High School District was a school district that served high school-aged residents in the Los Angeles, California, area...
, formed in 1890. The latter provided 9-12 educational services, while the former did so for K-8. On July 1, 1961 the LA City school district and the Palos Verdes School District merged, forming the Los Angeles Unified School District.
The annexation left the Topanga School District and the Las Vergenes Union School District (then renamed to the West County Union High School District) as separate remnants of the high school district. The high school district changed its name to the West County Union High School District. LAUSD annexed the Topanga district on July 1, 1962. Since the Las Vergenes Union School District had the same boundary as the remaining West County Union High School District, on July 1, 1962 West County ceased to exist.
Desegregation
In 1963, a lawsuit, Crawford v. Board of Ed. of Los Angeles was filed to end segregation in the district. The California Supreme Court required the district to come up with a plan in 1977. The board returned to court with what the court of appeal years later would describe as "one of if not the most drasticplan of mandatory student reassignment in the nation." A desegregation busing
Desegregation busing
Desegregation busing in the United States is the practice of assigning and transporting students to schools in such a manner as to redress prior racial segregation of schools, or to overcome the effects of residential segregation on local school demographics.In 1954, the U.S...
plan was developed to be implemented in the 1978 school year. Two lawsuits to stop the enforced busing plan, both titled Bustop, Inc. v. Los Angeles Bd. of Ed., were filed by the group Bustop Inc. and were petitioned to the United States Supreme Court. The petitions to stop the busing plan were subsequently denied by Justice Rehnquist and Justice Powell. California Constitutional Proposition 1, which mandated that busing follow the Equal protection clause
Equal Protection Clause
The Equal Protection Clause, part of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, provides that "no state shall ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws"...
of the U.S. Constitution passed in 1979 with 70% of the vote. The Crawford v. Board of Ed. of Los Angeles lawsuit was heard in the Supreme Court in 1982. The Supreme Court upheld the decision that Proposition 1 was constitutional.
Reform
School choice
School choice is a term used to describe a wide array of programs aimed at giving families the opportunity to choose the school their children will attend. As a matter of form, school choice does not give preference to one form of schooling or another, rather manifests itself whenever a student...
was implemented. In the 1990s, LEARN and LAAMP were created, giving principals even more authority to make changes in curriculum hopefully benefiting students. Regardless, student achievement failed to increase.
Later attempted reform led to the creation of eleven minidistricts with decentralized management and their own individual superintendents. Due to the cost of this additional bureaucracy, then Superintendent Romer called for reversing the measure and re-merging the minidistricts. United Teachers Los Angeles
United Teachers Los Angeles
United Teachers Los Angeles is the main representative of certified, non-administrative staff in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Prior to 1970, primary and secondary school teachers in Los Angeles were chiefly represented by a local of the American Federation of Teachers and the...
, the union representing LAUSD teachers, supported this plan. Eight numbered Local Districts arose from the merger replacing the eleven districts.
Consultants
Although grappling with economic shortfalls, the Los Angeles Unified School District continues to employ consultants. In 2008, the district employed more than 800 consultants - paid, on average, more than twice as much as regular employees - to oversee school construction. The Facilities Services Division spends about $182 million on its 849 consultants, almost $215,000 each. The division's regular employees are paid about $99,000 each. At the time, Senior Deputy Superintendent Ramon Cortines said that consultants may get the work done quickly and correctly, but said he is also concerned about the district's reliance on outside workers. "We need to look at it, to reduce the number of consultants," he said. In the seven main branches of the Facilities Services Division, there are 3,479 district employees who earn a total of about $347 million, according to district records. The division employs 849 consultants who earn a total of about $182.6 million.The practice has prompted concerns and a growing number of inquiries from the district's board members and LAUSD's bond oversight committee. Some district officials defend the practice, saying use of consultants ebbs and flows with the various stages of construction.
Efforts to reform Facilities by Superintendent Ramon Cortines, from 2009–2010, has continued to result in union complaints and audit issues regarding consultants. Former Chief of Facilities James Sohn
James Sohn
James D. Sohn is an Executive Vice President with Seville Construction Services. A boutique firm specializing in the construction industry.He is also the Ex-Chief of Facilities of the Los Angeles Unified School District Facilities Division , having been appointed by the Superintendent Ramon C....
, hired on 2009, lead the effort to reduce consultant payments by 20% and increase consultant company competition. However, this effort has been ridiculed by audits from Los Angeles County Controller Wendy Greuel and confidential internal audits by the Office of Inspector General in LAUSD that consistently found lax oversight and conflicts of interest. The confidential report by the OIG office, prompted by whistleblowers, found “irregularities in $65 million worth of contracts.” This includes costs that exceed pre-approved amounts by 50% and contracts worth $31 million without school board approval. James Sohn’s declaration to decrease 20% consultants costs were also shown to be disingenuous by the OIG audit report which found many consultants switched companies with a higher billing rate, offsetting the 20% reduction and companies increased hourly billing rate prior to the 20% reduction, therefore negating any difference. James Sohn disputes these charges.
James Sohn has also introduced a new contract type, called Agency Construction Manager (Agency CM) which claim to offer many benefits, including maximizing consultant services, lower costs, increase productivity and increase small business competition (see Construction Management
Construction management
Construction Project Management is the overall planning, coordination and control of a project from inception to completion aimed at meeting a client’s requirements in order to produce a functionally and financially viable project that will be complete mingement is project management that applies...
). Agency CM is an attempt to replace the old consultant model of billing for an hourly rate in favor of a “lump sum task order”. Task orders are designed to provide payment for completion of a particular task, regardless of the amount of hours worked. Criticisms with this include the lack of adequate tracking of consultant employees. Comparing district to consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
staffing would not be accurate. These contracts were also cited in the confidential OIG report as “vague” in detail.
Teamster union officials have also complained about layoffs within Facilities that have resulted in massive district demotions and layoffs. Teamster representative, Connie Oser, has alleged that district staff have been removed while consultant contracts have been continuously and repeatedly approved by the board, consultant employees shuffled between companies, and the use of Agency CM, which enables tracking of consultants, difficult. Superintendent Ramon Cortines and former Chief Facilities Sohn have both claimed consultants have been reduced in far greater numbers than district staff. This claim cannot be verified since the use of Agency CM contracts.
Allegations have also surfaced against James Sohn’s management staff. Many of his Executive level staff have been prior consultants. The Director of Facilities Program Management, Margaret Brown, has a pending lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and retaliation in San Ramon Unified, of which three of four cases have been settled. James Sohn has also been criticized for his attempt to purge all non-legally required documents in each employee computer system. After Teamsters
Teamsters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of several local and regional locals of teamsters, the union now represents a diverse membership of blue-collar and professional workers in both the public and private sectors....
union complaints, LAUSD halted this practice. James Sohn claimed this is a customary process done by construction programs. He did not provide any evidence to support this claim.
Twenty-first century
On November 16, 2007, the WorldNet Daily posted "Battle-scarred 'sub' in L.A. barrios speaks out" by Migdia Chinea Varela, a screenwriter and former substitute teacherSubstitute teacher
A substitute teacher is a person who teaches a school class when the regular teacher is unavailable; e.g., because of illness, personal leave, or other reasons. "Substitute teacher" is the most commonly used phrase in the United States, Canada and Ireland, while supply teacher is the most commonly...
in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Chinea stated that, in many schools she served, the students had no interest in learning, abused the teachers, vandalized property, and joined gangs
Gangs in the United States
Street gangs in the United States date to the early 19th century. The most publicized street gangs in the U.S. are African-American; black gangs were not recognized as a social problem until after the great migration of the 1910s...
. Chinea, who was injured on the job, stated that teachers are underpaid and under-appreciated in the district. She described the campuses in LAUSD as a "mess, filthy, dilapidated and without supplies." Chinea believes that the district is taking little action against the conditions rampant in various low-income schools.
On January 5, 2008 Sandy Banks of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reported that vandals and thieves targeted LAUSD schools in various neighborhoods during holidays. Banks said that the lack of police presence allows thieves to target schools.
33-year old Alberto Gutierrez sued the Los Angeles Unified School District, saying that the principal of the San Fernando High School
San Fernando High School
San Fernando High School, located in San Fernando, California, is a secondary school that is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District....
, where he was assigned, retaliated against him when Gutierrez asked students to "think critically" about the role of the United States in the Iraq War. Jose Luis Rodriguez, the principal, says that he spoke to Gutierrez because some parents did not appreciate Gutierrez requiring students to attend off-campus screenings of Fahrenheit 9/11
Fahrenheit 9/11
Fahrenheit 9/11 is a 2004 documentary film by American filmmaker and political commentator Michael Moore. The film takes a critical look at the presidency of George W. Bush, the War on Terror, and its coverage in the news media...
and Crash
Crash (2004 film)
Crash is a 2004 American drama film co-written, produced, and directed by Paul Haggis. The film is about racial and social tensions in Los Angeles, California. A self-described "passion piece" for Haggis, Crash was inspired by a real life incident in which his Porsche was carjacked outside a video...
.
Assembly Bill 1381
After his election to Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio VillaraigosaAntonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
advocated bringing control of the public school system under his office, removing power from the Board of Education. This sparked some protest from teachers, LAUSD board members and many residents of communities not within the City of Los Angeles but served by LAUSD.
In August, 2006, after a compromise was brokered which allowed the mayor large control while retaining an elected school board and allowing input to be provided from surrounding cities, California State Assembly Bill 1381 passed, giving the mayor a measure of control over district administration. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
signed the law on September 18, 2006. The Board of Education immediately filed suit to block the law, claiming that it violates the state constitution by allowing a local government to take over an educational agency.
AB 1381 was required to sunset on January 1, 2013, unless extended by the Legislature. On December 21, 2006, AB 1381 was ruled unconstitutional. The mayor appealed, but later dropped his appeal as two of the candidates he supported for school board were elected, essentially giving him indirect control over the school district.
Payroll system
In 2004, a new payroll system project began, with Deloitte ConsultingDeloitte Touche Tohmatsu
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited , commonly referred to as Deloitte, is one of the Big Four accountancy firms along with PricewaterhouseCoopers , Ernst & Young, and KPMG....
engaged to customize software purchased from SAP AG
SAP AG
SAP AG is a German software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. Headquartered in Walldorf, Baden-Württemberg, with regional offices around the world, SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software...
. The Deloitte contract was $55,000,000 (U.S.) with the total cost estimated to be $95,000,000. The system went live in January 2007. As of 2008, a number of problems have been experienced with some staff getting overpaid and some underpaid, or even not at all. Deloitte representatives and District officials have pointed fingers at each other. Some of the problems have been software and hardware, some have been due to the complexity of labor agreements, salary scales, work rules and job assignments within the district.
LAUSD cities and unincorporated areas
LAUSD serves all of the following communities:
- BellBell, CaliforniaBell is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Its population was 35,477 at the 2010 census, down from 36,664 in the 2000 census. Bell is located on the west bank of the Los Angeles River and is a suburb of the city of Los Angeles...
- CudahyCudahy, CaliforniaCudahy is a city located in southeastern Los Angeles County, California. In terms of area, Cudahy is the second smallest city in Los Angeles County, after Hawaiian Gardens. with one of the highest population densities of any incorporated city in the United States...
- FlorenceFlorence-Graham, CaliforniaFlorence-Graham is a census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 63,387 at the 2010 census, up from 60,197 at the 2000 census...
- GardenaGardena, CaliforniaGardena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 58,829 at the 2010 census, up from 57,746 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gardena is located at ....
- Huntington ParkHuntington Park, CaliforniaHuntington Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 58,114, down from 61,348 at the 2000 census.- History :...
- LomitaLomita, CaliforniaLomita is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 20,256 at the 2010 census, up from 20,046 at the 2000 census...
- Los Angeles - Including, but not limited to:
- List of districts and neighborhoods of Los Angeles
- excluding a small portion of West Hills which is in the Las Virgenes Unified School DistrictLas Virgenes Unified School DistrictLas Virgenes Unified School District is a K-12 school district headquartered in Calabasas, California, United States. The district, serving the western section of Los Angeles County, consists of 14 public schools in the cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Westlake Village, and several small...
- Some areas of Los Angeles with Beverly HillsBeverly Hills, CaliforniaBeverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
addresses, i.e. Beverly Hills Post OfficeBeverly Hills Post OfficeBeverly Hills Post Office is the name given to a section of Los Angeles, California, that lies within the 90210 ZIP code, which is assigned to the Beverly Hills Post Office. Mailing addresses with the ZIP code 90210 are written as "Beverly Hills, CA 90210", though the properties themselves lie...
, are located in LAUSD
- Marina del ReyMarina del Rey, California-Demographics:-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Marina del Rey had a population of 8,866. The population density was 6,094.6 people per square mile...
- MaywoodMaywood, CaliforniaMaywood is a small city in southeast Los Angeles County, California. At , Maywood is the third-smallest incorporated city in Los Angeles County....
- San FernandoSan Fernando, CaliforniaSan Fernando is a city located in the San Fernando Valley, in northwestern region of Los Angeles, California, United States. The population was 23,645 at the 2010 census, up from 23,564 at the 2000 census.-History:...
- South GateSouth Gate, CaliforniaSouth Gate is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The sixteenth largest city in Los Angeles County, it encompasses . South Gate is located just southeast of downtown Los Angeles It is part of the Gateway Cities region of southeastern Los Angeles County...
- TopangaTopanga, CaliforniaTopanga is a census-designated place in western Los Angeles County, California, USA. It is located in the Santa Monica Mountains. Occupying Topanga Canyon, it is often referred to by that name. Topanga is bounded on three sides by State Park or conservancy lands, and on the south by the Pacific...
- Universal CityUniversal City, CaliforniaUniversal City is a community in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, that encompasses the 415 acre property of Universal Studios...
- VernonVernon, CaliforniaVernon is a city five miles south of downtown Los Angeles, California. The population was 112 at the 2010 United States Census, the smallest of any incorporated city in the state....
- View ParkView Park-Windsor Hills, CaliforniaView Park-Windsor Hills is a census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 11,075 at the 2010 census, up from 10,958 at the 2000 census...
- Walnut ParkWalnut Park, CaliforniaWalnut Park is a census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 15,966 at the 2010 census, down from 16,180 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Walnut Park is located at ....
- West AthensWest Athens, CaliforniaWest Athens is a census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 8,729 at the 2010 census, down from 9,101 at the 2000 census. It is an unincorporated area within the 2nd Supervisorial District of Los Angeles County. West Athens is served by the Los...
- WestmontWestmont, CaliforniaWestmont is a census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 31,853 at the 2010 census, up from 31,623 at the 2000 census...
- West HollywoodWest Hollywood, CaliforniaWest Hollywood, a city of Los Angeles County, California, was incorporated on November 29, 1984, with a population of 34,399 at the 2010 census. 41% of the city's population is made up of gay men according to a 2002 demographic analysis by Sara Kocher Consulting for the City of West Hollywood...
and portions of the following communities:
- CarsonCarson, CaliforniaCarson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
- CommerceCommerce, CaliforniaCommerce is a city located in southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 12,823 at the 2010 census, up from 12,568 at the 2000 census. It is bordered by Vernon on the west, Los Angeles on the northwest, East Los Angeles on the north, Montebello on the east, Downey...
- East Los AngelesEast Los Angeles, CaliforniaEast Los Angeles is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States...
(other parts of East Los Angeles are served by Montebello Unified School DistrictMontebello Unified School DistrictMontebello Unified School District is a school district based in Montebello, California, United States.Montebello USD serves the city of Montebello, portions of the cities of Bell Gardens, Commerce, Rosemead, Pico Rivera, and Monterey Park, and a part of the unincorporated community of East Los...
) - HawthorneHawthorne, CaliforniaHawthorne is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California. The city at the 2010 census had a population of 84,293, up from 84,112 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- InglewoodInglewood, CaliforniaInglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
- Monterey ParkMonterey Park, CaliforniaMonterey Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. The city's motto is "Pride in the past, Faith in the future"...
- Rancho Palos VerdesRancho Palos Verdes, CaliforniaRancho Palos Verdes is a city in Los Angeles County, California that was incorporated on September 7, 1973. The population was 41,643 at the 2010 census...
(most other parts of Rancho Palos Verdes are served by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School DistrictPalos Verdes Peninsula Unified School DistrictPalos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District is a school district headquartered in Palos Verdes Estates, California.-Governance:The district is headed by a superintendent - Walker Williams - and governed by a five-person, publicly elected school board.The current board members are:* Malcolm S...
) - West ComptonWest Compton, CaliforniaWest Rancho Dominguez is an unincorporated census-designated place located in southern Los Angeles County, California. The population was 5,669 at the 2010 census, up from 5,435 at the 2000 census. The community lies to the west of the city of Compton...
- WillowbrookWillowbrook, CaliforniaWillowbrook is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California. The population was 35,983 at the 2010 census, up from 34,138 at the 2000 census. The community is located near the southeast edge of, and is often considered part of, South Los Angeles...
Schools
LAUSD has 219 year-round schoolYear-round school
A year-round school is a school that runs for 10 months with a cumulative 2 months of break distributed throughout the year, without the usual multiple-month summer vacation. They are most often found in the United States...
s and 439 schools on the traditional calendar. About 47% of all LAUSD students are enrolled in year round schools.
Edward R. Roybal Learning Center
The Edward R. Roybal Learning Center (previously known as Belmont Learning CenterBelmont Learning Center
Edward R. Roybal Learning Center, formerly known as Belmont Learning Center, the Vista Hermosa Learning Center, Central Los Angeles High School 11, or the City West project is a secondary school and park located at 1200 Colton Street in the Westlake area of Los Angeles, California, United...
or Vista Hermosa Learning Center), in the densely populated Westlake
Westlake, Los Angeles, California
Westlake is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. It should not be confused with Westlake Village, an independent municipality in Los Angeles County near Thousand Oaks and close to the Ventura County line....
district just west of downtown, was originally envisioned as a mixed-use education and retail complex to include several schools, shops and a public park. After more than a decade of delays stemming from the environmental review
Environmental impact statement
An environmental impact statement , under United States environmental law, is a document required by the National Environmental Policy Act for certain actions "significantly affecting the quality of the human environment". An EIS is a tool for decision making...
process, ground was broken for construction in 1995 . Midway through construction it was discovered that explosive methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
and toxic hydrogen sulfide
Hydrogen sulfide
Hydrogen sulfide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless, very poisonous, flammable gas with the characteristic foul odor of expired eggs perceptible at concentrations as low as 0.00047 parts per million...
were seeping from an old underground oil field. Later, an active surface fault was found under one of the completed buildings, necessitating its removal. The LAUSD had spent an estimated $175 million dollars on the project by 2004, with an additional $110 million budgeted for cleanup efforts. The total cost is estimated by LAUSD at $300 million. Critics have speculated that it may end up costing closer to $500 million. Designed by architectural firm DLR Group
DLR Group
DLR Group is an architectural design firm providing architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design to clients throughout the United States...
WWCOT, the school opened in 2008 as Edward R. Roybal Learning Center.
The Ambassador Hotel (Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools)
Another controversial project has been the development of The Ambassador Hotel property on Wilshire BoulevardWilshire Boulevard
Wilshire Boulevard is one of the principal east-west arterial roads in Los Angeles, California, United States. It was named for Henry Gaylord Wilshire , an Ohio native who made and lost fortunes in real estate, farming, and gold mining. Henry Wilshire initiated what was to become Wilshire...
in densely populated Koreatown
Koreatown, Los Angeles, California
Koreatown is a neighborhood in the Mid-Wilshire district of the city of Los Angeles, California known for its concentration of Korean American people and institutions...
. The LAUSD fought over the landmark with, among others, Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
(with the legal battle dating back to 1989). In 2001, the LAUSD finally obtained legal ownership of the property. Plans to demolish the building, the site where Senator Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
was shot, were met with strong opposition from preservationists
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
. In August 2005, LAUSD settled a lawsuit over the matter that had been filed by numerous preservationist groups: most of the Ambassador complex would be destroyed, but the Paul Williams
Paul Williams (architect)
Paul Revere Williams, FAIA was a Los Angeles-based, American architect. He practiced largely in Southern California and designed the homes of numerous stars including Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball/Desi Arnaz, Lon Chaney, and Charles Correll...
-designed coffee shop and the Coconut Grove nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
would be preserved, with the Grove serving as the auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
for a new school to be built on the site. Demolition began in late 2005 and the last section of the hotel fell on January 16, 2006.
The project construction became the most expensive school in the United States. It Has 3 Elementary Schools, 3 Middle Schools, 4 High Schools including LAHSA. The Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools
Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools
The Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools, called the RFK Community Schools, is a complex of public schools in Los Angeles, California. The schools cost $578 million to build, making it the most expensive public school in the United States...
opened in September 2010 at the cost of $578 million to serve 4,200 K-12 students. Costs in 2010 were $350 per 1 ft2. Amidst great controversy the district attributed the high costs to material, land prices, seismic code, and unionized labor.
Santee Dairy
In 2005, soil samples taken at the LAUSD-owned site of a former Santee Dairy facility in South Los AngelesSouth Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
found high levels of carcinogen
Carcinogen
A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that is an agent directly involved in causing cancer. This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes...
s in soil used as foundation fill for a high school then under construction. A small controversy brewed on the matter, with some neighborhood activists and LAUSD critics claiming a repeat of the Belmont Learning Center fiasco. State scientists determined that the contaminated soil was sufficiently deep to pose no threat to students on the site, and the now-called Santee Educational Complex opened its doors in July 2005.
Park Avenue Elementary School
On February 9, 2000, the Los Angeles Weekly published an article about the environmental troubles of Park Avenue Elementary School.United States Academic Decathlon
The following LAUSD schools have won the United States Academic Decathlon:- John Marshall High SchoolJohn Marshall High School (Los Angeles, California)John Marshall High School is a high school located in the Los Feliz district of the City of Los Angeles at 3939 Tracy Street, in Los Angeles, California, USA.Marshall, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District...
, 1987, 1995 - William H. Taft High SchoolTaft High School (Los Angeles)William Howard Taft High School is a public school located on Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California, USA, within the Los Angeles Unified School District.-History:Taft opened in 1960....
, 1989, 1994, 2006 - El Camino Real High SchoolEl Camino Real High SchoolEl Camino Real Charter High School is a public secondary school located in the Woodland Hills district of the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California...
, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010 - Granada Hills Charter High SchoolGranada Hills Charter High SchoolGranada Hills Charter High School is an independent public school consisting of over 4,200 students in grades 9–12, located in Granada Hills, California. It currently holds the record as the top comprehensive public senior high school in Los Angeles...
, 2011
Bus fleet
Active
| Model | Length | Year | Numbers | Quantity | Fuel Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crown Supercoach Crown Coach Corporation Crown Coach Corporation was a manufacturer of school buses and fire trucks located in southern California. Crown closed in March 1991 due to declining demand for school buses at the time.-History:Crown Coach Corporation was founded by Don M... |
40' | 1987–1988 | 3000u-3299u | 300 | Diesel | |
| Gillig Phantom Gillig Gillig Corporation, formerly Gillig Bros., is a manufacturer of heavy-duty low-floor transit buses located in Hayward, California. Prior to 1993, Gillig had also been a manufacturer of school buses.-History:... |
40' | 1987 | 6000u-6099u | 100 | Diesel | |
| Blue Bird | 40' | 2009 | 6100u-6271u | 172 | CNG Compressed natural gas Compressed natural gas is a fossil fuel substitute for gasoline , diesel, or propane/LPG. Although its combustion does produce greenhouse gases, it is a more environmentally clean alternative to those fuels, and it is much safer than other fuels in the event of a spill... |
Future
| Model | Length | Year | Numbers | Quantity | Fuel Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Bird | 40' | 2010 | 6400u-6439u | 40 | CNG Compressed natural gas Compressed natural gas is a fossil fuel substitute for gasoline , diesel, or propane/LPG. Although its combustion does produce greenhouse gases, it is a more environmentally clean alternative to those fuels, and it is much safer than other fuels in the event of a spill... |
|
Teachers
- Alberto "Beto" Gutierrez - Author of "A Sentence with the District," Former teacher at San Fernando High SchoolSan Fernando High SchoolSan Fernando High School, located in San Fernando, California, is a secondary school that is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District....
and James Monroe High School. While working at SFHS he filed a law suit against two LAUSD Principals and two Vice Principals in summer of 2006. Beto is currently teaching Chicano Studies at California State University, NorthridgeCalifornia State University, NorthridgeCalifornia State University, Northridge is a public university in Northridge, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, California, United States....
. In fall of 2006 he was appointed by Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to the Commission of Children Youth and Family Services. In the spring of 2007, he was appointed by San FernandoSan Fernando, CaliforniaSan Fernando is a city located in the San Fernando Valley, in northwestern region of Los Angeles, California, United States. The population was 23,645 at the 2010 census, up from 23,564 at the 2000 census.-History:...
Councilmember Jose Hernandez to the Commission of Recreation and Community Services. - Jaime EscalanteJaime EscalanteJaime Alfonso Escalante Gutierrez was a Bolivian educator well-known for teaching students calculus from 1974 to 1991 at Garfield High School, East Los Angeles, California...
taught students calculusCalculusCalculus is a branch of mathematics focused on limits, functions, derivatives, integrals, and infinite series. This subject constitutes a major part of modern mathematics education. It has two major branches, differential calculus and integral calculus, which are related by the fundamental theorem...
at Garfield High School in the East Los AngelesEast Los Angeles, CaliforniaEast Los Angeles is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States...
CDP of Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County, CaliforniaLos Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
for many years, as dramatized in the movie Stand and DeliverStand and DeliverStand and Deliver is a 1988 American drama film, based on the true story of high school mathematics teacher Jaime Escalante. Edward James Olmos portrayed Escalante in the film and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.-Plot:...
. - Essie Mae Washington-WilliamsEssie Mae Washington-WilliamsEssie Mae Washington-Williams is the oldest child of former United States Senator and former Governor of South Carolina Strom Thurmond. Of mixed race, she was born to Carrie Butler, a 16-year-old African-American household servant, and Thurmond, then 22 and unmarried...
, the daughter of Strom ThurmondStrom ThurmondJames Strom Thurmond was an American politician who served as a United States Senator. He also ran for the Presidency of the United States in 1948 as the segregationist States Rights Democratic Party candidate, receiving 2.4% of the popular vote and 39 electoral votes...
, taught typingTypingTyping is the process of inputting text into a device, such as a typewriter, cell phone, computer, or a calculator, by pressing keys on a keyboard. It can be distinguished from other means of input, such as the use of pointing devices like the computer mouse, and text input via speech...
in the district from 1967 until 1997. - Eleanor Bralver, the oldest teacher in the United States, retired in June 2006 at the age of 92 from Sylmar High SchoolSylmar High SchoolSylmar High School is a public school in the northeast San Fernando Valley in the Sylmar district of Los Angeles, California. Established in the 1950s, it is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, District 2, and serves more than 3,600 students in grades 9-12. The school mascot is the...
- Rose Gilbert, the oldest teacher in LAUSD, currently teaching at Palisades Charter High SchoolPalisades Charter High SchoolPalisades Charter High School is a secondary school in Los Angeles, California, United States. The public high school serves the neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades, Palisades Highlands, Kenter Canyon and portions of Brentwood...
at the age of 93. - Ezola B. FosterEzola B. FosterEzola Broussard Foster is an American activist, writer, and politician. She is president of Black Americans for Family Values, authored the book What's Right for All Americans, and was the Reform Party candidate for Vice President in the U.S. presidential election of 2000...
, right-wing political activist, taught in various LAUSD schools from the 1960s until the early 1990s.
Permanent Substitute teachers
- Cuban-American Screenwriter Migdia ChineaMigdia chineaMigdia Chinea-Varela is a Cuban-American screenwriter. She was a writer for the TV series The Incredible Hulk, The Facts of Life, Punky Brewster, and Superboy....
has taught English, Physical Education, Spanish, Art, Social Sciences and other subjects at various LAUSD schools in the Central District.
All District High School Honor Band
The All District High School Honor Band represents what are considered the finest musicians from the LAUSD's high school band programs. Band members are invited in September each year to audition for a spot on the band, which includes only brass and percussion instruments. The group has marched in every Tournament of Roses ParadeTournament of Roses Parade
The Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day , produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.The annual...
since 1973. The All District High School Band allows members the opportunity to perform in Bandfest, at Disneyland, and on other special events. The 300 members are required "to maintain a 2.5 or greater grade point average, and stay in good standing with home school program."
Originally organized to meet the minimum requirement of having 100 members on the band to perform in the Rose Parade, the Honor Band has performed at Anaheim Stadium, Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
, Hollywood Christmas Lane Parade (now Hollywood Christmas Parade)
Hollywood Christmas Parade
The Hollywood Christmas Parade, formerly the Hollywood Santa Parade or Santa Claus Lane Parade, is an annual parade that takes place on the weekend after Thanksgiving in the Hollywood community in Los Angeles, California, United States...
, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
, Rams
Rams
Rams, most commonly, refers to the plural of the word ram. In zoology, a ram is an uncastrated adult male sheep.Other uses of Rams include:-Acronyms:* Roseville Area Middle School, a Minnesota Middle School...
and Raiders
Raiders
Raider may refer to:in Food:* Space Raiders, brand of crisps* the Twix chocolate bar was called Raider in several European countries until the 1990sin sports organizations:...
football games, and Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s XI, XIV, and XVII. They were present at the Governor's Inauguration in Sacramento, XXIV Olympiad Salute, and the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
during the past 25 years.
Questioning of school librarians
In May 2011, attorneys for LAUSD began scrutinizing the practice of their own teacher-librariansTeacher-librarian
A teacher-librarian , school librarian, or school library media specialist , is a certified teacher who also has training in librarianship...
in an attempt to balance the district's budget. Librarians who could demonstrate they had taught within the past five years could avoid layoff by being classified as teachers.
See also
- Highly Gifted MagnetHighly Gifted MagnetThe Highly Gifted Magnet is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District's Gifted and Talented program, designed for students of extraordinary intelligence whose needs are not met by normal Gifted programs...
- List of high schools in Los Angeles County, California
- List of Los Angeles Unified School District schools
External links
- Los Angeles Unified School District Web site
- Los Angeles School Police Department Web site
- Los Angeles Unified School District Facilities Services Division
- LAUSD District 6
- Enrollment Statistics
- United Teachers Los Angeles website
- Los Angeles Unified School District All District High School Honor Band