Posted on 06/05/2006 8:28:08 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Responding to allegations of discrimination, the school district has concluded that an elementary school catering to students of Mexican descent is following its charter, officials said Monday.
The district sent observers after Sandy Wells, a reporter working for KABC-AM, was allegedly assaulted outside the school Thursday by a man who demanded his audio tape. Station officials said Wells was also followed as he drove away. Police are investigating the incident.
"They have followed the charter that they wrote originally," said Kevin Reed, chief legal counsel for the district. "What we care about is that the curriculum is inclusive and not exclusive."
The school in east Los Angeles is one of about 100 charters in the district, Reed said. The school has until January to apply for renewal, and the district anticipates it will, Reed said.
The alleged assault has brought attention to the small school as immigration tensions rise across the country.
KABC-AM radio host Doug McIntyre has been one particularly vociferous critic. McIntyre has accused Academia Semillas del Pueblo school and its principal, Marcos Aguilar, of having a separatist philosophy that excludes students of non-Mexican origin from applying.
Repeated calls to Aguilar Monday seeking comment were not returned.
A school statement last week said it did not "discriminate against any student on the basis of ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity or disability."
Meanwhile Monday, a handful of parents protested at McIntyre's studio, saying the school had received bomb threats because of the show. McIntyre said he had also received death threats due to his criticisms.
The school aimed to provide children of immigrant and native families an education "founded upon their own language, cultural values and global realities," according to the charter application.
"The indigenous heart of our vision is a repossession of an identity denied from our children in standard schools," the application reads.
Students are taught in English, Spanish, Mandarin and Nahuatl, an Aztec language. The school teaches both traditional math curriculum and a separate Aztec math system.
Time to pull the taxpayer teat from these good fellows.
I am very curious as to who were these observers.
How about excluding gringos, Kev? Surely you're sensitive enough to realize what's going on when you yourself are getting dumped on because you're guero?
http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/ca/other/12317
How can you inclusive when the school ethicity is 96 percent Latino and they speak Spanish 100 percent of the time?
The LAUSD bureaucrats are deaf,dumb and blind.
Do Kevin Reed, Jess Womack and Donald Davis of LAUSD at the phone number 213-241-6607 gave the OK for the school to remain open?
I messed up on their phone number
Its 213-241-6601 NOT 6607
It looks like the Special Education Team Has a phone number.
They might of had juristiction in this case
Their Phone Number
213-241-7600
Why, thank you! :-)
http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/lausd/offices/general_counsel/home.html
The link just worked for me. I was being sarcastic about the "special" education part, BTW.
I consider their response the typical first response/damage control line ...
deny ... deny ... deny.
As I mentioned I was being sarcastic about the "Special" education team, but I see where one might think it would fall under this category.
At the very least, there is liability involved and I would think not just whether they ordered the attack on a reporter, or whether they met equal opportunity standards. I would think the curriculum, as evidenced by their scores, would be a red flag.
At best, this should be a private school accepting zero government funding (IMO).
California Education Codes dealing with Charter Schools are here and make interesting reading:
http://www.aroundthecapitol.com/code/code.html?sec=edc&codesection=47605-47608
Senator George Runner sent a letter to this person last week in regards to the school:
Dr Darlene Robles
Los Angeles County of Education
9300 Imperial Highway,Suite 109
Downey,Ca 90242
phone:562-922-6127
Fax: 562-922-6678
email: Robles_Darline@lacoe.edu
So far there no response. I would like to say if you contact the person please be nice and to the point and express your concerns about having a school that promotes racism in the Los Angeles School District paid with your property tax dollars. Remind her that the school is in violation of California Education code 47607(c). The more letters and faxes that pour into her office the closer we are of shutting this school down permanently
I am including the link to of the letter written to Dr.Robles.
http://republican.sen.ca.gov/news/17/PressRelease3936_print.asp
Thank you for the propaganda piece. I am sure it came out Mr. Aguilars office.
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