Charter School Fighting Back

LA Times ^ | June 9, 2006 | Carla Rivera

[LNewman]

As Academia Semillas del Pueblo holds an open house, supporters deny criticism that the campus promotes a separatist agenda.

Academia Semillas del Pueblo, a charter elementary school in El Sereno, held an open house Thursday, ... and defended the school against charges that it was teaching a separatist racial agenda and was lagging in student achievement.

Controversy surrounding Semillas del Pueblo exploded on talk radio and the conservative Internet blogosphere last week after assertions were made that the school enrolled only Latinos and was instructing students in Nahuatl, a native language of Mexico.

...

The district, which approved the school's charter status, also visited the school ... "We looked specifically for any indications of any overt discriminatory practices on campus, such as statements on bulletin boards that expressed racial animus, were kids learning English, was math being taught consistent with California standards, and my understanding is they left satisfied that nothing of great concern was going on," said Kevin Reed, general counsel for the district.

The district is also looking at financial and business records.

...

Supporters contend that the school ... has been unfairly scrutinized and has been drawn into a cultural battle driven by the politics of narrow-minded ideologues. At Thursday's news conference, school officials denounced the dispute's heated rhetoric and played portions of an expletive-filled bomb threat that forced the school's evacuation last Friday.

"We want to thank everybody, including Mr. McIntyre, for reminding us that we live in America and what America is today," said Aguilar, a longtime activist in the Chicano rights movement and a former social studies teacher at Garfield High School. "That, with hate radio, a school can be turned into a target and that young children can be called future terrorists ...

[LNewman]

IMO, Aguilar is running a "folk school" on the public dime. This should be an after hours operation paid for by the participants ... not the public.

[twigs]

I totally agree.

[LNewman]

Ping

[NormsRevenge]

nothing of great concern was going on

--

Uhhh, great concern.

how about subtle things going on?

[beethovenfan]

I heard they have a great leaf blower drill team.

[pabianice]

So what if it graduates racist morons? They feel GOOD about themselves!

[singfreedom]

IMHO, the operative words are: .....consistent with California standards. Hummmmm? I didn't know California public schools had standards!!

I totally agree. Cultural immersion programs should ALWAYS be elective programs for students old enough to decide for themselves (certainly NOT elementary children), with participation during after school hours, and, most definitely, paid for by the PARTICIPANTS---not taxpayers.

I can't imagine any seasoned educator supporting a program like this for elementary children. During these formative years, young children need to be "immersed" in the culture in which they will, hopefully, be "contributing" in their adult years.

[Roux]

They should shut it down. There school got a grade of one on scale of ten. One being worst.

Shut it down now.

[singfreedom]

GOOD GRIEF!! If this were a normal school, with a rating like this, the state would have already moved to take over the school (if it were here in Oklahoma).

[VOA]

"...the school enrolled only Latinos and was instructing students in Nahuatl,
a native language of Mexico. "

Maybe I've missed it, but I've been suprised that KABC, O'Reilly and others
haven't connect some of the dots about this school teaching Nahuatl,
an Aztec language.

It's a favored "codetalker" language used by Mexicans to frustrate law-enforcement
officers and prison guards.

Just use Google Advanced with "all the words" sting of
"Nahuatl" "prison" "gangs"
and see what you get:
http://www.google.com/search?as_q=%22Nahuatl%22+%22prison%22+%22gangs%22&num=100&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&as_rights=&safe=images

I'm all for preservation of indigenoud languages...but I sure can't
help wonder if this school is getting a "two-fer":
1. Instructing a lot of students in a language hoping to shift the culture
of the Reconquista/Atzlan areas to their ways
AND
2. having a "code" language to lock out everyone else as they engage in
all sorts of activities...some of them criminal and even seditious.

[VOA]

GOOD GRIEF!! If this were a normal school, with a rating like this,
the state would have already moved to take over the school (if it were
here in Oklahoma).

You have just glimpsed the black soul of the LAUSD (Los Angeles
Unified School District, AKA "LA Mummified")

I'm originally from Ponca City; spent 1995-2005 in West Los Angeles.
Following the misadventures of the LAUSD was nothing more than confirmation
of that old saw about doing the same thing again and again and
expecting a different result: insanity.

Seeing how this school and it's Il Duce will be embraced and lifted
up as an example of teaching excellence by the LAUSD (and an defenseless
target hammered by that EEEVVVIIILLL Doug McIntryre of KABC radio)...
you can expect to just see more of the same Balkanization
of the LAUSD...at tax-payer expense, of course.

[Altura Ct.]

The district, which approved the school's charter status, also visited the school ... "We looked specifically for any indications of any overt discriminatory practices on campus, such as statements on bulletin boards that expressed racial animus, were kids learning English, was math being taught consistent with California standards, and my understanding is they left satisfied that nothing of great concern was going on," said Kevin Reed, general counsel for the district.

So, the district that approved this charter is policing itself. What should we expect them to say?

[LNewman]

Meant to include you on 2

[garbageseeker]

Ping

[garbageseeker]

When liberals are in a public relations nightmare they go three newspapers who will listen to them: The Washington Post,The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.It is a wise move that Mr. Aguilar to spew his propaganda to the Los Angeles(Pravda) Times. They would give a forum to spew his give his argument and not challenge him by asking him the tough questions that needs to be answered. We all know that the Los Angeles(Pravada)Times has an extreme liberal view point and are known to give a sympathetic ear to people like Mr. Marcus Aguilar.

Put the proof is in the pudding. We know that his school is a separatist school funded by organization that espouses separatism. His school has a dismal educational record of charter schools in the LAUSD.The LAUSD continues to turn the other way and continues to fully fund his failed "school". The biggest crime of all, is that "Academia Semillas del Pueblo" is funded with the property taxpayers of the residents of Los Angeles.

Shame on the LA Times on giving this man a forgum for his propaganda. Now I understand why they are losing readership.

[garbageseeker]

Links to Academia Del Pueblo dismal education record. Most likely not mentioned in the LA Pravada:

http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/ca/cat6_bytest/12317

http://greatschools.net/cgi-bin/ca/other/12317


http://www.lawatchdog.com/ASP-AcademicAchievement.html

[LNewman]

The only reason Marcos Aguilar cares about certain annoying American "customs" like Equal Opportunity laws, is that he is addicted not to Nahuatl pesos or Mandarin yuan but to US dollars supplied by the very system of government he rails against.

He could easily continue his Reconquista Show-N-Tell Folkways spiel on a private basis but he would loose his audience ... the great feathered, albeit "underserved" Entitled Ones who are under the impression that everything is free.

The American taxpayer needs to help the righteous comrade cure this addiction in order that he might maintain the purity of his Aztec xolotl (spirit)!

[LNewman]

loose = lose

[Chaguito]

They do teach Nahuatl, and they are radical in their public expressions of philosophy.

But one way to see if these people are doing anything right is to look at the STAR testing results. As of now, this school is no worse in English and Math than any other inner city school, with an average of about 56% of students scoring below "basic" in both areas.

I went to the test reporting site with blood in my eye, but can't get any support there that they are shorting the taxpayer (any more than other LAUSD schools).

[Republicus2001]

I believe an assault with deadly weapon when school security barreled an SUV down the sidewalk to cripple or maim the reporter was a little over the top. Isn't that a violation of a reporter's first amendment rights as well?

Since 9/11 haven't the American people suffered enough? I hope these crooks at least get their funds taken back. I know I won't be buying a Nissan in Glendale soon.