Readers React: What you didn’t read in the L.A. Times about Inglewood schools: a French dual-immersion program, new playgrounds

To the editor: The April 10 article, “Six years after the state came in to save Inglewood Unified, the district faces a budget crisis, buildings in disrepair and lack of steady leadership,” was factually correct as far as it went. But it omitted the rest of the story.

Despite the Inglewood Unified School District’s struggles, many parents, teachers and staff have helped broaden horizons for the next generation.

Even as state administrators came and went, perseverant parents collaborated with dedicated teachers, principals and district staff to initiate Spanish and French dual-language immersion programs. Inglewood has earned the recognition and financial support of the L.A. French consulate as one of only two French dual-immersion programs in a South L.A. public school. Ladera Heights’ Frank D. Parent K-8 School was awarded a grant for a new playground, built entirely by school staff and the community.

The Los Angeles Times focused solely on the IUSD’s administrative and financial challenges, something that could discourage parents from sending their kids to district schools. This focus potentially curtails enrollment, which is the primary antidote to IUSD’s financial maladies. The newspaper should correct this damaging misperception with a follow-up article on the innovative and even exemplary accomplishments of some IUSD schools.

Alka Patel, Ladera Heights

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