PLATFORM : What Teachers Need
I think a lot of us sat there thinking, “All right, come on, give your 10-minute speech and then we’re gonna rip you to shreds!” And he gave his 30-second speech--”Glad you guys could be here. You tell me what you want.”
Everybody sat there, thinking “Whoa! We’re supposed to give you the word.” A little bit of our time was wasted, because when a bunch of teachers get together, we bitch about everything.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. June 22, 1990 For the Record
Los Angeles Times Friday June 22, 1990 Home Edition Metro Part B Page 7 Column 5 Op Ed Desk 2 inches; 42 words Type of Material: Correction
Cavazos meeting--The Platform column on June 10 said that about 15 teachers from Huntington Park High School met with U.S. Education Secretary Lauro F. Cavazos during his recent visit to Southern California. The meeting also included teachers from Belmont High and other Los Angeles County schools.
I think where his Administration is coming from, money is not the solution. They’re searching: “Can you give us any ideas that are not going to cost?” There are some things where we need more money--a lot more--some things where we need a little bit more.
Somebody brought up that our class sizes are too big. But what this guy is going to do about that would be zip. But he listened! If he hears this everywhere in the country, somewhere along the line he has to say, “Wow, there seems to be a universal complaint by people in the field.”
