One-Sided Perspective

Your newspaper has failed to present a fair and balanced perspective on the issue of redistricting the Los Angeles Board of Education. Valley readers, for the most part, have received only the conservative, white, middle-class perspective.

For more than six months, several grass-roots Valley organizations like the Mexican American Political Assn., Assn. of Mexican American Educators, Concilio of Chicano Affairs and the Chicano Round Table have worked on the redistricting issue. These organizations believe that only through political empowerment can our community, which has traditionally been ignored, achieve self-determination to improve the quality of education for our youth.

Unfortunately, the local newspapers have also chosen to ignore the Latino perspective, even though more than 50% of the students attending Valley schools are Latinos. Latinos have not had adequate representation regarding educational issues with this current Board of Education.

In the past, both Valley board members have voted against changing the ethnic ratio to allow greater opportunities for minorities to attend magnet schools. They also voted against allotting more monies for year-round schools. The majority of students who attend year-round schools or are bused to other schools are Latinos. Additionally, they also voted against allowing more parent involvement in school leadership councils.

Biased reporting by your newspaper, continuing to divide a community in transition, does a disservice to organizations which have worked diligently in the struggle to obtain fair representation.

ART BARRAGAN

Granada Hills

Barragan wrote as president of the San Fernando Valley chapter of the Assn. of Mexican-American Educators