Giving Teaching Staff Credit Where It’s Due

Having served the Los Angeles Unified School District in many capacities for 20 years, I read with great interest your article on Lupe Simpson (“I’ll Show You,” Dec. 7).

I noted that she took credit for having invented and implemented such programs as tutoring, parent training and career, college and academic counseling.

Not once did Simpson credit any of her teaching, administrative or clerical staff for any suggestions or assistance regarding these programs. I believe that, at one time or another, some of them must have had a positive role at the school. I also suspect that most, if not all, of the programs mentioned in the article as being Simpson’s brainchildren were in existence in LAUSD before Simpson was born.

Further, the suggestion attributed in the article to a teacher that only minority adults can be of service in the education of minority children is thoughtless at best, racist at worst.

The idea that Los Angeles has not educated its minority population gives the lie to the many locally educated minorities that have risen to prominence, including Simpson herself.

MARGARET PREUSS

Los Alamitos