TUJUNGA : School to Set Up Homework Recordings for Parents

Math students at Verdugo Hills High School who claim they have no homework may have to come up with a new excuse when an automated phone system is installed at the school early next year.

The use of recorded messages for parents is common in Orange and Ventura counties, but Los Angles Unified School District officials said Verdugo will become the only high school in Los Angeles with such a program.

The system, which will enable parents to get recorded messages from teachers about daily homework assignments and upcoming tests, is part of a three-year grant the school received from the State Board of Education to set up a math program called “Change from Within.”

At first, the system will be used only by the eight teachers in the math program, which encourages students to solve problems in groups. But administrators hope that the $20,000 system will eventually be used by all teachers at the school.

“One of the major problems we have is that parents want to know what homework the student has and the student says, ‘I don’t have any,’ ” said Carol Gorton, an assistant principal. “We’re hoping this will increase communication so the parents will feel more a part of their students’ education.”