Reactions to Report on Use of Student Labor
* This is in response to your Nov. 17 article, “School Staff Reaps Benefits of Trade Students’ Labors.” Several important facts were omitted from your article. As principal of West Valley Occupational Center, I am extremely concerned that in spite of my clear explanation of the events leading up to the landscape project at my residence, your newspaper failed to tell my side of the story.
For the record, we are privileged to have landscape instructor Joshua Siskin on our WVOC staff. When Siskin asked me (approximately April, 1995) if we could be more entrepreneurial in our landscape instructional program, I indicated that entrepreneurial activities were part of the division goals for this school year. Siskin wanted to initiate a tomato growing project at Cleveland High School. Because WVOC and Cleveland did not have any financial account to purchase the necessary tomato plants or instructional materials, I volunteered to pay for the supplies and materials out of my own pocket. The $387 donation that I made allowed WVOC and Cleveland to earn $700 from the growing and sale of the tomatoes. The students also acquired hands-on entrepreneurial skills. In addition, the landscape class took cuttings from cacti on my property. These cuttings have been sold by our students at monthly WVOC garden sales. Our landscaping students have earned over $1,000 from this effort.
The landscaping sprinkler project at my residence met the instructional criteria established by Siskin. Our students, of course, were the ultimate beneficiaries of this learning experience. Two of them have obtained employment from this relevant instructional program.
Your article indicates that there is a thick covering of red apple ground cover and that the WVOC students spent two months at my residence. Regarding the red apple ground cover, I indicated to The Times reporter that when the red apple was planted, the plants were purchased as cuttings. After six months of growth, many of the plants have merged together forming the ground cover alluded to. I personally planted all of the red apple on the east side of my residence fence. The project did take approximately two months to complete. However, the work was performed in one- to two-hour time blocks, usually once or twice a week. When the students were on a field trip to my residence, they also went to Cleveland High School and/or to other community landscaping projects.
HARLAN BARBANELL
Barbanell is principal, West Valley Occupational Center, Woodland Hills .
* A letter to the editor in Sunday’s paper (Nov. 26) written by Joshua Siskin defended his boss’ (Harlan Barbanell’s) use of free student labor to landscape his personal residence with the rationale that he has a good record of accomplishment over his 40 years of public employment.
His past record may well be commendable. That he also chooses to benefit inappropriately from his position of high public trust certainly isn’t. Was his name chosen at random for free landscaping labor? Were all taxpayers whose money supports the L.A. Unified School District given the same opportunity to benefit? Isn’t there some sort of law against using a public position for personal gain?
If restrictive union contracts prohibit no-cost or low-cost student work on public properties, I’m sure there are many nonprofit organizations whose property could use a bit of sprucing up.
DAN ENDSLEY
Toluca Lake
* On behalf of the staff at West Valley Occupational Center, I am writing to protest the biased and inaccurate reporting in the article that appeared in The Times concerning work done by our trade students.
The purpose of WVOC is to enable students to become productive self-supportive taxpayers. To accomplish this and to become proficient at their trades, students need hands-on experience. Where can they get this experience? The local businesses object to us advertising our services (free labor), as it takes business away from them. Student work has not yet attained professional quality; therefore, not many people are willing to accept these services. Further, students who perform off-campus work must be covered by the homeowner’s liability insurance. Since we do not want to compete with the business community, and our job pool is limited to those who are willing to wait extended periods of time for completion of their work and are willing to accept apprentice quality workmanship, where can our students practice? Obviously the job pool comes from staff and community members who understand the limitations of student work.
Community members do regularly avail themselves of the students’ services at WVOC, in such areas as cosmetology, bakery, automotive and upholstery, paying for materials and supplies. Students at occupational centers save taxpayers thousands of dollars by painting, wallpapering, landscaping and performing printing and carpentry jobs for other Los Angeles Unified School District schools.
We are proud of the vocational training and the valuable services we provide to the community. We feel that The Times unjustly attacked the integrity of our highly respected staff and administration.
BETTY NOVAK
Novak is president of the Employee Assn. of West Valley Occupational Center .
