Tales From the Bottom 100 Schools

Ruben Zacarias, Los Angles Unified School District’s new superintendent, has assigned himself a tough first test: Improve the city’s 100 lowest-performing schools. Using the measure of the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills and a similar test given to Spanish-speaking students, a preliminary list of 100 schools was drawn up. How do students who attend those schools feel about being distinguished in this manner? Students and graduates of these campuses spoke with MARY REESE BOYKIN about what could be done to improve their schools.

LETICIA GARCIA

17, senior, Los Angeles High School

It depends on the teacher whether students learn. Some teachers get so frustrated because the kids treat the classroom like they do their home. They disrespect the teacher. They come to class to talk, have fun and hang out with their friends. A reprimand doesn’t help, so the teacher can do nothing unless she sends the students to the principal’s office. The teacher gets the attitude, “whatever.” Then she puts an assignment on the board, sits at her desk and reads the newspaper.

But there are teachers like Judith Feldman who really care. She spots the habits of her students and knows when they are not doing their best. She calls them aside and says, “I know you have the ability to do better. Is there a problem that I can help you with so that you can move ahead with your work?”

For the school to improve, teachers need to be strict and serious. Students need to come to school to learn instead of focused on what they’re wearing or who they’ll talk to.

KRISTIN CASTILLO

16, junior, Huntington Park High School

When my grandmother told me that my school, Huntington Park, was No. 45 of the 100 poorest performing schools in Los Angeles, I had to read the article for myself. I would grade my school a “C.”

I think that one of the problems is that classes are overcrowded. There were 35 to 40 students in each of my classes. It’s hard for teachers to give students individual help. When I ask a question, I get assistance. But the teacher doesn’t have time to come back to me to make sure that I understand the work.

I think that another problem is that kids are lazy. They come to class to have fun and hang around in the classroom, doing no work and talking to friends.

I went to a private school until seventh grade. I feel that the work in public schools isn’t up to my capabilities. I finish the work fast and that’s it. I just sit and wait for other students to finish. Sometimes, the teacher will tell me to help another student. I think it would help to add classrooms and teachers so we could have fewer students in each class.

TERRI DANIELS

19, 1996 graduate, Manual Arts High School; attends Santa Monica College

I think one of the problems is that some of the teachers are not willing to reach. They give an assignment out of the book and kick back. The students sit and talk while the teacher looks at a newspaper or reads a book. Students figure that they don’t have to do anything because even at home, nothing is required of them.

But I had one teacher, Mrs. (Carlotta) Ewing, who was hard on students. She made sure that we did our assignments. Her work in expository composition was challenging and plentiful. She was firm and held us to due dates.

I think that the education in the magnet program at Manual was different from that in the regular program because in the magnet program, teachers were teachers. They challenged students academically.

Improvements at Manual Arts can be made if the veteran teachers will meet with the new teachers and share better methods of teaching and controlling students in the classroom.

MIA GRAMATA-JONES

l7, 1997 valedictorian, Dorsey High School Law and Public Service Magnet

The listing of Dorsey among the poorest performing schools in the LAUSD doesn’t speak for all of us students. Many of us excelled.

Until the 10th grade, I attended private schools in Los Angeles and San Diego. I chose Dorsey because I was attracted to the law magnet. I’m proud of my decision. My teachers--some of them graduates of Harvard--were not poor in teaching skills. The staff at Dorsey looked after me, making sure that I had the right courses, encouraging me to apply for scholarships. I ultimately earned several thousand dollars in scholarships. I also earned an academic scholarship to Cornell.

I played many sports at Dorsey: volleyball, basketball, track and field, swimming. At Cornell, I will be on the track and field team. If I could repeat my high school years, I would choose Dorsey again because I received an excellent education that included participation in mock trials and teen courts. In fact, Dorsey did more for me than my private schools did.

At Dorsey we learned to live with bad publicity. Many think that Dorsey is a bad school, but they speak without knowledge. What often is not told is that this fall, many of my classmates will enter Yale, USC, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Spelman, UC Davis.

LLOYD CRAIG

14, eighth grade, Audubon Middle School

My education isn’t too good right now because I have been slacking off and not doing my work. I don’t do my homework every night or I only do some of it. But I have learned form my mistakes to do all of my work because I want to get a scholarship and hopefully become an Olympic boxer.

I think that Audubon is on the list because other students slack off too. Teachers help us out and all, but it’s up to us to do our work. We have good teachers, although sometimes they have their moments and upset me when they say “shut up” or when they ignore me. Some of the teachers just don’t get it. They are back in the ‘70s or somewhere. I also think that parents need to check on their kids more often. Just come to the school unannounced and see what’s up.