L.A.’s Community College District

The trustees of the L.A. community colleges are finally waking up, according to your April 20 editorial, but the faculty won’t wake up early enough to teach 8 a.m. classes. Curiously, in an earlier editorial (Feb. 17), you complained that “many L.A. community college courses are offered in the morning--not because that’s when students need them . . . but because that’s when most faculty members prefer to teach them.” You seem unsure whether we teachers are night owls or early birds, but you are sure we are selfishly oblivious to student need.

Pierce College offers 345 class sections that begin before 8 a.m., over 13% of its total instructional program. Half the faculty at Trade Tech start their teaching duties not at 8 a.m., but at 7. I could give you similar data on the other seven L.A. colleges as well, but the next editorial might then return to the theme of too many morning classes.

Incidentally, under our contract, managers have the clear right to schedule classes if student need is not being met. They very rarely need to exercise that authority, but they do have it in case they need it.

CARL FRIEDLANDER, President

American Federation of Teachers

College Guild, Local 1521

Los Angeles

*

Shame! They are your friends! You call the L.A. Community College District trustees weak-kneed because of the faculty contributions to fund their elections. Aren’t many of these trustees the same ones whom you endorsed? In fact, check your archives. You’ll find that your endorsements for the most part were of the same people supported by the faculty. To change now? It is an epiphany!

MONROE RICHMAN

Encino