The Stars of the LAUSD

If ever a year looked bright for the academic competitors of El Camino Real High School, this is it. Last weekend, the Woodland Hills school swept the California Academic Decathlon with a record-high score. It was El Camino’s third straight state victory.

But while consistently placing at the top in California competitions, the El Camino team has yet to win the national championship, placing second the past two years. Not that second is shabby, but the team makes no bones about what it wants next month at the U.S. championships in Providence, R.I. Says team member Steve Chae, “We have a good chance to take it all.”

Whether they take the national title or not, California’s decathlon teams represent the best of the next generation--and the best of a public education system that has endured a prolonged slide. Seven of the top 10 state schools hail from Southern California. All but one are public. And two--El Camino and Garfield High in East Los Angeles--are part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, arguably one of the most dysfunctional systems in the country.

It may seem a conundrum worthy of the decathlon itself: how greatness emerges no matter what. But great and unexpected things happen when eager minds meet enthusiastic teachers in environments where knowledge is rewarded.

In addition to El Camino and Garfield, the top 10 included Moorpark High School, Alemany Catholic High School in Mission Hills, West High School in Torrance, Simi Valley High and Burbank High. Despite their range of backgrounds, all these teams share a drive for knowledge that shines through the gloom pervading public education. These teams show what’s possible, and their success is truly sweet.