Funds for LAUSD Summer School

* The recently announced LAUSD summer school program to improve low test scores in the elementary schools sounds like a great idea but it is a sham. When we scratch the surface, we discover that this is only a way of taking money from where it is needed and putting it into another needed area.

The district will fund less than one-half of each school’s program. Each individual school will be obligated to fund the balance. Where do the individual schools get their portion of the funds? Unfortunately, this money will have to be taken from their general yearly fund. As a result, services that are desperately needed throughout the year will be sacrificed for this yet-to-be-proven, temporary approach to solve the long-standing problem of raising test scores. For example, school psychologists, nurses, teacher’s aides and other related personnel services, supplies, field trips and enrichment events will be severely cut back and in some instances totally eliminated.

As usual, what sounds like a great quick fix is nothing more than a political ploy. Taking money used for essential services and diverting it for other services is defeating the purpose. What we need is a program that will not affect essential ongoing services for an unknown short-term fix.

GAIL S. FIBER, Mentor Teacher

JOSE GONZALEZ, Psychologist

MARY ANN MEARNS, Nurse

PAULA SCOTT, UTLA Rep.

Glenwood Elementary, Sun Valley