Educational Professionals

Re “Valley Secession Drive Turns Its Focus to LAUSD Split,” Nov. 14.

I attended the Valley VOTE (Voters Organized Toward Empowerment) breakup of the Los Angeles Unified School District meeting on Nov. 13. I was pleased to note a remarkable consensus for improving the quality of public education for students. It was also delightful to observe political officeholders Paula Boland and Joel Wachs provide clear leadership guidance to attendees. Of particular interest was the sense of urgency for immediate action to make public education more responsive and invested in the needs of local school communities.

As a result, several committees were formed to prepare input for subsequent meetings throughout the school district. Obviously, much time will be spent by folks such as I who are anything but educational professionals trying to specify policies and guidelines leading to LAUSD breakup. I am reminded of the proverbial blind men attempting to define characteristics of the elephant by the feel of its remarkably different parts without a total view of the beast.

Frankly, we in the San Fernando Valley need the vision and guidance of educational academia as we pursue our quest for local community educational empowerment. I also trust that Valley VOTE will do the same. As a past consultant to numerous school boards in both California and Washington states, I quickly learned the need to involve education professionals in much the same manner as a medical general practitioner utilizes medical specialists when indicated.

I believe I heard one professional academic voice during the three-hour session. He made good sense. Unfortunately, his voice may have been lost in the din of numerous others clamoring for immediate solutions, or others even more naive using the meeting to voice petty peeves or trumpet exaggerated claims of their importance.

J.B. JERRY DOMINE

Winnetka