Mike Roos

I find it hard to believe that after eight years of heading LEARN, Mike Roos has not grasped the fact that the Los Angeles Unified School District includes several other cities--Bell, South Gate, Huntington Park, Lomita, Carson and San Fernando--in addition to Los Angeles, when he expresses his view that he is for the idea of “putting the mayor in charge of the school district” (interview, Opinion, Aug. 29).

Does no one remember the fiasco in the late 1970s when the city of Los Angeles had to void an election dealing with the length of terms of appointed school board members because this question was not asked of voters living in the other cities comprising the school district? As for having any city official responsible for a school district, I would suggest people first take a good hard look at what has been happening in New York City. I doubt thoughtful folk would want to repeat that scene here!

JEAN F. COHEN

L.A. League of Women Voters

Education Consultant, 1974-1988

Los Angeles

* Third Street Elementary School has been a LEARN school since 1996. I would like to say a few words of praise about Roos. Roos is extremely articulate at communicating his educational vision with diverse groups of people. The energy, commitment, enthusiasm, resilience and political savvy he has brought to our LEARN school community are phenomenal.

I have always been immensely impressed with his dedication to education reform. I hope his vision of improving public schools will continue to flourish, because public schools are the only vehicle to level the playing field for all Americans.

Thank you, Mike Roos, for being an inspirational teacher for all of us.

SUZIE K. OH, Principal

Third Street School

Los Angeles