First Lady Applauds LA’s BEST

In an art classroom in North Hollywood with 21 wide-eyed children Monday, First Lady Laura Bush promoted a local after-school education program, calling it a model for the nation.

“If you heard President Bush’s education bill, he’s very interested in great after-school programs like this one,” Bush said to kindergarten through fifth-grade students and a swarm of media at Fair Avenue Elementary School.

The program, LA’s BEST, was established in 1988 and has expanded from the initial 10 schools to 101. Proponents say it has successfully brought art, science, sports and tutoring to thousands of students ages 5 to 12 in lower-income neighborhoods.

Children who participate in LA’s BEST had better attendance, better grades and scored better on standardized tests, a UCLA study found.

Fair Avenue Elementary was chosen because its recent standardized test scores showed great improvement. Ten percent of its 1,800-member student body is enrolled in the program.

LA’s BEST “has really contributed to the academic success of this school,” said Los Angeles Board of Education President Caprice Young. “This is an impoverished neighborhood.”

About 45 students enrolled in LA’s BEST reenacted a science and art lesson for Bush on Monday afternoon. Four students demonstrated a science experiment called the “submarine egg.” In a lesson about buoyancy, the students showed how an egg will float in water if salt is added.

“I was a little nervous,” said Gary Bellamy, a third-grader, while watching the experiment. “I’m glad it floated; otherwise it would have been embarrassing.”

Bush also visited a classroom where letters written by schoolchildren and addressed to her husband were stapled to the wall. There, children gave the former public school librarian a toy-sized model of a vintage sports car and asked her to give it to Jay Leno when she made an appearance on his talk show later in the day. They also peppered her with questions and asked her to say hello to the president on their behalf.

“Do you really live in the White House?” asked first-grader Daniel Rivas.

Carla Sanger, president of LA’s BEST, said Bush’s visit further legitimized LA’s BEST as a model after-school program.

“This attention is such an acknowledgment to our staff and family,” she said.

The program, which is run by the city, L.A. Unified and private contributors on an annual budget of about $12 million, serves 7,500 students citywide. The activities run at the sites Monday through Friday after school until 6 p.m.