L.A.’s schools: two sides of the coin

Re “Back-to-(new)-school day,” editorial, Sept. 8

I wish that Supt. Roy Romer and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had visited our school on our first day of classes. We were one of those lucky schools that was able to switch from a year-round schedule to a traditional one. They would have seen a school that has more students attending now than ever before. They would have seen hundreds of students sitting in the auditorium for days, waiting to be given programs. They would have seen at least 20 substitutes covering classes that lacked permanent teachers. They would have seen classrooms with 50 or more students. Some were put into classes for which they lack the prerequisites.

Romer, the mayor and The Times need to get their heads out of the sand. Why would you be “proud and excited of the district’s construction record” when nothing improves? Our students deserve much better than this.

G. E. FONG

South Gate High School teacher

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The L.A. Unified School District is so fortunate to have Roy Romer, who is opening schools, reducing overcrowding and improving the education of thousands of students while taking all kinds of hits. His optimism and energy are remarkable. He gets things done against all odds.

Then he knows politics and lets the new mayor, who wanted to take over the school district and had nothing to do with building the new schools, share in the spotlight. I haven’t seen anyone else in the world who could have accomplished what he has in five years.

PAUL LUX

Thousand Oaks