Locke’s example

Re “Building a better student,” editorial, Dec. 1

Thanks for the great coverage that The Times has been providing on the exciting experiment at Locke High School.

Unfortunately, it appears, too little effort is being made to replicate the effective school environment described in one language-development class, where “every moment of the 90-minute class is devoted to intense instruction, reading, writing and speaking in English, each task checked off on a large list tacked to the wall. The mental effort is palpable as the students struggle to construct sentences in an unfamiliar language.”

Green Dot must endorse and enforce standards of attitude and conduct like these consistently throughout the entire school if it is going to be successful.

By contrast, the reported irregular attendance, ignored profanity and lack of focus in other classes is the same old, same old. It is not the environment needed for these kids to be able to make up for the years of public education malpractice that they have already experienced.

Wayne Bishop

Altadena

The writer is a professor of mathematics at Cal State L.A.