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\nThe state of education in Los Angeles today: Whose voices are being represented? Whose voices are being heard?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
For the majority of 2008, I was regularly blogging for the LA Times\u2019 education blog, The Homeroom. Although I didn\u2019t post as regularly as I\u2019d wanted to (perhaps the challenge facing any blog contributor), I was generally excited about getting authentic experiences, challenges, and questions arising from Manual Arts to a larger audience. More than that, I was enticed by the prospect of opening up occasionally difficult conversations for readers at large. Since I was writing largely for non-educators, I was hoping to present a more sobering, realistic vision of what we experience at our schools on a day-to-day basis. No more Freedom Writers, but also no more stereotypes of a purely \u201cdangerous\u201d school and community.<\/p>\n
If I could write about school life in a way that could make readers squirm, I felt like I was doing my job (after all, I landed the writing gig after basically emailing the editor at the time and asking why the only teachers represented at the time were from the Teach For America Program). I\u2019m not trying to paint myself as a self-righteous Zorro in the edu-blogging sphere. However, I am pleased by the strongly worded comments that would occasionally follow posts I authored. My second post \u2013 about the CAHSEE \u201cBoot Camp\u201d that our school instituted \u2013 was followed by a reader accusing me of being a \u201cclassist\u201d and not being able to see \u201cthe big picture.\u201d Similarly, I regularly blogged about the graffiti curriculum a colleague and I were developing and implementing. The long string of angry comments that followed those posts was thrilling. It wasn\u2019t just the fact that someone would be angry enough to say I was not fit to work with students (going as far as insinuating that I should be behind bars), it was the idea that people at large \u2013 not just educators \u2013 were engaging in much-needed dialogue about education. This dialogue, admittedly, was limited and often only reactionary. However, it was a step toward re-centering the school in society.<\/p>\n
All that being said, I am concerned about the state of the LA Times. Aside from having an official connection to the paper via The Homeroom, I don\u2019t necessarily consider myself an LA Times-apologist. And while there are numerous outlets for us to get our news in this 2.0 day and age, I think there is a lot of value in a strong print media in the city. (Yes, critical theorists out there, I realize there are a lot of problems with this as a blanket statement.) I am distressed by the news that the LA Times are effectively cutting the local\/California section of the paper<\/a>. While it\u2019s being framed as an effort to improve news at large, I can\u2019t imagine that the few local education stories slotted into the paper\u2019s B section will grow in any dramatic section now folded into the main A part of the paper. (It\u2019s not like there\u2019s now more Howard Blume to go around!) I am also wary of the many, many more cuts being made to the Times\u2019 staff<\/a>. I don\u2019t feel equipped, at the moment, to offer a full critique of the economic decisions or situation at the LA Times or at large. However, it feels strikingly similar to the notion of the district cutting teachers in LAUSD to deal with facing budget cuts while still claiming to be interested in improving student education. Someone\u2019s logic is a bit flawed, regardless of monthly bottom line.<\/p>\n
Long story short, I didn\u2019t choose to stop blogging for the LA Times in November, December and now in 2009. The paper basically cut the blog (along with a few others). There was word of folding it into the LA Times main LA Now blog at some point (the site that The Homeroom now automatically directs visitors). I can\u2019t imagine that this will be happening anytime soon with the stretching of staff over there.<\/p>\n
A Call For Action<\/strong><\/p>\n
As perhaps a way to turn this into a more optimistic post than those initial \u2018graphs suggested, I\u2019d like to offer up a thought. As I said, I think it\u2019s important for educators and non-educators to be involved in larger discussions about what\u2019s taking place in classrooms today. I think this should take place in a way that feels local for now, to help change the way most people turn to look to federal changes as a sign of what\u2019s taking place in education (Ask the average adult and I bet they could at least say what NCLB stands for. Ask the average adult how NCLB mandates are affecting the closest public school in their community \u2013 even if they have children enrolled there \u2013 and I don\u2019t think you\u2019d get as consistent a response). If the LA Times aren\u2019t going to do it (and they don\u2019t necessarily should\/have to), let\u2019s get a general space for educators and non-educators to share and discuss education as it takes place in Los Angeles. Sure, there are plenty of sites of about education out in oceans of urls. However, what if LA had a consistent place of dialogue for its educational needs and experiences. What would you say? How would you say it? Anyone else interested or have any ideas about how to build something like this?<\/p>\n
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Tell people this is awesome:<\/h3>