National Education Association President, Dr. Reg Weaver – “They need to be finding out what it is they want to do – whether it is a four-year, two-year or vocational school. Once they find out what it is they want to do, it is incumbant upon them to get into that school. What kind of financial help are they going to get? How are they going to be able to pay their way? They have to ask themselves, ‘Is what I want to do going to provide me an opportunity to be productive in society?’”
Assembly Member Loni Hancock, District 14, Aseembly Committee on Education - “Middle school is the time when it is essential to provide every student access to a school counselor or program to map out the coursework necessary to qualify for college entrance or a career technical education skills certificate leading to higher education or an apprenticeship beyond high school. Students can't wait until 9th or 10th grade to develop individual learning plans; it is too late.”
Los Angeles Unified School Board Member Mike Lansing, District 7 – “Be knowledgeable regarding eligibility requirements (A-G) and other activities that will help you achieve your academic and career goals. Access student services such as tutoring; take advantage of on-line scholarship resources, SAT preparation courses and college application information to make your college bound pathway a reality.”
Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O’ Connell – “Whether students aim for college or a career following high school, they all need the knowledge and skills to survive and thrive in a competitive world. I urge our young people to stay engaged in the classroom, take every opportunity to learn, and stay mentally and physically fit. If they need help, just ask for it. Don't give up and become discouraged. Our dedicated teachers are always available to help them succeed.”
State Senator Jack Scott, 21st District, Chair, Senate Education Committee - “Don’t underestimate the importance of being diligent in your studies. Make the effort each day to apply yourself to your classes and school projects. Select high school classes that will specifically prepare you for college and career. Hard work and persistence are the keys to success in achieving your goals.”
Menachem Krajcer (far left) of the Applied Research Center meets with UC ACCORD researchers and other key players as efforts escalate to move the local A-G campaign to the statewide level.
Photo by Martin Lipton
GRASS ROOTS SPROUTING STATEWIDE MOVEMENT
By Christine Senteno
Editor
Grassroots efforts to ensure all high school students have access to rigorous coursework have blossomed into a statewide movement, according to senior researcher Menachem Krajcer of the Applied Research Center who is working on policy efforts in the legislature.
The rigorous course work he mentions are the classes the University of California and California State University campuses require of students applying for admission. The UC and CSU call them A through G classes. Noting that a college degree has become a prerequisite for a living wage, grassroots organizers have dubbed A-G the life prep curriculum.
Carlos Leon labels himself a “very aggressive parent” when it comes to getting all the information he can about getting his fifth grade daughter into college, a decision he has already made for her.
“She is going to UCLA first, then after that she can do whatever she wants,” explains the UCLA alum.
Leslie Corral (center) and her students.
Latino and African-American students from South Los Angeles middle and high schools sat on a small panel in UCLA’s Campbell Hall to share their experiences about the effect their student-teacher relationships had on their learning and their college aspirations. The UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies organized the event to give students an opportunity to voice their opinion about good and bad teachers and teaching styles. Their audience was a group of first-year teachers who are part of the UCLA Teacher Education Program.
According to Hugh Mehan, sociology and education professor at UCSD, research has shown that a positive relationship between teacher and a student can be a determinant factor in the student’s success. A positive student-teacher relationship has an even greater impact on students in low performing schools who serve low-income students and students of color.
What is college?
By Elena Kim
Private First Class
Stationed in Iraq
I read, I wrote, passed the tests
but I have not been to college.
I studied, I trained, never been fired
but I have not been to college.
I got a raise
I got a bonus
I've been promoted.
I wonder what its like to get that degree
You other ones don't be like me
No matter how much smarter you are
common sense won’t take you far.
It's not a key to your future
It's not money in the bank
What is college?
It's a weapon.
And if one guy or girl has one,
You better get one too
Or you’re DEAD.
As they approach adulthood, five seniors at four Los Angeles high schools spoke openly about how their high school experiences have shaped them, and in so doing revealed the many dimensions of schooling that influence their aspirations. These seniors are all students interns at YouTHink, a program of the Zimmer Children’s Museum that uses the power of art to foster critical thinking and serve as a tool for social change. We hope to follow up with these students in the next six months to see where their paths lead, and invite you to join us for the journey.
Esthefany Garcia is a Latina senior at a large high school in South Los Angeles. She describes her experience in her math classes as a series of disjointed experiences that have left her floundering in her current AP Calculus class.
"In Algebra 2, the teacher left so we had a sub the whole first semester, and he would just put a simple warm-up on the board, like adding or subtracting, things that we learned in third or second grade...I passed it with an A but learned nothing. Then I had trouble because in the second semester, the teacher who was in there would teach us like we were in college. She’d just put up some equations. She’d expect us to know them. It kind of confused me. In Geometry I learned nothing. I felt like I was in an English class. I had to do a writing warm up every day, and every week you had to write an essay about what you learned in math that week. So I’m having trouble now."
Esthefany wants to eventually attend a four-year college, but is planning to attend El Camino Community College first.
Seniors Luis Herrera (below)and Roberto Orellana (left) are both Latino and in attendance at a K-12 magnet school near downtown Los Angeles. They attribute what they see as the positive challenges of their AP Calculus class to the style of their teacher. Luis said the AP calculus teacher "teaches the class as if he was teaching a college class, not going over every single thing but expecting you to go home and read chapters if you want to learn more. You’ve got to make the sacrifice to study on your own. So in a way he’s preparing us for college so that when we get to a certain class we don’t just crash and burn."
Both Luis and Roberto received D’s in their AP Calculus the first time around with the same teacher and are now taking the class during the school’s intersession. The class is a grueling five and a half 
hours a day just studying Calculus, but both Luis and Roberto report a sense of satisfaction in mastering the subject matter: "It’s 120 hours in six weeks, but you understand it, so you feel like the time is flying. Even if I had passed [the first time], I still probably would’ve come back because there’s more time and you don’t feel like you are rushing through the subject."
Both Luis and Roberto have applied to the UC schools (UCLA being the first choice of both), and Luis has also applied to the CSU schools.
Senior Brittany Green, an African-American who attends an arts magnet program within a large LAUSD high school, wants to attend either UC Irvine or UC San Diego. She feels that her classes are routine and unexciting.
"I can go to school and sit there all day and still pass. I was motivated in ninth grade, but now I won’t miss out on sleep so that I can finish an assignment with an unreasonable deadline."
Brittany finds that school is a "good venue" for extracurricular activities, including access to unique school-affiliated arts programs, and says "My activities make me feel that there’s a world outside of school."
She describes her experience directing a student play through a school-affiliated theater as "enlightening" and also cites her membership on the school’s softball team as piquing her interest in physical therapy as a career.
Lily Roh, who is Korean-American and a senior at an elite girls-only private school in Los Angeles, has had the advantage of small classes ("The average class size is ten," she says), but describes feeling pressured to attend elite colleges that she feels don’t fit her personality.
"I’m ridiculously well prepared for college. We’re drilled for the Ivy League, and you’re looked down on if you don’t get in. That’s how my school works."
Lily has applied to the UC schools as well as the University of Southern California, the Rhode Island School of Design, and six Ivy League schools.
-Christine O'Keefe, Staff Writer