Periodically, one of my more politically-minded roommates will spontaneously (and irreverently) shout out this above phrase, especially during the live CNN coverage of any speech by Democratic Presidential nominee Barak Obama. Yet this fall, not only will there be new hope and optimism in the new Federal administration, but there also will be (and in some ways, there already is) new hope in public education in Los Angeles.
In September, charter organization Green Dot begins their takeover over former LAUSD Locke High School, located in Watts. A high school that has been rampant with gangs, drugs, graffiti, and other crime, Locke has existed as the epitome of all that has gone wrong for kids in the top-heavy, bureaucratic district that has failed to serve the high school students here. This travesty is chronicled in the book Relentless Pursuit, which follows the stories of four first year teachers at the school in what seems like a hopeless situation.
After a long and furious battle, Green Dot wrested control of the school from LAUSD and seeks this fall to transform it using their own education method, which relies less on top-down initiatives and more on teacher innovation and accountability. Up until now, Despite their success, Green Dot has certainly has had it’s detractors since all of their other schools in the Los Angeles area accepted only those students who applied, and assumedly were thus more intrinsically motivated to succeed. But with Locke, Green Dot inherits the behemoth that it actually is. Thousands of students, many with gang affiliations, many without motivation, and many whose families are “less-than-involved” will be thrust into a school organization and culture that has only previously worked with those who chose it. This challenge is essentially “do or die” for Green Dot, and perhaps the charter movement in Los Angeles.
And yet, as Steve Lopez writes in an L.A. Times article, this campus is, in fact, showing signs of hope. Summer school is three weeks into session and already the culture at Locke is different. Students are in class (as opposed to “ditching” for my readers who didn’t previously know there was another option). Students are on time. Students are in uniform. And while the challenges still loom large (for example, teaching algebra to kids who can’t multiply), the optimism of hope looms even larger.
My hope is this. If Green Dot can successfully pull this off (which would be a major accomplishment) it will essentially prove to LAUSD that change can happen even under current conditions. At that point, LAUSD will have no excuse not to implement whatever changes it takes to improve education for our kids here in Los Angeles. And again, while there are many opponents of the charter school movement (and I do see their point), the main goal should be exactly this: to provide a path for major district reform.
And so, quite appropriately, the background track is an instrumental from Thoroughly Modern Millie, entitled “I Turn The Corner”. While I can’t say much about the track (one of those that seemingly randomly winds up on my machine), I can say that education in Los Angeles is about to turn a corner, hopefully for the better.
And so as the fall quickly approaches (yes, I go back to work on August 4th), I do have a sense of hope. But it is not in any presidential candidate, nor in any ballot measure, nor even in any team currently tied for in first in the National League East (well, maybe a little). I have a hope that kids can learn. And I have a hope that given the right structure, attitudes, effort, and motivation, that the new Locke will pave the way for changes across LAUSD.