Village Drummer Newsletter
2005 -2006

The First Education Summit
By Luis South   

What does an education summit have to do with community development? Any real estate professional can explain to you that good schools and progressive youth programs have a lot to do with making a community a desired place to live. To be more specific, real estate values are positively affected by good schools. So it doesn’t hurt if an entire community is known to be very involved with designing and developing strong schools and community programs.

However, it is important that the effort to create good schools is sincere, not an attempt to whitewash what is the reality of circumstances while, at the same time, not being so critical that the community view weighs against the development of improving schools.

So the Jefferson Park Education Summit will begin to find our community’s balance by working to institute a functional community viewpoint that defines the state of our youth’s lifestyle. 

Denise Hamilton has agreed to let us use segments from her recently completed video titled Somebody Who Gives a Damn. This video is a searing look at some of our city’s most progressive gang intervention programs. We will also be the first audience having access to view this video. This documentary will also serve as the first production that may eventually become a series on television depicting the lives of those who work to save youth from self-destruction.

This will be an intense session designed for adults who care enough to go beyond talk. There will be no pressure to get people who come to do anything they are not in the mood to do. We are especially interested in parents and other family members becoming involved in our community youth program being run out of Celerity Charter School. No, this is not a program just for Celerity families. Also, there will be room for students of all ages k-12.

The focus of the conference will be on creating a startup educational counseling program that will help Jefferson Park youth develop their own life path to colleges and careers after high school.

This meeting will be for adults only because it is meant to identify adults who will become involved in a community process leading to a reality that makes Jefferson Park the best place for youth to be raised in.

Consider being on board from the start.

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Charter School Funding: Leveling the Playing Field
By Craig Knotts

The role charter schools play in educational reform constantly evolves.  As competition between neighborhood  schools and charter schools increases, students become the primary beneficiary.  However, there are some discrepancies in the funding that charter and neighborhood schools receive that place charter schools at a significant disadvantage.   

All taxpaying families have multiple choices to ensure that their child receives a free and appropriate education.  Two of the options include enrolling in the public school closest to their household or  applying to a charter school. 

First, it is important to note that charter schools are public schools that are open to all students who wish to attend without regard to race, religion, or academic ability.  Charter schools are paid for with tax dollars, and therefore are tuition free.  They are designed to give significant autonomy to individual schools, and in turn, to hold those schools accountable for achieving educational results. 

Each charter school is based on a performance contract, negotiated between those people starting the school and the official body authorized to approve the charter.  The charter contract spells out how the school will be run, what will be taught, how success will be measured and what the students will achieve.  As long as the school meets the terms of the charter, it is free from many of the rules and regulations that apply to other public schools.  If the school fails to meet those terms, the charter can be revoked and the school closes.

Closure of neighborhood schools occurs on a much different timetable.  These schools do receive pressure from the state and local education agencies to improve student test scores, but the timeline for complete overhaul can be many years.  Currently, the life of a failing neighborhood school is much longer than that of a charter school.  Inequalities such as these should not exist.

Two areas that display the inequitable funding issue are special education and school counseling.  In order to have a charter school approved they must agree to give 39% of their budget to the school district within which they reside.  This money is used to provide special education services for the neighborhood schools.  If the charter school has a population with special education needs, they must utilize the remaining 61% of their budget.  Likewise, extra funding for counseling services does not exist unless charter schools tap into their already limited budget. Many charter schools exist in economically impacted areas where the neighborhood school closest to them greatly benefits from the services of a school counselor.

In order to level the playing field between neighborhood and charter schools many funding discrepancies such as the above mentioned must be resolved.  Only when charter schools are provided with the same resources as their neighboring schools can we truly assess the impact of this revolutionary reform.  A reform that can finally create equal access to a high quality education for all our children.  

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Elementary Counseling: Essential for the Upbringing of Today’s Youth
By Craig Knotts

According to "Everyday in America," 1996, published by the Children's Defense Fund, every day in the United States:

• Three children and youth under 23 die from HIV infection.

• Six children and youths under  20 commit suicide.

• 13 children and youths are homicide victims.

• 16 children and youths are killed by fire arms. 

• 316 children under 18 are arrested for violent crimes.

• 1,420 babies are born to teen mothers.

• 2,556 babies are born into poverty.

• 3,356 students drop out of school.

• 5,702 children under 18 are arrested.

• 13,076 public school students are suspended

For many people, the word "counselor" takes them back to the image of someone they saw a few times in high school to help them with their class schedules, testing, college applications and discipline. However, today elementary counselors are responding to today's needs by providing children with comprehensive and developmental school counseling programs.

 Whether a school is part of a large district or operates as a small charter, qualified elementary counselors can be an essential piece of the puzzle in reforming our public schools.  Funding must be in place to allow for elementary counselor positions to be a crucial part of the staff, whether the school is established, or a start-up charter.

Elementary school is a time when students develop attitudes concerning school, self, peers, social groups and family. It is a time when students develop decision-making, communication, life training skills and character values. Comprehensive developmental counseling is based on prevention and providing goals which are integrated into all aspects of children's lives. Early identification and intervention of children's problems are essential to change some of the current statistics regarding self-destructive behaviors. If we wait until children are in middle or high school to address these problems, we lose the opportunity to help them achieve their potential as well as developing feelings of dignity and self-worth. For many children, the school counselor may be the one person who provides an atmosphere of safety, trust and positive regard.

Elementary school counselors implement effective classroom guidance focusing on: understanding self and others, coping strategies, peer relationships, effective social skills, communication, problem-solving, decision-making, conflict resolution, study skills, career awareness, substance education, and multicultural awareness.

In addition, they also provide individual and small group counseling dealing with: self-image and self-esteem, personal adjustment, family issues, interpersonal concerns, academic development, behavior modification, peer facilitation and peer mediation.

Elementary school years set the tone for developing the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for children to become healthy, productive adults. With a comprehensive developmental counseling program, counselors can work as a team with school, parents, and community to create a caring atmosphere whereby children's needs are met through prevention, early identification and intervention.

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Bringing Cultures Together
By Luis South

The Korean American Grocery Association has recently held two separate events that places them at the forefront of the movement to bring cultures together here in Los Angeles. Both events recognized and awarded progressive youth from secondary school through college. Between the two events more than 60 young people received certificates and cash awards worth $100- $500.  The first banquet was held at the historic L.A Biltmore Hotel on October 26th and the second was held at the Wilshire Radison Hotel on December 13, 2005.

This has now made it onto the Mayor’s list of progressive intercultural events. Plans are already in the making to create the biggest and best such event next year.

KAGRO you’re the greatest!

United Neighborhood Council
By David Miller

Are you interested in improving neighborhood and/or your community? The best way to do this is directly and locally through your neighborhood council. If you live in the historic Arlington Heights, West Adams or the Jefferson Park communities, the United Neighborhoods Neighborhood Council (UNNC) is the organization for you. You, your family, your neighbors and the business owners in your geographic area are all "stakeholders". The Neighborhood Council includes and is open to everyone.

According to the UNNC website (www.unnc.org), "Through an open and democratic process, the Council holds public meetings to discuss, listen to stakeholders and ultimately take a united stand on issues covered by the city of Los Angeles concerning our community."

The next meeting of the UNNC will be held on Thursday, January 5, 2006 at 7:00PM at the 10th District City Council field office which is located at 1819 S. Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90006, just North of Washington Blvd. Call(323) 733-8233 for more information of how you can get involved.