Issue #2 - Mission & Description

>> The Latest

Monday, February 03, 2003

Announcement: Anti-War Rally in Santa Monica on Tuesday Feb.11!
Santa Monica, CA--Anti-war activists, students, parents, educators, religious leaders and concerned residents will hold a rally and press conference on the steps of Santa Monica City Hall at 5:30 pm to implore the Santa Monica City Council to take a stand against the planned war in Iraq, as have more than 70 American cities.

Announcement: Coalition for Educational (CEJ) Rally
moved to Tuesday Feb. 25!

>> Hungry Are Its Students for Knowledge

Introducing TCLA School Descriptions

What do we learn when we ask students and parents to describe their school? In this issue of TCLA, contributors from schools across greater Los Angeles offer the first in a series of reports about their schools. These reports are different from the School Accountability Report Cards (SARCs) that are prepared by school officials. SARCs are difficult to read, difficult to interpret, and do not contain the kinds of information that students and parents really want to know. The TCLA School Reports give important facts about schools’ physical plants, learning resources, and the “school climate”—telling what it is like to be a student who is trying to learn and prepare for college. We learn about potential hazards like the lead in Crozier Middle School’s water pipes. We will hear from hopeful and hardworking people who have a deep belief in the promise of education, and who struggle to make their schools better. "We are students that work hard and try our best to get better" report the fifth graders in LAUSDs Weigand Elementary. "Hungry are our students for knowledge," writes South Gate High School parent Justina Paque.

>> Click here to continue John Rogers' intro.

>> TCLA's Report Cards: School Descriptions

TCLA's Virtual School Report Card
In this issue, students, parents and teachers report on the mission and description of their school.

"The facilities affect student learning because if people are not investing in our school to remodel it, it puts a damper on students’ attitudes...when we take our SATs at San Marino High School, we are like 'Wow, this is what a high school should look like.' I feel so cheated out of a good school." -- Christine Ro

>> Special Features in this Issue

Becoming Leaders in a Bottom-Up Accountability System
Student leaders from four local high schools report on conditions in their schools.

by Yvonne Ballesteros

SARCs Across the Country: Working with Indicators on Your School Report Card
Leigh Dingerson of the Center for Community Change examines the key "indicators" on school reports that can help parents identify the strengths and weaknesses in their schools.

Horace On the Hill: A Report from the Pre-Conference Session of the Coalition of Essential Schools' Fall Forum
Jessica Rishe reports on the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the efforts of educators to make their voices heard.

Youth Explore Equity and Access Through Art with youTHINK
Students from Fremont High School learn to think critically, form their own ideas and express them in creative ways with youThink, an education program that uses art as a tool.
by Rochelle Votaw and Shifra Teitelbaum

< New Article added 1/13/03 >