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October 17 - 21, 2005
Monday, Oct. 17
New Candidate for California Attorney General
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Former Ambassador Pierre Prosper announces his candidacy for California Attorney General on Talk of the City today. Prosper recently resigned his post as US Ambassador for War Crimes Issues. He also joins Kitty with the latest on Saddam Hussein’s trial, which begins Wednesday.
Education Week Feature: English Language Learners
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One out of every 4 students in California (1 out of 3 in LAUSD) is an English learner, or native in a language other than English. How well is the state educating our English learners and what are the challenges we still face? Kitty speaks with Dr. Patricia Gandara, a Professor in the School of Education at UC Davis and Associate Director of the UC Linguistic Minority Research Institute, Foch “Tut” Pensis, Superintendent of the Coachella Valley Unified School District and Jesus Limon, director of Language Acquisition for the LAUSD. She is also joined by Clara Kim, a 4th-grade teacher at Cahuenga Elementary School in Koreatown, which utilizes a dual-language program in which English-speaking students help their Korean-speaking friends learn the language – and vice versa.
Tuesday, Oct. 18
Arts Education: Who needs it? Who funds it?
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Latest statistics show that of the 82 school districts county-wide, only 36% report having an arts education policy. Districts that do offer arts education spend between 0-5% of their budgets on these classes. Proponents point to the passing of Proposition 13 as the beginning of the end for arts education in public schools and in a state where standardized testing is an accepted guidepost the mantra seems to be "if it's not tested, it's not taught." But a recent study shows that students with four years of arts education outperformed those without by 44 points on math and 59 points on verbal SATS.
Today Talk of the City heads to the LA County High School for the Arts to ask, does arts education belong in public schools? What are the measurable effects of an arts education? And how can shoe-string education budgets support these classes? Kitty's guests include: Jean Merl, Los Angeles Times education writer; Laura Zucker, Executive Director of the LA County Arts Commission; Kathleen Ulinski, Executive Director of the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Foundation; Robert Martin, chair of the Art Department at Cal State University Los Angeles; and Jim Thomas, Coordinator for Visual & Performing Arts at the Orange County Dept of Education.
The conversation continues on the web only with a Q & A session with the audience:
Click here to listen.
On Sunday, October 30 at the Alex Theater, 216 N. Brand Blvd in Glendale, LACHSA students present S.O.S. (students on stage) in response to Hurricaine Katrina. THe program begins at 3 p.m. For more information, call 818-243-2539.
On January 11, 2006 the LACHSA foundation presents the musical 42nd Street at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre (Crenshaw and Wilshire). For tickets and information, call the LACHSA foundation at 323-343-2554.
Wednesday, Oct. 19
Ask the Chief
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LAPD Chief William Bratton joins Kitty for this month's Ask the Chief.
Parents – Should They be Involved in Their Kids’ Education?
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Research shows that children are more likely to succeed academically if their families are involved in their education. But lack of available time, limited access to schools, and language can be barriers to a parent's participation. Talk of the City continues special education week programming by talking with Dr. Jeannie Oakes, director of UCLA’s Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access; Chuck Vaughn, a teacher at Farmdale Elementary; Claudia Magana, community liaison for the Parents Center at Farmdale Elementary; Steve Kennedy, principal at Menifee Elementary; Araceli Simeon-Luna, Director National Parent School Partnership, The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF); and Naomi Haywood, CADRE task force parent.
Thursday, Oct. 20
Chartering Creativity
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Thirteen years ago California became the second state to enact legislation that created charter schools – publicly funded schools with the flexibility to operate outside of district control. Charters are still held accountable to federal and district standards, but nearly everything else—from hours of the school day, to the guidelines for teacher termination—are left up to the school. Kitty discusses this increasingly popular type of education with Caprice Young, president of the California Charter Schools Association, Pricilla Wohlstetter, professor and co-director of the Center on Educational Governance at USC, and representatives from three charters: Steve Barr from Green Dot Public Schools, Philip Lance of the Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, and Ralph Opacic from the Orange County High School of the Arts.
Sandra Tsing Loh
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Being principal for the day makes Sandra Tsing Loh even more appreciative of LAUSD teachers.
Sandra's new solo show "Mother on Fire" runs through November 6 at 24th Street Theatre in Los Angeles. For more info, visit www.24thstreet.org.
Friday, Oct. 21
Education Week Feature: What Makes A Good Education?
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What makes for a good education – better organized administration, stronger curriculum, community involvement – or does it all come down to that one really great teacher? Educators, politicians, pundits and parents have long wrestled with this very question. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to find wholesale agreement on the definition of “success.” Is it test scores, graduation rates, improved access for all -- or just keeping them in their seats until the bell rings? Are we trying to build better scientists or better citizens – and can we do both at the same time? Kitty is joined by Ted Mitchell, President of NewSchools Venture Fund and Chairman of the Governor’s Committee on Education Excellence, for a look at a few different ways to answer the question – if it can be answered – of “what makes a good education?”
We’ll check in with administrators and teachers who are thinking both inside and outside the box: Orange County Superintendent of Schools Bill Habermehl; Walter Sherlin, former Associate Superintendent of Schools in Raleigh, North Carolina; Juan Fernandez, a fifth-grade teacher in Boyle Heights; Dr. William Franklin, Director of the College Pathways program and Stanley Murphy, a San Diego teacher chosen as one of five California Teachers of the Year.
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