Public schools in Los Angeles are in desperate need of major changes,
but innovative programs already in place have the potential to help
bring about the necessary reforms, according to a survey of education
leaders conducted by the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study
of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University.
“The promising
part of this study is that the leaders in L.A.’s community of educators
believe that the problems facing public schools are not insurmountable,
and that some of the needed changes are already under way,” said
Fernando Guerra, director of the Leavey Center. “While these results are
still preliminary, they offer us a glimpse into the areas that
educators agree on, and what is still up for debate.”
The survey
found that the top minds in the education field in Los Angeles see
programs such as LAUSD Pilot Schools and public-private partnerships as
likely pathways for improving the quality of K-12 education, which they
currently give low marks locally and statewide.
Researchers at
the Leavey Center sent the survey in February to educational leaders
throughout Los Angeles County, including: elected officials, advocates
from nonprofit groups, researchers at local universities and think
tanks, teachers’ union officials and others identified as leaders in the
educational community.
Among the findings:
- Nearly
three-quarters (71 percent) believe charter-like Pilot Schools are a
“somewhat effective” or “very effective” approach to education reform.
- A
vast majority (86 percent) support expanding public-private
partnerships for entrepreneurial, financial, and business education in
LAUSD schools.
- On the quality of California’s K-12 public schools, 12 percent said “good,” 52 percent said “fair” and 36 percent said “poor.”
- Asked the same question about LAUSD schools, 6 percent said “good,” 25 percent said “fair” and 69 percent said “poor.”
Not
surprisingly, respondents were nearly unanimous in seeking more money
for schools and better use of it. Ninety-two percent agreed that better
use of existing funds would improve education in California, and 90
percent said boosting quality could be achieved by increasing state
funding.
The study was funded by a grant from Bank of America to
support the education portion of the Leavey Center’s Leadership
Initiative – the first in an ambitious, multi-year study to survey 100
leaders in each of 10 sectors: education, health, arts and culture,
media and entertainment, politics, business, community, land use and
housing, law, and religion and spirituality. The initiative will
culminate in a wide-ranging analysis of the top 1,000 leaders in the Los
Angeles region.
The preliminary survey results were announced Thursday night at a panel discussion hosted by the Leavey Center, and can be seen here. Full results of the survey will be available this summer. For more information, visit www.lmu.edu/lcsla.