Screenshot by Thomas Wang
Alhambra Unified School District publishes Local Control and Accountability Plan survey responses
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The Alhambra Unified School District (AUSD) released the results of their Local Control and Accountability Plan survey that was conducted throughout the month of March. The Matador found the survey on May 17 on the District’s website. The responses can be found here. Below are several replies from the survey:
“Test results should not be only measure of rigor. In fact, these test scores skew the real issue of quality education. Class size is out of control. Cap class size to ensure equity and quality of education. K-3 classes should cap at 20. Grades 4-5 should cap at 28. Grades 6-8 should not go beyond 30. This will ensure real equity and quality of education by ensuring students get the attention they need. Also decrease combo classes which end up being a waste of a year’s worth of education for students,” a certificated staff member said.
“I think the district is working feverishly to attend to all technology needs and really maintain a high level of equipment for our students and staff to use. I am proud of what I see when I walk into our classrooms and computer labs,” an AUSD parent said.
“We need to have more people that actually care about the school and the future,” an AUSD student said.
“The district is doing a wonderful reaching out to the students that are having difficulties with behavior and in dealing with improving student attendance. I have no suggestions [for improvement],” a classified staff member said.
“The school environment is not safe and all the teachers are scared to speak up for the kids because they fear the administration. For example, the recent incident with the ‘KEEPKWAN’ pep rally here at San Gabriel has sparked on the news and media, and has gained an enormous amount of respect and support from the teachers. Although they are supporting us, they fear to speak up because they do not want to lose their jobs since it is obvious to them that the administration and school board is run by fear. I believe this is a terrible environment where no one will speak their mind because the district is run like a tyranny of people who put their paychecks in front of the happiness of students, community members, parents, and teachers. The district and administration is always afraid to seem weak by not reversing or challenging wrong decisions made by one another. I think this is super unfair and that no one in the board cares about the kids, they just care about getting promoted to a higher position and getting more money. I’ve never believed that the district is so selfish until now. You should listen to your students and teachers and parents instead of running the schools with fear,” a community member said.
“The district should pay for the parent fingerprints/background checks for those that may financially qualify so that people who wish to volunteer but may not have what others just as a few dollars can,” an AUSD parent said.
“[The] AUSD needs smaller class sizes, needs to pay no employee less than $15/hour, needs more classroom instructional aides and/or students who assist teachers for all teachers that request such support, needs more drought-resistant plants in empty planters, needs to have horticultural programs for growing produce which makes it into the student cafeterias and more attention to growing and eating healthy, pesticide-free food, needs health and safety classes so that students can begin to think about their longer-term life choices related to health, the food they eat, exercise, emotional well-being, and so forth, needs to improve its arts and occupational/trade tech programs for students who may not be immediately college bound so that those students can better survive economically upon graduation, needs ethnic study classes so that students can understand and appreciate their specific cultures and history and the history and cultures of other students and so that students, especially at-risk students, can develop a sense of pride that will motivate them to stay in and work hard in school. The AUSD could also look cleaner and better maintained than it does, and that could mean hiring more workers to clean and repair things, equipment and facilities—has anyone looked at the sad state of the glass case outside the Industrial Arts area at Alhambra High lately?—and it could also mean demanding more student participation in helping to keep campuses clean. AUSD needs more counseling and group interactive services for students with social and emotional challenges, and not just for special ed students. This is only a partial list of possible improvements,” a classified staff member said.
“If we are trying to provide equitable education, why is the program PODER geared toward Latino students? What about ALL students? The name of the program says it all. Would it be acceptable to give the program a Chinese name?” a management staff member said.
