Article: L.A. Unified cuts most summer school classes

L.A. Unified cuts most summer school classes
-- Jason Song

April 15, 2011

Los Angeles school officials announced Friday that they will cancel the majority of their summer school offerings for the third year in a row because of budget shortfalls.

The Los Angeles Unified School District, which is facing a nearly $400-million deficit this year, already issued preliminary layoff notices to more than 7,000 staffers earlier this spring.

Classes will still be offered starting July 6 at some high schools for some current sophomores, juniors and seniors who are either failing or need to go to adult school. Some online classes will also be available, as will meal programs at some campuses.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/04/district-cuts-summer-school-classes.html

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The possibility of summer school being offered during the summer is extremely important, especially in disadvantaged, low-income communities. There are several reasons for this importance:

1. It gives students the opportunity to catch up in their studies. 
2. It allows students a safer place to occupy their time during summer when school is not in session. This is especially useful when gang initiations are active during the summer. 
3. It keeps them off the street, out of possible trouble (not for trouble they might create, but trouble from other external forces). 

I'm just glad at least the meal programs are continuing because most of the time, those meals the schools offer might be the only decent meal the student might have for that day. As for the online classes, no comment. I just prefer face-to-face student-teacher interaction. Teaching and learning is more efficient that way.

If I was employed in LAUSD as an employee and chose the 12 month payment plan, I would have loved to offer academic workshops for free (writing workshops are my fave).