Press release – Stoner Elementary community to hold protest against charter school co-location that is creating segregation and safety issues on and around campus.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Stoner Elementary community is mad and is fighting back against a planned expansion by the co-locating charter, Citizens’ of the World Charter Mar Vista (CWC), on the Stoner Elementary Campus. CWC has requested more classrooms and it is possible that they will take the Stoner computer lab, the speech & occupational therapist room, the book room and parent’s room. Taking anyone of these resources would devastate Stoner, a Title I school.
The parents are also concerned that the co-location creates segregation on campus bring about many safety issues for their children. This week 168 signed letters from Stoner Parents were submitted to LAUSD this week pointing out their concerns regarding segregation and safety on campus. LAUSD has not responded. A PDF of the letters is attached.
This will be the 3rd protest held against the CWC co-location at Stoner Elementary.
WHAT: Stoner Elementary Community is holding a:
RALLY FOR STONER ELEMENTARY: better, safer school for our children
WHEN: Friday, February 7, 2013 at 2:30 – 4 pm
WHERE: on the corner of Stoner Avenue and Lindblade Street, 90230.
[map]
Media is invited to attend.
There will be speakers. There will be signs. There will be chanting and drums.
Most importantly, there will be calls for better schools, a safer neighborhood, and unity in the community.
___________
Stoner Elementary School has worked hard over the past few years to make itself a better school. We brought our API up to 811 and added two pre-K classes; We’ve had new murals painted beautifying our campus and old junk removed, providing more play space for our children; We’re looking to bring dual language and music programs to the school. Stoner is doing and looking a lot better, and I am proud to send my child to our community school, Stoner Elementary, but all the progress we have made might be derailed by the charter school co-location on campus. The co-location creates many problems for our children, parents and teachers including segregated conditions on campus, safety issues, and a lack of respect for our community.
We have the following concerns:
1. Our biggest concern is that since the two schools cover the same grades at the same location, they will be competing for enrollment of our community students.
2. Stoner Elementary is Title I schoolwide. This means that large majority of our students come from an economically disadvantaged back ground. The co-location siphons key resources from our Title I school, depriving students of resource rooms, playground space, and library time.
3. CWC is currently under-enrolled, yet has asked for more classroom space next year. It is possible that they will take the Stoner computer lab, the speech & occupational therapy room, the book room and parent’s room.
4. The co-location creates segregated conditions on campus
i. Why is the Braddock entrance not safe for CWC, but safe for the Stoner Children?
b. CWC threw a rock concert that could be heard throughout campus while our students were taking state standardized tests. CWC friends & family were invited. Even though they could hear the concert going on all morning and see the commotion during recess, Stoner students were not allowed to attend. The concert was a disruption and Stoner teachers reported the most bathroom requests ever during the event. Students reported having trouble concentrating on the standardized test, thus effecting the school and student’s future.
5. CWC continues to endanger our students and has displayed a pattern of increasingly reckless behavior, including allowingsexual expression by CWC students
a. CWC allowed its parents to enter the shared school restroom in direct violation of posted signs stating “STUDENT RESTROOMS ONLY – NO ADULTS ARE PERMITTED IN THE RESTROOM”
b. CWC allowed sexual expression by students on campus: A Stoner parent found two CWC female students outside of class kissing, fondling each other and lifting up their shirts. When the Stoner parent reported it to the nearest CWC official, the parent was told that CWC would not do anything because CWC children are free to express themselves.
c. CWC has displayed a pattern of reckless behavior in regards to their entrance that has place Stoner students at risk.
i. From Oct-Dec 2013, CWC had a combination lock on its gate and gave the combination to all CWC parents. This meant over 200 CWC parents had uncontrolled access to our students and campus.
ii. After being ordered to remove the combination lock, CWC has been caught multiple times leaving its gate open and unattended for the convenience of CWC parents while disregarding Stoner student’s safety.
iii. Recently, CWC officials were found leaving the gate open and unlocked to go on coffee run.
6. Further lack of respect for our community and students
a. A CWC teacher had his class on the playground during Stoner student’s time. When the CWC teacher was asked to leave, instead of walking around the waiting Stoner students, the teacher marched the CWC students straight tough the group of Stoner Elementary Students, trampling the Stoner students backpack packs and sweaters.
b. CWC parents have harassed Stoner parents for voicing their concerns about the co-location, going as far as following Stoner parents home in an attempt to intimidate them and silence their concerns.
____________
WHAT DO WE WANT:
The Stoner parents are requesting that LAUSD deny CWC’s request for more classrooms for next year and are requesting that CWC’s co-location be terminated at the end of this school year.
Since the co-location will continue this year, the Stoner parents are asking that LAUSD address the security issues immediately by rescinding CWC separate gate access, and requiring CWC to enter thought the main gate on Braddock.
As a Lindblade Street, Del Rey resident, and Stoner Elementary parent, I invite members of the press to come and cover theRALLY FOR STONER.
Adam C. Benitez
Stoner Elementary Parent
11859 Lindblade St.
Culver City, CA 90230
310-922-1176
adambenitez@yahoo.com
I typically stay out of UTLA internal politics. Unlike the nonprofit industrial complex (NPIC), and our own government, unions are intensely democratic institutions where the members really demonstrate self governance. However, with the forces of neoliberalism on the verge of privatizing the remains of public education, I realize that public sector unions are the last bastion against the plutocracy crushing the remains of the public commons under their well-heeled jackboots. In the past year I've watched sectarian groups rise up in UTLA. The divisiveness and disruptiveness of their tactics have undermined UTLA's ability to serve as a buffer between the ravages of finance capital and our community. In the light of this, I decided to compile a list of people that have proven themselves as activists and champions of public education. They are people who have worked hand in hand with the community to stave off neoliberal policies, fight privatization, advocate for underrepresented students like ELLs and Special Needs, and more. I may revise this list slightly, but for the most part, it is complete. I've kept the names in the same order they appear on UTLA's roster.
