Monday, August 11, 2014

La Opinión: McKENNA FOR LAUSD

Editorial Endorsement by La Opinión- laopinion.com  | http://bit.ly/XYeO5B

PUBLICADO: Aug, 10, 2014 12:01 am EST  ::  The results of the last primary election for the District 1 seat in the School Board of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) showed that only one candidate, George McKenna, has strong support from the community. McKenna garnered this support because he has a lot of experience in various areas of education.

McKenna's election will provide the School Board a healthy dose of pragmatism based on his lengthy experience in several levels of K-12 education. This knowledge, gained by someone who spent 50 years in Los Angeles' classrooms and schools, greatly contrasts with that of his young opponent, Alex Johnson.

On the other hand, McKenna has a very clear vision that his priority is helping teach children who have fewer resources and more needs. Starting from this point of view, he came up with original ideas and others that are not so original, in order to help minority youths learn.

Among the priorities that McKenna plans to focus on, with a lot of common sense and independence, are decreasing dropouts, increasing teaching quality (with teacher evaluations that take into account student achievement, among other factors), improving relationships with parents and helping the principals of failing schools.

McKenna, whose voice will be different from the late Marguerite LaMotte's, has had significant community support from the beginning. He earned that through many years of work in schools and successes like what he achieved in Washington Preparatory High School in the 1980s, an accomplishment that immortalized him in a Hollywood movie.

This new board member to represent District 1 will enrich the School Board. Vote next Tuesday for George McKenna for LAUSD!

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