Thinking about a solution is the first step to finding one

By Jennifer Solis

If I have not made this plain enough for everyone, I am neither a supporter nor critic of Academia Semillas del Pueblo. I simply wrote a column for the Los Angeles Daily News, which reported what I saw, and information that was provided to me by the ASP administrators.

The fact that their local community endorses the school is beyond question. Even the Los Angeles Times could find no local critics – and believe me, they looked.

KABC condemns the school because it is run by a couple of MEChA alumni from UCLA, whose radical views have shaped the vision of a small charter operation in a neighborhood of Spanish speaking poverty. One of the questions my readers say I should have reported was “How many of these families are illegal immigrants?”

Frankly, I don’t care. The law says we have an obligation to educate these kids, and the LAUSD and the CDE decide how we are going to do it. No one is holding a gun to the heads of the parents who have elected to move their kids to ASP. Like all parents, they want their kids to succeed.

The test results, teacher certification ratio and other yardsticks for measuring performance paint a dismal picture, which critics of ASP are quick to point out. These factors must be improved, and I have been told that they shall be addressed as priority goals.

But in spite of the fact that I consider these measurements legitimate and necessary, I can’t help but feel that there are other, perhaps intangible, experiences that make the difference on how one is motivated to grow up with a positive attitude toward the education process. Mr. and Mrs. Aguilar believe that a connection to the kids’ roots and pride in their heritage is the best method for encouraging these children.

It’s like saying, “Your ancestors are looking down upon you, and expect you to make them proud.” Maybe this kind of pressure is part of what makes the Asian community succeed so well in academics.

One of Mayor Sam's afficionados has asked me, “Jennifer, you of all people know that, given your own experiences, I'm not sure why you decided to wade into this issue?" My answer to him is that it is precisely because of my experiences, growing up with inner-city Hispanic schoolmates, that I can understand the challenge, and have an obligation to help work on the problems. I am fortunate in that -- unlike many writers who are far more intelligent and experienced than I am -- my editors give me a forum – a soapbox to express my views and observations.

You may not agree with my observations, and that’s OK – at least you are drawn to think about these issues – and that is the first step toward finding solutions.