[00:00:02]
[I. Welcome and Opening Remarks]
AND WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR VERY FIRST CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION COMMITTEE FOR THE 26 27 SCHOOL YEAR.VERY EXCITED TO HAVE YOU ALL HERE.
UM, I WANT TO BEGIN WITH, UH, INTRODUCTIONS.
IF WE CAN TAKE A MOMENT TO INTRODUCE OURSELVES AND JUST, UM, SHARE HOW YOU'RE FEELING TODAY IN THIS MUGGY HOT DAY.
HOW DID YOU SURVIVE THE DAY? UM, JUST QUICKLY.
I AM A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER FOR BOARD DISTRICT FIVE.
I WAS A TEACHER IN SPECIAL EDUCATION FOR 20 YEARS.
I WAS ALSO COMMUNITY SCHOOL COORDINATOR FOR TWO YEARS, AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE.
AND I SURVIVED BY BEING INDOORS.
I WAS IN MEETINGS, TODAY WAS A DAY OF MEETINGS AND I WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
SO I'M GONNA START OVER HERE WITH TREVOR.
HE, HIM, UM, I AM A COMMUNITY MEMBER ON THE CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION COMMITTEE.
THIS IS MY SECOND YEAR, SO I'M VERY EXCITED.
UM, IN MY DAY JOB, I AM THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY AT ONE INSTITUTE WHERE I LEAD, UH, K 12 YOUTH AND EDUCATOR PROGRAMS ON LGBTQ PLUS HISTORY.
UM, AND THE HEAT TODAY, I'M A NATIVE OF THE GULF COAST, SO I FEEL AT HOME TODAY.
I'M HERE AS A PARENT OF AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENT AND A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT.
I'M ALSO, UH, MY DAY JOB IS I'M A PRINCIPAL AT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
I THE HEAT IS, UH, DEALING WITH INCLEMENT WEATHER INDOORS WITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WAS PRETTY ROUGH TODAY, BUT WE'RE MAKE, WE'RE MAKING IT WORK.
HI, MY NAME IS THERESA GAINES.
I'M A PARENT AND I'M A PARENT FELLOW WITH RECLAIM OUR SCHOOLS LOS ANGELES.
UM, I'M ALSO A PARENT ADVOCATE AND I SERVE ON MY SCHOOL'S, UH, FA FRIENDS OF FORD, UM, ON THE WEST SIDE.
AND, UM, I'M A PRODUCT OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM ALL THE WAY FROM CAGE THROUGH COLLEGE AND I'M A PROUD MEMBER AND MY KIDS ARE ALSO GOING TO PUBLIC SCHOOL, SO I'M REALLY PROUD OF THEM.
I'M THE INSTRUCTIONAL COACH AT ESPERANZA ELEMENTARY REGION EAST.
UM, AND I STAYED COOL BY, UM, TESTING INITIAL ELPAC FOR OUR STUDENTS TODAY.
I AM ALSO PROUD PARENT AS WELL.
I AM ALSO A PROUD GRADUATE OF LA UNIFIED AND, AND A TEACHER FOR MANY DECADES HERE IN LA UNIFIED.
UH, SO IT IS JUST A GREAT HONOR, UM, TO BE HERE AND SERVE ON THIS COMMITTEE.
AND I STAY COOL TODAY 'CAUSE I WAS IN MY CAR WITH THE AC BLASTING
TOOK A COUPLE MEETINGS IN MY CAR, SO STAY COOL IN THE CAR.
I AM A COMMUNITY SCHOOL COORDINATOR.
I'VE BEEN A TEACHER, EL COORDINATOR, UH, FOR MANY YEARS.
I'M ALSO A PARENT OF AN LUSD STUDENT.
TODAY I WAS AT A COMMUNITY SCHOOL MEETING AT UTLA.
UH, IT'S MY SECOND YEAR, UH, WITH THIS AMAZING CURRICULUM COMMITTEE.
UM, I'M ALSO A PAR PROUD PARENT OF L-A-U-S-D STUDENTS AND A PRODUCT OF L-A-U-S-D.
AND I'M ALSO REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MUSLIM PARENTS ASSOCIATION.
HELLO, MY NAME IS DR. LESTER POWELL AND I'M THE PROUD PRINCIPAL AT ARMSTRONG MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I'M ALSO A PROUD PARENT OF A 16-YEAR-OLD AT MANUAL ARTS.
THANKFULLY WE HAD THE MISTERS THOSE STANDS WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, FELT LIKE WE WERE AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS, SO I JUST STOOD IN FRONT OF THAT, SUPERVISING, INVITING KIDS OVER TO GET WET
I JUST STARTED MY 29TH YEAR TEACHING ENGLISH AT DORSEY HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, ALSO THEIR UTLA CHAPTER CHAIR.
UH, I THINK I WAS AT THE SAME TRAINING AS MS. SCOTT'S AND I'M MORE WORRIED ABOUT GOING HOME 'CAUSE MY HOUSE DOESN'T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE.
I WANNA THANK THE DIVISION OF INSTRUCTION, UH, FOR HELPING US TODAY.
I ALSO WANNA THANK, UM, OUR TEAM LED BY, UH, MIKE MCLEAN, WHO MAKES THIS POSSIBLE AND OF COURSE, OUR OWN TEAM.
BUT I ALSO WANNA GIVE SPACE TO OUR CHIEF OF ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION TO INTRODUCE HERSELF.
MY NAME IS PIA KAMAL, CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER.
[00:05:01]
HAPPY TO BE HERE.I'M A PROUD LAUC GRADUATE, UM, FORMER TEACHER, PRINCIPAL, UM, AND ALSO DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR.
SO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S GET STARTED BECAUSE WE HAVE A GREAT, UM, MEETING TODAY.
UM, BUT I DO WANNA START ACKNOWLEDGING SOME OF THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL DISTRESS THAT WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING IN OUR COMMUNITIES, UM, INCLUDING TODAY.
RIGHT? WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HEARD FROM ONE OF OUR EDUCATORS WHO DOES NOT HAVE AC AT HOME, AND THAT'S WHEN WE ARE IN THIS HEAT.
IT IS, IT IS VERY, UH, DANGEROUS, RIGHT? SO NOT TO SCARE YOU SHAAN, BUT IT IS, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THAT, UM, THESE MOMENTS ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE ABOUT EQUITY, ACCESS, AND JUSTICE, RIGHT? AND SO I WANNA, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE SOME OF THE RECENT, UM, STRESSORS IN OUR COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, THE HURRICANES AND THE LINEAGE, FIRE AND FIRES IN THE NORTHEAST, UH, YOU KNOW, ATROCITIES IN NEPAL AND EVEN IN, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, ZION AND GRAND CANYON.
SO, UM, FOLKS IN OUR LOCAL AND GLOBAL COMMUNITY ARE, ARE VERY DEEPLY IMPACTED RIGHT NOW.
UM, LAST YEAR WE CENTERED, UM, THE WORK THAT WE DID IN THIS COMMITTEE, HONORING OUR STUDENTS' WHOLE SELVES AND THEIR IDENTITIES IN THE CLASSROOMS. UH, THIS YEAR WE'RE GONNA ZOOM OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND HOW OUR CLASSROOMS SIT IN SCHOOL COMMUNITIES AND HOW OUR SCHOOLS SIT IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND STATE AND NATIONAL CONTEXT.
UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT OUR STUDENTS' WHOLE SELVES, BUT TO WIDEN THAT LENS AND THINK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL AS WELL AS OUR INSTRUCTION IN CURRICULUM, RIGHT? UM, THESE ARE NOT EASY TIMES AND WE HAVE TO USE THE ISSUES OF NOW TO CONNECT SCHOOLS TO COMMUNITIES AND BUILD STUDENT AGENCY.
UM, TODAY'S TOPIC IS GONNA BE ABOUT TEACHING TOPICALLY OUR CLASSROOMS AND CURRICULUMS MUST STAY, UH, RELEVANT.
I KNOW FOR ME AS A STUDENT, IT WAS WHEN THE CURRICULUM WAS RELEVANT TO ME, TO MY EXPERIENCE, THAT I BECAME MORE CURIOUS, MORE INTERESTED, MOTIVATED.
AND SO WE CERTAINLY KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF EDUCATORS IN L-A-U-S-D WHO DO THAT IN THE CLASSROOM.
AND SO WE WANT TO BRING THEM FORTH AND, UH, AND SHOWCASE THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND TODAY WE HAVE SEVERAL EDUCATORS WHO WILL BE DOING THAT, SHOWCASING WHAT THEY DO AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL AND AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
SO WE ARE GOING TO USE THE LENS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CONNECT OUR STUDENTS TO THEIR COMMUNITY.
UH, SO I'M GONNA BEGIN, UM, I'M GONNA HAND IT OFF TO OUR VERY FIRST PRESENTER WHO IS, I'M LOOKING FOR MY AGENDA.
[II.1. Building Relevant Curriculum and Instruction: Environmental Issues In this moment of heightened insecurity and repression, how can assessments be part of building school and classroom climates that honor students’ whole selves?]
IT OFF TO MS. MARIA REESE, WHO IS AN EDUCATOR AT MALAD BAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHO WILL BE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING RELEVANT CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.I AM A TEACHER AT MBAR ELEMENTARY IN BOYLE HEIGHTS.
UM, I HAVE A LOT TO COVER, SO I HOPE I CAN TALK IN THE ALLOTTED TIME.
BUT I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH UCLA FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, UM, BUILDING CULTURALLY RELEVANT CURRICULUM AND BRINGING IT INTO THE CLASSROOM.
I'M ALSO GETTING MY MASTER'S IN HISTORY AT CAL STATE LONG BEACH, WHICH I'M ALSO INCORPORATING INTO THE CLASSROOM.
UM, THIS SUMMER WE LAUNCHED A CURRICULUM, UM, WHICH IS, UH, DESIGN-BASED LEARNING PROJECT, TETHERED TO CIVICS ISSUES THAT ARE ACTUALLY HAPPENING IN THE STUDENTS' LIVES.
AND, UM, IT SURROUNDS THE INQUIRY QUESTION, HOW CAN WE DESIGN A CITY WHERE EVERYONE HAS THE POWER TO SHAPE ITS FUTURE? UM, SO SOME OF THE COMPONENTS TO THIS DESIGNABLE, UM, I MEAN THIS DESIGN-BASED SUSTAINABLE CITY ARE THAT IT'S CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY, SO IT IS SUPER RELEVANT AND IT'S VERY TOPICAL.
UM, WE'RE DISCUSSING SUCH ISSUES THAT THE STUDENTS SEE IN THEIR COMMUNITY, SUCH AS THE LINEAGE FIRE, BECAUSE WE'RE IN BOYLE HEIGHTS.
UM, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT, UM, POLLUTION, LACK OF GREEN SPACES, AND ALSO, UM, ALTERNATE ENER, ALTERNATE UH, SOLUTIONS TO ENERGY SOURCES.
UM, SO THIS IS CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THE STUDENTS CAN LOOK AT WHAT ISSUES THAT THEY'RE FACING AT HOME AND THEN BRING IT INTO THE CLASSROOM AND REIMAGINE ALTERNATE SOLUTIONS TO THIS.
IT'S AN EXTREMELY INCLUSIVE PROJECT FOR STUDENTS WITH IEPS.
UM, HIGH ACHIEVEMENT STUDENTS, BEHAVIOR CHALLENGE STUDENTS.
UM, AND YEAH, PRETTY MUCH EVERY EVERY BACKGROUND HAS AN ACCESS POINT TO THIS PROJECT.
UM, IT'S ALSO INCLUSIVE BECAUSE IT'S ADDRESSING THE PROBLEMS THAT THEY'RE FACING.
IT'S NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT I'M FEEDING THEM.
THEY'RE COMING UP WITH THESE TOPICS AND, AND
[00:10:01]
PRESENTING THEM TO THE CLASSROOM.UM, IT'S VERY INTERDISCIPLINARY, SO IT CONNECTS TO EVERY SINGLE, UM, SUBJECT AREA.
AND IT CONNECTS TO EVERY SINGLE STANDARDS, WHICH I ALSO PUT ON THERE.
STANDARDS BASE, IT'S NGSS, IT'S CC, COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS.
IT'S THE SOCIAL JUSTICE STANDARDS, IT'S EVERYTHING.
UM, AND THEN IT'S INTERDISCIPLINARY BECAUSE FOR EVERY SUBJECT THAT WE'RE STUDYING, THERE'S A POINT THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT TO ADDRESS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, I'M TEACHING RATIOS AND PROPORTIONS IN SIXTH GRADE.
SO THEN WE'RE CREATING THE CITY TO SCALE AND TALKING ABOUT THE PERCENTAGES OF HOW MUCH GREEN SPACE, HOW MUCH, UM, PEOPLE PER HOUSING UNIT.
UM, AND THEN IT'S ALSO LIKE ANOTHER TOPIC THAT WE'RE DOING IS, UM, ANCIENT ROME AND THEIR IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. SO THEN WE PULL OUT OUR CITY.
SO IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A, MEANING A LIVING CITY.
SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH IT THE WHOLE YEAR.
UM, AND THEN IT'S ALSO CIVICS ORIENTED.
LIKE I SAID, IT'S GREEN SPACES, IT'S POLLUTION, IT'S ENERGY SOURCES.
UM, AND THEN THEY'RE COMING UP WITH ALL THESE TOPICS AND INTRODUCING THEM.
SO, UM, SOME OF THE GUIDELINES OF THIS, UH, PROJECT IS THAT IT IS COMPLETELY ANALOG.
THERE IS NO TECHNOLOGY INVOLVED.
THE STUDENTS ARE NOT GOOGLING ALTERNATE ENERGY SOLUTIONS, FORT LOS ANGELES.
THEY'RE COMING UP WITH THE SOLUTIONS, AND THEN THEY'RE BRINGING IT TO ME.
WELL, NOT TO ME, THEY'RE BRINGING IT TO THEIR CITY.
UM, AND THEN IT'S ALSO MADE OF HAPPY TRASH.
UM, SO THIS IS RECYCLED MATERIALS SUCH AS STRAWS, UM, CONSTRUCTION, PAPER SCRAPS, COTTON BALLS, CARDBOARD, PAPER, DOWELS, WHATEVER THEY CAN FIND AT SCHOOL.
AND THEN BUILD WITH IS WHAT THEY CAN CREATE WITH.
UM, SO THE PROCESS FOR THIS IS THAT WE COME UP WITH A COMMUNITY ISSUE.
SO SOMETHING LIKE, UM, UH, IN THIS CASE, WE'RE USING THE CRITERIA LIST FOR, UM, HEAT MAPS.
SO HOW, UM, HEAT DISPARITIES RELATE TO INCOME DISPARITIES IN LOS ANGELES.
SO IT'S AN, ACTUALLY IT'S AN, I THINK IT'S CALLED ARC, GIS, BUT IT'S A MAP THAT THE STUDENTS ARE INTERACTING WITH.
AND SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT ALTERNATE SOLUTIONS TO MITIGATE HEAT IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
SO COMMUNITY ISSUE, I DO THE PRE-TEACH, AND THEN THEY TALK ABOUT SOLUTIONS AND HOW THEY WANT TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE.
SO THAT COULD BE LOOKED, THAT COULD LOOK MORE LIKE, UM, I'VE HAD STUDENTS CREATE LIKE DAMS, POOLS, GREEN SPACES, SHADE.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S A CRITERIA LIST.
SO FOR EACH COMMUNITY ISSUE, THERE'S A CRITERIA LIST.
SO THIS ONE, IT'S REIMAGINED MATERIALS TO MITIGATE HEAT IN YOUR COMMUNITY, UM, IT HAS TO BE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, ACCESSIBLE TO ALL, AND THEN ATTENTION TO SCALE.
AND THAT IS THE MATHEMATICS CONNECTION.
UM, AND THEN THEY REVISE THEIR BUILD AND THEY SEE WHAT THEY WANT TO ADD OR TAKE AWAY.
OKAY, SO SOME OF THE IMPACTS, WELL, THERE'S ENDLESS IMPACTS.
I CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON ABOUT THIS
BUT THE AVATARS WAS, UH, AN INCLUSION ACTIVITY WE DID AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
SO, UM, THIS, THEY FOUND WAYS TO USE THE HAPPY TRASH TO, UM, DEMONSTRATE HOW THEY SEE THEMSELVES IN THE WORLD.
SO THESE ARE THE, SOME OF THE ONES THAT THE STUDENTS DID.
IT'S JUST KIND OF FREEDOM OF CREATION.
UM, IT ALSO IS VERY IMPACTFUL FOR THE STUDENTS WHO CAN, MAY NOT.
IT'S IMPACTFUL FOR DIFFERENTIATION AND THE STUDENTS WHO MAY NEED A LITTLE BIT EXTRA SUPPORT OR A LITTLE BIT LESS SUPPORT.
UM, I'VE ALSO SEEN STUDENTS WITH BEHAVIOR CHALLENGES COME TO LIFE IN THIS PROJECT.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY AMAZING TO SEE WHAT THE STUDENTS COME UP WITH.
UM, THEY ALSO ARE, OH, I AM NOT THE, I AM NOT THE LEADER OF THEIR CITY,
I AM NOT IN CHARGE OF THEIR CITY.
IF THERE'S AN ISSUE, THEN THEY HAVE TO TALK TO EACH OTHER ABOUT WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO CREATE.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY WANT TO CREATE, UM, TO TAKE TWO TILES AND CREATE A PARK, THEN THEY HAVE TO TALK TO ONE ANOTHER.
AND THEN IT BECOMES AN, A FULLY ENGAGED CIVICS DISCOURSE, UM, THAT THEY ARE IN CHARGE OF.
UM, NEXT, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES ARE THE MATERIALS, TIME AND FUNDING.
UM, MATERIALS NOT SO MUCH BECAUSE IT'S HAPPY TRASH, IT'S RECYCLED MATERIALS, BUT TIME, UM, AND FUNDING.
UM, I THINK THAT IN ORDER TO PROPERLY DO THIS PROJECT JUSTICE, I THINK THAT TEACHERS NEED TO BE FAIRLY COMPENSATED, UM, AND HAVE ACCESS TO THESE MATERIALS.
UM, AND THEN ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS IS WICKED PROBLEMS. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WON'T SEE RESOLVED IN OUR LIFETIME.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, CLIMATE CHANGE WILL NOT BE RESOLVED IN OUR LIFETIME, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO TEACH THE STUDENTS RESILIENCE THROUGH THIS AND SHOW THAT THEY CAN CHIP AWAY AT THE PROBLEMS RATHER THAN SOLVE IT COMPLETELY.
WE CAN STILL HELP THE PROBLEM.
UM, AND THEN TIME IT'S CONSUMING, YET IT'S INTERDISCIPLINARY AND IT'S CONNECTED TO EVERYTHING.
HOWEVER, TO, UM, PLAN IT INTO EACH SUBJECT COULD TAKE A LITTLE
[00:15:01]
BIT EXTRA TIME.SO SOME OF THE WAYS THAT, UM, LESD CAN HELP IS WITH TRAINING, UM, AND FUNDING AND COMPENSATION.
UM, WITH DISTRICT SUPPORT, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE REALLY AMAZING TO HAVE A TEACHER CADRE AND THEN HAVE THAT TEACHER GROUP CREATE A REPOSITORY OF RESOURCES SO THAT THIS IS ALREADY PLANNED THROUGH.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I GET, UM, WORKING WITH UCLA IS FROM TEACHERS, OKAY, THIS IS GREAT, BUT HOW DO I PUT THIS INTO MY CLASSROOM? UM, THIS IS A MASSIVE PROJECT AS I'M EXPLAINING IT, BUT I THINK IF THERE WAS RESOURCES AND THAT TEACHERS COULD ACTUALLY PUT HANDS ON AND DO IT THEMSELVES, THEY CAN, IT WOULD BE MUCH EASIER TO BRING IT INTO THE CLASSROOM.
UM, AND TO BE COMPENSATED FOR, UM, THE TEACHER CADRE AND THE TRAIN REPOSITORY OF RESOURCES.
UM, I THINK THAT FUNDING CONNECTS WITH PLANNING WITH OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS.
I AM PLANNING ON CONNECTING WITH OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS.
HOWEVER, WITH DISTRICT SUPPORT, I THINK I COULD GO A LOT FURTHER.
UM, BUT TO CONNECT TO, UM, BOYLE HEIGHTS COMMUNITY GARDENS, UM, FRIENDS OF THE LA RIVER TREE PEOPLE FIELD TRIPS TO L-E-D-W-P FIELD TRIPS TO HYPERION, UH, WASTE TREATMENT PLANT TO TETHER THE ACTUAL LEARNING AND THE ACTUAL CONVERSATIONS THAT THE STUDENTS ARE HAVING TO REAL WORLD THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THEIR CITY.
UM, BOYLE HEIGHTS IS A REALLY HIGH NEED COMMUNITY, AND SO THEY MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO GOING TO DIFFERENT PLACES IN THEIR COMMUNITY, IN THEIR CITY.
SO THEY'RE KIND OF ISOLATED TO BOYLE HEIGHTS.
SO I THINK TO, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CONNECTIONS WITH OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS WOULD BE THE MOST AMAZING.
AND TO ALSO HAVE THOSE GUESTS COME IN AND HAVE THE STUDENTS PRESENT TO, UM, TO THE PRESENTER
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, I THINK UN AN UNDERSTANDING FROM ADMIN AND, UM, HIGHER UP THAT THIS IS INTERDISCIPLINARY.
IT'S STEAM, IT'S ABSOLUTELY EVERY, IT CHECKS EVERY SINGLE BOX, BUT TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU CAME INTO MY CLASSROOM, IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE PLAY, BUT IT'S NOT REALLY BECAUSE THERE'S SUCH HEAVY CONCEPTS BEHIND EACH OF THEIR CREATIONS.
UM, AND THEN I BROUGHT SOME OF THE TILES.
SO I HAD TO CREATE BOYLE HEIGHTS ON A MAP AND THEN CUT OUT EACH TILE SO THAT EACH PORTION IS A PORTION OF THE MAP.
SO THIS MIGHT BE CAESAR TRAVIS AVENUE, AND THEN THERE'S ONE PORTION WITH THE SEVEN 10 RUNNING THROUGH IT.
UM, BUT THIS IS A PLACE THAT A STUDENT CREATED WHERE IF YOU'RE OVERSTIMULATED, IT'S A COMMUNITY CENTER THAT YOU CAN GO AND RELAX.
AND, UM, THIS ONE IS A, I CAN'T REALLY PICK IT UP, BUT, UM, THIS ONE IS A APARTMENT BUILDING AND THEN IT'S ALSO MITIGATING HEAT IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
UM, IT, THE CONCEPT IS THERE
BUT ABOVE ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH, THIS IS THE MOST JOY I'VE SEEN IN THE CLASSROOM FROM MYSELF AND FROM THE STUDENTS.
AND IT'S CREATED A SAFE SPACE.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING RIGHT NOW.
IT, WITH EVERY SINGLE THING GOING ON, GIVING OUR STUDENTS A UTOPIA TO THEIR ALTERNATE, TO THEIR REALITIES IS REALLY, REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, SO I, I'M TRYING TO DO THROUGH THIS PROJECT CREATE SAFE SPACES FOR THE STUDENTS, FOR THEM TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES.
WOW, THAT'S SO REFRESHING AND SO GOOD TO TO HEAR THAT ALL THIS WORK.
I THINK WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND LISTEN FROM OUR SECOND SPEAKER, AND THEN WE WILL POSE QUESTIONS.
UM, WE'LL HAVE SOME, LET ME SEE HERE.
IS THAT WHAT WE HAVE HERE? YES.
AND THEN WE WILL, THE COMMITTEE WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS AS WELL AS POSE SOME QUESTIONS OF OUR PRESENTERS OR OUR DIVISION OF INSTRUCTION.
ALRIGHT, SO OUR NEXT PRESENTER IS, UM, MS. TALIA CATAN, WHO'S AN EDUCATOR AT ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, SOT KATANYA, I TEACH OVER AT ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL, AND I'M ALSO A PARENT OF TWO LUSD ELEMENTARY STUDENTS.
SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO MENTION.
UM, AND I'M GONNA BE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A YAR PROJECT THAT I DO WITH STUDENTS, UM, THAT HAS TO DO WITH, UM, A STUDENT LED ISSUE WHERE THEY PICK A-L-A-U-S-D POLICY, AND THEN WHAT THEY DO IS THEY ENGAGE WITH HOW, YOU KNOW, THE LARGER CONCEPT IN MY GOVERNMENT CLASS IS HOW POLICY IMPACTS SOCIETY.
AND SO THEN STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO DO A-Y-P-A-R ABOUT HOW L-A-U-S-D POLICY IMPACTS THEIR EXPERIENCE.
AND SO, BEING 12TH GRADERS, THEY'RE KIND OF LOOKING BACK AT THE CULMINATION OF THEIR YEARS IN SCHOOL AND THEY GET TO PICK LUSD POLICY THAT THEY WANT TO THEN RESEARCH, ENGAGE WITH AND UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF THAT POLICY, NOT ONLY ON THEIR OWN LIVED EXPERIENCES, BUT MAYBE ALSO THEIR CLASSMATES.
AND SO, UH, FOR THIS ONE, WHAT WHAT I ENDED UP DOING IS EVERY YEAR,
[00:20:01]
UM, I DO A CASE STUDY.SO I DO KIND OF LIKE A MODEL FOR THEM OF LIKE, THIS IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO ENGAGE WITH POLICY.
'CAUSE POLICY IS NOT SOMETHING THAT STUDENTS ARE LIKE REALLY INTO, YOU KNOW, I SAY POLICY AND GOVERNMENT, THEY'RE LIKE, UGH, YOU KNOW, LIKE, WHAT ARE WE GONNA READ? SO I TRY TO MAKE THE MODEL, UH, A RELEVANT TOPIC TO THEM.
SO LAST YEAR THE ISSUE WAS IMMIGRATION BECAUSE THAT WAS THE, THE BIG THING THAT HAPPENED IN, IN LA AND FOR A LOT OF MY STUDENTS IN BOYLE HEIGHTS THIS YEAR, THE BIG TOPIC WAS A LINEAGE FIRE THAT WE ARE STILL LIVING THROUGH, UM, IN BOYLE HEIGHTS IN EAST LA.
AND SO THE MAJORITY OF MY STUDENTS COMING FROM BOYLE HEIGHTS IN EAST LA, IT JUST MADE SENSE FOR US TO FOCUS ON THAT.
SO THAT WAS OUR MODEL, UM, YOU KNOW, POLICY PROJECT THAT WE LOOKED INTO.
AND THEN FROM HERE, STUDENTS WITHIN SPRINGBOARD OUT INTO PICKING THEIR POLICY AND THEN ENGAGING IN A-Y-P-A-R THAT I CAN KIND OF DISCUSS A LITTLE BIT LATER OF HOW THEY ENGAGE WITH THEIR OWN POLICY.
SO THIS ONE HERE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, THE, THE TOPIC AT HAND WAS A LINEAGE FIRE.
UM, I HAD TAUGHT SUMMER SCHOOL, SO I HAD BEEN IN BOYLE HEIGHTS DURING THE SUMMER.
UM, AND SO THEN WE WERE ABLE TO, TO LOOK AT THIS AS OUR EXAMPLE.
UM, AND SO JUST FOR CONTEXT, WE, WE, WE ENGAGED WITH THE IMPACT OF THE LINEAGE FIRE, UM, ON THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO THAT WAS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE STARTED FROM.
I WANTED STUDENTS TO REALLY THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PICKING A POLICY WASN'T JUST LIKE ANOTHER CHECKLIST I WANTED THEM TO REALLY ENGAGE WITH.
WHEN YOU PICK A POLICY AS A GROUP IN LUSD, PICK SOMETHING THAT HAS IMPACTED YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A STUDENT, WHETHER THAT'S STRESS CODE, WHETHER THAT'S ATTENDANCE.
AND SO WE STARTED OFF BY REALLY THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THIS FIRE ON THE COMMUNITIES OF BOYLE HEIGHTS IN EAST? UM, AND WE ENGAGE WITH SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE BACKGROUND INTO LIKE, WHO, WHO ARE THESE FOLKS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? WHO, WHO ARE THE, THE PLAYERS THAT ARE INVOLVED HERE? UM, WHO'S LINEAGE, WHO ARE ALL THESE COMPANIES THAT ARE INVOLVED THAT ARE A LOT MORE THAN JUST THE WAREHOUSE? UM, AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT LIKE THE LOCAL RESPONSE, WHICH KIND OF GETS US INTO THE POLICY, RIGHT? SO WANTED TO REALLY FRAME THE, THE WORK AROUND, YOU KNOW, IT HAS TO BE, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE IMPACTED BY THESE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE SOMETIMES OUTSIDE OF OUR COMMUNITIES, BUT THEN IMPACT, YOU KNOW, OUR EXPERIENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, AS A GOOD TEACHER, I KIND OF WENT THROUGH A LIST OF TERMS AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE ANALYZE, YOU KNOW, WHO'S INVOLVED AND, AND WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? AND, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL, ALL OF US TO HAVE LIKE A SHARED, UH, LANGUAGE WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE POLICY.
AND SO HERE'S LIKE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE WENT THROUGH THAT.
UM, I CAN'T SHOW YOU SOME OF THE VIDEOS.
UH, WE ENGAGED WITH A LOT OF MEDIA IN THIS PARTICULAR, UH, POLICY BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH GOING ON, RIGHT? THIS LINEAGE FIRE BURNED FOR EIGHT DAYS STRAIGHT.
UM, AND THERE WAS SO MUCH MEDIA THAT WE COULD LOOK AT TO TALK ABOUT FROM THE INITIAL DAYS WHERE THERE WAS A LOT OF UNKNOWNS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THIS FIRE ON THE ENVIRONMENT TO JUST, EVEN AS I WAS TEACHING THIS, WE WERE GETTING THE NEWS FROM THE IMPACTS, THE HEALTH IMPACTS BY ONE OF THE, THE FEW, UM, HEALTH PROGRAMS THAT WAS IN THE COMMUNITY KIND OF TALKING ABOUT THAT.
AND SO, UH, DID SOME MEDIA, WE TALKED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT HERE, UH, IN TERMS OF JUST UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR CHEMICALS TO BURN FOR EIGHT DAYS? HOW DOES YOU KNOW THE ENVIRONMENT GET IMPACT FROM AIR TO SOIL TO JUST, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCE AND SMELL.
SO WE KIND OF ENGAGED WITH THAT A LITTLE BIT THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT ONE OF, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO SORT OF UNDERSTAND WHEN I DO THESE PROJECTS, UH, WHERE I DO TRY TO FIND A, A TOPIC THAT IS RELEVANT TO MY STUDENTS IS THAT I ALSO HAVE THIS SORT OF PRESSURE TO HAVE TO JUSTIFY IT WITH STANDARDS.
UM, AND I'M NOT NECESSARILY SOMEONE WHO'S ANTI STANDARDS, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THEY'RE THERE AND WE CAN WORK WITH THEM.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, AS A 12TH GRADE GOVERNMENT TEACHER, IF YOU WERE TO WALK INTO MY CLASSROOM THAT WEEK AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, YOU'RE LIKE, WELL, HOW IS THIS RELATED? RIGHT? AND SO HERE ARE LIKE THE STANDARDS THAT I WOULD HAVE UP ON MY WALL IN CASE I WAS BEING OBSERVED, AS WE OFTEN ARE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STANDARDS ALIGNED.
UM, AND SO TRYING TO REALLY KIND OF MAKE THAT CONNECTION BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE THAT'S GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY IS RELEVANT TO ME TEACHING GOVERNMENT BECAUSE, UM, IT IMPACTS, YOU KNOW, OUR SOCIETY AND OUR, AND OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, HERE ARE MY, ARE MY STANDARDS FOR THAT.
UM, BUT I WASN'T ABLE TO, BECAUSE THIS TOPIC IS SORT OF ONGOING.
UM, I WAS LITERALLY, WE WERE LITERALLY LEARNING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS GOING ON WHILE WE WERE GETTING ONGOING RESULTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
[00:25:01]
OF THE, WHAT I WANTED TO SHARE WAS THAT WE ENDED UP DOING A LITTLE BIT OF A SURVEY, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW POLICIES ARE INSTITUTED, IMPACT COMMUNITIES AND, AND PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCE.AND SO MY STUDENTS WANTED TO UNDERSTAND HOW DID THIS LINEAGE FIRE IMPACT OUR CLASSMATES? AND SO THEY ENDED UP DOING A, UH, SURVEY.
AND IN THAT SURVEY WE WERE ABLE TO CAPTURE SOME, SOME RESULTS.
AND SO UNFORTUNATELY YOU DON'T HAVE IT THERE, BUT I HAVE SOME HERE WHERE MY STUDENTS WERE ASKING, YOU KNOW, THE LARGER ROOSEVELT COMMUNITY, LIKE, WHAT WERE SOME OF THE IMPACTS THAT THIS LINEAGE FIRE HAD ON YOUR EXPERIENCE LIVING IN THE SURROUNDING AREA? AND A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE GOT WERE, YOU KNOW, ENVIRONMENTALLY RELATED.
IT WAS LIKE THE SMELL, THE ODOR THAT WAS COMING FROM THIS FIRE, UM, BREATHING ISSUES, A LOT OF RESPIRATORY ISSUES THAT WE GOT FROM STUDENTS THAT LIVED AROUND THERE.
UM, EVERYTHING FROM, YOU KNOW, EYE ISSUES, ITCHINESS, AND THEN WE MOVED INTO, YOU KNOW, MENTAL HEALTH.
AND SO A LOT OF THE STUDENTS WERE SAYING, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, IT WAS, UH, A NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE THIS SUMMER BECAUSE I HAD TO BE INDOORS, OR I HAD TO HAVE MY, YOU KNOW, AIR, AIR PURIFIER RUNNING, OR THOSE THAT ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE AC WERE LIKE, WE HAD TO HAVE THAT RUNNING TO LIKE CIRCULATE THE AIR.
AND SO WHEN WE WERE THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW DID THIS LINEAGE FIRE, UM, YOU KNOW, SORT OF HOW HAS IT CONTINUED TO IMPACT STUDENTS? WE LOOKED AT THE POLICY, BOTH THE CITY, THE COUNTY, AND THEN LAD'S OWN RESPONSE TO IT.
UM, AND THEN STUDENTS WANTED TO KNOW, WELL, WHAT HAS, WHAT HAVE ALL OF THESE ENTITIES IN GOVERNMENT THAT REPRESENT GOVERNMENT, HOW HAVE THEY SORT OF HELPED THE COMMUNITY OR, OR GIVEN RESOURCES? AND THEN THEY ASK STUDENTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT RESOURCES HAVE YOU GOTTEN? AND THEY GOT VARIOUS RESPONSES FROM STUDENTS ABOUT LIKE, AIR PURIFIERS FROM THE COUNTY OR SOME, SOME FINANCIAL HELP, UH, FROM DIFFERENT ENTITIES LIKE L-A-U-S-D AND THE COUNTY.
UM, BUT A LOT OF THEM SAID NOT ENOUGH.
THEY WERE LIKE, NOT ENOUGH, RIGHT? LIKE, WE KNOW THAT THESE RESOURCES EXIST, YOU KNOW, UH, WE KIND OF KNOW THAT THEY EXIST, BUT NOT ENOUGH.
AND SO MY STUDENTS WERE REALLY INTERESTED IN LIKE, SO WE HAVE THIS ENVIRONMENTAL HA, YOU KNOW, INJUSTICE THAT HAPPENED FOR EIGHT DAYS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE POLICIES FROM THE CITY, THE COUNTY, AND L-A-U-S-D.
WE KNOW THAT THERE'S RESOURCES, BUT WHEN WE'RE ASKING OUR CLASSMATES, A LOT OF THEM ARE LIKE, WE STILL NEED MORE.
AND SO THAT WAS REALLY IMPACTFUL FOR MY STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND HOW, YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE POLICIES, RIGHT, THAT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED AS A RESULT OF THIS ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD, AND YET THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MOST IMPACTED ARE, ARE SAYING SOMETHING ELSE.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH THESE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES LIKE THE ORDER AND THE FLIES AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, AND THOSE WERE SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT, THAT MY STUDENTS KIND OF, UM, ENDED THIS CASE STUDY WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT, YOU KNOW, POLICIES ARE CREATED AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IT IMPACTS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCE.
AND SO ONE THING I WANTED TO SHOW, WHICH I CAN'T, WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN TALKING TO MY STUDENTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW POLICY IMPACTS, UH, OUR EXPERIENCE, UH, WE ALSO KIND OF LOOKED AT THE, THE, THE REACTION FROM THE COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE IT'S NOT ALWAYS JUST WHAT GOVERNMENT IS DOING OR WHAT, YOU KNOW, THESE SORT OF ENTITIES OUTSIDE OF OURSELVES ARE DOING.
AND THEN WE KIND OF TURNED IT INTO LIKE, WHAT, WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY DOING? HOW ARE THEY ORGANIZING? HOW ARE THEY, YOU KNOW, UM, ADVOCATING FOR THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED.
UM, AND SO I SHOWED THEM THIS TOWN HALL MEETING THAT HAPPENED ACTUALLY AT STEVENSON MIDDLE SCHOOL, UH, WHERE YOU HAD, YOU KNOW, AFTER A MONTH OF THE FIRES FINALLY, YOU KNOW, THESE POLICY MAKERS WERE WILLING TO LISTEN TO COMMUNITY.
AND IT WASN'T A PLEASANT INTERACTION.
IT WAS, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF EMOTIONS.
YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY WAS ANGRY, THEY WERE UPSET.
AND SO STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UM, WHY PEOPLE, RIGHT? REACTIONS ARE, ARE LIKE THAT, AS THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT PICKING THEIR OWN POLICY, THINKING ABOUT THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE IN, IN K THROUGH 12, AND HOW THE POLICY THAT THEY'VE CHOSEN HAS IMPACTED THEMSELVES, RIGHT? AND IN A LOT OF WAYS, IN A NEGATIVE WAY.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF FOCUS THEN THE ATTENTION ON LIKE, SO WHAT HAPPENS NOW? YOU KNOW, WE'VE READ THE POLICY, WE'VE UNDERSTOOD A LITTLE BIT OF THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS HAD ON SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, IMPACTED BY THIS.
SO THEN, SO THEN WHAT? AND SO THE PART IS NOW THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE ACTION PIECE TO THAT.
UM, AND SO STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO KIND OF ENGAGE WITH, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE RESOURCES, RIGHT? SO A LINEAGE FIRE IS OUR MODEL, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ENGAGED WITH THE POLICIES AND NOW WE'VE UNDERSTOOD THE IMPACT OR, OR TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE, THE IMPACT AND THE SEVERITY.
AND SO THEN THEY WERE ENGAGING WITH THE RESOURCES THAT EXIST.
UM, AND MAYBE THE, YOU KNOW, THE ISSUE OF GETTING SOME OF THE RESOURCES TO SOME OF THE, THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT EXISTED THERE.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE LOOKED AT, LIKE I SAID, SOME POLICIES THAT MOSTLY IMPACT OUR STUDENTS, PRIMARILY
[00:30:01]
THE L-A-U-S-D ONE.UM, AND SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT, LIKE, HERE I AM, MY INTRO PROJECT TO MY GOVERNMENT CLASS, WHICH IS ANALYZING POLICY AND HOW TO IMPACT SOCIETY, UM, AND GETTING MY STUDENTS SET UP FOR THEIR YPAR.
UM, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT THAT HAPPEN IS THAT THESE TOPICAL, UM, LESSONS LIKE THIS ONE WITH, UH, ISH FIRE IS THEY'RE ONGOING.
LIKE EVEN WHILE I WAS TEACHING THE, THE SECOND DAY OR THE THIRD DAY, UH, ST.
JOHN'S CLINIC CAME OUT WITH THEIR PRESS CONFERENCE SAYING, LOOK, WE UNDERSTAND SOME RIGHT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS THAT HAPPEN.
AND SO THAT DAY, WHATEVER, I HAD A PLAN, WE CUT IT AND WE LISTENED TO THE, THE PRESS CONFERENCE.
'CAUSE THE STUDENTS WANTED TO KNOW, LIKE, THIS IS STILL ONGOING.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T KNOW THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE IMPACTS OF THE, ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND ON PEOPLE, BUT WE'RE STARTING TO LEARN THAT.
SO ONE OF THE ISSUES IS LIKE, WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF SHIFT GEARS A LITTLE BIT AND BE FLEXIBLE WITH THAT.
UM, AND SO THAT WAS A REAL, REAL THING WITH THE LINEAGE FIRE.
I MEAN, THE OTHER ONE, LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, IS LIKE ME HAVING TO JUSTIFY WITH STANDARDS THAT THIS IS RELEVANT FOR MY STUDENTS AND IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO SOMETIMES THERE IS THIS PRESSURE, ESPECIALLY I FEEL LIKE MAYBE AT THE BEGINNING WHERE WE'RE BEING ASKED AS CLASSROOM TEACHERS, LIKE, WHAT'S YOUR SCOPE AND SEQUENCE? YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THIS FIT? UM, AND SOMETIMES IT FITS BECAUSE IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, AND IT'S HAPPENING TO OUR STUDENTS RIGHT NOW.
AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE BRINGING UP, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE ISSUES THAT THEY WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
UM, IN GENERAL, AS A, AS A GOVERNMENT TEACHER, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE HAVE THE PRESSURE TO LIKE GET STUDENTS PREPARED FOR THEIR LAST YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL.
BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, I, I GOT A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT LIKE, OH, HOW IS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, LIKE A PART OF, YOU KNOW, THE, THE STANDARDS OF 12TH GRADE? AND SO NEEDING, FOR ME, NEEDING TO JUSTIFY THAT AS OPPOSED TO JUST ALLOWING FOR, YOU KNOW, ME TO ENGAGE WITH THIS TOPIC AND THEN KIND OF MAKE THE CONCLUSIONS, UM, IN THAT WAY.
UM, THERE'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON THE, THE SCHEDULE, SOMETIMES YAR YOU KNOW, IT'S TIME CONSUMING AND IT TAKES TIME FOR US TO REALLY ENGAGE IN THAT.
YOU KNOW, I REALLY WANTED MY STUDENTS TO LIKE CENTER THE POLICY THAT THEY CHOSE ON THEIR EXPERIENCES BECAUSE I FELT LIKE THAT WAS MORE MEANINGFUL THAN JUST KIND OF GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF LIKE, PICK A POLICY, ANALYZE IT, YOU KNOW, GO THROUGH IT.
AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING WE DON'T HAVE AND WE HAVE TO PLAY AROUND WITH.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS THAT LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THE LINEAGE FIRE, WHICH HAS IMPACTED OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY IN BOYLE HEIGHTS, YOU KNOW, CAN HAPPEN IN MULTIPLE CLASSES.
AND SO ALLOWING FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY, UH, WORK REQUIRES THE PLANNING, REQUIRES THE RESOURCES THAT OFTENTIMES WE DON'T HAVE BECAUSE WE HAVE PRESSURE TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.
THIS, I KNOW THIS ONE TOOK A LITTLE BIT LONGER BECAUSE LAST WEEK WE WERE INTERRUPTED WITH SOME TESTING, RIGHT? WE HAVE I-READY TESTING.
AND SO THEN THE SCHEDULE HAD TO SHIFT FOR TWO WEEKS TO I-READY TESTING.
AND THAT KIND OF IMPEDED OUR ABILITY TO KIND OF GET THROUGH THE PROJECT, UH, IN, IN A WAY THAT WOULD'VE BEEN EASIER FOR MY STUDENTS TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, GO THROUGH IT FOR THE WEEK.
AND SO THERE ARE SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME ALIGNMENTS THAT HAPPEN IN, IN SORT OF THE SCHOOLS ASK OR THE DISTRICTS ASK THAT DOESN'T ALLOW FOR US TO KIND OF FOCUS ON, ON THIS TOPIC, YOU KNOW? UM, AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT KIND OF HAPPENS THERE.
LIKE I MENTIONED THE PRESS CONFERENCE HAPPENED WHERE ST.
JOHN'S CLINIC IS GIVING REAL TIME ENVIRONMENTAL LIKE UPDATES, AND MY STUDENTS WERE LIKE, THAT TO THEM WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE IREADY FOR THAT DAY, RIGHT? AND SO THAT, THAT'S JUST THE REALITY OF TEACHING THESE TOPICAL LESSONS IN, IN A ENVIRONMENT THAT IS CONSTANTLY ASKING CLASSROOM TEACHERS TO, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT PACING, THINK ABOUT STANDARDS, THINK ABOUT PUSHING FORWARD.
UM, AND SO THOSE WERE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES, UH, THAT JUST, YOU KNOW, I CAME ACROSS IN THIS LAST FEW WEEKS OF DOING THIS.
UM, AND SO IN, IN, IN TERMS OF THINKING OF LIKE WHAT L-A-U-S-D CAN DO, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR, UH, WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR, I FELT FOR ME AND MY STUDENTS TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED THIS SUMMER, JUST LIKE LAST SUMMER WHEN, YOU KNOW, THE IMMIGRATION RAIDS WERE GOING ON IN LA WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF LIKE, THE MILITARIZATION OF OUR CITY.
UM, AND THAT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED IF IT WASN'T FOR COMMUNITY BUILDING, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED TO BE HONEST.
I MEAN, THIS YEAR WE WERE TOLD TO KIND OF GET ON WITH IT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IN, UM, IN THE WAY TO SAY, OKAY, COMMUNITY BUILDING IS DONE, NOW WE HAVE TO GET INTO STANDARDS BASED LEARNING.
AND I'M LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S, IT'S HARD SOMETIMES AS A CLASSROOM TEACHER BECAUSE YOU SEE THE BENEFITS OF, LIKE ME BUILDING COMMUNITY WITH MY STUDENTS, ME UNDERSTANDING THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES ALLOWS FOR US TO THEN MOVE INTO THE STANDARDS BASED LEARNING A LITTLE BIT EASIER THAN JUST LIKE, STARTING FROM THAT.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE OF THE PILLARS,
[00:35:01]
WE TALK ABOUT IT OFTEN, BUT WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IN THE CLASSROOM, SO MANY TEACHERS, SO MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES, UH, FEEL THE PRESSURE TO LIKE DO COMMUNITY BUILDING AS LIKE A ONE-TIME THING AS OPPOSED TO AN ONGOING COMMITMENT, UH, TO OUR, OUR TEACHING AND OUR STUDENTS.UM, AND THE OTHER ONE WOULD BE THAT, UH, MY STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, WERE THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES, LIKE THEIR LIVES WERE IMPACTED BY THIS FIRE.
UM, AND WE DON'T REALLY KNOW THE EXTENT TO WHICH, YOU KNOW, THE IMPACTS ARE GONNA HAPPEN TO THEM AND THEIR HEALTH AND, AND THEY KNOW THAT.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS LESSON BROUGHT UP, LIKE IT DID LAST YEAR WAS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, EMOTIONS THAT COME UP WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CERTAIN TOPICS LIKE THIS ONE.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE KIND OF LEFT WITH LIKE, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO BRING THIS UP LATER ON? SO MY PLAN IS AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE LINEAGE FIRE, TO BRING THAT BACK INTO MY CLASSROOM, UM, TO ALLOW THAT TO LIVE IN OUR GOVERNMENT CLASS SO THAT MY STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS ISN'T JUST AN EXAMPLE, A ONE TIME THING, AND WE MOVE ON.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL SEE KIND OF WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT IN TERMS OF ME BEING OBSERVED OR IF I GET ANY FEEDBACK ON, YOU KNOW, HOW IS THAT RELEVANT TO OUR TEACHING, BECAUSE IT IS.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST THING AS WELL IS LIKE, JUST IN GENERAL THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE MAKE THESE LESSONS, THEY IMPACT OUR STUDENTS, BUT IT'S LIKE, HOW DO WE THEN CONNECT THEM TO THE RESOURCES THAT THEY REALLY NEED? UM, AND THAT'S ALWAYS A HARD PART, YOU KNOW, AS A CLASSROOM TEACHER SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, I SORT OF LIVE IN THE CLASSROOM AND THEN IT KIND OF ENDS THERE BECAUSE JUST LIFE HAPPENS AND IT'S HARD.
BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT DOES, UM, IT DOES KIND OF MAKE ME THINK ABOUT HOW CAN STUDENTS, WHEN THEY ENGAGE IN THESE, UH, TOPICAL, UH, LESSONS, UH, CAN THEY KIND OF TAKE THAT BEYOND.
UM, AND THAT'S ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT I THINK ABOUT AND THAT, UM, I'M HOPING, YOU KNOW, OUR SCHOOLS AND THE DISTRICT CAN KIND OF THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT CURRICULUM AND WE THINK ABOUT THESE LESSONS THAT WE WANT THEM TO BE, YOU KNOW, PERSONAL FOR OUR STUDENTS, WE WANT THEM TO BE IMPACTFUL, BUT WE NEED TO ALLOW THEM TO EXTEND BEYOND THE LESSON IN THE CLASSROOM BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT.
SOMETIMES THEY FEEL LIKE, OKAY, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, AND THEN IT JUST SORT OF ENDED.
SO WHAT, YOU KNOW, SO HOPEFULLY, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN KIND OF PUSH FOR OUR DISTRICT TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND I'LL BE HONEST, THE THE FACT THAT OUR DISTRICT HAD FINANCIAL RESOURCES FOR FAMILY WAS REALLY IMPACTFUL FOR MY STUDENTS.
SOME OF THEM DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
THEY WERE LIKE, OH, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT LUSD GAVE, UM, SOME FINANCIAL HELP.
AND SO THAT WAS A GREAT WAY FOR THEM TO KIND OF BEGIN TO ASK, LIKE, SO WHERE ELSE DOES THE DISTRICT, UH, SUPPORT FAMILIES THAT NEED THAT KIND OF SUPPORT? AND THAT WAS, UM, THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT.
YOU CAN'T DO THAT FOR EVERYTHING.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, UM, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, CAN ALSO THINK ABOUT, UM, THE WAYS THAT IT CAN HELP FAMILIES AND, AND STUDENTS BEYOND JUST THE, THE LESSON IN THE CLASSROOM.
SO WE HAVE, UM, A FEW MOMENTS, UH, 10 MINUTES OF DISCUSSION AND Q AND A IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE, UM, TO, TO SHARE SOME THOUGHTS, UH, SOME APPRECIATION, UH, YES.
UM, I WANTED TO SAY FIRST THANK YOU, UM, TO BOTH OF YOU FOR CREATING, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN FOCUSING ON A COLLEGE CAREER AND LIFE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PART OF OUR MISSION FOR L-A-U-S-D, AND SO CREATING THAT LIFE MOMENT FOR STUDENTS, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT.
SO THANK YOU FOR CREATING REAL RURAL MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS FOR THEM, YOU KNOW, BASED ON STANDARDS STILL.
AND SO I HAD A JUST ONE QUESTION WAS, AND I THINK YOU ANSWERED IT, WAS TALKING ABOUT THE LINEAGE FIRE AND CONTINUING THAT INTO SECOND SEMESTER AND JUST, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT SAFE SPACE IS STILL THERE FOR YOUR STUDENTS.
SO THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THAT AND MAKING SURE THAT'S STILL THERE.
SO THAT WAS MY COMMENT FOR THAT.
AND THEN FOR MS. RUIZ IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, I WAS WONDERING, HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO PARTNER WITH ANY OF THE PRIMARY GRADES TO SORT OF REPLICATE THAT MODEL OR ANYTHING SIMILAR TO THAT AT YOUR SCHOOL YET, OR, UM, SO BECAUSE I MADE THE, SORRY.
SO BECAUSE I MADE THESE TILES ON MY OWN, IT'S KIND OF A TIME CONSUMING FEAT.
I SPENT A FEW DAYS IN THE SUMMER LOOKING AT MAPS.
AND THEN ALSO SINCE I'M THE, UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY IT, LIKE I'M THE GUINEA PIG FOR THE UCLA THING.
SO, UM, RIGHT NOW THE CURRICULUM IS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND THEN MY STUDENTS WILL GET A, UM, LIKE THEY'LL BE ELIGIBLE FOR CIVIC SEAL AND A DEMOCRACY SEAL OF, I DON'T KNOW THE ACTUAL
[00:40:01]
NAME,SO THEY'LL GET, UM, AWARDS FOR THAT, AND THEN HOPEFULLY WITH UCLA I'LL CONTINUE TO WORK, UM, THE CURRICULUM TO SECONDARY AND PRIMARY GRADES.
ANYBODY ELSE COMMENTS? YES, SHARON
I HAD A QUESTION ACTUALLY FOR MR. CATANO AND COMMENT AS WELL.
SO, WELL, MY FIRST COMMENT IS THAT IT, IT ACTUALLY DOES MAKE ME REALLY SAD TO HEAR THAT YOU HAVE TO FEEL THIS PRESSURE TO PULL TIME AWAY FROM AMAZING PROJECTS LIKE THIS BECAUSE OF PACING AND STANDARDS AND ALL OF THAT.
SO I THINK THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT IS GONNA LINGER IN TERMS OF HOW DO WE GIVE EDUCATORS FREEDOM FOR, FOR PURSUING, UH, PROJECTS LIKE THIS.
UM, I ALSO THOUGHT THIS SOUNDED LIKE A REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO BECOME EDUCATORS OF PEERS OR, OR, OR ADULTS.
AND I WAS WONDERING, DID YOU HAVE OTHER AUDIENCES FOR THE STUDENTS' WORK OR THE RESULTS OF THEIR ANALYSIS OR, YOU KNOW, WHO WAS ABLE TO HEAR THOSE? SO FOR THE, THE MODEL THAT WE DO, SO THIS YEAR, THE MODEL WAS A LINEAGE FIRE.
WE DON'T, UM, AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE MAYBE MY STUDENTS WERE KIND OF PULLING A LITTLE BIT OF, LIKE, WE, THEY WANTED TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH THAT FOR THEIR ACTUAL YPAR PROJECT WHERE THEY PICK THE POLICY, THEY DO.
AND SO WHAT THEY DO IS THEY WILL EITHER DO, UM, A COMPONENT WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING AT, UH, STUDENTS WHO ARE YOUNGER, MAYBE NINTH GRADE, 10TH GRADE, UM, OR THE PARENT CENTER.
THE PARENTS ARE A BIG SUPPORT THERE.
UM, BUT FOR THEIR YPAR PROJECT WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE L-A-U-S-C POLICY, WE DO HAVE AN AUDIENCE.
WE'RE BRINGING IN ADMIN, WE'RE BRINGING IN YOUNGER STUDENTS, WE'RE BRINGING IN, UH, SOME OF THE PARENTS AND COMMUNITY FOLKS AT ROOSEVELT, BUT NOT FOR THIS ONE.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE I WAS ALSO KIND OF CONFLICTED ABOUT LIKE LETTING, CONTINUING ON WITH THE LINEAGE ONE AS OPPOSED TO GETTING TO THEIR, UM, YAR.
LAURA? OH, WHO ELSE HAS A, AND THEN YOU, OKAY, GOT IT.
ACTUALLY, MISS CATANO, CAN YOU SAY
I, I REALLY ENJOYED BOTH OF YOUR PRESENTATIONS SO MUCH.
UM, AND COMING FROM AN ELEMENTARY PERSPECTIVE, IT'S, IT'S JUST, I GUESS IT'S MORE OF A COMMENT, BUT MAYBE A QUESTION TOO.
I, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AT OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS REALLY TO DO THOSE KIND OF LIKE COMMUNITY BASED PROJECTS WHERE THEY'RE COMMUNITY BUILDING, BECAUSE I, I FEEL LIKE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WE, UM, DO PUT LIKE A REALLY BIG PRIORITY ON SOCIO-EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND WORKING TOGETHER, COLLABORATIVE LEARNING TO, UM, TO BE ABLE TO LEARN, LIKE WHAT YOU SAID, LIKE IT DOES ALLOW FOR SORT OF THE LEARNING TARGETS TO FLOW MORE FREELY WHEN YOU HAVE A COMMUNITY AND YOU FEEL SAFE.
SO WHEN, I'M JUST WONDERING, LIKE, WHEN THAT CHANGES, I GUESS, LIKE, HAVE YOU ALWAYS EXPERIENCED THAT THERE IS JUST SORT OF MORE PRESSURE ON THESE LEARNING TARGETS RATHER THAN THE COMMUNITY BUILDING? OR HAVE YOU SEEN A CHANGE? I GUESS THAT'S WHAT I'M WONDERING.
NO, I, I, BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE TO TEACH IN SORT OF ISOLATION, YOU KNOW, I, I AM VERY ENGAGED WITH OUR COMMUNITY AT ROOSEVELT IN TERMS OF LIKE THE OTHER, MY COLLEAGUES THAT ARE THERE.
AND SO I THINK OFTENTIMES SOMETIMES FOR ME, LIKE I MENTIONED, I LOOK AT MY STANDARDS AND I'M LIKE, I CAN, I CAN WORK WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, I CAN SORT OF MAKE MAGIC IF I NEED TO AND, AND JUSTIFY THAT.
BUT OFTENTIMES IT'S ALSO THINKING ABOUT MY COLLEAGUE DOWN THE HALL WHO MIGHT GET PRESSURED BECAUSE THEY'RE TEACHING ELA OR MATH, WHICH ARE HEAVILY SORT OF SCRUTINIZED FOR STANDARDIZATION AND, AND STANDARDS BASED LEARNING, YOU KNOW? AND SO I, I WILL SAY AS A SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER, I MIGHT BE KIND OF ON THE SIDE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT AS PRESSURED, BUT I THINK THAT COMMENT COMES FROM THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, I AM LISTENING TO MY COLLEAGUES, I AM HEARING WHAT'S GOING ON, AND I'M HEARING THE MESSAGE OF LIKE, WE NEED ALL, YOU KNOW, ALL OF US TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, BE ON, YOU KNOW, THE SAME SEQUENCE.
AND, YOU KNOW, TO BE HONEST, THAT NARRATIVE I FEEL LIKE HAS BEEN COMING DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE OF LIKE, IF I WALK INTO, YOU KNOW, THIS HISTORY CLASS OR THIS 10TH GRADE CLASS AND THAT 10TH GRADE CLASS, YOU ALL SHOULD BE ON THE SAME TOPIC AT THE SAME TIME THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT, THAT MAKES ME FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE AS AN EDUCATOR.
IT MAKES ME FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE AS AN EDUCATOR BECAUSE IT'S LIKE WE, WE WANNA ALLOW OUR STUDENTS, UH, AND THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES TO LIVE IN THE CURRICULUM, AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY, AND IT HASN'T BEEN EASY FOR ME.
SO IT HAS BEEN SORT OF A WORK IN PROGRESS WHERE AS I'VE GOTTEN A LITTLE OLDER AND A LITTLE BIT MORE COMFORTABLE, UM, AND FINDING MY VOICE TO SAY THAT AND HAVING A COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT I KNOW THAT IT'S NOT THE SAME FOR SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES, TO BE HONEST.
I ALSO WANTED TO THANK YOU BOTH FOR THESE PROJECTS.
[00:45:01]
UM, I WANTED TO MENTION TO MS. CATANO THAT, UM, I, I, LET ME ASK YOU DON'T, DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE DOING THIS PROJECT THAT'S SO CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY, AND I GUESS SO IS MR. RE'S, BUT, UM, WITH THIS IS SO TIMELY, DO YOU FEEL, I MEAN, YOU OBVIOUSLY IN YOUR CLASSROOM HAD A DEEPER CONNECTION WITH YOUR STUDENTS, CORRECT.AND DON'T YOU FIND WHEN YOU DO THESE PROJECTS OR A PROJECT THAT THAT ALLOWS YOU TO CONNECT WITH YOUR STUDENTS OR THE STUDENTS WITH EACH OTHER, UNDERSTANDING LIKE, THIS PERSON WENT THROUGH THIS, THAT PERSON WENT THROUGH THAT.
LIKE YOU SAID, EVEN YOUR COLLEAGUES, WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH.
DON'T YOU FEEL THAT IT'S EASIER FOR THEM TO TAKE IN THAT LEARNING AND THOSE PROJECTS AND, AND THE LESSON EVEN DEEPER? LIKE, I FEEL LIKE WHEN YOU HAVE THOSE CONNECTIONS, THAT'S WHY THESE, THESE ARE SO IMPORTANT, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA LEARN MORE, THEY'RE GONNA TAKE THIS WITH THEM.
IT'S NOT JUST GONNA STAY IN YOUR CLASSROOM, RIGHT? SO I THINK THESE PROJECTS ARE GREAT, AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S A REALLY INTEGRAL PART OF TEACHING, IS REALLY TRYING TO HAVE THE STUDENTS CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER AND UNDERSTANDING AND HAVE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING WITH YOU, WITH THEM, AND THEN WITH YOU.
OH, I, I THINK I AGREE WITH THAT.
I, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE COMMENTS I GOT LAST YEAR FOR OBSERVATION WAS LIKE, OH, YOU KNOW, YOU CONNECT WITH THE STUDENTS.
AND I'M LIKE, IT'S BECAUSE OF COMMUNITY BUILDING THAT I CONNECT WITH THE STUDENTS.
IT ISN'T MAGIC, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, I, I TOLD THE ADMIN, IT'S NOT SOME FAIRY DUST, LIKE IT TAKES, YOU KNOW, REAL YEARS OF WORK AND REALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW, HOW WE COMMUNITY BUILD AND HOW IT'S NOT JUST A ONE DAY OR TWO DAYS OR THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I FEEL LIKE ME BEING NON SORT OF FOCUS IN TERMS OF THE DISCIPLINE, I CAN MAYBE GET AWAY WITH THAT.
UM, BUT YEAH, I DO THINK THAT WHEN WE PRIORITIZE, UH, BUILDING COMMUNITY WITH OUR STUDENTS AND WITH OUR COLLEAGUES AND ACROSS THE SCHOOL, IT, IT DOES REFLECT THAT LEARNING HAPPENS IN A VERY DIFFERENT WAY THAN WHEN IT'S NOT THAT.
YOU KNOW, I LEARNED ABOUT YPAR WHEN I DROPPED OFF MY DAUGHTER AT COLLEGE AND THERE WAS A PROFESSOR WHO HAD BEEN DOING RESEARCH ON Y PPAR R AND CONNECTING IT TO HOW WE, UH, IMPROVE ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION FROM SOME STUDENTS WHO GENERALLY DO NOT PARTICIPATE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES OR MAYBE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS WHO ARE STILL, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKING THROUGH LEARNING THE ENGLISH.
AND THEY FOUND THAT YPAR R WAS AN A WAY TO INCREASE, UH, TEST SCORES, TO INCREASE STUDENT PARTICIPATION, ORAL LANGUAGE SKILLS, CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY USING YPAR R HERE, THAT SOME TEACHERS ARE USING YPAR R AND THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT MS. CATANO MENTIONED ABOUT COMMUNITY BUILDING AND UM, YOU KNOW, IT BUILDS TRUST.
AND I WOULD THINK THAT WHEN YOU ARE TEACHING SENIORS THEIR LAST YEAR, WHEN THEY'RE JUST READY, THEY COME IN READY TO LEAVE AND TO GET THEM ENGAGED IN A GOVERNMENT CLASS, UM, IS, HAS GOTTA BE HARD.
AND SO, UH, THIS, UH, COMING UP WITH A PRO, UH, A PROJECT THAT IS VERY MEANINGFUL TO THEM, UM, IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT I THINK FOR OUR STUDENTS.
AND IT BUILDS TRUST AND YOU CANNOT PUSH STUDENTS.
I COULD NOT PUSH MY, MY STUDENTS TO REALLY STRUGGLE READING AND PUSH THEMSELVES TO READ IF THEY DID NOT TRUST ME IF THEY DID NOT, UH, BELIEVE THAT I HAD THEIR BEST INTEREST IN MIND WHEN I WAS PUSHING THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO TO ME, BUILDING COMMUNITY IN THE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS OF SCHOOL IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE LONG RUN.
AND I THINK A LOT OF EDUCATORS WOULD AGREE THAT THAT IS WHAT YOU NEED TIME WITH IN THE BEGINNING, NOT ONLY AT THE E UH, ELEMENTARY LEVEL, BUT AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL EVEN MORE, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT IS WHEN A LOT OF TIMES IT'S MIDDLE SCHOOL, IT'S WHEN OUR KIDS DON'T HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES AS MUCH.
YES, PLEASE GO AHEAD MR. POWELL.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY, AND HOW CAN YOU IGNORE SOMETHING GOING ON CURRENTLY IN REAL LIFE AS WELL? LIKE, LINEAGE FIRE IS HAPPENING, THEY'RE WALKING IN IT, THEY'RE LIVING IN IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, TO NOT ADDRESS IT IN ANY LEVEL OR ANY CLASS, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A DISSERVICE TO THE STUDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
SO, YOU KNOW, MAKING THAT CONNECTION FOR SOMETHING THAT'S CURRENT AND HAPPENING IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND WE DO HAVE SOME MORE QUESTIONS THAT WE COULD ASK THAT ARE, ARE MORE KIND OF UNIVERSAL.
LIKE HOW CAN WE, UM, BUILD THIS SCHOOL-WIDE CULTURE, RIGHT? I KNOW THERE'S PROBABLY A COUPLE OF TEACHERS OR A FEW TEACHERS AT ROOSEVELT WHO ARE DOING IT, MAYBE IN SOME SCHOOLS, ONE TEACHER.
BUT HOW DO WE BUILD THIS CULTURE SCHOOL-WIDE AND HOW DO WE ALSO EXPAND IT TO THE WHOLE DISTRICT? LIKE HOW CAN ALL OF OUR
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EDUCATORS DO INTERDISCIPLINARY WORK, RIGHT? HOW CAN WE BRING THAT TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT? BECAUSE IT IS HARD TO DO A PROJECT BASED LEARNING PROJECT AND TO MAKE IT INTERDISCIPLINARY.LIKE HOW DO YOU MAKE THAT HAPPEN? AND MAYBE THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE, UM, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON TUESDAYS OR SO THAT PEOPLE CAN FEEL THEY CAN PUT IT, YOU KNOW, DISCUSS IT, YOU KNOW, WORKSHOP IT A LITTLE BIT AND TRY IT OUT AND THEN COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT HOW IT WENT AND WHAT MORE CAN WE DO.
LIKE, I THINK THAT COULD BE ONE WAY, BUT WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THIS AFTER OUR NEXT PRESENTATION.
SO MS. GRAY, I JUST WANTED TO ADD ONE THING.
UM, JUST, I WANTED TO ACTUALLY ASK MS. RE, UM, IF SHE CAN COME BACK TO THE PODIUM AND JUST HIGHLIGHT, I WANTED TO ASK YOU OR SHARE, UM, WHAT YOUR FINDINGS AND LEARNINGS WERE AFTER YOU DID THE PROJECT IN TERMS OF HOW THE STUDENTS WERE WRITING.
I KNOW YOU WERE SHARING IT PREVIOUSLY WITH ME.
SO BECAUSE IT IS INTERDISCIPLINARY, IT DOES CONNECT TO EVERY SINGLE SUBJECT.
UM, BUT THERE'S A PLETHORA OF LITERACY, UM, OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS PROJECT.
SO I WAS, I WAS SHARING THAT, UM, WHEN I HAD THEM DO THEIR IDENTITY AVATARS, WHICH IS ALSO A PART OF COMMUNITY BUILDING AND GETTING TO KNOW THEM AND SEE HOW THEY EXPRESS THEMSELVES.
UM, I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MUCH WRITING
AND BECAUSE THEY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE ABOUT THEMSELVES, THAT GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVENE AND ACTUALLY IMPROVE THEIR WRITING, EVEN IF IT WAS ABOUT SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WAS NOT NECESSARILY BASED ON THE BOOK OR WHATEVER WE WERE, YOU KNOW, MATH.
UM, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY WERE INTERESTED IN AND THEY WERE ABLE TO ACCESS THAT.
AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT.
UM, ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE ARE HIGHLIGHTING AND FOCUSING ON THIS YEAR WITH ALL OF OUR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS IS WRITING.
SO THANK YOU FOR HIGHLIGHTING THAT PARTICULARLY FOCUS.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE TWO MINUTES BEHIND SCHEDULE.
UH, THIS WAS SUCH A GOOD TOPIC.
SO NOW I'M GONNA CALL UP, WILL YOU JUST PAUSE FOR 10 SECONDS AND EVERYONE JUST BE LIKE, WHAT A GREAT PRESENTATION.
[II.2. District Resources and Support: What are existing resources around ecoliteracy, teaching topically around environmental issues? How are the Division of Instruction and the Eco-Sustainability Office supporting curriculum and instruction around these issues?]
I'M GONNA CALL UP, LET ME SEE.MR. JERRY SONG, STEM COORDINATOR FROM THE DIVISION OF INSTRUCTION.
I THINK WE HAVE THREE SPEAKERS RIGHT FROM, WE HAVE JERRY SONG, EVANGELINA LARA.
AND CHRISTOS BOARD MEMBER GREGGO.
I'M GONNA GO FIRST AS I ALWAYS START THE PRESENTATION MYSELF.
SO THANKS FOR HAVING HERE TODAY, BOARD MEMBER, MEMBER GREGOR, BOARD MEMBER NEW BILL, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE TO DISCUSS ABOUT L-A-U-S-D ECOS SUSTAINABILITY BECAUSE WHEN WE DISCUSS ABOUT EDUCATION AND CURRICULA, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE GREAT WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AND SHOWCASE SOME OF THE WORK, BUT ALSO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BEHAVIORAL CHANGE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN OUR SCHOOLS SO WE CAN INCREASE SUSTAINABILITY ON ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.
SO I'M HERE TODAY TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE AND HOW OUR STUDENTS CAN ENGAGE AND SUPPORT SUSTAINABILITY IN THEIR SCHOOLS.
BESIDES ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE HEARD EARLIER TODAY, BEFORE I START WITH A FEW THINGS ABOUT MYSELF, MY NAME IS CHRISTUS LIA.
I'M THE CHIEF EQUAL SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER FOR THE LA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND MY BACKGROUND, I'M AN ARCH BY TRADE.
I'VE BEEN WITH THE DISTRICT FOR OVER, UH, ALMOST THREE DECADES NOW.
AND I SUPPORTED OUR NEW CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM AND, UH, AND, UH, I WAS THE DIRECTOR OF ARCHITECTURE ENGINEERING.
SO I HAVE A LOT OF BACKGROUND IN TERMS OF OUR FACILITIES, FACILITIES, PROJECTS, UM, AND I DEVELOPED A STRONG SUPPORT TOWARDS OUR SUSTAINABILITY.
SO I WANTED TO ADVANCE THE WORK THAT WE HAVE HERE AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO ONE OF OUR FOCUS AREAS THAT WE CHOSE WITHIN THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE WAS EDUCATIONAL AWARENESS.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M GONNA HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE, UH, PROJECTS BECAUSE I THINK THROUGH BEHAVIORAL CHANGE, WE CAN REALLY MAKE A BIG IMPACT, NOT JUST ON OUR, ON OUR UTILITY BILLS, BUT WE CAN SAY THAT WE CAN LOWER OUR UTILITY BILLS BY 20% THROUGH BEHAVIORAL CHANGE, BUT ALSO, UH, THROUGH, UH, DEVELOPING OUR FUTURE STEWARDS SO THEY CAN BE ABLE TO HELP SUPPORT OUR CLIMATE AND OUR ENVIRONMENT FOR A BETTER, BETTER ENVIRONMENT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO THE THREE PROGRAMS I WAS GONNA HIGHLIGHT, HIGHLIGHT TODAY, THE FIRST ONE IS, IS OUR HEROES FOR ZERO CONTEST.
IT'S A CONTEST THAT WE DEVELOPED SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR SCHOOLS OVER A DECADE AGO, AND THE HEROES FOR ZERO, UH, IT'S A CONTEST THAT, UH, WE'RE EMPOWERING OUR STUDENTS THROUGH CREATIVE THINKING INNOVATION, TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS TO HELP SUPPORT ENERGY EFFICIENCY ON THEIR SCHOOLS, BUT ALSO HOW THEY CAN PARTNER AND WORK TOGETHER TO DEVELOP BETTER, UH, HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENTS.
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CHALLENGE 'EM, WE CHALLENGE 'EM WITH, UH, WITH USING THE BUILDING AS A TOOL, UH, AS A LAB TO BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS OF HOW WE CAN CREATE MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENTS, INCLUDING GETTING TO KNOW ABOUT THEIR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS AND WE CAN, THE, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS THAT THEY HAVE, LIGHTING SYSTEMS, AIR QUALITY.SO ALL THOSE THINGS ARE PART OF WHAT THEY CAN LEARN AND SHOWCASE TO US, AND WE INVITE THEM TO COME BACK TO US.
UM, UH, TYPICALLY AFTER A SEMESTER TO SHOWCASE THE PROJECT TO US.
AND WE'RE GIVING $25,000 FOR THE WINNERS, AND WE'RE FIVE, UH, THOUSAND FOR THE FOR THE FINALISTS THAT WE HAVE.
AND WE SELECT, UH, UM, A FINAL WINNER FOR THE ELEMENTARY, ONE FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND ONE FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL.
THIS IS THE TIMING FOR, UH, PEOPLE TO ENGAGE AND BEING ABLE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CONTEST.
AND WE'RE DOING THIS IN SUPPORT WITH THE LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER POWER, WHICH THEY PROVIDE THE FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAM.
AND THEN, UH, SOME OTHER, ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE IN SUPPORT WITH THE, UH, LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER, WATER AND POWER IS THROUGH AN MOU THAT WILL, WILL HAVE EXECUTED.
WE SET ASIDE SOME MONEY, APPROXIMATELY ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR AND FOR EDUCATION AWARENESS, AND ANOTHER MILLION FOR GREENING.
SO WE HAVE THIS NEXT ONE, WHICH IS THE, IS THE APO TOWER GARDEN PROGRAM.
AND THIS IS WHERE WE ENGAGE SCHOOLS TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT, UH, THESE ARE A POINT GARDENS TO LEARN ABOUT GARDENING, UM, SO THEY CAN LEARN, LEARN HOW THEY CAN, UH, GROW VEGETABLES AND REALLY EVEN CREATE SOME OF THEM, CREATE HEALTHY MEALS IN THEIR CLASSROOMS AND SHOWCASE THEM.
AND, UH, AND WE'VE ADVANCED THIS, UH, PROGRAM.
WE'RE PLANNING TO ADVANCE, UH, ADVANCE IT BY ADDING ANOTHER 21 SCHOOLS TO THIS PROGRAM AS WELL.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE COLLABORATING WITH A LOT OF EXTERNAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THE, IN THIS CASE, WE TRY TO IDENTIFY ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN HELP, UM, EDUCATION IN THE CLASSROOM, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSING IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY, WATER CONSERVATION.
SO WE PARTNER WITH THE, THE SO CALLED GAS WITH THE LIVING WISE PROGRAM.
AND THIS IS AN ACTIVITY, UH, FOR OUR STUDENTS WHERE WE CAN ENGAGE, UH, PRETTY MUCH STUDENTS TO, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE, UH, SOME OF THOSE, UH, KIDS THAT WILL, THAT BE SHARED WITH THEM SO THEY CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT ENERGY EFFICIENCY ON THEIR SCHOOLS.
AND, UH, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS A GREAT PROGRAM AS WELL, THAT IS SUPPORTED THROUGH ONE OF THE CONSULTANTS THAT, THAT THEY SELECT.
AND AT THE, AT THE SAME TIME, THEY CAN BE ABLE TO GET APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 250,000, UH, OR THEY CAN GET, SORRY.
UH, THEY WE'RE ABLE TO SEE ABOUT 250,000 IN COST SAVINGS.
FOR THE LAST AREA THAT WE ROLL OUT.
THE PROGRAM ITSELF, WE HAVE OVER, WE HAD OVER 8,000 MIDDLE, UH, SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM ITSELF.
IF YOU HAVE THE PROGRAMS, WE HAVE THE KIDS FOR KIDS PROGRAM.
THIS IS WITH THE SO-CALLED RAN, WHICH IS THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL ENERGY NETWORK.
AND THIS GIVE, UH, GIVES ANOTHER OTHER TYPES OF KIDS TO, UM, UM, UH, YOUNGER STUDENTS.
AND WE HAD ABOUT 70 SCHOOLS THAT PARTICIPATED THROUGH THAT PROGRAM ITSELF.
AND THE GOOD THING ABOUT THIS PROGRAM, UM, IT'S ALSO PROVIDES A, UH, BESIDE IT PROVIDES APPROXIMATELY ABOUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS, UM, OF A CLASSROOM GRANT OPPORTUNITY.
AND A LOT OF THE SCHOOLS ARE GETTING THAT GRANT ITSELF.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF PARTICIPATION.
WE'RE PLANNING TO INCREASE THE PARTICIPATION THROUGHOUT, UM, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SOME OF THE PROGRAMS YOU PROBABLY HEARD IN THE PAST, THE SEEDS PROGRAM, THAT'S A SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT ENHANCEMENT, UH, FOR SCHOOLS, UH, DEVELOPMENT FOR SCHOOLS.
AND THAT'S A PROGRAM THAT WE'VE, UH, RELEASED OVER A DECADE AGO.
THIS PROGRAM, UH, WE HAVE OVER 70 SEATS, UH, UH, PROJECTS COMPLETED TODAY.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO INCREASE THE, THE AMOUNT OF PROJECTS.
WE HAVE ABOUT 34 PROJECTS AT DIFFERENT STAGES, UH, BETWEEN, UH, PLANNING, DESIGN AND, UH, CONSTRUCTION.
UM, AND WE ANTICIPATE TO COMPLETE THOSE BY THE, UH, YEAR 2027.
AND WE HAVE, THIS IS WHERE WE ENGAGE PARTNERSHIPS LIKE THE ENRICH LA OR THE GARNER SCHOOL FOUNDATION TO PROVIDE, UH, CURRICULAR PROGRAMMING FOR THE SCHOOLS.
AND IT'S GREAT TO BE ABLE TO SEE HOW WE CAN TIE THOSE, BECAUSE REALLY THROUGH THAT PLANNING, UM, WE'RE ABLE TO SEE THAT, UM, UH, MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT FOR THOSE, UH, SPACE THAT WE DEVELOP, UH, FOR, FOR THEIR SCHOOLS.
UM, WE TYPICALLY, UH, LOOK AT AN AREA OF APPROXIMATELY TWO TO 4,000 SQUARE FEET, AND THAT'S HOW WE DEVELOP 'EM THROUGH THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.
AND THAT'S A, THAT'S A, A BOND FUNDED PROJECT THAT WAY.
SO THEY, THE, UH, THINGS I WANTED TO TOUCH ON ALSO IS THE COLLABORATION WITH THAT DIVISION OF INSTRUCTION.
UM, THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE INCREASE OUR COLLABORATION.
AND THROUGH THAT, WE CAN SEE A LOT OF, UM, UH, HUGE IMPACT IN TERMS OF THE, UM, IN TERMS OF THE ACTUAL, UH, STUDENTS THAT ENGAGE INTO OUR PROGRAMS, BUT ALSO A LOT OF THE, UH, THE SCHOOLS AND, AND THE
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CLIMATE LITERACY CHAMPIONS THAT WE, WE HAVE UP HERE THAT, UH, JERRY S IS GONNA BE SPEAKING MORE ABOUT.BUT REALLY THAT HELP US ENGAGE TO ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT.
AND THROUGH THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SHARE PROGRAM PROGRAMS LIKE THE EARTH MONTH.
UH, WE, WE, UH, WE STARTED A FEW YEARS AGO, AND WE'VE, UH, PRETTY MUCH COLLABORATED WITH THE DIVISION OF INSTRUCTION.
SO WE CAN SHARE ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT CLIMATE ACTION CLUBS THAT WE DEVELOP THROUGH DIFFERENT INITIATIVES.
AND THEN WITH OUR CT LINK LEARNING, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF PROGRAMS THAT WE WORK WITH THEM, BUT ALSO WE HAVE, UH, SCHOOL INTERNS THAT THEY COME AND JOIN US THROUGH THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.
AND THEN WE'VE, UH, SHARED A LOT OF THIS CONTENT THROUGH SCHOOLOGY.
UH, THIS IS THE ONLINE PLATFORM THAT FOR TEACHERS, YOU'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
AND, UH, AND THEY CAN HELP, WE CAN HELP SUPPORT 'EM THROUGH ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT WE, UH, SHARE AND SHOWCASE, UM, THAT YOU CAN SEE HERE AS WELL.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT WASTE AND WASTE MANAGEMENT.
SO WE'VE, UH, WE CAN SEE SOME OF THE PICTURES, UH, THAT WE CAN SHOWCASE IN TERMS OF THE E SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE AND THE LA SANITATION ENGINEERS THAT WE'VE, UH, WE HAVE ASSEMBLIES, UM, IN TERMS OF SHARING PRESENTATIONS OR HOW TO SORT WASTE.
AND IT'S, IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE HOW A LOT OF THESE PROGRAMS REALLY, THEY'RE TAKING A WHOLE DIFFERENT LEVEL OF CARE FROM OUR STUDENTS BECAUSE, UM, I HAPPENED TO VISIT, UH, ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS TODAY AT FREMONT HIGH SCHOOL, AND WE HAD A, A A, A TOUR OF THE BREAKFAST IN CLASSROOM.
AND IT WAS NICE TO SEE HOW WELL THAT PROGRAM IS RUN, UM, AND HOW, UH, WELL SUPPORTING OUR SCHOOLS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, HOW, UH, THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES, THEY KNEW HOW TO GO THROUGH THE RECYCLING PROCESS AND HOW TO MANAGE WASTE.
SO IT WAS NICE TO SEE ALL THAT.
SO WE'RE DOING A LOT OF INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES, UH, WITH GAMES AND PRICES AND, UH, AND, UH, WE'RE GIVING A LOT OF EXPOSURE TO, UM, UM, TO STEAM.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO INCORPORATE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ARTS AND MATHEMATICS IN THE WORK THAT WE DO IN TERMS OF SUSTAINABLE BEHAVIOR.
SO SOME OF THE PICTURES SHOW SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE HAVE HERE IN TERMS OF THE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE ANYWHERE FROM OUR, UM, ANYWHERE FROM OUR, UH, STUDENTS THAT WE HAD, UH, SUPPORTING OUR SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE, UH, HAVING SOME GREAT EXPERIENCES, UM, TO SOME OF THE TOOLKITS THAT ARE SHOWING, UH, WE'RE SHARING AND SHOWCASING AT SCHOOLS, BUT ALSO SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE STARTED TO DO.
ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT, YOU'RE GONNA SEE A PICTURE THAT SHOWS OUR, UM, A PICTURE OF OUR SUN VALLEY ELECTRIFICATION PLAN.
WE ARE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH THE, UH, UH, WITH THE DIVISION OF INSTRUCTION AND ALL OF OUR, UM, UH, PROPOSERS THAT THEY ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO AWARD, UH, TO AWARD CONTRACTS TO.
AND WE DEVELOPED CURRICULAR SPECIFICALLY ON THOSE SCHOOL SITES, NOT JUST THE SUN BY ITSELF ONLY, BUT ALSO THE ONES THAT WE HAVE SOLAR INSTALLATIONS IN OTHER SCHOOLS, SO THEY CAN LEARN ABOUT THE, UH, SUSTAINABILITY AND, UH, AND CAN BE ABLE TO ADVANCE AND HELP THEM, UH, DEVELOP CAREER PATHWAYS IN SUSTAINABILITY.
AND I THINK FROM SOLAR TO BATTERY STORAGE, IN THIS CASE, YOU CAN SEE A MICROGRID, UH, AND HOW THE MICROGRID WORKS ON A, ON THAT SIDE, BUT WE TRY TO ENGAGE 'EM SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND THE NEWEST TECHNOLOGIES THAT THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO THEM.
SO, UH, IN THE HOPES THAT THEY CAN BE ABLE TO CHOOSE SOME OF THOSE TECHNOLOGIES AS CAREER PATHWAYS.
SO, UM, THERE'S, UH, ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT I SHARE, THEY'RE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.
IF YOU GO TOSO.LAD.ORG, ESSO FOR ECOS SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE, YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SEE OUR MISSION, OUR VISION.
YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SEE OUR FOCUS AREAS, AND WE TRY TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS WE, AS WE CAN WITH THIS DIGITAL RESOURCE TO SHOWCASE AND SHARE ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT WE HAVE AND HOW OUR, OUR STUDENTS CAN ENGAGE, OR OUR SCHOOLS CAN ENGAGE IN SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS THAT I JUST SHARED WITH YOU AND MORE ON OUR WEBSITE.
SO WITH THAT, UM, I WANTED TO, UH, NOW INTRODUCE MR. JERRY SANG WITH THE DIVISION, DIVISION OF INSTRUCTION.
HE'S GONNA, UH, CONTINUE THE PRESENTATION BY SHARING ABOUT CLIMATE LITERACY AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES AND IMPACTS OF CLIMATE LITERACY ITSELF.
UM, THE ECO SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE PARTNER IN THE WORK OF HELPING OUR STUDENTS TO BECOME CLIMATE LITERATE.
AND SO, UH, THE DEFINITION WE USE FOR CLIMATE LITERACY IS FROM THE NATIONAL OCEAN O OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC, UM, ADMINISTRATION.
AND IT'S BASICALLY THE IDEA THAT OUR STUDENTS BUILD AN UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE CLIMATE AND THE CLIMATE'S INFLUENCE ON THEM AND THE WORLD AROUND THEM.
AND SO, HOW DO WE DO THAT? YOU KNOW, THE WAY WE'RE THE, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE, UH, QUOTE THAT'S RIGHT THERE, THAT'S BEEN KIND OF THE DRIVING QUOTE, UH, FOR TEACHING CLIMATE LITERACY IN LA UNIFIED.
AND IT'S TELL ME, AND I FORGET, UH, TEACH ME AND I MAY REMEMBER, INVOLVE ME AND I LEARN.
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AND SO WE TRULY WANT TO INVOLVE OUR STUDENTS IN THE WORK, UH, THAT WE'RE DOING.AND WE WANT STUDENTS TO BE, FOR THIS TO COME FROM OUR STUDENTS.
AND IN FACT, THE APPROACH THAT WE'RE USING IS A REAL WORLD PROBLEM BASED TRANSDISCIPLINARY LEARNING APPROACH.
YOU KNOW, WE WANT IT TO BE RELEVANT TO OUR STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, IT NEEDS TO COME FROM THEM, UH, AND IT NEEDS TO BE PROBLEMS THAT THEY CAN RELATE TO AND THEY CAN SEE IMMEDIATELY IN THEIR SCHOOL, IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND BEYOND.
AND SO, AND IT'S A, UM, PROBLEM BASED ONE BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE WANT STUDENTS TO DESIGN THE PROJECTS AND THE, THE WAYS THAT THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE GREATER SOLUTION TO THESE REAL WORLD PROBLEMS. NOW, UH, TRANSDISCIPLINARY LEARNING, WE'RE KIND OF FLIPPING IT, WHERE AGAIN, INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON THE SUBJECT MATTER, WE'RE USING EVERYTHING THAT STUDENTS LEARN IN SCHOOL AS, AND, AND ALL THE ASSETS THAT THEY BRING INTO THE CLASSROOM, YOU KNOW, THEIR TALENTS AND THEIR SKILLS, UM, TO, AS TOOLS FOR STUDENTS TO USE TO, AGAIN, DESIGN AND ENGINEER SOLUTIONS TO REAL WORLD PROBLEMS. AND THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY COGNITIVELY DEMANDING TASK.
AND IN FACT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HOW WE GET TO THE HIGHER DKS OF DK THREE AND FOUR.
UM, AND SO AGAIN, IT'S PURELY STANDARDS BASED.
AND FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE, UM, NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS, YOU CAN SEE THERE, IT'S BASED ON PHENOMENAS, YOU KNOW, CLIMATE CHANGE AND ALL THE IMPACTS, ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT WE SEE ON THE NIGHTLY NEWS, THOSE ARE THE PHENOMENA THAT OUR STUDENTS CAN WORK ON.
AND THEY'RE LEARNING ABOUT, UM, THE PRACTICES, WHAT SCIENTISTS DO, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, CORE IDEAS, YOU KNOW, WHAT STUDENT, WHAT SCIENTISTS KNOW, AND AGAIN, THE CROSS-CUTTING, UH, CONCEPTS, WHICH IS WHAT'S, UM, WHAT SCIENTISTS THINK AND LINK.
SO AGAIN, THE CONNECTIONS THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO MAKE.
SORRY, WE'RE MISSING AN IMAGE THERE.
BUT, UM, SO AGAIN, WHAT DOES THIS, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW, HOW ARE WE ACTUALLY DOING THIS AT THE SCHOOL SITE? WELL, WE, LAST YEAR WE HAD 320 SCHOOLS WITH A CLIMATE LITERACY CHAMPION.
AND THOSE SCHOOLS, UM, THE, THE, SORRY, THE WHAT, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT, OKAY.
SO ANYWAYS, UH, THE SCHOOLS, THE, THE CHAMPIONS, THEY RECEIVE ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FROM, UM, AMAZING COMMUNITY PARTNERS AS WELL AS, UH, OFFICES FROM, UM, L-A-U-S-D AND DEPARTMENTS.
AND YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THOSE IN JUST A FEW MOMENTS.
BUT BASICALLY, UH, THESE, THESE CHAMPIONS, UM, LEAD THE WORK OF CLIMATE LITERACY AT THEIR SCHOOL SITES AND THE L-A-U-S-D CLIMATE LITERACY WEBSITE.
AND THE EASIEST WAY TO GET THERE IS REALLY JUST TO GOOGLE L-A-U-S-D, CLIMATE LITERACY, AND IT'LL BE THE FIRST THING THAT YOU SEE.
AND THAT WEBSITE IS BUILT TO SHOWCASE THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT OUR CHAMPIONS ARE DOING AT THEIR SCHOOL SITES.
UM, IF WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, THE IMPACT ON OUR SCHOOLS, YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AND YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, THE ACTUAL IMAGES OF OUR STUDENTS AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THE, YOU KNOW, THE ACTUAL IMPACT THAT'S MAKING THAT THIS IS ALL MAKING ON THEM.
THE FIRST ONE, YOU CAN SEE THIS BOOK RIGHT HERE, UH, IT'S THE FIRST EDITION OF OUR DISTRICT'S PARTNERSHIP WITH 8 2 6 LA IN WRITING.
UM, IT'S THE, FOR OUR YOUNG AUTHORS CLIMATE ACTION WRITING PROJECT.
AND IT'S BASICALLY A COLLECTION OF WRITING AND EVEN IMAGES, BECAUSE WE HAVE EARLY EDUCATION CENTERS THAT HAVE CLIMATE LITERACY CHAMPIONS.
AND SO THEY ACTUALLY HAVE PICTURES, UM, OF HOW THEY TOOK CLIMATE ACTION.
AND SO THERE'S SOME INCREDIBLE STORIES IN HERE.
AND RIGHT THERE, YOU SEE, LAUREN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, UM, YOU SEE TWO OF OUR, YOU KNOW, DISTRICTS, UM, PUBLISHED AUTHORS, THESE BOOKS ARE PUBLISHED.
THEY CAN BE FOUND IN THE LA, UM, PUBLIC LIBRARY.
AND SO NOW THEY, THESE STUDENTS CAN CALL THEMSELVES PUBLISHED AUTHORS.
AND SO IN THE NEXT IMAGE YOU CAN SEE, UH, THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH THE, UM, L-A-U-S-D FOOD SERVICES ON CLIMATE, ON FARM TO SCHOOL CLIMATE, UM, LITERACY TASTING BOXES, AND WHERE STUDENTS ACTUALLY GET TO TRY OUT THIS INCREDIBLE FARM FRESH PRODUCE THAT IS COMING FROM LOCAL, REGIONAL FARMS, UM, WHO ARE USING SUSTAINABLE AND EVEN REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES.
AND STUDENTS ARE LEARNING ABOUT THIS.
AND WHEN THEY LEARN ABOUT THIS, WHAT HAPPENS, AND WHAT THEY'VE NOTICED IS THAT LESS OF IT, ACTUALLY LESS OF THE FOOD THAT'S IN THE CAFETERIA GOES IN THE TRASH.
UM, IN FACT, WITH THE BLOOD ORANGES THAT CAME OUT ORIGINALLY, STUDENTS WHO WERE CONFUSED AND THEY THOUGHT THAT MAYBE SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH THEM AND THEY DIDN'T EAT THEM, BUT THE STUDENTS WHO ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, THEY WERE JUST SO EXCITED TO SEE THEM IN THE CAFETERIA, AND THEY JUST DEVOURED THEM.
UM, AND SO, UH, AND THEN ON THE LAST IMAGE RIGHT THERE THAT I'LL TALK ABOUT, IT'S, UH, WASHINGTON IRVING MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHERE THESE
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STUDENTS ARE USING SCRAP MATERIAL THAT WOULD NORMALLY GET THROWN AWAY, AND THEY'RE USING IT TO BUILD, UH, QUILTS, UM, AND BLANKETS.AND AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, STUDENTS ARE LEARNING ABOUT, UH, FAST FASHION AND THE PROBLEM AND THE WASTE THAT COMES FROM FAST FASHION, AND THEN OTHER IMAGES AS WELL.
AND THESE ARE ALL IMAGES FROM THE WEBSITE, UH, SLIDESHOW.
AND SO EXPANDING THESE OPPORTUNITIES, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT 320 SCHOOLS LAST YEAR, BUT WE WANT TO INCREASE THAT.
SO HOW ARE WE DOING THAT? EVERY YEAR, WE, UM, PUBLISH AN IOC AN INTEROFFICE CORRESPONDENCE TO PRINCIPALS, UM, INFORMING THEM ON OF HOW THEY CAN SELECT A CLIMATE LITERACY CHAMPION AT THEIR SCHOOL SITE.
AND THIS IS OPEN TO ALL SCHOOLS.
AND WE HAVE, AGAIN, ORIGINALLY, UH, IT STARTED FROM K 12, BUT WE ACTUALLY INCLUDED OUR EARLY EDUCATION PRESCHOOLS ALL THE WAY UP TO OUR DEPARTMENT OF ADULT AND CAREER EDUCATION.
SO EVERY SCHOOL, BASICALLY IN EL UNIFIED THAT HAS A PRINCIPLE CAN SELECT A CHAMPION.
AND SO, UM, SO WE, AND SO WE, AGAIN, WE'RE SHARING THIS INFORMATION ON THE IOC, WE'RE SHARING IT THROUGH THE WIN THE WEEKLY INSTRUCTIONAL NEWSLETTER FOR PRINCIPALS.
WE'RE SHARING IT ON THE DIVISION OF INSTRUCTIONS, UH, EDUCATORS NEWSLETTER.
AND WE'RE SHARING IT ON VARIOUS, UH, SCHOOLOGY GROUPS THAT WE HAVE.
AND FINALLY, REALLY, UM, OUR CLIMATE LITERACY CHAMPIONS THEMSELVES ARE SHARING THIS INFORMATION, UH, WITH OTHER COLLEAGUES AT OTHER SCHOOL SITES, AND LETTING THEM KNOW OF WHAT ALL THE, AGAIN, THE AMAZING WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND THEN SECONDLY, WE WANT TO EXPAND THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE.
YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THESE PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
MANY OF THEM HAVE PROVIDED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR CHAMPIONS.
UM, AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO GROW, UM, THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE.
SO THIS IS MY FAVORITE PART, I I GET TO INTRODUCE TO YOU, UM, OUR, ONE OF OUR CLIMATE LITERACY CHAMPIONS, EVANGEL ROBE.
SHE WAS A FIRST YEAR CHAMPION LAST YEAR, BUT SHE WASN'T A REMARKABLE CHAMPION, WHERE YOU'RE GONNA SEE, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR HER STORY.
SO SHE'S JUST GONNA KIND OF GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE.
SHE DOESN'T HAVE A SLIDE DECK, BUT SHE'S GONNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE GLIMPSE OF WHAT CLIMATE LITERACY CHAMPIONS DO AT OUR SCHOOL SITE.
I'M VERY, UM, HONORED TO BE HERE.
NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD, I SEE THIS ON TV.
I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE HERE IN PERSON.
UM, I WROTE, MINE IS A REFLECTION SINCE I AM KIND OF NEWER TO THIS, UM, CLIMATE LITERACY, UM, OPPORTUNITY THAT IS OFFERED TO OUR STUDENTS IN LA UNIFIED.
I CURRENTLY AM A MA COACH, OR A MULTILINGUAL, MULTICULTURAL, ACCELERATED LEARNING COACH AT LAUREN MILLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND THE WORK I'M SHARING TODAY BEGAN LAST YEAR WHILE I WAS SERVING AS CLIMATE LITERACY CHAMPION.
I SUPPORTED SCHOOL-WIDE IN THEIR CLIMATE EDUCATION AT 92ND STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WHEN I FIRST BEGAN MY WORK, I DIDN'T START BY GIVING MY STUDENTS A CLIMATE PROBLEM TO SOLVE.
I ASKED THEM TO INVESTIGATE ON THEIR OWN.
SO WE WENT, 'CAUSE THESE CLUBS ARE AFTER SCHOOL, WE WENT ALL OVER THE CAMPUS AND WITH OUR LITTLE CLIPBOARDS LIKE INVESTIGATORS, AND I ASKED THEM TO TELL, TELL ME WHAT THEY NOTICED THAT IS AFFECTING OUR PLANET OR WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
I ASKED THEM, WE'RE GONNA GO FIND, UM, WE'RE FIND A PROBLEM TOGETHER, AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA GIMME YOUR FINDINGS.
SO WE BECAME ENVIRONMENTAL DETECTIVES.
STUDENTS OBSERVED THEIR SURROUNDINGS THROUGH A NEW LENS.
LIKE, WHAT DO WE NOTICE OUT HERE? WHAT COULD BE HARMING OUR ENVIRONMENT? AND IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT? EVEN THOUGH WE'RE IN THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE? THEY NOTICED TRASH, OBVIOUSLY, THEY NOTICED WATER BEING WASTED WITHIN THE NEIGHBOR, THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, THROUGH THE GATE.
AND THEY NOTICED SOMETHING ELSE THAT THERE WAS, UM, GREENERY IN THEIR CAMPUS, BUT MUCH OF IT WAS DECORATIVE, AND IT WAS NOT ACTUALLY ACCESSIBLE TO THEM TO PLAY IN OR HANG OUT OR BUILD COMMUNITY.
SO THEN THAT LED TO A MUCH BIGGER QUESTION.
THEY BEGAN LOOKING, UM, BEYOND THE SCHOOL AND THINKING ABOUT THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY REALIZED THAT THEY DIDN'T REALLY HAVE ACCESSIBLE GREEN SPACES WHERE THEY COULD GATHER, PLAY, LEARN, AND CONNECT WITH THEIR COMMUNITY AND WITH NATURE.
SUDDENLY, CLIMATE LITERACY WASN'T JUST SOMETHING IN A TEXTBOOK ANYMORE.
IT WAS IN THEIR, THEIR OWN COMMUNITY.
THEIR CURIOSITY BECAME THE FOUNTAIN FOR OUR CLIMATE LITERACY, WATER CONSERVATION, STEAM WORK.
STUDENTS INVESTIGATED WATER WASTE AND CONSERVATION, READ INFORMATIONAL TEXTS.
THEY ANALYZED EVIDENCE, DISCUSSED SOLUTIONS, DESIGN MODELS, AND EVENTUALLY THEY PARTICIPATED IN THEIR SOCRATIC SEMINAR WHERE THEY DEFENDED ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS USING EVIDENCE.
[01:15:01]
HAPPENED ALONG THE WAY.THE STUDENTS WERE READING, THEY WERE WRITING, LISTENING, SPEAKING, WHICH THEY SHOULD BE DOING AS ENGLISH LEARNERS, AND, UM, DOING SCIENCE ENGINEERING AND LEARNING ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITY OFTEN ALL WITHIN THE SAME EXPERIENCE.
SO IT'S ONE AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE THAT ALLOWS THEM TO LEARN IN ALL THE DOMAINS.
TO THEM, IT DIDN'T FEEL LIKE ANOTHER ASSIGNMENT.
THEY WERE DOING IT BECAUSE THEY CARED ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND THEIR PLANET.
MANY OF THE STUDENTS IN, IN THAT GROUP ON THE CLIMATE LITERACY CLUB OR ENGLISH LEARNERS, AND PART OF MY CASELOAD, I WATCH STUDENTS WHO, UH, MIGHT ONCE HAVE HESITATED TO SPEAK OR, YOU KNOW, SIT IN THE CORNER AND SHY.
THEY BEGAN USING THEIR ACADEMIC VOCABULARY, QUESTIONING ONE ANOTHER, CITING EVIDENCE, RESPECTFULLY DISAGREEING, AGREEING WITH EACH OTHER AND CONFIDENTLY DEFENDING THEIR IDEAS.
BUT THE LEARNING DIDN'T STOP WITH WATER CONSERVATION.
WHEN STUDENTS BEGAN QUESTIONING WHY THEIR COMMUNITY, UM, NOT HAVE EQUAL ACCESSIBLE GREEN SPACE, I ASKED THEM, WELL, WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THAT? WE'RE HERE.
WHAT CAN WE DO? AND THEN THAT'S WHEN EMMANUEL SAID, YOU'LL SEE HIM THERE.
HE'S THE ONE, UH, ON THE BOTTOM PICTURE.
HE SAID, WELL, WHY DON'T WE WRITE TO GOVERNMENT? AND I SAID, OH, OKAY.
WHO, WHERE DO WE START WITH? I WASN'T PREPARED FOR THAT.
SO, UM, STUDENT RESEARCH, THE BENEFITS, THEY DID THEIR RESEARCH, READ ARTICLES TO UNDERSTAND HOW, UM, PARKS AND GREENERY CAN BENEFIT PEOPLE.
WE HAD TO DO OUR RESEARCH FIRST, UM, WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO THEY GATHERED EVIDENCE, UM, FROM THEIR RESEARCH, AND THEY USED IT TO BUILD PERSUASIVE ARGUMENTS, WHICH WE AGREED UPON WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO CONVEY THEIR MESSAGE ABOUT WHY THEIR COMMUNITY DESERVED GREATER, UM, ACCESS TO GREEN SPACES.
THEN THEY LEARNED WHO REPRESENTED THEIR COMMUNITY, AND OF COURSE, THEY DECIDED TO TAKE THEIR RESEARCH DIRECTLY TO AN AUTHENTIC AUDIENCE, WHICH WAS MAYOR KAREN BASS.
THEY WROTE A PERSUASIVE, UM, LETTER, EACH OF THEM TO MAYOR BASS CITING EVIDENCE, UH, FROM THEIR ARTICLES AND RESEARCH THAT THEY HAD STUDIED AND EXPLAINING THOSE, THE BENEFITS THAT ACCESSIBLE GREEN SPACES COULD BRING TO THEIR COMMUNITY.
THEY DIDN'T STOP WITH THE LETTERS.
THEY CREATED POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS TO STRENGTHEN THEIR ARGUMENTS AND COMMUNICATE TO, UM, MAYOR KAREN BASS, WHAT THEY HAD LEARNED.
THEY WERE NOT SIMPLY COMPLETING A WRITING ASSIGNMENT OR A RESEARCH PROJECT ANYMORE.
THEY WERE USING, UM, READING, RESEARCH EVIDENCE, PERSUASIVE WRITING AND PRESENTATION SKILLS TO ADVOCATE FOR SOMETHING THAT THEY BELIEVE THEIR COMMUNITY, UM, NEEDED.
AND THEN SOMETHING HAPPENED THAT NONE OF US EXPECTED.
PEOPLE BEGAN NOTICING THEIR WORK.
OF COURSE, THE SCHOOL POSTED ALL OVER THEIR, SO SOCIAL MEDIA AND, UM, WHAT HAD STARTED WITH A SMALL GROUP OF CHILDREN, JUST 10 OF US WALKING AROUND THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ASKING QUESTIONS, UM, ENGAGING IN INQUIRY, BEGAN SPREADING, UM, THROUGH THE SCHOOL AND INTO THE COMMUNITY.
EVENTUALLY, WE'RE IN WATTS, 92ND STREET IS IN WATTS.
SO EVENTUALLY AN ORGANIZATION CALLED THE FRIENDS OF WASHINGTON AND 92ND STREET PARK REACHED OUT TO US AND THEY WANTED TO CONNECT WITH THE CLUB, WITH OUR CLIMATE LITERACY CLUB.
UM, AND THEY WANTED TO TELL THE STUDENTS ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WE DID NOT KNOW.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE 92ND STREET LINEAR PARK WAS ALREADY COMING TO THEIR COMMUNITY ON THE FLORENCE FIRESTONE SIDE.
AND THAT MOMENT WAS INCREDIBLY POWERFUL.
THE STUDENTS HAD, THEY WERE JUMPING FOR JOY.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW, UM, THEY DIDN'T CAUSE THE PARK TO BE BUILT, BUT IN FACT, THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT IT WAS BEING BUILT OR DEVELOPED.
BUT THROUGH THEIR OWN OBSERVATIONS, QUESTIONS, RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY, THE CHILDREN HAD INDEPENDENTLY IDENTIFIED A REAL ENVIRONMENTAL NEED IN THEIR COMMUNITY, THE VERY KIND OF NEED THAT THE PEOPLE OUTSIDE THEIR CLASSROOM ARE ALREADY WORKING ON TO ADDRESS.
SO THINKING ABOUT, UM, THINKING WHAT THAT COMMUNICATES TO A CHILD, THEY LOOKED AROUND AND SAID, SOMETHING IS MISSING HERE.
THEY RESEARCHED IT, THEY FOUND THEIR VOICE, SPOKE UP.
THIS GAVE THEM AN AGENCY THAT I WAS SO PROUD OF.
AND THEN THEIR OWN COMMUNITY REACHED BACK AND TOLD THEM, YOU NOTICE SOMETHING REAL, YOU'RE THINKING MATTERS, AND PEOPLE ARE WORKING ON IT.
AND FOR ME, THAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT OUTCOME OF THIS WORK.
IT WASN'T SIMPLY THAT STUDENTS LEARNED ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE OR COMPLETED A STEAM PROJECT, BUT THEY DISCOVERED THAT THEIR VOICES MATTER.
THEY LEARNED THAT WHEN THEY NOTICE A PROBLEM, THEY CAN INVESTIGATE IT, THEY CAN GATHER EVIDENCE, COLLABORATE, UM, COM.
THEY CAN PROPOSE SOLUTIONS AND THEY CAN COMMUNICATE THOSE SOLUTIONS TO PEOPLE THAT WILL MAKE A DECISION.
AND THAT'S WHAT CLIMATE CLIMATE LITERACY HAS A POTENTIAL TO DO.
IT GIVES STUDENTS THE KNOWLEDGE TO UNDERSTAND THEIR ENVIRONMENT, BUT IT ALSO GIVES THEM AGENCY TO BELIEVE, UM, I CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
AND IF STUDENTS LEAVE OUR SCHOOLS BELIEVING THAT, THEN WE'RE NOT ONLY DEVELOPING STRONGER READERS, WRITERS, SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS, BUT WE'RE DEVELOPING YOUNG PEOPLE TO SEE THEMSELVES AS CAPABLE OF APPROVING THEIR COMMUNITIES THAT THEY BELONG TO.
WHAT A GREAT WAY TO END, RIGHT? THE PRESENTATIONS, IT ALL JUST COME FULL CIRCLE.
AND, UM, AND YOU SAID IT, WE ARE DEVELOPING LEADERS.
WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO DO
[01:20:01]
FIND THEIR VOICE ARE SEEN, UM, AND WILL THEY THEMSELVES, WILL CREATE OTHER LEADERS.AND THAT IS WHAT EDUCATION IS.
WE'RE NOT JUST TEACHING KIDS ACADEMICS.
WE'RE, WE'RE GROWING THESE AMAZING HUMAN BEINGS WHO CAN AFFECT CHANGE AND BE EMPOWERED TO, TO AFFECT CHANGE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
[III. Committee Discussion]
UP AGAIN FOR DISCUSSION.UM, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS TO ANY OF THE PRESENTATIONS THAT WE HEARD TODAY ARE WELCOME.
AGAIN, WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THAT HAVE SHARED AND, UM, CONTRIBUTED TO US TODAY AND, UH, ESPECIALLY AT THE END FROM, UM, MS. LARO WITH THE WHOLE REFLECTION.
I THINK JUST BEING ABLE TO TIE IT TOGETHER AND APPRECIATE OUR ECOS SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE AND JUST THE WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING.
I KNOW ZEROES OF HEROES HAS BEEN ONE OF MY FAVORITES.
JUST TO BE ABLE TO SEE OUR STUDENTS SHINE AND, UM, WHEN VISITING SCHOOL CAMPUSES TO SEE IT IN ACTION, WHERE THEY'RE NOT WASTING STUFF, THEY'RE PUTTING STUFF AWAY, THEY'RE RECYCLING THINGS JUST ON CAMPUS.
AND SO IT'S DEFINITELY HANDS ON.
AND FOR ME, THAT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO BE ABLE TO SEE, UM, OUR STUDENTS ACTUALLY DO THE WORK AND IN ACTION AND, UH, APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING IT FULL CIRCLE WITH THEM, BEING ABLE TO WRITE THEIR, THEIR MAYOR AND, UH, BE ABLE TO SEE THEM USE THEIR VOICE.
I DID HAVE A QUESTION THOUGH, ON OUR CURRICULUM AND HOW WE'RE ABLE TO, TO BRIDGE FOR THE SCHOOLS THAT PRESENTED EARLIER, KIND OF THEIR OWN, UM, WORK.
AND HOW CAN WE MAKE IT MORE AVAILABLE FOR OUR SCHOOLS TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, ACROSS THE DISTRICT? BECAUSE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU'RE DOING, NOT SURE IF ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS KNOW HOW TO TAP INTO IT.
I KNOW WE'RE DOING IT HERE TODAY, BUT OUTSIDE OF TODAY, WHERE WOULD THEY KNOW IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PASSION TO DO SOME OF THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING? BECAUSE AS THE FIRST TWO PRESENTERS, IT'S A PASSION TO DO SOME OF THE WORK.
UM, AND OF COURSE ACROSS THE DISTRICT, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO INFUSE THAT IN ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS AS THEY BRING THAT TO THEIR CLASSROOM.
SO WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY, I KNOW I LOOKED ON THE WEBSITE, I KNOW SOME THINGS ARE CONNECTED, SOME THINGS DO NOT CONNECT, AS YOU SAID, YOU HAVE TO GOOGLE ONE SPACE DIFFERENTLY THAN ON HERE.
SO HOW DO WE BRING IT FULL CIRCLE FOR OUR EDUCATORS TO BE ABLE TO TIE IT TOGETHER, AND ESPECIALLY WITH OUR STANDARDS, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S MEETING THE STANDARDS, UM, BY THE STATE? GOOD AFTERNOON, JOHN AVI, ADMIN, UM, SORRY, NOT ADMINISTRATOR OF INSTRUCTION, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SECONDARY INSTRUCTION.
UM, SO ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE, UM, INFORM ALL OF OUR TEACHERS, OR I SHOULD SAY ACROSS THE DISTRICT, UM, IS THROUGH OUR NEWS, OUR TEACHER NEWSLETTER THAT WE PROVIDE EVERY MONTH, UM, THAT IS GIVEN OUT, THAT IS MAILED TO THEM OR EMAILED TO THEM.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE PROVIDE INFORMATION IN THE WEEKLY INSTRUCTIONAL NEWS.
WE HAVE AN, UH, WITH REGARD TO CLIMATE LITERACY, WE HAVE A SPECIFIC IOC THAT HAS GIVEN OUT.
I KNOW THAT, UH, JERRY, UM, OUR CLIMATE LITERACY ADMINISTRATOR PROVIDES INFORMATION IN THE SCHOOLOGY GROUP, UM, WHICH IS POSTED ACROSS.
AND, UM, WE ALSO LEVERAGE OUR AIS, BUT OF COURSE, A BOARD MEMBER, WE CAN GET BETTER.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WILL TAKE THIS BACK IS HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN THAT WHEN WE MEET WITH THE AIS TO GET ALL THIS INFORMATION? 'CAUSE WE'VE GOT THESE REPOSITORY RESOURCES, AND I REALLY LIKE THE, UH, TEACHER'S, UM, SUGGESTION OF FURTHER DEVELOPING THOSE REPOSIT REPOSITORY RESOURCES, BRINGING OUR TEACHERS TOGETHER.
BUT I THINK GETTING THAT MESSAGE OUT, AGAIN, WE CAN CERTAINLY STRENGTHEN THAT.
AND I'LL TAKE THAT BACK TO THE AIS, BUT THOSE ARE THE PLATFORMS THAT WE USE.
THE NEW, THE TEACHER NEWSLETTER THAT GOES OUT TO OUR TEACHERS.
THE, UM, WEEKLY INSTRUCTIONAL NEWS, IOC, UH, IOCS USING SCHOOLOGY AND, UM, MEETING, UH, MONTHLY WITH OUR, OR I SHOULD SAY BIMONTHLY WITH OUR, UM, AIS AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN TO ONE OF THE EDUCATORS.
YOU, YOU, UM, I THINK THIS WAS IN AN EARLIER PRESENTATION, ARE YOU ABLE TO, ARE YOU BRIDGING WITH OTHER, UM, SUBJECT MATTERS? I THINK ONE IS, AND THEN AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, ARE YOU ABLE TO BRIDGE WITH OTHER TEACHERS TO BRING IT KIND OF TOGETHER? I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT IT IN HISTORY AND SOCIAL STUDIES, BUT ARE THERE OTHER SUBJECT MATTERS THAT YOU'RE TAPPING INTO WITH THOSE STUDENTS THAT YOU MAY HAVE IN YOUR COURSES? THAT, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
'CAUSE I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
OFTENTIMES THE WILLINGNESS IS THERE, YOU KNOW, WITH, YOU KNOW, DOING SOMETHING IN ENGLISH OR WE HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE TEACHER WHERE IT FITS.
AND THEN WHAT WE GET IS WE HAVE TO DO CERTAIN, THERE'S CERTAIN ASK OF US DURING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, AND SO THEN THAT TAKES MORE IMPORTANCE AND PRIORITY.
AND SO OFTENTIMES IT'S LIKE HAVING EDUCATORS DOING STUFF ON THEIR OWN TIME AFTER SCHOOL.
WE DON'T HAVE COMMON PLANNING PERIODS IN HIGH SCHOOL,
[01:25:01]
RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, THAT TENDS TO BE PRIORITIZED FOR THE, YOU KNOW, PLCS, WHICH IS LIKE THE, YOU KNOW, THE LEARNING FOLKS.SO LIKE ALGEBRA ONE WILL HAVE THERE, RIGHT? SO THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, CHALLENGES THERE SOMETIMES TO DO THAT.
THE WILLINGNESS I THINK IS THERE, IT WOULD BENEFIT STUDENTS.
I'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECTS AND IT BENEFITS STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
UH, BUT THEN THERE ARE CONSTRAINTS TO SCHEDULE AND PRIORITIES OF, YOU KNOW, OTHER, OTHER THINGS THAT ARE THERE.
AND I WANNA POINT OUT THAT IN OUR COMMITTEE DISCUSSION, IF YOU LOOK AT THE AGENDA, THERE'S THE COMMITTEE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS.
SO IF WE CAN ALSO TAKE A MOMENT TO, TO OFFER SOME THOUGHTS ON THIS.
AND, AND I ALSO INVITE OUR SPEAKERS TO RESPOND TO THESE, IF THEY HAVE ANY, ANY IDEAS.
UM, WHAT ARE CHALLENGES FACING EDUCATORS TO TEACH RELEVANT AND TOPICAL MATERIALS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES? I THINK YOU TOUCHED UPON SOME OF THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVING THE TIME, AND I THINK WE HEARD THAT LAST YEAR AS WELL, THAT A LOT OF TIMES, UM, IT'S NOT HAVING THE TIME OF THE COMMON PLANNING, RIGHT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS KIND OF WORK.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK OUR, UH, DIVISION OF INSTRUCTION COULD TAKE TO HEART.
LIKE HOW CAN WE CREATE TIME FOR OUR EDUCATORS TO BE ABLE TO DO INTERDISCIPLINARY PLANNING AND THESE TYPES OF, UH, PLANNING AROUND THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS, RIGHT? THAT WE KNOW TAKE TIME, BUT WE ALSO KNOW ARE SO VALUABLE.
I THINK IT WAS MR. SONG WHO SAID THAT WHEN YOU'RE DOING THESE TYPES OF PROJECT, YOU'RE ACTUALLY USING THE HIGHER LEVEL THINKING, YOU KNOW, THE, ON THE DOK QUESTIONS.
AND I AGREE, WE, I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT THAT'S HOW IT IS.
SO HOW CAN WE, UH, MAKE IT SO THAT OUR EDUCATORS HA ARE ABLE TO DO THIS, ARE ABLE TO, TO PLAN TOGETHER.
UM, AND THEN WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THIS KIND OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION AGAIN, IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, SPEAK TO MORE TO THAT.
AND THEN WHAT CAN L-A-U-S-D DO TO SUPPORT THIS, UM, SCALING THIS KIND OF WORK UP SO THAT WE CAN HAVE IT, UM, THROUGHOUT OUR DISTRICT.
AND FOR ME, IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT ACCESS, RIGHT? WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THIS TYPE OF RIGOROUS INSTRUCTION AND EXPERIENCE, EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE, OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY SOMETIMES THESE TYPES OF WORK IN, IN PROJECTS ARE LEFT FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE TAKING AP COURSES OR IN THE IB PROGRAM, OR, BUT WE WANT THIS FOR EVERYONE BECAUSE WE KNOW IT, IT BENEFITS EVERYONE.
SO IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND TO ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS, SHARE MORE IDEAS, THAT'D BE GREAT.
UM, MR. PAUL, LET ME SEE IF ANYBODY ELSE WHO HAS NOT SPOKEN YET.
TREVOR, UM, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR AMAZING PRESENTATIONS TODAY.
UM, I WANTED TO UPLIFT SOMETHING THAT MR. WEIZ, UM, MENTIONED IN HER PRESENTATION, WHICH WAS THE IDEA OF A COHORT MODEL FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, UH, WHERE TEACHERS SPEND A SUSTAINED AMOUNT OF TIME WITH EACH OTHER OVER A PERIOD OF MONTHS, UH, FIELD TESTING AND WORKING THROUGH AND CREATING RESOURCES THAT CAN THEN BE USED DISTRICT WIDE.
UM, I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S COME UP AT LEAST TWICE BEFORE IN OUR PREVIOUS CREW CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA UPLIFT THAT.
AND THAT KIND OF DEEP PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN LIKE A ONE DAY OR EVEN A ONE HOUR TRAINING, UH, WHERE YOU HAVE FOLKS THAT ARE REALLY PASSIONATE AND KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT A PARTICULAR CONTENT AREA AND SPEND SUSTAINED TIME AND ARE, AS YOU MENTIONED, COMPENSATED FOR CREATING THOSE RESOURCES THAT THEN CAN BECOME USEFUL, UH, THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
UM, AND ON ANOTHER NOTE, I ALSO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING THAT, UH, UM, MS. RUIZ AND MS. CATANO TALKED ABOUT, UM, SOME PEDAGOGICAL INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS.
UM, ONE WAS MAPPING AND THERE'S ALSO MEDIA ANALYSIS.
I SAW BOTH OF THOSE IN YOUR PRESENTATIONS.
UM, I THINK THOSE ARE BOTH REALLY USEFUL TOOLS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE DISCUSSING ISSUES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO OUR STUDENTS' EVERYDAY LIVES.
UM, SO, UH, THIS QUESTION'S KIND OF FOR ANYBODY BUT
UH, MAYBE IF THE EDUCATORS THAT FIRST FIRST SPOKE ON THEM WANNA SHARE MORE, BUT WHAT ARE THE USEFULNESS OF THOSE TOOLS? AND ALSO WHAT KINDS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ARE TEACHERS RECEIVING ON USING MAPPING OR, UH, MEDIA LITERACY? UM, THAT'S NOT JUST RESTRICTED TO LIKE THE SOCIAL STUDIES.
UM, UH, YOU BROUGHT UP THE TEACHER, UM, PDS, WHICH I WAS GONNA TALK ABOUT WHEN THAT QUESTION WAS OFFERED.
UM, WHEN I RAN THE, WHEN WE LAUNCHED THE CURRICULUM DURING THE SUMMER WITH UCLA, WE HAD, IT WAS LIKE A SUMMER CAMP MODEL, SO IT WAS LIKE
[01:30:01]
NINE TO 12 WHERE WE HAD THE STUDENTS, AND THEN WE WOULD DEBRIEF FOR AN HOUR AFTER, ONLY WITH THE EDUCATORS.UM, AND IT WAS THE MOST HELPFUL, LIKE 45 MINUTES EVER.
AND IT WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT, OKAY, WHAT IF WE ENCOUNTER THIS PROBLEM? WHAT IF WE ENCOUNTER THIS PROBLEM? SO I THINK, UM, I
'CAUSE THERE IS, AND I'M SURE IN HIGH SCHOOL THERE IS LIKE THIS DISSONANCE BETWEEN YOUR BUBBLES.
AND SO EACH CLASSROOM IS A BUBBLE.
SO IF I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS PROJECT TO MY SCHOOL, I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY AMAZING.
AND TO LIKE, OFFER, OFFER CHOICES AND OFFER, UM, PATHS OF ACCESSIBILITY INTO THAT.
SO I THINK EDUCATORS TALKING TO ONE ANOTHER IS THE MOST POWERFUL THING.
AND THEN ALSO AS FAR AS MAPPING, I'VE DONE A TON OF MAPPING WORK IN MY CLASSROOM.
UM, I'VE TAUGHT THIRD GRADE AND I'VE ALSO TAUGHT SECOND GRADE.
UM, BUT THE MAPPING IS KIND OF ACCESSIBLE TO ALL GRADE LEVELS.
I DID A LOT OF MAPPING IN THIRD GRADE BECAUSE THIRD GRADE SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS IS A LOT OF COMMUNITY BUILDING WORK.
UM, AND I THINK ESPECIALLY NOW AS STUDENTS ARE LOSING IMAGINATION WITH THE ENCROACHING TECHNOLOGY, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY ACTUALLY TETHER THEMSELVES IN THE WORLD.
SO THEY KNOW THAT DOWNTOWN LA WE CAN SEE DOWNTOWN LA AND CITY HALL FROM MALI BAR.
BUT TODAY A STUDENT SAID, ARE YOU GOING TO THE BIG CITY
BUT, UM, I'VE LAUNCHED A LOT OF, UM, I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S CALLED ARC GIS MAPS.
AND SO THERE'S, WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT REDLINING, UM, IN MY CLASSROOM.
AND SO THERE'S AN INTERACTIVE REDLINING MAP, THERE'S A HEAT MAP, THERE'S AN ARC GIS STORY MAPS, WHICH I THINK I'M PRETTY SURE I HELPED DEVELOP CURRICULUM ON THAT TOO.
UM, BUT THE STORY MAPS BRING TO LIFE, UM, LIVED EXPERIENCES.
YOUR QUESTION IS, WELL, UM, WE DO OFFER THREE COURSES IN, UH, MEDIA LITERACY SPECIFICALLY.
ONE IS FOR, UH, ONE IS AT MIDDLE SCHOOL, EXCUSE ME.
ONE, ONE IS AN ELECTIVE AT HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THEN THERE'S ACTUALLY A 12TH GRADE ENGLISH CLASS, WHICH CULMINATES WITH A PROJECT.
SO THEY'RE GONNA SIT AND THEY'RE GOING TO ANALYZE, UM, AND LEARN ABOUT MEDIA LITERACY AND ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS.
BUT THEN THERE'S A PROJECT THAT LEADS ITSELF AT THE END OF THE SECOND SEMESTER.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE, OH, GO AHEAD.
WHEN YOU, WHEN WE BRING UP SOMETHING LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, MEDIA LITERACY, OFTENTIMES WE FORGET THE 21ST CENTURY SKILLS, RIGHT? THAT WE'RE ALSO WANTING OUR STUDENTS TO ENGAGE WITH AND, AND THINKING ABOUT HOW WE INCORPORATE THAT.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE AS WE'RE LESSON PLANNING, I KNOW A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES AND I, UH, 'CAUSE I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE THAT DID THE LINEAGE FIRE, RIGHT? AND SO WE KIND OF ALL ADDRESSED IT IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT WAYS AND IT JUST FIT THAT MEDIA LITERACY WAS THE ONE THAT FIT FOR US.
UM, WE ARE AT THE END OF OUR MEETING, BUT I'M GONNA, MR. PAUL HAD HIS HAND UP AND HE WANTS TO NO, YOU SURE YOU WANNA SAY, YOU COULD HAVE A LAST WORD.
I, I JUST HAD A QUESTION FOR MR. SUNG.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS SEEING THAT WE ONLY HAVE 320 SCHOOLS WITH THE CHAMPION, AND I WAS JUST WONDERING HOW CAN, YOU KNOW, AS A PRINCIPAL, I, WE GET A LOT OF EMAILS ABOUT A LOT OF CHAMPIONS, AND SO, YOU KNOW, LIKE HOW CAN WE INCREASE THAT? AND, AND, AND ANOTHER ONE, LIKE, I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE ECOS SUSTAINABILITY PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, LIKE THERE'S ALL THESE HIDDEN THINGS OUT THERE THAT AS A PRINCIPAL, YOU KNOW, OR AS THE SCHOOL LEADER, WE'RE NOT SURE.
SO HOW CAN WE SHARE THAT WEALTH WITH OTHER PEOPLE SO THAT WE CAN GET MORE SCHOOLS HAVING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR, YOU KNOW, HAVE A WONDERFUL CLIMATE CHAMPION, UM, AT ALL OF OUR SITES? YEAH, UM, DEFINITELY.
I MEAN, AGAIN, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO BETTER THAN WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DO WANT MORE SCHOOLS.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE OUR, YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE AND AS, UH, JOHN MENTIONED BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ADVERTISING THROUGH THE IOC, WHICH GIVES, UH, PRINCIPLES THE GOOGLE FORM THAT THEY NEED TO COMPLETE TO SELECT THE CLIMATE LITERACY CHAMPION FOR THEIR SCHOOL SITE.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WE, YOU KNOW, DO THE, THE, WE HAVE THE VARIOUS NEWSLETTERS, BUT THE CLIMATE LITERACY SCHOOL GROUP IS ALSO A VERY KEY COMPONENT OF THIS, WHICH CAME FROM THE BOARD RESOLUTION, UM, THAT IT BE THE REPOSITORY OF ALL THINGS CLIMATE LITERACY.
SO WE'VE GOT EVERY PD THAT'S BEEN GIVEN TO OUR CHAMPIONS ON THERE.
UH, WE HAVE, UM, CHAMPIONS AND OTHER TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS ON THAT GROUP, UM, WHO PRO SHARE UPDATES.
[01:35:01]
SUGGESTION TO TEACHERS WHO ARE INTERESTED WOULD BE IN SCHOOLS THAT ARE INTERESTED WOULD BE TO JOIN THAT SCHOOLOGY GROUP, UH, BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA LEARN A LOT FROM THAT.UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, UM, AND THEN DEFINITELY TO REACH OUT TO ME AT ANY POINT, AND I CAN SHARE WITH THE PRINCIPALS, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE PRINCIPAL'S, THE ONE WHO SELECTS THE CLIMATE LITERACY CHAMPION, UH, WITH ALL THE INFORMATION THAT'S NECESSARY FOR THAT.
I MEAN, I GUESS MY THING WAS LIKE, IS IT ABLE TO BE SHARED WITH UTLA REPS OR SOMEONE ELSE THAT'S NOT THE PRINCIPAL SO THAT YOU KNOW, THEY CAN SHARE.
'CAUSE THE TEACHERS WON'T KNOW IF THE PRINCIPAL'S THE ONE HOLDING THE INFORMATION AND THEY DON'T GET TO IT IN TIME.
AND 'CAUSE I, I KNOW ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE HAD IT AT MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SO WHEN I WENT TO MIDDLE SCHOOL, I'M LIKE, OH, CHAMPION, I KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
LET'S GET SOMEONE, BUT IF YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, YOU, YOU KNOW, SO HOW CAN WE, I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S ANOTHER AVENUE THAT WE CAN SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THAT'S NOT THE PRINCIPAL.
I, SOMETHING THAT I'VE SEEN, I EXPERIENCED AND I THINK I STRONGLY FEEL THERE'S NOTHING LIKE AN IN-PERSON MEETING.
A LOT OF THE TIMES WE SEND A LOT OF THE MEDIA, IT'S GREAT PEOPLE LOOK AT IT, THEY'RE BUSY, PUT IT ASIDE, THEY THEY'RE GONNA GET TO IT AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE NOT.
UM, I WILL WELCOME AGAIN, UH, HERE WE HAVE A NEW E SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE TO BE ABLE TO JOIN ONCE EVERY SIX MONTHS, YOUR PRINCIPAL MEETINGS AND JUST CRAFT FIVE MINUTES, THREE TO FIVE MINUTES SO WE CAN SHOWCASE AND SHARE SOME OF THE CONTENT THAT WE HAVE SO THEY CAN HEAR FROM SOMEONE ELSE.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WITHIN, WITHIN THE FAMILY OF, UH, CURRICULA, YOU HEAR A LOT OF THE THINGS AND IT'S ONE THING, BUT WHEN YOU HEAR FROM SOMEONE ELSE, I THINK MAY OPEN UP A GATE SO THEY CAN SAY THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT SOMETHING.
'CAUSE I HEAR THE SAME THINGS A LOT WHEN I GO TO A SCHOOL.
I DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAVE ALL THESE GREAT THINGS GOING FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO I'LL WELCOME THAT OPPORTUNITY IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE IT.
AMANA, YOU DID NOT GET A CHANCE TO SPEAK, SO YOU CAN, I'LL BE REALLY QUICK.
AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUCH AN AMAZING PRESENTATION AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT AND JUST REALLY, TRULY THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, MY QUESTION IS IN TERMS OF, UM, 'CAUSE BACK TO, UH, PRINCIPAL POWELL'S POINT OF ACCESSIBILITY AND PEOPLE KNOWING ABOUT IT, I FEEL LIKE EVEN AS A PARENT, I, I'M SURE I WOULDN'T GET THE SAME NOTIFICATIONS THAT PRINCIPALS OR ADMINISTRATION GETS, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THESE KIND OF PROGRAMS SO I CAN MAYBE PITCH IT TO MY PRINCIPAL OR TO OUR SCHOOLS, RIGHT? AND SO I'M WONDERING MAYBE AS A SUGGESTION, YOU KNOW, YOU'D SAID TRYING TO DO IN PERSON, WHICH SOMETIMES CAN BE A LITTLE DIFFICULT, RIGHT? TRYING TO GET PEOPLE IN THE ROOM.
IS THERE ANY WAY TO HAVE LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS TOO MUCH OF A PUSH, BUT LIKE PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL OR SOMETHING WITHIN THE BODY OF THE EMAIL, EVEN IF IT'S LIKE A 32ND, LIKE, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO THEN THAT WAY PEOPLE CAN CLICK ON IT AND BE LIKE, OH, THIS IS REALLY COOL.
VERSUS JUST BEING, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER NEWSLETTER FOR EXAMPLE, IN OUR SCHOOL WE GET LITERALLY 50 PAGE NEWSLETTERS AND I'M LIKE, OH MY GOD, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH EACH THING.
WHEREAS SOMETIMES JUST HAVING A QUICK PROMO VIDEO WILL REALLY, THAT ENCAPSULATES WHAT THE PROGRAM IS ABOUT, I FEEL LIKE COULD REALLY, YOU KNOW, GIVE MORE, UM, AWARENESS TO THE PROGRAM.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT SUGGESTION.
YOU KNOW, REALLY WE CONSISTENTLY WORK WITH, ALSO WITH OUR PARENT TEAM, UM, LED BY UM, JANET CARTER TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE MESSAGING THAT STICKS FOR THE FAMILIES BECAUSE THERE ARE GREAT PROGRAMS JUST LIKE WHAT THEY HIGHLIGHTED HERE AND THAT IS SOMETHING WE'LL CONTINUE TO STRIVE FOR.
BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT GREAT IDEA.
WELL, I'M GONNA PUT IT ON MY SOCIAL MEDIA, ALL OF THESE THINGS, SO I'M GONNA DO MY PART AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA THAT CHRISTO'S, YOUR OFFICE ATTENDS THE PRINCIPAL'S MEETINGS BECAUSE I AGREE HEARING ANOTHER VOICE.
I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE A TON OF STUFF THAT IS, UH, GIVEN TO YOU AND IF YOU CAN HAVE THIS, I'LL BET PEOPLE WILL BE LIKE, OOH, THIS IS EXCITING AND LET'S GET, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY TO DO IT.
BUT THANK YOU AGAIN, UM, TO THE COMMITTEE FOR UH, SPENDING TIME WITH US AGAIN ASKING QUESTIONS.
I'M SORRY THAT OUR DISCUSSION GOT CUT SHORT.
WE DO HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT RIGHT NOW.
UH, BUT JUST BEFORE WE GO INTO PUBLIC COMMENT, I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU THAT NEXT MEETING WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITY SCHOOLS AND THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND HOW THEY'RE BUILDING THEIR OWN ASSESSMENTS.
THAT'S EXCITING AND WE'RE HOPING TO NOT BE IN THIS ROOM NEXT MONTH OR FOR OUR NEXT MEETING.
WE HOPE TO BE IN THE BLUE ROOM OR ANOTHER CONFERENCE ROOM.
[V. Public Comment]
UH, WE'RE READY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.I AM GONNA CALL ON THE FOLKS WHO LISTED THEMSELVES AS SPEAKING IN PERSON FIRST, AND THEN WE WILL GO TO THOSE WHO LISTED THEMSELVES AS SPEAKING REMOTELY.
THE FIRST CALLER IS MARIE FELD.
AND THEN AFTER MS. FELD IS EL ELISA SCHITZ AND THEN MICHELLE COHEN, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION SHOULD BE PAIRED WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION.
WHY IS IT THAT IN NICK MELVOIN DISTRICT,
[01:40:01]
HE'S INSTALLING GRASS FIELDS WHILE IN BOARD DISTRICT FIVE, THE SAME COMPANY IS PUTTING IN ARTIFICIAL TURF.KIDS IN DISTRICT FIVE DESERVE GREEN SCHOOLS.
IT'S 103 DEGREES OUT THERE TODAY.
AND ANY TURF IS NOT ONLY BURNING HOT TO THE TOUCH, IT IS ALSO CREATING A HEAT ISLAND EFFECT FOR THE WHOLE CAMPUS.
LAST YEAR, LUSD ADOPTED A HEAT RESILIENCY RESOLUTION PROHIBITING INSTALLATION OF TURF AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
YET THE DISTRICT IS STILL MOVING FORWARD WITH PUTTING IN A PLASTIC FIELD AT EAGLE ROCK MIDDLE SCHOOL BECAUSE IT IS JOINED WITH A HIGH SCHOOL.
BUT THESE KIDS ARE STILL JUST AS AT RISK.
THIS PROJECT IS NOT ONLY TAKING AWAY A COOL GREEN SPACE FROM THE CAMPUS, IT'S ALSO ADDING TO THESE KIDS' LIVES ON UNNECESSARY EXPOSURE TO CARCINOGENS AND NEUROTOXINS.
THE ONLY PEOPLE WINNING FROM THIS TURF CONTRACT ARE THE PEOPLE BEING PAID $13.6 MILLION TO INSTALL ONE FIELD.
THIS COMPANY SAYS THAT IT'S CHEAPER THAN GRASS BASED ON A CALCULATION THAT ASSUMES THAT TURF WILL LAST 20 YEARS, BUT THEY'LL ONLY GIVE L-A-U-S-D-A WARRANTY FOR EIGHT.
LA ADA'S TURF FIELD JUST FAILED AFTER EIGHT YEARS AND THEY PAID A MILLION AND A HALF TO REPLACE IT.
EVEN DISTRICT FIVE, WHILE CLAIMING TURF IS FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE, HAS NOT POINTED TO A COST COMPARISON OF GRASS VERSUS TURF THAT SUPPORTS THAT EVERYONE AGREES.
EAGLE ROCK'S FIELD NEEDS TO BE, NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED.
BUTS D'S DECISION TO LAY OFF FACILITY STAFF WHILE PAYING 13.6 MILLION TO A CORPORATE CONTRACTOR IS NOT THE ANSWER.
IT'S COSTING $5 MILLION LESS TO INSTALL GRASS AT EDA WITH THE SAME CONTRACTOR.
PLEASE ASK THE BOARD TO AMEND THE EAGLE ROCK CONTRACT.
LUISA, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
ARE YOU HERE? ALL RIGHT, COME ON UP.
YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
GREETINGS BOARD MEMBERS AND OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I'M A TEACHER ADVISOR AT LA TECHNOLOGY CENTER IN MID-CITY.
I'M ONE OF THE ADULT ED CLIMATE CHAMPIONS.
I WAS ASKED TO COME HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN ADULT SCHOOLS DAYS.
CLIMATE CHAMPIONS, LIKE ALL CLIMATE CHAMPIONS, ARE FOCUSED ON GROWING UNDERSTANDING OF CLIMATE CHANGE, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, RESILIENCE, AND RELATED SHIFTS IN THE WORLD OF WORK.
WE DO THIS WHILE CENTERING OUR STUDENTS FOCUS ON THE COMMUNICATION, ACADEMIC, AND CAREER SKILLS THAT THEY REALLY NEED TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE IN LA SINCE SO MANY OF OUR STUDENTS ARE DISTRICT PARENTS AND STUDENTS AT THE SAME TIME, WE PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE BY HELPING FAMILIES UNDERSTAND AND FACE CLIMATE RELATED REALITIES TOGETHER.
WHEN EARLY ED THROUGH 12TH GRADE, STUDENTS BRING HOME HOMEWORK PROJECTS, QUESTIONS AND ANXIETY THAT COME WITH LEARNING ABOUT EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
IT'S EASIER IF THE WHOLE FAMILY SHARES SOME BASIC KNOWLEDGE.
WE HELP PROVIDE THAT AND MORE.
WE HAVE A SCHOOLOGY COURSE FOR ALL THE ADULT SCHOOLS WHERE WE SHARE IDEAS, CURRICULUM, AND RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS TO USE WITH ESL, ACADEMIC AND CTE STUDENTS ON OUR CAMPUSES, WE'VE DEVELOPED SCHOOL GARDENS, CLUBS HELD EARTH MONTH EVENTS, INVITED GUEST SPEAKERS AND PROGRAMS TO SHARE ABOUT HOW TO SAVE ENERGY, OBTAIN AND GROW HEALTHY FOOD, RECYCLE HOUSEHOLD WASTE, AND HOW TO GET INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY EFFORTS TO PROTECT HEALTH IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, AT MY SCHOOL, AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, WE'LL HOST AN INTERACTIVE PRESENTATION.
FOLLOWING THAT, WE'RE PLANNING AN EVENT IN OUR GARDEN WITH A A COMMUNITY GROUP CROP SWAP LA THE CITY OF SANITATION AND ENVIRONMENT.
AND WE ARE EXPLORING PAID INTERNSHIPS WITH CROP SWAP LA AS THE DISTRICT WORKS ON GREENING SCHOOLS, DECARBONIZING AND WATER AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
MANY OF US ARE HOPING THAT OUR D CONSTRUCTION, HVAC LANDSCAPING, PLUMBING AND ELECTRICIAN STUDENTS CAN GAIN EXPERIENCE BY WORKING AS HELPERS ON THESE PROJECTS.
THIS WILL PROVIDE THEM NOT JUST WITH HANDS-ON LEARNING, BUT EXPOSURE TO CAREER POSSIBILITIES WITH UNIONS AND EXPERIENCED TRADES PEOPLE.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. DAVID TOSKI.
AND THEN AFTER MR. TOSKI IS OCTAVIA, OCTAVIA MCLEAN.
UH, I ENJOYED THE THOUGHT PROVOKING PRESENTATIONS.
I'D LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT FROM THE BOTTOM UP IS ONE TOPIC, BUT THE OTHER TOPIC IS THIS IS A $25 BILLION ORGANIZATION.
WE HAVE GREAT PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM, BUT WE HAVE TO BE THINKING BIG.
UH, IN A COUPLE WEEKS WE'LL HAVE A NEW GOVERNOR, AND THAT NEW
[01:45:01]
GOVERNOR HAS TO HAVE AN AGENDA, WHICH IS COMING TO THE BOARD NEXT TUESDAY.AND THAT AGENDA IS MISSING A LOT OF THE SCIENCE DISCUSSION HERE.
THERE'S NO EMPHASIS ON THE INSTRUCTION EXCEPT FOR THE PRE-K AND THE K.
YOU NEED TO EXPAND THAT AGENDA AND GIVE MR. BECERRA A CHANCE.
GOVERNOR BERA TO WORK ON ISSUES OF SCIENCE FOR OUR LATINO KIDS, OUR BILINGUAL KIDS, LANGUAGE ACQUISITION KIDS, AND THE THE NEW STANDARDS IN SCIENCE.
ALSO, ON JANUARY 3RD OF NEXT YEAR, WE WILL HAVE A NEW GOVERNMENT IN CONGRESS.
WE WILL HAVE A SENATE THAT IS, UH, OVER 51 SENATORS THAT ARE DEMOCRAT, AND WE'LL HAVE A HOUSE OF REPS.
THAT IS A MOMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE TO GET REVENUES FOR THIS DISTRICT BECAUSE THIS FRIDAY THERE'LL BE DEVASTATING NEWS IN IN LA UNIFIED.
WITH RESPECT TO ENROLLMENT DROPS CONTINUING TO BE MASSIVE.
LET ME JUST SAY IN THE BOARD BOOK, YOU'RE SPENDING $2.2 BILLION ON FOUR SCHOOLS OUT OF FACILITIES THAT SHOULD BE IN THE STATE AGENDA.
THE PANCAKING BUILDINGS SHOULD BE A STATE MONEY NOT OUT OF YOUR BOND MONEY.
ADDITIONALLY, UH, YOU HAVE A ITEM IN YOUR AGENDA ON ELECTRIC BUSES.
THOSE ELECTRIC BUSES ARE FALLING APART AND NOT DESIRED BY THE BUS DRIVERS ANYWHERE.
IT'S A SINKHOLE THAT NEEDS TO BE STOPPED BEFORE IT TAKES MORE MONEY AWAY FROM, UH, OPPORTUNITIES IN DISTRICT IN THIS DISTRICT.
AND FINALLY, LET ME JUST SAY YOU'VE RECENTLY APPROVED A CONTRACT FOR THE PUBLIC CONSULTING GROUP, A GROUP THAT GOVERNOR ABBOTT IN TEXAS HAS, UH, PUT IN PLACE.
THIS COMPANY IS NOW UNDER CONTRACT WITH LA UNIFIED TO DO WORK THAT YOU APPROVED.
OCTAVIA MCLEAN, OCTAVIA, ARE YOU HERE? ALL RIGHT.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CALL IN BNA SHAMA SUNDER BNA.
PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF AND YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
BAVANA, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH, WE CAN.
MY NAME IS BAVANA SHAMA FENDER AND I AM THE MOTHER OF TWO STUDENTS AT EQUAL ROCK JUNIOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL.
I'M ALSO A PROFESSOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AT UC SANTA BARBARA.
SO I THINK A LOT ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL CURRICULUM AND HOW WE TEACH OUR GEN OUR NEXT GENERATION.
TODAY, THE TEMPERATURE IN GO ROCK IS 103 DEGREES, AND YOU'RE MEETING TODAY ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL CURRICULUM, BUT REALLY NEGLECTING ACTION IN REAL WORLD WAYS ON THE ENVIRONMENT BY ALLOWING CURRENT NATURAL GRASS FIELDS TO BE REPLACED WITH PLASTIC ARTIFICIAL TURF, WITH KNOWN TOXIC CHEMICAL IMPACTS, PARTICLES ARE RUN OFF INTO OUR WATERWAYS, MELT WHEN HEATED AND CAN EMBED IN OUR CHILDREN'S LUNGS AND SKIN, AND LINKED WITH LONG-TERM HEALTH IMPACTS LIKE CANCER AND A REPRODUCTIVE HARM.
MS. REGO, I URGE YOU TO ALIGN CURRICULUM WITH REAL ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENTS AS SPEAKERS HERE TODAY HAVE NOTED PRACTICE AND BEING IN GREEN SPACES IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO LEARN ABOUT THEM.
ACCORDING TO YOUR STAFFER IN AN EMAIL, NATURAL GRASS FIELDS REPRESENT SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER LONG-TERM MAINTENANCE COSTS.
SHE ALSO SAYS MANY SCHOOL ATHLETIC FIELDS ARE USED NOT ONLY BY STUDENT ATHLETES, BUT ALSO BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THIS IS INDEED A COMMUNITY-WIDE ISSUE.
YOU ARE CHOOSING TO TRADE OUR CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND HAVE THEM SHOULDER LONGER TERM COSTS FOR SHORT TERM FINANCIAL BENEFITS THAT COME FROM CUTTING LABOR AND DISINVESTING IN OUR WORKERS WHO MAINTAIN OUR GRASS FIELDS.
THE OPTICS OF CHAIRING A PANEL ON ENVIRONMENTAL CURRICULUM WHILE NEGLECTING REAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH COSTS OF THESE CHOICES IS A LACK OF EFFORT, A LACK OF IMAGINATION ON HOW TO REBUDGET A DISREGARD OF ENVIRONMENTAL DATA AND SCIENCE.
OTHER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS HAVE FOUND A WAY TO KEEP GRASS IN THEIR SCHOOLS.
SO PLEASE FIND THE WILLINGNESS TO SHIP FUNDS, UM, WITHIN THIS IMPORTANT $13 MILLION PROJECT FOR OUR LONG-TERM ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH.
PLEASE DON'T TAKE US BACKWARDS.
I URGE YOU TO ALIGN YOUR ACTIONS WITH WORDS AND KEEP SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS AKUR SINGH.
PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF AND YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN WITH THAKUR SINGH.
HELLO, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
GOOD EVENING, UM, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
GOOD EVENING, UM, MS. NEW BILL AND MS. GREGGO AND I'LL, I'LL, I'M HERE AGAIN TODAY TO CALL, UM, ON A FEW DIFFERENT ITEMS. FIRST, UH, REGARDING BUDGET TRANSPARENCY, THE DISTRICT CLAIMS TO VALUE BUDGET TRANSPARENCY.
THAT WAS NOT THE EXPERIENCE OF STUDENTS ON THE SUPERINTENDENT STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL WHEN WE WERE LIED TO BY MR. ANTONIO PLACENCIA ABOUT THE BUDGET.
MR. PLACENCIA PREVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD MANY TIMES ABOUT PARENTS BEING THE VICTIM OF LIES, BUT NOW IT'S HAPPENED TO STUDENTS, YET THE BOARD HAS DONE NOTHING.
WHAT HAS THE BOARD DONE ABOUT THIS? I'VE EMAILED MANY TIMES.
I'VE SPOKEN MANY TIMES, AND I'VE HEARD 0, 0, 0.
UM, MS. JENNA CARTER REFUSES TO PROVIDE
[01:50:01]
DIRECT RESPONSES EVEN WHEN LACO SUPERINTENDENT HERSELF TOLD ME THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE AND WHAT PLACENCIA DID WAS WRONG.WHEN WILL THE RESPONSE OCCUR? AND LET'S ALSO TALK ABOUT LATASHA BUCK.
AND AS SUSAN GOLO ALSO ZERO ACTION.
THE DISTRICT CLAIMS TO VALUE STUDENT SAFETY.
THEN WHY DO YOU HAVE THESE PREDATORS STILL EMPLOYED ON THE TAXPAYER'S DIME? MISS AL, I RECENTLY LEARNED THAT LATASHA BUCK WORKED WITH JESUS AND GOLO AT SOUTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL THE SAME TIME HE COVERED UP THE RAPE OF STUDENT THERE.
COINCIDENCE THAT THEY'RE NOT WORKING TOGETHER, ABSOLUTELY NOT.
IF YOU CARED ABOUT STUDENTS, YOU WOULD FIRE THEM TODAY.
AND I WILL CONTINUE TO COME BACK HERE UNTIL YOU ADDRESS WHAT HAPPENED ON THE SSAC AND RESPOND TO MR. CIA'S IMPROPER ACTIONS AS WELL AS THE IMPROPER ACTIONS OF DR.
ERIC ELBERT AND MS. CHATTY RASHIR.
AND I WILL CONTINUE TO ALSO SPEAK UNTIL THERE IS A RESPONSE AGAINST JESUS ANGULO, WHO FRANKLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN REGISTERED AS A SEX OFFENDER, AS WELL AS NATASHA BUCK, WHO SAID THE RAPE IS OKAY IF IT WAS 20 YEARS AGO.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT? HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND IF YOUR DAUGHTER WAS RAPED? AND THAT'S WHAT LATASHA BUCK SAID.
HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND? WE KNOW HOW YOU WOULD RESPOND NOW.
TREAT US OTHER STUDENTS THE SAME WAY THAT YOU WOULD TREAT YOUR KIDS.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CONCERNED, PARENT CONCERNED PARENT.
PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF AND YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
UH, CONCERNED PARENT, I DO NOT HAVE YOU ON THE LINE.
ARE YOU IN THE ROOM CONCERNED, PARENT? NO.
PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF.
AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH, IF, IF YOU HAVE A DEVICE IN THE ROOM NEXT TO YOU THAT'S PLAYING THE THING THAT YOU'RE WATCHING, PLEASE PUT IT ON MUTE 'CAUSE YOU'RE, UH, WE CAN HEAR YOU, WE CAN HEAR IT IN THE BACKGROUND.
UM, I'M AN 11TH GRADE STUDENT AT EAGLE ROCK JUNIOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, AND I'M, I AM REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT ALL OF THE WORK THAT HAPPENED DURING THIS MEETING.
I THINK IT'S, UM, SUPER, UM, IMPACTFUL THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GREENING, UM, SCHOOLS ACROSS L-A-U-S-D.
AND I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY TAKING ACTION AS A DISTRICT TO GREEN OUR SCHOOLS, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE ATHLETIC FACILITIES IMPROVEMENT PLAN AT EAGLE ROCK, WHERE, UM, THE PLAN IS TO INSTALL AN ARTIFICIAL TURF.
UM, AND SO AS A STUDENT AND COMMUNITY MEMBER, I UNDERSTAND THE DEEPLY HARMFUL EFFECTS THAT THIS ARTIFICIAL TURF WILL HAVE ON MYSELF AND ON MY PEERS.
UM, IT'S CURRENTLY 103 DEGREES OUTSIDE.
WE HAD TO GO INSIDE BECAUSE IT'S TOO HOT TO BE OUTSIDE AND I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW UNBEARABLY HOT IT WOULD BE OUTSIDE IF WE HAD A PLASTIC FIELD.
UM, WE WERE ALSO INFORMED THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO WATER THE FIELD EVERY HOUR, THE ARTIFICIAL TURF BECAUSE IT'S TOO HOT FOR STUDENTS TO PLAY ON.
AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS CAN BE A SAFE OPTION, UM, FOR OUR SCHOOL.
UM, AND ALSO THE BOARD RESOLUTION 17 STATES THAT, UM, THERE'S A MORATORIUM ON TURF IN ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS ACROSS THE DISTRICT, AND WE ARE A MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND SO I, UM, FIND IT VERY ALARMING THAT WE'RE STILL, UM, HAVING THIS ARTIFICIAL TURF IMPLEMENTED IN OUR SCHOOL.
AND LIKE IT'S TRUE THAT OUR FIELD HAS BEEN NEGLECTED, BUT THE SHORT TERM SOLUTION OF TURF FOR OVER $13 MILLION TRADES IN THE HEALTH OF OVER 2000 STUDENTS AND THE ENTIRE ERHS COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO THE STUDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY ARE ORGANIZED AND, UM, WE'RE GONNA FIGHT TO KEEP THE ROCK GREEN BECAUSE IT, WE BELIEVE IN OUR STUDENT SAFETY.
KATE, ARE YOU ON THE LINE? KATE? I DO NOT HAVE A KATE SIGNED IN.
ARE YOU IN THE ROOM, KATE? NOPE.
MARIA DAISY ORTIZ I SEE IS ON THE LINE.
MS. ORTIZ IS GOING TO SPEAK IN SPANISH, SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR WHAT SHE'S SAYING IN ENGLISH, PLEASE PUT ON THESE TRANSLATION HEADSETS THAT ARE SITTING IN FRONT OF YOU AT THE DEAS.
AND IF YOU'RE IN THE AUDIENCE, PLEASE PUT YOUR HAND UP AND WE'LL GET YOU SOME HEADSETS.
OKAY, S GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
MY NAME IS MARIA DEI ORTIZ AND I BELIEVE THAT A PROGRAM CAN BE GREAT, VERY GOOD, BUT IF THERE ARE NO STUDENTS THAT ARE IMPACTED INVOLVED, WELL THEN WHAT'S THE POINT OF THE PROGRAM? AND THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON WITH L-A-U-S-D.
YOU CAN HAVE GREAT, WONDERFUL PROGRAMS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY NOT ALL THE CHILDREN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN THEM.
ONE, DUE TO LACK OF INFORMATION OF ALL THESE PROGRAMS
[01:55:01]
IN THE SCHOOLS.AND EVEN YOU ARE ASKING HOW TO INFORM OTHER TEACHERS.
HAVE YOU THOUGHT HOW THEY EVEN COMMUNICATE THIS TO PARENTS? AND IF THE STUDENTS ARE NOT RECEIVING ANY OF THESE BENEFITS, WELL THEN WE'RE JUST WASTING TIME AND MONEY.
BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THESE PROGRAMS COULD EXPRESS HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE IMPACTED AND INVOLVED ENROLLED IN THEM.
AND ALSO FOR PROFESSIONAL, UM, UH, EDUCATION WITH THE TEACHERS.
THE RESULTS CAN BE MINIMAL SOMETIMES BECAUSE THERE'S NO ONE WHO IS MONITORING, WHO IS IMPLEMENTING THESE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTS FOR THESE EDUCATORS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE INFORMATION AND DATA FOR THE PRINCIPALS IF THEY'RE GOING TO VISIT THE CLASSROOMS, BUT THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE CLASSROOMS. SO PARENTS TOO WOULD LIKE TO GO SEE THE CLASSROOMS, BUT IF ONE DOESN'T KNOW HOW OR WHAT THE DIFFERENT CURRICULUM AND DIFFERENT TACTICS ARE USED, HOW WOULD PARENTS KNOW? SO WE NEED TO HAVE QUALITY AND OUR CHILDREN'S POTENTIALS ARE BEING WEIGH WASTED.
THANK YOU AND HAVE A GOOD AFTERNOON.
PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
I'M THE PARENT OF A KID AT EAGLE ROCK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH HAS BEEN A LEADER IN GREENING AND CONNECTIONS TO OUR CURRICULUM.
LAST YEAR, MY CHILD MEASURED BEATS IN RADISHES IN THE GARDEN AND THEY USE THOSE MEASUREMENTS FOR SCIENTIFIC THINKING AND I KNOW IT'S MORE MEANINGFUL FOR HER BECAUSE SHE DID GET TO EAT RADISHES AT THE END.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT THIS GROUP IS THINKING CAREFULLY ABOUT CURRICULUM AND ITS CONNECTIONS TO OUR WORLD.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO A TIME WHERE THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ARE BUILT INTO WHAT EVERY KID AT L-A-U-S-D LEARNS TODAY.
WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT COMMUNITY PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH AND IT WAS SO AWESOME TO HEAR WHAT THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WERE DOING IN THEIR GOVERNMENT CLASS.
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS CAN MEANINGFULLY ENGAGE IN THIS WORK, AND THEY HAVE BEEN IN SOUTH LA.
THERE WAS A PAPER THAT CAME OUT IN MARCH THIS YEAR IN THE NATURE JOURNAL, URBAN SUSTAINABILITY.
AND WHAT THEY DID IS THEY WENT TO LOCAL PARKS AND THEY MEASURE THE TEMPERATURES.
THEY, AND THEN THEY INTERVIEW PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN THOSE COMMUNITIES, BOTH IN WEST LA AND SOUTH LA.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU SOME QUOTES FROM THIS PAPER.
SEVERAL RESIDENTS REPORTED EXPERIENCING THERMAL BURNS TO THEIR FEET AND EXPOSED SKIN FROM HIGH SURFACE TEMPERATURES ON ARTIFICIAL TURF AND CONCRETE IN THEIR LOCAL PARKS.
RESIDENTS ALSO DESCRIBED EPISODES OF HEAT STROKE AND HEAT EXHAUSTION DURING RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND SPORTS ON SCHOOL GROUNDS, HEALTH CONDITIONS THAT THEY ATTRIBUTED TO THE LACK OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.
IMPORTANTLY, RESIDENTS NOTED THAT PARKS IN THE AFFLUENT COMMUNITY OF WEST LA THAT BORDER SOUTH LA HAD MORE NATURAL SURFACE TEMPERATURES, SURFACE MATERIALS, AND LOWER TEMPERATURES.
THIS PAPER WAS CO-AUTHORED BY MY PARTNER JOSH FISHER, THE CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENTIST.
HE GOT A NASA GRANT TO TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO USE SATELLITE DATA TO STUDY CLIMATE AND ECOSYSTEMS, INCLUDING URBAN ECOLOGY AND CREATED A COURSE THAT HAS BEEN DEPLOYED AT COLLEGES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
HE ALSO TEACHES A VERSION OF THIS COURSE TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS VIA UCLA'S COSMOS PROGRAM AND SEVERAL LA USD STUDENTS HAVE BEEN PART OF THE COURSE OVER THE YEARS.
SOME OF HIS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE CREATED MATH THAT HAVE BEEN FEATURED ON THE NASA WEBSITE AND SOME OF THE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN CO-AUTHORS ON A PUBLISHED BOOK CHAPTER.
SOME OF HIS HIGH SCHOOLS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SOUTH LA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE STUDIED HEATH STRESS SPECIFICALLY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND LOOKED SPECIFICALLY ITS IMPACTS OF ARTIFICIAL TURF.
THAT WAS A FIRE ANNOUNCEMENT IN CALIFORNIA RIGHT NOW BY THE GETTY CENTER SIDEBAR.
SO THESE STUDENTS, THESE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE DONE ANALYSES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS THAT SHOW.
THANK YOU FOR TEMPERATURE RE THANK YOUR TIME, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS AINSLEY DRAKE.
I SEE YOU'RE ON THE LINE, AINSLEY DRAKE, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF.
AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN AINSLEE DRAKE.
HI THERE, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH, WE CAN.
UH, I'M A SENIOR AT IGOR ROCK HIGH SCHOOL AND A CERTIFIED CLIMATE STEWARD THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA.
UM, I'D LIKE TO OFFER A QUICK ANECDOTE FROM MY STUDENT PERSPECTIVE FOR Y'ALL TODAY.
UM, AT IGOR ROCK HIGH SCHOOL, UH, A SMALL COALITION OF STUDENTS AND PARENTS HAVE BEEN ORGANIZING FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS TO FIGHT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DANGEROUS AND ENVIRONMENTALLY UNFRIENDLY ASUR AT OUR ATHLETIC FACILITY.
UM, WE WERE TOLD RECENTLY BY SOMEBODY ON THIS COMMITTEE THAT, UM, A PAUSE ON OUR PROJECT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE.
HOWEVER, OUR COALITION HAS NOT BEEN SWAYED AND, UM, I'VE BEEN PERSONALLY INSPIRED BY HOW LY MY FELLOW STUDENTS, UM, ARE PUSHING FOR POLICY CHANGE IN THE FUTURE DESPITE THE SETBACKS.
UM, NOW I'M LUCKY ENOUGH TO GO TO AN IB SCHOOL WHERE STUDENTS ARE REALLY EMPHASIZED TO BE COMMUNICATORS AND RESEARCHERS THROUGH THE IB CURRICULUM.
BUT I THINK ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AT OTHER SCHOOLS WHERE TEACHERS SIMPLY DON'T OR CAN'T PROVIDE, UH, STUDENTS WITH THOSE
[02:00:01]
COMMUNICATION SKILLS.UM, HOW ARE STUDENTS SUPPOSED TO DEFEND THEMSELVES IN THE FUTURE FROM A HARMFUL POLICY OR A DISASTER LIKE THE LINEAGE FIRE, WHICH WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT TODAY? IF THEY CAN'T ARTICULATE THEIR CONCERNS, UH, AS A CLIMATE STEWARD AND A STUDENT ACTIVIST, I KNOW THE POWER OF COMMUNICATION EDUCATION AND IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, I CAN THINK OF, UH, NO MORE AN IMPORTANT SKILL.
SO I IMPLORE, UH, THE COMMITTEE TO PROVIDE MORE COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNICATIONS CURRICULA IN THE FUTURE, UH, SO THAT LASD STUDENTS CAN, UH, CAN FIGHT WHEN THE DISTRICT GOES TO FOLD ON THINGS LIKE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTIFICIAL TURF.
AND THAT COM CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.
[VI. Closing Remarks]
WELL THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN TODAY'S UM, MEETING.I WANNA THANK THE STAFF AND UM, AGAIN, OUR BOARD SECRETARIAT'S OFFICE FOR ALWAYS MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE EVERYTHING READY FOR THESE MEETINGS.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING.