The Weekly Newspaper of Inglewood
Daily News on a Weekly Basis - Herald Publications - Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, Torrance & Manhattan Beach Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 - December 14, 2017
District 1 Toy Drive at St. Mary’s
Councilmember George Dotson delivered holiday cheer this week in sponsoring the City of Inglewood Christmas Toy Giveaway held in the St. Mary’s Academy gym. The annual District 1 toy drive provides
Christmas presents for local boys and girls. Photo Courtesy of City of Inglewood
Inglewood School Board Meeting
Roiled By Union Pay Cut Protests
By Haleemon Anderson
own health insurance, starting in January 2018.
Teachers, community members and union
“They don’t have a union,” he said. The cost
representatives picketed outside Inglewood
increase amounts to about seven percent of
Unified headquarters last week, clogging traffic
their base salary, so it is indirectly a pay cut.
and resulting in a standing-room-only crowd
Renee Rojas reported on English Language
inside the School Board meeting.
reclassifications, citing the District’s goal of
Marchers all but drowned out proceedings
14 percent reclassification by the end of the
inside the meeting, with chants of “Hands
academic year. The process involves English
off!” and other invectives. Deemed a pay cut
learners moving forward in English language
protest, the demonstration was organized by
acquisition.
the Inglewood Teachers Association, California
Representatives of the Harley Ellis Devereaux
Teachers Association, Parent Teachers
(HED) design firm presented a report on
Association and CALPRO, the classified
educational specifications. The final draft
employees’ union.
envisions remade school sites, with emphasis
Inside, District police officers attempted to
on learning studios instead of traditional
keep order, holding overflow participants in
classrooms. It advances the concept of small
the lobby and exterior and allowing them to
learning communities, where students and
enter the meeting chambers only as chairs
teachers are grouped according to career and
became available. Participants lined the back
high interest areas.
and side walls. Protesters standing and seated
Eugenio Villa, Chief Business Officer for
wielded red, black and white signs with the
the District, explained at a previous meeting
CTA logo, but mostly kept quiet as District
that educational specifications will help align
representatives proceeded with reports and
education goals with building and facilities
action items.
design. These reform-minded goals include
In public comments, advocate Don Hughes
renovating classrooms for “openness and
said, “Unsatisfied teachers and unsatisfied
collaboration,” according to HED. Inglewood
worker produce unsatisfied children.”
Another District worker pointed to the former
Chief Business Officer, saying, “Miscalculating
the budget by over $5 million is inacceptable.
We will not accept this pay cut.”
Abu Ngassah, President of the Inglewood
Teachers Association, also spoke to the issue.
“We did not make this mess,” she said, referring
to the deficit of $5-8 million projected by the
District for the coming school year.
The meeting erupted in chants of derision,
as Ngissah said, “Enough is enough. Is this
how you say happy holidays to [employees]?
State Administrator Thelma Melendez de
Santa Ana said, “Cuts are not something we
want to do. I feel your pain.”
At issue is a reduction in benefits for
administrative staff, according to Chris Graeber,
the field rep for CalPro. Graber said classified
staff will have to pay a larger portion of their
teachers visited furniture showrooms to look
at the specifications for the “21st Century”
classroom, which include lightweight, movable
chairs and tables and technology centers.
The HED report includes survey results
indicating a high student interest in new media;
technology-related skills; and the digital, visual
and performing arts. Other areas of high interest
are law, engineering and business--along with
health and medical technologies. The report
also incorporates the results of a “visioning”
workshop attended by Inglewood educators
and architects earlier this year.
HED has completed a comprehensive needs
assessment at all Inglewood schools and has
implemented some projects already. Currently,
Payne Elementary is undergoing a complete
acoustical renovation. Portable buildings have
been razed and Payne will get five new gradelevel
modular classrooms.
The Inglewood School Board meets once
monthly. A special meeting was held December
13. The next regular meeting is scheduled for
Wednesday, January 10, at 5:30 p.m. at 401
S. Inglewood Avenue, in the Dr. Ernest Shaw
Board Room. •
Sign-wielding protesters filled the Inglewood School Board meeting room during last week’s meeting.
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.......................5
Classifieds............................3
Film Review..........................2
Finance..................................7
Food.......................................5
Hawthorne Happenings....3
Legals....................................7
Looking Up....................... 6-7
Pets........................................8
Politically Speaking............4
Seniors..................................2
Sports....................................4
Weekend
Forecast
Friday
Sunny
75˚/62˚
Saturday
Partly
Cloudy
73˚/61˚
Sunday
Sunny
72˚/61˚