Third in a series
Re “Measure CC – “LaRose Talks About How to Know What Needs Fixing”
[img]1705|right|Mike Reynolds||no_popup[/img]Once Supt. David LaRose and Asst. Supt. Mike Reynolds, both relatively new to the School District, had completed their eyewitness inspections of the physical needs of Culver City public schools, they turned to a tantalizing question.
“We wanted to quantify our findings,” Mr. LaRose said. “How do you do that? Bring in a team, assess it, and let’s start the conversation there.
“What Mike and I are feeling very positively, optimistic, about is that this is an assessment that is done, regardless of revenue measures and those types of things. It’s your needs. Then how do you take a look at those needs?
“How do we take a document that may be comprehensive but is not user-friendly?” Mr. LaRose said in reference to the slick, 26-page “Facilities Master Plan” booklet, intended to be sales tool for Measure CC, the $106 million bond issue for the June 3 ballot.
Happily for the District leadership, the community appears to be in sync with Irving Place thinking on the bond issue. Opposition, judging by public comment, seems to be minor. School officials need for the bond to win 55 percent of the June 3 vote, and no one around Irving Place looks worried.
“Over the past several months,” said Mr. LaRose, “we have been able to engage a lot of individuals to help us sift through (the assessments of needs). Many eyes, ears and voices have gone into this Master Facilities Plan.”
[img]1456|right|Dave LaRose||no_popup[/img]Examining the needs was the easiest part.
More stifly demanding is the task of assembling the complex data, then packaging it in such an accessible, appealing, easy-to-gulp manner that even peripheral parents will clamber onto the Measure CC bandwagon.
“Another question,” said Mr. LaRose. “Recurring themes here. How do we focus on them?
“Say we identify three themes. How do you look at all of the schools? Not by
‘Hey, I want this,’ or ‘Hey, I need this.’ but if we identified needs, and we look at our schools and our facilities with the same lens – safety, health and wellness – that is one primary thing.
“Our infrastructure – electrical, technological, plumbing – those are some basic needs that can enhance what we are able to do.
“Then there are the high-performing teaching and learning environments – with technology, air quality, lighting, those kinds of things. What are those environments that currently are not conducive to teaching and learning?
“With that lens,” said Mr. LaRose, “we can say, ‘Those are our three needs.’”
(To be continued)
