Fourth in a series
Re “Chardiet Offers Solution of Furlough Days Dilemma”
Direction is the question, says Laura Chardiet, the third announced candidate for November’s School Board election.
“It may be clear to the School Board and it may be clear to the School District,” says the activist mother of two, “but I am not sure where we are going. What is our five-year or 10-year plan?
“We need to know, are we going to increase the (language) immersion programs? Are we going to introduce them at other elementary schools? Is that part of our plan?”
Should there be five El Marino Language Immersion Schools?
“El Marino is a very fine school,” says Ms. Chardiet, who sent her children to La Ballona, “and people are very passionate about El Marino. I know people who have moved to Culver City to try and send their children to El Marino.
“But all of our elementary schools are excellent. The parents who go there feel as passionately about their elementary schools. People want to have a community school.
“La Ballona is an excellent example of how we can expand the immersion program,” says the PTA leader. “They have an immersion program and a traditional program within one school. If immersion does not work out for some families who place their children there, they can stay within the same school and enroll their child in a traditional program.”
If you have not noticed so far in this series, Ms. Chardiet declared herself “an incredibly vocal person.” She could be tailor-made for the reconstructed Board that will convene at the start of December.
President Scott Zeidman and his predecessor Steve Gourley were the dominant voices, even on a board of veterans, from the night they took office 3½ years ago.
“Since Mr. Gourley is not running,” said Ms. Chardiet, “there will be a little more room for others to jump in and say something.”
And she plainly is not bashful.
