I gladly joined United Parents of Culver City last year when it was first announced because I, too, had felt that our students needed to have a District-wide advocacy group, not just their own parents working on their behalf.
Many seemed surprised to see me at the UPCC’s first public meeting. They were more surprised to hear that I had actually paid my thirty-six dollars to join as a non-voting community member.
Tempering My Enthusiasm
I went in hopeful, not convinced about this newly formed parent group. Would they truly advocate for all the students in the District? Or was this just the latest reincarnation of a parent group that seems to pop up once in awhile, having the goal of only wanting to advocate for their own children’s benefit? Maybe, like some previous, short-lived parent groups, they would get one of their members elected to the School Board.
Orator in the Making
When UPCC interim president Steve Levin spoke, he stepped up on a chair as if it were a soapbox. It became clear he already was running for the School Board. That was when I tempered my enthusiasm for the organization. When a local journalist asked me what I thought about the UPCC, I said, “Ask me if I renew my membership next year.”
Silence Not Always Golden
When the scholastic needs of a smaller group of students at Culver Park High School were pitted against the expansion of El Marino Language School’s kindergarten classes, the UPCC remained silent. When the District administration chose to force Culver Park students from their longtime Berryman Avenue haven, unceremoniously shoving them into bungalows in back of Farragut Elementary’s parking lot, the UPCC was not heard from.
The Sound of Silence
If ever there was a cause where students needed an advocate, this was it. The UPCC failed to uphold its own founding principle.
Soon after, when the District wanted to clarify its policy for the funding of classroom adjuncts, the UPCC quickly rose up and advocated strongly for language that set District-wide restrictions for all other schools, but gave El Marino an exemption to its own fundraising.
Hmm …
I have received timely emails from the UPCC to renew my support. I have yet to do so. I still doubt what the UPCC stands for. Its actions speak louder than its words.
In Closing
By the way, my instinct about Mr. Levin was correct. He has declared himself a candidate for our local School Board, and, of course, he has received a UPCC endorsement.
Mr. Laase may be contacted at GMLaase@aol.com
