Mar Vista group assails expansion of Mark Twain Middle School as disruptive for residents, unfair to some students
By Gary Walker
A political cartoon being circulated by Stop the Commuter School.
An increasingly vocal contingent of Mar Vista homeowners is vigorously pushing back against a $30-million LAUSD construction plan that would relocate a popular Mandarin Chinese language immersion program at Broadway Elementary School in Venice to brand-new classrooms at Mark Twain Middle School in Mar Vista.
A group calling itself Stop the Commuter School (stopcommuterschool.com) wants to halt construction on the Mark Twain campus, with members threatening organized opposition and even legal action.
Opponents say the brand-new elementary school campus within a middle school campus would exacerbate traffic gridlock on already congested Walgrove Avenue and be tantamount to favoring language immersion program students over those attending other area public schools.
Los Angeles Unified School District board member Steve Zimmer, who represents the area, counters that the new construction is needed to prevent growing language immersion enrollment from displacing other students.
District officials decided in 2013 that the 300-plus K-5 students in the Mandarin immersion program must move for lack of classroom space at Broadway Elementary, which also houses a growing Spanish language immersion program. Funding would come from school bonds that can only be used for building new facilities.
According to an environmental analysis released last month by LAUSD, the plan is to construct a two-story, 33,000-square-foot classroom building and 1.7-acre play area on 4.2 acres of open space at Mark Twain Middle School, including a designated student drop-off point, 70 parking stalls, a new multipurpose room and new food service facilities. The environmental approvals process is still under review by the district.
“We’re raising funds to support our public response to the EIR [environmental impact report]. This response includes our own independent traffic study, a neighborhood awareness campaign and, if it comes to it, hiring a CEQA [California Environmental Quality Act] lawyer to fight the EIR in court,” states the Stop the Commuter School website.
A public meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Mark Twain Middle School will be the first opportunity for parents, faculty and residents to weigh in on the EIR since
its release.
During a March 26 community meeting at Mark Twain, Mar Vista resident Saeed Ali expressed concern about new elementary school classrooms being built so close to Beethoven Elementary School, a stone’s throw from Mark Twain.
“From what I know, we don’t have a surplus of kids in this neighborhood who can go [to the new Mandarin immersion program],” said Ali, who was chief of staff for former L.A. City Councilman Richard Alarcòn.
Ken Frees, who lives a block away from Mark Twain, is concerned about potentially hundreds of new cars on Walgrove during rush hour as well as what the neighborhood would be losing with a new school.
“This will take away the last bit of open space in the neighborhood. This is going to drastically alter our community,” he said.
In a widely circulated series of emails, Stop the Commuter School organizer Marcus Wagner has pointed to perceived socio-economic differences between language immersion program participants and other families.
“The brand-new state-of-the-art language school the LAUSD wants to build in our largely Hispanic neighborhood only teaches Mandarin,” Wagner wrote. “Mr. Zimmer is just trying to give his favorite program an expensive new building that will finally match the expensive cars that [will] park outside it.”
Ali said LAUSD documents show the district currently has enough vacant classroom space on the Westside to accommodate more than 4,000 students. He believes district officials should try moving Mandarin immersion students into excess classroom capacity before spending to build new classrooms.
“If the driver of this move is a lack of space, then these numbers should have been included in the EIR,” said Ali, whose children attended Mark Twain Middle School and Venice High School.
Zimmer said Ali’s 4,000-plus excess capacity figure counts classroom space throughout the Westside, not just Mar Vista and Venice, and that vacant space designed for elementary school students is actually in short supply.
“Those are overwhelmingly vacancies at the high school and middle school levels, which is precisely what these initiatives [such as language immersion programs designed to continue through high school] need to address. To somehow use the vacancies as a reason that we shouldn’t do this is difficult to understand,” he said.
Zimmer compared the empty classrooms argument to claims by charter schools, including the recently displaced Westchester Secondary Charter School, that LAUSD has an abundance of excess capacity that charters should be entitled to use.
“The use of this data in the abstract is as misleading as the lawsuit over [application of charter school law] Proposition 39. To imagine that public schools can be distilled to vacancy rates is just simply inaccurate, and it is simplistic when the situation demands a more comprehensive solution,” Zimmer said.
Zimmer did say, however, that he understands how those only recently learning about long-brewing plans for moving the Mandarin immersion program would have concerns.
“I recognize that we need to do a better job of reaching out to folks who aren’t immediate constituents to our schools,” he said.
He also acknowledged poor planning for declining enrollment by LAUSD at the conclusion of the district’s capacity adjustment program, known as CAP Receiver. CAP Receiver was implemented to relieve overcrowded schools by establishing school enrollment caps and busing students from neighborhoods where schools are overcrowded to schools in other areas.
“There was no plan after CAP Receiver busing ended for many schools on the Westside. So more than anything else, we’re living the consequences of that,” Zimmer said. “I’ve always been very explicit about this being part of a strategy to address declining enrollment. We’ve never been shy or secretive about that.”
Lily Chan, whose son is enrolled in the Mandarin immersion program, said that under the right circumstance the program can function in Mar Vista just as well as it has in Venice.
“All so many of us have ever wanted is a home — any home. I am completely committed to following the program to Mar Vista,” said Chan, a Playa Vista resident. “I can say with confidence that the parents that I know are also onboard with the move.”
Chan said she is disheartened by what she feels are “racist and xenophobic” comments on social media protesting the planned move to Mar Vista.
There is, however, a small group of Mandarin immersion parents who want the program to stay put at Broadway Elementary School. They contend that Zimmer should move the Spanish-language immersion students to another school in order to create more room for the growing Mandarin program.
Zimmer said that argument had been discussed ad nauseam and rejected.
“I have been explicit, direct and unapologetic that I am not willing to displace children. The only school where you could make an argument for fully accommodating the Mandarin program to its fully designed size is at Broadway — and we have been through and through that debate. I am not willing to displace children to make that happen when there are other alternatives,” he said.
Managing editor Joe Piasecki contributed to this story.
Wow, great article! All sides heard! Mr. Zimmer’s “displacement” argument is worthy of an academy award. “I’m not willing to displace children”??? Let it be known that IT WAS HIS IDEA to re-district the EP Broadway kids to Westminster to make room at Broadway for the MI program and he only backed off this plan only when threatened by a civil rights lawsuit. A lawsuit that never materialized on any public record. This precious EP program that is so important to the community is currently so under-enrolled that it could be extinct in five years when the current group of 1st graders graduates. But the “Stop” group isn’t even suggesting redistricting these kids. Our suggestion, supported by evidence in Mr. Zimmer’s own EIR, is to move the SI program somewhere else. The SI program is a school of choice, just like the MI program. It’s not part of a “neighborhood” so there are no kids to displace. And there are only 120 kids in the program. We are talking about moving 120 kids in a Spanish Immersion program to another local under-enrolled school on the Westside. What’s the smarter choice – moving 120 SI kids into an existing under-enrolled school versus moving 500 MI kids into a new 30 million dollar facility built in a neighborhood that doesn’t want it because of the lost green space and the horrible traffic and parking it will bring? There are no “displaced children” in our suggested scenario. The only thing that is displaced is Mr. Zimmer’s concern for the majority effected by his plans.
Let’s not forget that when it comes to sharing enrollment information, the LAUSD is NOT a reliable source, so says the California State Supreme Court – http://www.capoliticalreview.com/capoliticalnewsandviews/lausd-must-change-how-it-allocates-space-at-charter-schools/
LAUSD was caught red-handed giving out skewed enrollment info to potential charter schools. How are we supposed to trust anything Mr. Zimmer says about what enrollment is or isn’t available? “The use of this data in the abstract is as misleading as the lawsuit over [application of charter school law] Proposition 39. To imagine that public schools can be distilled to vacancy rates is just simply inaccurate, and it is simplistic when the situation demands a more comprehensive solution,” Zimmer said. But that’s not what the California Supreme court said Mr. Zimmer. They said you like to lie to people and give them inaccurate enrollment data. You LOST that case to the people you characterized as “misleading.” The California Supreme Court said in fact that YOU and LAUSD were “misleading.” You have NO ground to stand on when it comes to enrollment data. The public should not and does not trust you.
As one of Saeed Ali’s sons, I would appreciate a correction to his name in the article to reflect the accurate spelling.
Thank you.
Thank you for letting us know.
“World Language Learning Boosts Student Achievement,” is well worth the investment, and gives families a choice:
“The results speak for themselves. As the language immersion students get older, they consistently score better than state and district averages on tests.”
See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_news/world-language-learning-boosts-student-achievement-1357586756#sthash.aiSOf2fb.dpuf
Laura, no one is disputing the benefits of being bilingual or receiving a bilingual education. We are disputing Zimmer’s claim that building a new school in our Mar Vista neighborhood is the only answer to support the grown of the Mandarin Immersion program. The Mar Vista community has suggested other viable options to Zimmer (all of them do not involve splitting the Mandarin Immersion program, unlike his master plan). Again, it’s not a question of what he Zimmer can or can not do.. it’s question of what he is willing to do.
One would argue the only children being displaced are those in the Mandarin Program. Moving the community program does nothing. According to LAUSD there are less than 50 students that can legally claim Broadway as their neighborhood school. The community program currently occupies 3 classrooms (but only qualify for 2 based on “norms” but thanks to Dr. Deasy they were given an additional teacher for the 2014-15 school year). Next year the community program will be grades 3/4 (sharing 1 classroom) and grade 5 (one classroom). Let them stay. They are so small (two classrooms) their location has no bearing on the Mandarin Immersion program. Moving the Spanish Immersion program as suggested in the EIR makes more sense. It is identical to the Mandarin Immersion program as it is a school of choice. ZImmer has no valid argument for moving one school of choice (Mandarin) and not the other (Spanish). The Spanish Immersion program is half the size of the Mandarin Immersion program and will never be more than 9 classrooms on any campus. It is an easy fix. Zimmer wants the public to believe he’s being asked to move community children which is a lie. Zimmer lies. Zimmer is a liar. I wonder if the recent verdict against LAUSD by the CA Charter Association means that the empty bungalows at Mark Twain Middle School are no longer available and are owed to a charter school? LAUSD has been caught playing a shell game against the CA Charter Association in terms of available space… If I were them, I would seek restitution in the form of Mark Twain bungalows.
I thought the lawsuit mentioned by Gary was actually Westchester Secondary Charter School’s, since we had a similar local enrollment analysis. Regardless, it is true that you could roll bowling balls down the halls of many of our schools. Why not put some of these schools together? They’d be stronger and the District would save money. Also, the District focuses on differences between charters, pilots, immersion programs, traditional schools, and magnets — but parents rightly see these all as public school options. To hide behind technical differences when dividing up space is not “21st century” thinking. Wiseburn District is a good example — its partnership with Da Vinci charter to provide a high school option has been wildly successful and popular.
I really think the parents and community leaders of the Westside could sit down and hammer out a great plan for space.
Zimmer stated that the 4,000-plus excess capacity figure includes vacancies overwhelmingly at the high school and middle school levels, not vacant space designed for elementary school students. Yet there’s no space for Westchester Secondary Charter on the Westside? So which is it? Is there space for elementary school kids or is there space for secondary kids. I don’t see how Mr. Zimmer can justify building a new location because there is no space for elementary school students and then not offer the space – space that he’s admitted exists – to secondary students who want to remain in their own community.
I wonder what Steve Zimmer would do with Westchester Secondary Charter if there was a backlash from parents at Crenshaw High School (where space has been offered) like the backlash he has received from parents of students in Mar Vista and at MDR Middle School. Maybe Westchester Secondary could get the district to build a brand new school for their students too!
Hmmm..he is explicit, direct AND unapologetic that he doesnt displace children and yet – WSCS is being greatly displaced 7 miles away….stand up for our kids Steve!
What we stand for is equality. People have a right to speak or learn any language they would like in a land of the free. We are not racist anti anything. Not everyone wants to learn mandarin, or finds China as a world super power. China is communist. We are Americans. We are the land of the free. The truth is China is in a greedy global effort to assume dominance. America cannot stand by and let you do this. Not all Americans find it in their best interests to side with China. Not all Americans want to Google their life away. Most of us don’t find globalization at the center of our lives Our families are at the center, not a new world order. Not everyone is dependent on Silicon Beach. We are Americans. And we are free. Many of us find it in their best interests to avoid, ignore, and to do away with this elite mandarin campaign. And to embrace freedom, not communism. Our children live here too, and as long as I’m alive, I am committed to winning the war for all who embrace freedom, equality, and true diversity. We will stop the construction of the mandarin school from being built on the Mark Twain Campus, win this fight, and we will never give up.
How do you embrace diversity if you suggest that anything Chinese is communist and not something you want in your neighborhood. You may not realize that the majority of parents who send their children to the Mandarin immersion program live in the neighborhood, and a good many aren’t Chinese. But a great many people have invested time and effort into creating new opportunities for children in our neighborhood. What do you tell all the children in this program, that you don’t want them in your neighborhood even though it’s their neighborhood too? If we really want better schools, we need to invest in them. We won’t get better schools if we keep complaining when they’re to be built in our neighborhood. It’s an amazing program that does a credit to our neighborhood. This is not a foreign invasion. Fear-mongering like this is of no benefit to our children. Let’s give them all the opportunities they deserve and not try to impede every attempt for them to find a place to learn.
This pipeline mandarin immersion program claims to have been battle tested but now is your chance for a war. I post on behalf of our community. Stop the LAUSD from building an invasive, 30-million-dollar language immersion commuter school right next to Mar Vista’s under-enrolled and under-funded public schools. I am not a racist. I only speak of the facts. We will win this battle, and we will never stop fighting for true diversity, and equality.
Lily Chan, we are not “racist and xenophobic”. Our plans are to stop the mandarin school from being built. Plain and simple.
I also oppose paving over the only remaining green space in our neighborhood for another building that we don’t need. It’s a waste of precious green space and taxpayer money. As others have said, there is already plenty of empty class room space in existing schools. And on our already insanely congested neighborhood streets, more traffic is untenable. This is not the solution. Also, our youth is connected to their iPhones and computers and obesity is at an all time high. We need this space for recreation and respite to address physical and mental health.
Once you pave over green space is it gone forever. Hope we don’t let this happen.
On behalf of the hundreds of Mar Vista residents who showed up last night, April 27th, in another road of opposition to building over the green space in our neighborhood, we thank you for the Argonaut’s presence at the meeting and your continued coverage of this important issue. LAUSD did not notify anyone in the community about their plans…even though they are required by law to do so. News organizations such as yours are critical to an informed electorate.
There is precious little green space in our neighborhood, please do not take away what little we have left and replace it with a senseless $30M nightmare. Take a look at satellite images to see the reality of our situation. For an understanding of the impacts of destroying all the green space in an area you should simply look it up. There is a wealth of scientific evidence a click away that cannot be denied. If projects like this push forward without long-term thinking we are going to overdevelop ourselves into a toxic, oxygen-less city, which is nearly impossible to reverse in our paid off political system. All remaining green space in Los Angeles should be preserved, cared for and appreciated if we want to survive in peace. Thank you.
Mark Twain Middle School, and adjacent Beethoven Elementary, are schools severely under-enrolled. The neighboring residents have been artificially benefitting from less traffic congestion at the cost of not creating changes that would draw local families back to its neighboring LAUSD schools. The fact is that Mark Twain’s campus was designed to house many more students than it currently has, and the total traffic increase from a new Mandarin immersion K-8 stream on its campus at 100% enrollment would still less than the originally designed capacity of Mark Twain Middle and Beethoven Elementary schools.
As a matter fact, many LAUSD families commute to other people’s neighborhoods on a regular basis — for private schools, charter schools and even for other districts’ public schools such as Santa Monica and Culver City. LAUSD families, including Mar Vista and neighboring residents, have been commuting for years to Santa Monica which has had a successful K-12 Spanish immersion program stream for decades. They have succeeded where LAUSD could not because they have been able to start at four language immersion classes per grade per year, which would eventually (after expected normal student attrition rates) have enough kids to continue onto middle school and then eventually onto high school. So is this writer saying that it is okay for local families to “invade” other people’s communities for the sake of a better education for their kids but not allow others to come to ours for the same good reason?
Yes, it is true that congestion on the west side is a big problem. Those who live on the westside already know that and choose to live there despite that reality. But traffic is not a valid reason to stunt the potential growth of a program that is actually bringing more families back into LAUSD than any other program in recent times. I know, because I am one of those families. I pulled my child out of a quality private school to attend this Mandarin immersion program, and have not been disappointed in the quality of education offered there. As a matter fact, I am so happy to see my tax dollars put to good use through LAUSD by offering a stellar bilingual program that will open the doors for any child to countless possibilities in his/her future.
I know that change is hard but it is necessary if we are to fix the declining enrollment rates seen in our public schools, while giving all families an opportunity to have a top-notch education. If we do not change, our public-school education system will continue to rank among the lowest in the nation. Parents want and need a choice. And from seeing the lines of parents forming at 3 AM in the morning for the past few years to register for the Mandarin immersion program, the choice has been clear for many years.
I truly applaud Steve Zimmer and his vision to grow the Mandarin Immersion program as one continuous stream from kindergarten to high school. That is the type of program that we need at LAUSD, that other school districts and states already have, and that families in LAUSD want. To have a language immersion program succeed, it truly needs to be immersive and all-encompassing. The four-classes-per-grade-per-year model is the only way to ensure that enough kids will matriculate onto the language immersion middle school, and then hopefully onto the language immersion high school. The need to house the elementary and middle schools on one campus is important to prevent unnecessary attrition and to ease the process for kids during the most vulnerable transition period from elementary to middle school. The one campus model is also especially important for any language immersion program to foster a sense of community for kids that encourages learning and speaking a second language, instead of discouraging it.
But just as importantly, by moving the Mandarin immersion program to the campus of Mark Twain, that would give the Broadway Elementary school campus back to the original English program that needs it and deserves it. Broadway’s campus was never designed to house a population of nearly 600 kids, which is what the Mandarin immersion program would have when operating at full capacity. And that’s just for grades K-5. Instead, Broadway Elementary school should be given room to grow their English program through offering additional specialized programs such as the arts, science and/or technology.
As I understand it, the plan is to continue to grow a two-classes-per-grade Spanish immersion program, along with the traditional English program, on the Broadway campus. With two Spanish immersion classes on Broadway’s campus, combined with the two Spanish immersion classes at Grand View Boulevard Elementary, that would equal four classes per grade per year growth of Spanish immersion. Those kids could then continue onto Mark Twain middle school and then Venice high school for Spanish immersion. This would allow for a successful continuation stream for K-12 Spanish immersion within LAUSD, thus preventing the need to commute to other school districts for a quality Spanish immersion education. And once again, the traditional English program would have their original home back. Now, that’s the right thing to do. I think that is a great vision, and I commend Steve Zimmer and his team for continuously striving towards that vision.
For what it’s worth, I am a parent who tries to see the big picture, and not just how it affects me and my world. I care about everyone’s children because they are our future. I know that change can be hard, but I see a brighter future for everyone if we can all learn to see beyond ourselves and our own circumstances, and aim toward the greater good for everyone.
The supporters of the stop commuter school effort also support change. That’s why we have many supporters against building the mandarin program at Mark Twain. The great change that has come to our neighborhood is our community support against building this mandarin immersion project. We continue to grow each day. We’ve stated our many reasons not to build this school. And we will never give up fighting for our children.
We are currently in the 21st century and need to think of preserving and recyling what we have rather than build more and more wasteful facilities that cater only to a portion the residents wishes surely?
Both Mark Twain MS and Beethoven have enrollment space so why not repair and renew those facilities to use for any program we need? It would cost less than $30Million to do that. Or use other local schools that are woefully under used?
Why cause two years or more of construction misery ( and it is misery if you ever had any done next to you) for our kids and ourselves and lose the only green space we have left in the neighborhood ? I would rather see our kids running around kicking ball than sat in front of an iPhone screen any day.
The traffic is bad if it gets worse there will be very terrible accidents for certian. I believe the wishes of the many that live in the neighborhood should in this case prevail.
If you were at last weeks Mar vista Community Council Meeting I think you know what the neighborhood feels about this plan.We are all against building a new 30million new school in our neighborhood.Yes Change is hard! MR Zimmer needs to understand the residents of Mar Vista want to change his plan!
IT could also be argued that by using the money to refurbish,renew and improve Mark Twain and Beethoven schools instead of building an unwanted and unneeded new school ,would attract local students from the neighborhood to fill the empty seats and therefore have much less off traffic impact as most of them would then walk to school. Which is certainly a good objective less cars and more full use of facilities. Also benefitting from less traffic congestion is good aim! There are already plenty of spaces in our district already to be able to have the best of both worlds and that really is thinking about the needs and wants of all.
I have lived in the Mar Vista/Venice area, all my life. I attended Beethoven Elementary, Mark Twain Middle School & Venice High. I don’t agree with adding a new immersion school at the proposed location because it is becoming very dangerous on nearby residential streets more traffic NOW due to the mini mansions being built, If another school were added to this area, commuting would become a worse nightmare than it already is! I believe any type of an immersion education is a wonderful opportunity for any child.BUT,the proposed site, a portion of Mark Twain Middle School makes no sense to me. Not only do we have Beethoven Elementary and Mark Twain MS, but Walgrove Elementary and Venice High are all within the existing area where the proposed immersion school would be located. I believe that LAUSD should find another location for the MI program, not build a brand new facility in an area that has FOUR existing schools. There are many spaces within the district that could accomdate the MI program & use already established facilities, rather than add another school to an all ready
densely populated, traffic congested area. Adding a FIFTH school to an area that needs to improve & refurbish existing schools, is a gross misuse of district funding.
Rather than find a new location and court the possibility of another unfriendly welcome, the LAUSD decided to restrict the growing MI program to the cramped space at Broadway, limited the usual 4 incoming Kindergarten classes to 2. This was the worst things that could have happened to the MI program, which in several months went from promises of new facilities, not to a lack of space for the program to continue as is.
Although the proposed construction on the Mark Twain campus was cancelled, the proposed solution is restricting incoming Kindergarten classes for the Mandarin Immersion program to two classes a year rather than four, despite the increasing popularity of the program. There are many people in the neighborhood looking forward to sending their children to this program, but many children will now miss out on this opportunity because of limited class size. This “victory” for the opponents of Mark Twain expansion, to preserve green space, will be a huge setback to the MI program, which will be forced to shrink. In fact, two language immersion programs will now be sharing the same space, which will prove very challenging. It’s a shame the proposed construction was terminated without working out a viable alternative to permit expansion of the Mandarin and Spanish immersion programs. As is, language immersion will be increasingly restrictive, which is truly a shame for future students. But such is the price we pay to preserve green space when we have a growing community of children looking to the LAUSD for quality education. Our neighborhood needs language immersion programs. Instead, we’ll have to devote increasingly less space to what few language immersion programs we have.
Not everyone wants to learn a language in school. There are those of us that just need our children to get a basic education. That does include college hopefully, perhaps a trade school, or even just some extension courses to get them certified in whatever career interests they have. What you are asking is like a weird horror movie, where zombie parents won’t stop until their child is a dual language super hero working for the communists. This is Venice, the westside, and your globalist ideals are belong in fantasy books and movies.
If you can’t respect green space how can you respect anything. Is this the reasoning behind the gentrification of our westside neighborhoods? Your mind is like a big box house with large glass windows to look out from. That is how you view our community, from the big box house that is your mind. Protecting green space is just as important as teaching your mandarin group children to become greedy thinking work slaves working for the communists.
I feel it is somewhat disingenuous to characterize the cancellation of the proposed construction as” a huge setback to the MI program” . Rather I think it is but a temporary hiccup to finding a solution for the educational needs for future students that has to be thought about in much greater depth than it has been.
As Superintendent Cortines said in his letter yesterday to the Members of the Board of Education “Furthermore, if the Mandarin Foreign Language Immersion Program remains in high demand with a waiting list, or if in the future, a waiting list is generated for the Spanish Foreign Language Immersion Program, we will look to initiate new Foreign Language Immersion Programs at other area schools with available capacity”
Which is a solution that probably suits more residents in the area of Mar Vista. Rather than be steamrollered in to accepting new construction on our doorstep without any local input the residents made their voices heard and this “ Victory” is but a rebuttal of an unworkable plan for the local residents.
It is not as polarizing as some would make out .In fact It would seem from the Superintendents letter that he advocates using other existing “ area schools with available capacity”.
I think most Mar Vista residents would be quite happy to have the $30 million that was going to new construction to revamp our existing schools and therefore provide for the needs and wants of all involved.
Like I said before…..We will never stop fighting for our children. Welcome to democracy. Welcome to America. In a true Armageddon nobody wins.
End repression of Tibetan people and occupation of Tibetan homeland, and stop dredging in the South China Sea.
This Baron Brady guy is total racist man. He started a blog which is trying to cover up the truth about what really happened. The mandarin school at Broadway is set up so that only whites and asians are let in. Yet, the neighborhood surrounding Broadway Elementary School is mostly latino, and a large african american population. Not only are they forcing local kids out of Broadway, the mandarin school doesn’t want the spanish program there either. They want to be separate from the spanish program. That is why they put so much effort into their Mandarin School program. They totally neglect the spanish program. It’s true, just look into it. Their version of local kids is white and asian affluent or “well-off” children taking up space and driving out latino and african american students. It should be noted that most latino and black parents aren’t interested in learning mandarin.
From: Sara