That seems to be the question of the day with an area high school losing its accreditation for the first time in 30 years. Martini Republic's LA blog and Mayor Sam's Sister City both want to know how Crenshaw High School has been allowed to get so bad. Crenshaw High's website doesn't have any information about what the school is doing to regain accreditation and LAUSD's Budget Board Meeting tomorrow doesn't appear to have the school on its agenda (or any information on its website for concerned parents about what losing accreditation means, how it will effect their students, particularly those graduating this next school year, or how they are addressing the problem) so the question remains: How does a school with 2 magnet programs (a gifted program and a teacher training program -- no, the irony isn't lost on us) and a home page claiming "We're Number One" fail its students this badly?
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I have a friend who has been teaching there for several years. I seem to have friends at the troubled, over-crowded schools (Crenshaw, Jefferson, and Belmont). He sent out his opinions to a listserve of graduate students of color at my campus and expressed a few thoughts on the subject. I'll just paraphrase a few of his main points since I'd have to ask his permission before reposting his email.
He took it upon himself to learn more about WASC (the Western Association of Schools and Colleges) and how a diploma from a non-accredited school could truly hurt an applicant to an institution of higher education. He checked with friends who work as admissions counselors at two UC campuses. According to his email, students could still get employed by federal/state agencies and be admitted to colleges and universities.
Also, Crenshaw can get it's accreditation back by year's end.
I have a 12th grader at Crenshaw High School in the Magnet program. The Magnet program happens to be a wonderful program. However, the accreditation problem is amazing. The reason that Crenshaw lost the accreditation was due to an oversight on LAUSD part! Crenshaw submitted the necessary paperwork and the paperwork was lost in LAUSD office for some unexplained reason. Roy Roomer, stated that his office failed, but Sharon Curry, Superintendent of District 3 would not accept the blame for this error until she was confronted by one of the teachers who wasn't afraid to tell the truth. The school is now filing an appeal, which gives the school the accreditation back. The seniors will be safe this year and colleges have stated that they are not going to make the children pay for the adults' mistake. Parents and the press were misinformed, however, it all came out at the meeting on August 22, 2005. The meeting was not held by the board members it was held and directed by CCC which is the "Crenshaw Cougars Correlation" this groups of individuals are parents, teachers and concerned members of the community. Sharon Curry should resign due to this huge error that her office was in charge of.
I am wondering if some of you people are from another planet.... NOBODY LOSES ACCREDITATION BECAUSE THE APPLICATION FOR ACCREDITATION WAS LOST IN THE PAPER SHUFFLE.... CHARMAINE GRAY...the poster... must be a Crenshaw Cougar (tee-hee) There's a bridge in Brooklyn that I would like to sell you....
First of all...any parent that would allow their child to attend CHS....COULDNT be much of a concerned parent....Why waste time fighting to make a failing school...not fail.. Make a move YO...PACK YA BOOK BAGS AND HIT THE DOOR!!!! The curriculum stinks, the kids are FAILING....the kids can't read, write, or perform basic math.... at least on a high school level!
THE ACCREDITATION BOARD DID A GREAT JOB!!!!
CRENSHAW SUCKS!!!! AND SHARON CURRY IS NOT FIT TO DIRECT A DOG SHOW....LET ALONE DISTRICT 3!!!
CYNDILU....
I am not a teacher...however... I am learned on how and why there are certain entities that offer their seal of approval for the purpose of protecting the public at large..by providing accreditation which states that the institution meets or exceeds established standards...in order to refer to itself as a SCHOOL or an institution of learning. Anything less...is at risk for becoming a place where kids hang out a few days a week in order to chew bubblegum, play games, throw spit balls, fight, shoot dice and guns......
Listen You... Please inform your friend that Hospitals go through accreditation every few years as well...it's called Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)
It works pretty much the same...
THE COMMISSION OFFERS PLENTY OF WARNING AND OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE CORRECTIONS BEFORE THEY INSPECT...AND PULL THE PLUG!!!
TELL ME Cindy LU... Would you send your SICK BABY to a Hospital that HAS LOST ITS ACCREDITATION?
That would mean that the HOSPITAL was PERFORMING EXTREMELY POORLY... PEOPLE MAY BE DYING DUE TO POOR CARE!!! ( example SEE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. COUNTY HOSPITAL) THAT COULD MEAN THE HOSPITAL WOULD NOT BE FIT FOR HUMANS!!!
THE PUBLIC SHOULD CONSIDER IT AS A WARNING... ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK.... WITHOUT A JCAHO SEAL OF APPROVAL!!! A PATIENT MAY NOT FAIR WELL.. A PATIENT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO EXTREMELY POOR OUTCOMES WHEN TREATED AT A HOSPITAL THAT HAS LOST ITS STAMP OF APPROVAL!!!!!!
DO YOU GET THE PICTURE? WOULD YOU ALLOW A MEDICAL DOCTOR FROM THE UNACCREDITED SCHOOL OF "WHICH WAY DID HE GO" SERVE YOU?
DO YOU GET THE BIGGER PICTURE?
THAT MEANS.. DEAR CINDY... MY DEAR... THE KID PROBABLY COULDN'T EVEN COMPETE WITH OUTPERFORMING STUDENTS FOR A SPACE AT A UC CAMPUS!! THE DAYS OF affirmative action ARE OVER! As far as a JOB is concerned ... at least for the FEDS....YOU NEED A DEGREE FROM AN ACCREDITED COLLEGE OTHERWISE YOUR PIECE OF PAPER COULD BE BETTER USED WIPING YOUR BEHIND AS TOILET PAPER!!!
Don't you get it!!! Anybody could open up a dayroom and call it a COLLEGE!!! Under your ILL THOUGHT OUT PHILOSOPHY.... Just think... I could open up an INTERNET SCHOOL for BLIND RETARDED MEDICAL STUDENTS.... I COULD TEACH THEM TO PERFORM BRAIN SURGERY ON PEOPLE WHO DON'T THINK BEFORE THEY TYPE!!! Of course... it wouldn't be accredited... (tee-hee)
I've managed to save up roughly $38160 in my bank account, but I'm not sure if I should buy a house or not. Do you think the market is stable or do you think that home prices will decrease by a lot?
Cyndi-Lu...My name is mike hibbert and i'm a proud graduate of crenshaw high class of 87'. I lived in the inner-city and came from a single-parent household lead by a woman who fostered education. Crenshaw was great and still is. To this day, it is the only black high-school left on the west-coast. Yearly, it averages sending 200-400 kids to college with 90% of them being black. No other school on the west coast can bolster that number...no school. I believe that this had something to do with us losing our accreditation. However, what they didn't realize was that Crenshaw has a strong alumni and parent cluster. We care about our school and they couldn't just roll us under the carpet. Regarding getting a valid education...it's the parent that has to make sure that the school is on par. I do that with my kids and any parent worth its grain must do the same. The school is only a structure...it's the people inside that make the difference and 400 solid academic inner-city kids per year @ good colleges is worth fighting for.