Today on AirTalk, we discuss a recent proposal by LAUSD that would issue ratings to LA schools and charters on a 1 to 5 scale on things like test scores and improvement. We also examine the decline in participation for highschool football across California; interview LA Metro CEO Phil Washington; and more.
LAUSD ‘School Performance Framework’ Would Rate Schools On 1-5 Scale
The Los Angeles Unified School District is considering a proposal that would issue ratings for L.A. schools and charters. The goal of the proposal, a result of a resolution brought forward by Board of Education members Nick Melvoin and Kelly Gonez, is to provide and accessible performance tool for parents and educators.
The proposal would apparently rate schools on a 1-5 scale, allowing for comparison based on things like test scores and improvement, suspension rates and attendance, and for high schools, grad rates. Cue the backlash. Some worry the framework will be unfair to certain schools. Support for the rating model appears to be mixed, but those in favor say the district needs to start pointing to consistent data and talking about results from schools. If the proposal moves forward, it could take effect as soon as October.
What do you think about the proposal? Could it help some schools and harm others? Join the conversation.
Guests:
Kyle Stokes, education reporter for KPCC; he tweets
Kelly Gonez, member of the LAUSD Board of Education; she tweets
Are Lower Participation Numbers For High School Football In California Indicative Of A Larger Decline In The Sport’s Popularity?
High school football participation has dropped by more than 3 percent in the state of California, according to new numbers released earlier this month by the California Interscholastic Federation, the state’s governing body for high school sports.
Other sports, like volleyball, basketball and soccer, saw notable increases across genders. But football continued its steady decline from previous years and is now down a total of more than 12,000 participants since its peak in 2014-2015.
So, why is this happening? Experts point to a number of possible factors, one of the biggest being the increased awareness among parents as to the potential for football to cause serious head injuries. Youth leagues and high school programs across the country have altered rules regarding how many times a team can practice per week and how much of that time can be spent hitting, and have also changed certain rules of the game like eliminating kickoffs and implementing a two-point stance instead of a three-point in the lower levels of Pop Warner football. But it remains to be seen whether those changes have assuaged the fears of parents who don’t want their kids playing football because of the risk of head trauma. But there are other factors at play too, like an increase in one-sport athletes at the high school level and, very simply, fewer kids wanting to devote the time they have outside of schoolwork to playing a sport that has a very slim chance of parlaying into a career.
What do these new numbers say about the popularity of football statewide, especially in a place like California which has long been a recruiting hotbed for top college programs? Are we seeing similar drop-offs in youth football participation? Is this decline reflected in participation numbers at the national level? And is there anything that can be done to increase football’s popularity, or has the sport finally reached its peak?
Guests:
Eric Sondheimer, prep sports columnist for The Los Angeles Times who has been covering high school sports for the paper since 1997; he tweets
Paul Watkins, regional director for Pop Warner Football Wescon Region, which is comprised of 13 member leagues across Arizona, Hawai’i, Southern California and Southern Nevada
Roger Pielke, director of the Sports Governance Center at the University of Colorado
AirTalk Checks In With Metro CEO Phil Washington: NextGen Bus Service, Sepulveda Pass Transit Line and more
Phil Washington returns for his recurring visit with AirTalk to discuss the latest MTA news. Topics include:
NextGen, Bus Service, and Bus Rapid Transit implementation
LA’s decline in bus riders and its effect on traffic and climate goals
The cost of Metro’s transit line through the Sepulveda Pass
Metro’s potential Bus Rapid Transit Line through Eagle Rock
The Purple Line Subway to West LA
Metro’s Downtown LA subway project
The North San Fernando Valley Bus Rapid Transit project
Metro’s 28 by ‘28 projects
Bus only lanes in LA
Guest:
Phil Washington, CEO of Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro)