Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa delivered his sixth State of the City address on Wednesday at Jefferson High School in South Los Angeles. As the choice for venue implies, the mayor is focusing on education reform as the city’s biggest issue this year, calling for less strict regiments and curricula for teachers, higher pay for the top instructors and an overall stronger education system for less fortunate students. Meanwhile, the city faces a deficit of $350 million and Villaraigosa is not explicitly tackling the issue of cutting spending. This is one of the last key moments the mayor will have to write his own legacy before he is out of power in 2013. Is he setting himself up for success or failure? How exactly does he propose to improve education here in Los Angeles? Is he knowingly ignoring the city’s real problems?
Guests:
Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles
A.J. Duffy, President of UTLA