Students and parents will bring their questions and concerns to a town hall forum addressing the need for greater equity in college and career preparation in Long Beach schools. Long Beach for Equitable College and Career Options—a newly formed alliance of community-based organizations—will host the town hall forum to engage parents, students, and other community members in a dialogue with LBUSD administrators and other educators about how to increase equity in college and career preparation. Frank Gutierrez, a leader with the new LBUSD “Academic and Career Success Initiative,” will be on hand to answer questions.
In 2006, only 20% African American, Latino, Pacific Islander, and Native American students in the district graduated with the “A-G” courses necessary to apply to college. Almost 50% of white students graduated having completed the required classes. This February, LBUSD launched the Academic and Career Success
Initiative, which emphasizes early algebra completion, more outreach to parents, enhanced counseling services, and completion of the A-G college entrance requirements. Parents and students at the forum will challenge the district to help them overcome barriers to college and careers.
“We want to acknowledge the great progress the district has made and we know we can go further,” said Long Beach parent Steven Neal, Director of AFL-CIO Community Services and a leader with Long Beach for Equitable College and Career Options. “Ensuring that all students, especially under-represented students of color, have college and career preparation is a responsibility of the entire community, not just the school district.”
When & Where: Wednesday, February 27, 2008
6:00 – 8:00 PM
Silverado Park Community Center Auditorium
1545 W. 31st Street, Long Beach, CA 90810
Who: Long Beach for Equitable College and Career Options is a broad-based alliance of community organizations and stakeholders in Long Beach that joined together to help ensure that students of color have equal access to college readiness and career options. Key members of the Alliance include the YWCA–Harbor Area & South Bay, Long Beach ACORN, Californians for Justice, United Way of Greater Los Angeles, AFL-CIO Community Services, Operation Jump Start, California State University Chancellor’s Office, Children’s Defense Fund, WINTER: Women In Nontraditional Employment Roles, and the offices of City Council Member Tonia Reyes Uranga and Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal.