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53 SCHOOLS TOO TIGHT TO SHRINK CLASSES.


Byline: Terri Hardy Daily News Staff Writer

Shrinking classes to 20 students in primary grades is Gov. Pete Wilson's mission and California's hottest educational program.

But a new list shows that class-size reduction won't be possible for 53 Los Angeles schools because they don't have enough space.

That means some kindergartners and third-graders will have the luxury of smaller classes as soon as September, while those on the list will not.

``Frankly, I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed)

"Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party.
 what we're going to do,'' said Principal Gwen Turner, of Grant Elementary School elementary school: see school.  in Hollywood. The campus is bursting with students and it's unclear where they could put any more, she said.

``We'll try to rise to the occasion, but how, I don't know,'' she said.

Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population.  administrators understand the inequity, but insist there is no short-term fix.

``It's very frustrating that these schools can't participate and other schools can - but we've exhausted all the options,'' said Gordon Wohlers, assistant superintendent Assistant Superintendent, or Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), was a rank used by police forces in the British Empire. It was usually the lowest rank that could be held by a European officer, most of whom joined the police at this rank.  for school and management initiatives.

Wohlers said the district's choices are clear: buy adjacent property and add portables, build new schools, or remove bungalows at campuses and construct two-story additions.

It's all possible with Proposition BB funds earmarked specially for class-size reduction, but it will take time, Wohlers said.

``We can see the light at the end of the tunnel,'' Wohlers said. ``It's not like we're in a situation where there's no space, no options and no money.''

Wilson also understands the dilemma faced by Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850.  County and Orange County schools and is pushing to include in the state budget additional money so campuses can buy land or buildings.

``We're very sensitive, very aware of the problem, and we're trying to address it from a state perspective,'' said Dan Edwards Dan Edwards may be one of the following:
  • Dan Edwards (designer)
  • Dan Edwards (football)
  • Dan Edwards (MIT) administrator of the AI Lab at MIT
  • Dan Edwards (politician)
  • Dan Edwards (priest, Bishop-elect of the Diocese of Nevada)
, Wilson's education spokesman.

At San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley

Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills.
 schools on the list, administrators and parents are frustrated that children in grades three and kindergarten are not likely to be in small classes before the end of the century.

``We're dying to go to 20:1, but we know it's not possible,'' said Lankershim Elementary School Principal Sue Shannon.

Inside the North Hollywood school, teacher Veronica Cervantes surveyed her 32 charges in the third- and fourth-grade class, with their hands held high in the air. She knows the benefits of a smaller class. Last year, she taught first grade and had only 20 students.

``It makes such a difference, there's so much more one-on-one instruction,'' she said.

Bungalows have taken over a large portion of Lankershim's playground, providing just enough room to shrink grades one and two last year. Bursting with 950 students, the small campus can't spare more blacktop, said Shannon.

The school has decided not to try to carry out a partial class-size reduction in grade three by using three teachers for 60 students in two classrooms. While far from the ideal situation of having a small group of children in a classroom, state officials believe it is beneficial because it lowers the student/teacher ratio.

But at Lankershim, team teaching in grade three might mean the school would be unable to hire good instructors. Teachers would not have their own room and would be constantly cramped - with no bail-out in sight, Shannon said.

District schools won't have the same control for kindergarten. All campuses are required to team teach large groups of students.

That angered some parents at Canoga Park Elementary School, another school on the list.

Gary Hall Gary Hall can refer to several people:
  • Gary Hall Sr. (born 1948) - Father of Gary Hall Jr.; represented the United States in the Olympics in Mexico City in 1968, Munich in 1972, and Montreal in 1976.
  • Gary Hall, Jr. (born 1974) - Son of Gary Hall Sr.
 said last year his son had problems getting the teacher's attention in a large kindergarten class. The child has improved greatly since he started attending a small first grade.

``I want my younger son to have the same opportunity in kindergarten,'' he said.

Last year's population surge, with the largest increase in the Valley, took school and city officials by surprise. The district has planned for new schools in typically crowded areas in the inner-city but are unprepared for the enrollment surge in the East Valley and mid-Valley, said David Tokofsky, a board of education member.

``The Valley is not a politically correct politically correct Politically sensitive adjective Referring to language reflecting awareness and sensitivity to another person's physical, mental, cultural, or other disadvantages or deviations from a norm; a person is not mentally retarded, but  spot to get attention for new schools,'' Tokofsky said. ``The district believes that people in the Valley are living in luxury and space.''

Tokofsky has urged the creation of a master building plan, but says that none exists - four months after Proposition BB was approved.

CROWDED SCHOOLS

Fifty-three schools across the Los Angeles Unified School District cannot cut class sizes any further because officials say there is no more space.

They are: 10th Street Elementary School, 28th Street Elementary School, Aldama Elementary School, Alexandria Elementary School, Alta Loma Elementary School, Arlington Heights Arlington Heights, village (1990 pop. 75,460), Cook county, NE Ill., a residential suburb of Chicago; founded 1836, inc. 1887. Its manufactures include machinery, drugs and medical equipment, and metal fabrication. Arlington Park racetrack is there.  Elementary School, Arminta Elementary School, Bryson Elementary School, Canoga Park Elementary School, Commonwealth Elementary School, Dayton Heights Elementary School, Fletcher Drive Elementary School, Fries Elementary School, Garvanza Elementary School, Gates Elementary School, Glassell Park Elementary School Glassell Park Elementary School is a Registered Historic Place. It is located at 2211 W. Avenue 30, in the Glassell Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is an active school. The principal is Sandra Carter. , Grant Elementary School, Haddon Elementary School, Hawaiian Elementary School, Heliotrope heliotrope (hē`lēətrōp') [Gr.,=sun-turning] or turnsole, name for any plant that turns to face the sun, especially members of the genus Heliotropium of the family Boraginaceae.  Elementary School, Hobart Boulevard Elementary School, Hooper Elementary School, Hoover Elementary School, Langdon Elementary School, Lankershim Elementary School, Liberty Elementary School, Lillian Elementary School, Lockwood Elementary School, Loma Vista Elementary School, Los Feliz Elementary School, Menlo Elementary School, Middleton Elementary School, Miles Elementary School, Miramonte Elementary School, Monte Vista Elementary School Monte Vista Elementary School is an elementary school that is part of Santa Ana Unified School District in Orange County, California. The school categorizes its enrollment as 98% Latino or Hispanic, 1% African-American. , Nevin Elementary School, Norwood Elementary School, Oxnard Elementary School, Ramona Elementary School, Rosemont Elementary School, Santa Monica Santa Monica (săn`tə mŏn`ĭkə), city (1990 pop. 86,905), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1886. Tourism and retailing are important, and the city has motion-picture, biotechnology, and software industries.  Elementary School, Stanford Elementary School, Trinity Elementary School, Tweedy Elementary School, Van Ness Van Ness may refer to:

People

  • Cornelius P. Van Ness, Vermont governor, judge and U.S. diplomat
  • Frederick Van Ness Bradley, a U.S. Representative from Michigan
  • George Van Ness Lothrop, a Michigan politician
  • James Van Ness, son of Cornelius P.
 Elementary School, Van Nuys Elementary School, Victoria Elementary School, Victory Elementary School, Vine Elementary School, Weems Elementary School, White House Place Elementary School, Wilton Place Elementary School, Woodlawn Elementary School

CAPTION(S):

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Box: Crowded schools (see text)
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Publication:Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)
Date:Aug 7, 1997
Words:931
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