Thread: CA:At Summer Session in Watts, Black Students Need Not Apply

The Bottom Line: At this summer session in Watts, Black students need not apply

By BETTY PLEASANT, Contributing Editor

Story Published: Jul 8, 2009 at 8:10 PM PDT
Story Updated: Jul 8, 2009 at 8:10 PM PDT

Some parents, teachers and staff are seething at John Ritter Elementary School in Watts over a situation not seen since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its 1954 landmark Brown vs. Board of Education decision integrating the country’s public schools.

But here it is, 2009, and some people see the shadow of Jim Crow looming over Watts and they’re mad about it. Why? Because Ritter — a public school — began a summer session for its students Monday in which all the subject matter is taught in Spanish. No child who does not speak Spanish (read: no Black child) is in it.

This separate thing at Ritter is far from being equal because the Los Angeles Unified School District has canceled summer school this year for all of its elementary and middle school children, so no child speaking any language is receiving summer school instruction, except at Ritter.

You see, Ritter is one of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s 10 Partnership for Los Angeles Schools that he runs with private funds he’s obtained from somewhere. Ritter is in Villaraigosa’s “school district.â€

Isn't this illegal anyway? If that were in my school district I would sue.