Whats Next for Hawthorne?

[Issue
#668]
Hawthornes looming destruction involves
more than gutting beautiful, irreplaceable
buildings. It swings the wrecking ball at
common sense, educational achievement,
and at the School Boards integrity.
This is a project in search of a justifica-
tion. Youd think that safety issues would
be front and center. But unfortunately for
the knock em sock em building com-
mittee, Hawthorne is structurally sound.
Earlier, lack of storage space was floated
as trial balloon A in the why-are-we-doing-
this derby. Evidently, that cubby didnt fly.
Flattening an entire school to add storage
space isnt very sexy.
I can only imagine the brainstorming
sessions raging at district offices and at
architectural firms eager for a share of
the loot. The Weeklys article listed the
following reasons: modifying classrooms
to accommodate 21st century learning
communities, moving bathrooms from the
wrong places to the right places, removing
an auditorium balcony inaccessible to non-
stair climbers, adding a gymnasium, relo-
cating the library to a more central spot, and
underground parking. To be helpful, Ive
done a little brainstorming myself. How
about a movie theater? Giant video game
playrooms? A Viking theme park with Leif
Ericson boat rides?
The Board should be congratulated for
taking steps to fulfill its mission. According
to BHUSDs new mission statement, each
student should be, empowered to achieve
academic excellence. How any elemen-
tary school student can achieve academic
excellence without underground parking is
beyond me.
BHUSD.org proclaims, Nothing will
take precedence over the elementary through
secondary instructional program. Well, one
school razing reason actually relates to aca-
demic excellence and instruction. But, its
detrimental to both. Learning communities
is code for a failed education reform for-
merly called student-centered learning. Like
Marxism and all edu-fads, student-centered
learning sounds great in theory, especially
to progressive teaching types. The trouble
is that it hasnt worked anywhere in real-
ity. Hence the nuanced and brilliant name
change, kind of like canning global warm-
ing in favor of climate change. You cant
even say, 21st century learning communi-
ties in anything but hushed tones of awe
and respect.
At the risk of being sent to the principals
office, Im going to chuck the pomposity
and call student-centered learning by its
real name. For one thing, its more accurate
and descriptive. Student-centered learning
means that students learn primarily from
each other; the teacher being relegated to
the role of facilitator, or perhaps catch-
ing up on spider solitaire during class.
Student-centered philosophy also embraces
discovery learning. That is, students dont
sit around a circle taking turns reading out
of a textbook and doing exercises. No sir.
To learn about Boyles Law, they need to
discover Boyles Law from scratch. As
you might imagine, actual learning in stu-
dent-centered learning is quite slow, if it
happens at all. On the other hand, everyone
involved ends up feeling really good about
themselves. That, by the way, explains why
student-centered learning is such a long-
lived edu-fad. The only thing that educators
find more amazing than feeling good about
themselves is thinking that kids might be
feeling good about themselves.
So, in a nutshell (or a nut house, Im not
sure which), Hawthornes destruction will
a) accomplish a series of follies like pre-
venting able bodied people from sitting in
the balcony because physically challenged
people need to sit on ground level, b) will
likely send Hawthornes API scores into a
kamikaze tailspin, c) breaks a promise to
the taxpayers not to raise tax rates ahead of
Page 2 Beverly Hills Weekly
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SERVING BEVERLY HILLS BEVERLYWOOD LOS ANGELES
Issue 668 July 19 - July 25, 2012
rudy cole
Reality checks Page 6
briefs New office building and parking
structure approved at Spalding and Wilshire Page 3
briefs Board of Education postpones
vote on home lease with Woods Page 3
cover story pages 8-9
Whats
Next for
Hawthorne?
Board of Education to
consider the merits of
historic preservation
versus new construction
SNAPSHOT
letters
& email
Inside Beverly HillsBHTV10
Inside Beverly Hills, moderated by columnist Rudy Cole, will next air on July 26 at
3:30 p.m. and July 27 at 10 p.m. about the Rodeo Drive Committee; July 27 at 6:30
p.m. about Theatre 40; and July 30 at 8 p.m., July 31 at 6 p.m. and Aug. 1 at 5 p.m.
about Beverly Hills Theatre Guild.
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Issue 669 July 26 - August 1, 2012
Beverly Hills Weekly Inc.
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letters cont. on page 5
The book group, which will take place at
a private home, will include a conversation
for parents and teachers about technology
specific to BHUSD led by Chief Academic
Officer Jennifer Tedford and Beverly
High teacher Steven Rubenstein, who is
BHUSDs technology TOSA (teacher on
special assignment).
The response from my students and
parents and also my private book group to
this book has been overwhelming, said
Goler, who facilitates book groups. I really
had to sell the book because of its length,
but everyone says they cant put it down
[because Jobs] life was so compelling, hor-
rifying and inspiring.
Goler said leadership will also be a topic
of the book group discussion.
Sarah Gallop, PTSA executive board
member in charge of programs, is coordi-
nating the event.
What I enjoy
most about it is
bringing together
the parents with
the teachers to
talk about some-
thing other than
academics or their
childrens grades,
Gallop said. Its
something that
everyone can have
a discussion about
and have it not be about their particular
child.
Steve Jobs will also be the first featured
title for the BHUSD staff book club, Goler
said.
Look for more specifics about the pro-
gram in the PTSAs September newsletter.
E-mail sgallop100@aol.com with any ques-
tions.
Concerts on Canon series
continues tonight, Clueless
screens Sunday
The City of Beverly Hills will continue its
free Concerts on Canon series tonight with
two performances by gypsy jazz combo Icy
Hot Club at Beverly Canon Gardens at 6
p.m. and 7:15 p.m.
The Citys new series of free Sunday-
night movie screenings continues Sunday
with an outdoor showing of Clueless at
Beverly Canon Gardens at 8 p.m. Later
in the summer, film selections include
Casablanca and Mirror, Mirror.
Free parking is available to patrons of
the shows: Get a coupon at the concert
or movie and redeem it for parking in the
Beverly Gardens parking structure. The
gardens feature plentiful seating and a large,
grassy area for picnic blankets. Tables and
chairs will be available on a first-come,
first-served basis. Patrons are encouraged
to enjoy outdoor dining at Bouchon or The
Montage, enjoy special pre- and post-show
discounts at Beverly Hills restaurants and
bars and pick up custom to-go boxes from
a selection of local restaurants offering pic-
nic options in connection with this series.
For more information, call (310) 285-
6830.
Board of Education may
submit self-qualified
budget to LACOE
Confronted with a list of potential cuts
that Board of Education Vice President
Jake Manaster described as unpalatable,
Manaster proposed sending a message to
the Los Angeles County Office of Education
(LACOE) and the state of California by not
proposing budgetary cutbacks and instead
considering submitting a qualified interim
budget to LACOE this fall.
According to LACOE, a qualified certifi-
cation means that school districts may not
be able to meet their financial commitments
in the current or two subsequent years.
Manaster made the proposal at last
Thursdays budget study session, where
July 26 - August 1, 2012 Page 5
briefs cont. on page 7
Conference Calling
Local Numbers Throughout California
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Chicago
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Measure Es $300-million blank check, and
d) is just about the dumbest idea since the
non-renewal of the oil lease.
On the bright side, the new Hawthorne
will be a monument to good feelings,
obscene spending, and local big govern-
ment trying its best to emulate federal big
government. A proper tribute to our age.
Steve Spitz
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills has a proud past. So much
of that pride is because of our schools. We
simply have a great educational system and
students both past and present are aware of
that. We also have memories of growing up
in schools that are a part of who we are as
individuals and as a city. There has never
been a school system like BH.
To even think of tearing down one of
these historic schools is awful. To actu-
ally do it is shameful. While we are taking
steps to preserve our history, we must also
realize that our schools are a part of that
history. Maybe even more so than Rodeo
Drive because we learned in buildings
named Hawthorne and were taught how to
make the world a better place. We should
think about changing our history grades to
an F if we allow any of our schools to be
destroyed. After all, if we cant protect our
past, then what have we learned?
George Vreeland Hill
Beverly Hills
Fine Art Commission tests sites for
placing public art [Issue #662]
This is in response to a Letter to the
Editor in the June 14 edition of Beverly
Hills Weekly. The Fine Art Commission
(FAC) did not decline Guy Dills sculpture,
Egalmah, The Great Palace. The donation
of the Guy Dill piece was accepted by the
City Council in 2000, bypassing the approv-
al process of the FAC. At the time, the Fine
Art commissioners expressed concern as to
the appropriateness of the work, given its
size with regard to it potentially overpower-
ing any other work that might be installed
on the Burton Way median. Again, please
note, there was never a point at which it was
turned down.
Mr. Dill has agreed to reconfigure the
components of the original sculpture to
form two new tableaus that will not over-
power, but enhance the site; he has also
agreed to allow the City to sell the remain-
ing components to any interested party.
Since the City took possession of this
work in 2000, it has never been installed
anywhere and now must soon be removed
from its storage place to make way for
improvements to the Citys water services
for the residents of Beverly Hills.
The Fine Art Commission believes that
this option is the lease expensive, least
intrusive and most timely solution.
Terri Smooke
Fine Art Commission Chair
Beverly Hills
letters cont. from page 2
BHPD honors Rosenstein, Mazo
Planning Commission Vice Chair Brian Rosenstein (center) was honored with the
Lawrence I. Shapiro Memorial Award at Tuesday afternoons study session for his
volunteer involvement with the Police Departments Disaster Communciations System
program. BHPD Chief David Snowden (left) and Mayor Willie Brien (right) presented
Rosenstein with the award, which was created in 2004 to recognize meritorious and
dedicated service by Police Department volunteers. Esther Mazo, who passed away in
2009, was honored with the award posthumously for her 12 years of volunteer work
with the Police Department. Her son Neil Mazo accepted the award.
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