July27,2015

Mr.RamonCortines
Superintendent,LosAngelesUnifiedSchoolDistrict
333S.BeaudryAvenue
LosAngeles,CA90017

DearSuperintendentCortines,

WearewritingtointroduceyoutoanewgroupofLAUSDparentscalledParentsforProgressive
Education(PPE).Ourgroupiscurrently170membersstrongandincludesparentsandfuture
parentsofstudentsintheMandarinImmersionProgramatBroadwayElementary.Ourgroup
wasformedbyconcernedparentsinresponsetoyourMay26,2015informativewhich
mandatesthatourprogrambecutfrom4to2incomingclassesbeginningin2015.

ThisisPPEsmission:
ThemissionofParentsforProgressiveEducationistocreateaK12publiceducationpipelinefor
MandarinImmersionontheWestsideofLosAngelestoprovidestudentswithaworldclass
languageprograminourcommunity.OurimmediatepriorityistoprotecttheFOURincoming
MandarinImmersionKindergartenenrollmentmodelunderoneprincipalandinonepermanent
locationandsecurearobustpipelinetoMandarinImmersionMiddleSchoolformatriculating
5thgraders.

Werespectfullyrequesttheopportunitytodiscussthefollowingissuesinpersonwithdistrict
leadership:

FindAnAlternativeSolutionToKeepMandarinImmersionEnrollmentat4Incoming
KindergartenClassesinOneLocation
TheMandarinImmersionprogramatBroadwayElementaryhasenrolled4fullclassesof
incomingKindergartenstudentssince2011andeachyearhasawaitlistofapproximately50
additionalstudentsor2additionalclasses.WhileMIparentswereexcitedabouttheprospect
ofhavinga$30millionnewcampusbuiltforourprogramatMarkTwainMiddleSchool,wedid
notoriginatethisidea,norisitapriority.Infact,weneveraskedforanymovesortobefaced
withthecurrentpredicament.Ourpriorityistosimplykeepwhatwevehadcontinuingto
enroll4incomingclassesinonepermanentlocationandunderoneprincipalandallowingthe
studentscontinuedaccesstoqualitypubliceducationandtheprogramtocontinueitssuccess.
Nowthattheconstructionprojecthasbeenhalted,weurgethedistricttoinvestigateadditional
optionswhichwouldallowourprogramtostayat4incomingclassesratherthancuttingthe
programasmandatedbyyourMay26thmemo.Forexample:
WillLAUSDconsiderrepurposingemptyclassroomsontheMarkTwaincampus
(currently800emptyseatsripeforacharterschooltakeover)tocarveoutasafeand
appropriateelementaryschoolspaceforourprogramwithintheexistingmiddleschool
space?

WillLAUSDconsiderbuildinganadditional2storybuildingontheBroadwaycampusto
replacethetemporarybungalowsnowinplace?
WillLAUSDconsiderleasingcityownedornoncityownedspaceadjacenttoornearby
theBroadwaycampusforteacherparkingandtoaddadditionalstructuresinthe
currentteacherparkinglot?
WillLAUSDconsiderconvertingBroadwayscafeteriaintoclassrooms?
WillLAUSDconsidercombiningBroadwaysrooms1and2intoasinglelegalsized
classroom?

CuttingtheMandarinImmersionProgramfrom4IncomingClassesto2JeopardizestheEntire
Program
MandarinimmersionschoolsfaceauniquechallengethatSpanishimmersionschoolsdo
notfacebackfillingattritionspotsafter1stgradebecausechildrenmustshowboth
writtenandoralgradelevelproficiency.EnglishonlyschoolsorSpanishimmersion
schoolsinLosAngelescanmuchmoreeasilybackfillattritionspacescomparedto
Mandarinwhereevenifthelanguageisspokenathomeitismuchmoredifficulttofind
childrenwithgradelevelwrittenskills.
Givenstandardattritionrates,startingwith4incomingKindergartenclasseswouldyield
3classesmatriculatingintomiddleschool.Startingwith2incomingclasseswouldyield1
(perhapsoversized)class.

ContinuingtoEnroll4IncomingKindergartenClassesatoneLocationisStronglyPreferableTo
StartingaParallelMandarinProgramatAnotherCampus
YourMay26thmemoindicatedthatparallelMandarinImmersionProgramscouldbe
startedatotherlocalelementarycampusesifdemandwarrantsit.Demandalready
warrantsitbecauseBroadwaysMandarinImmersionprogramhasenrolled4
Kindergartenclasses(withawaitlist)forthelast5years.PPEstronglybelievesstudents
andthedistrictarefarbetterservedbycontinuingtoenroll4incomingclassesatone
locationratherthancuttingouralreadyexistingsuccessfulprogramandstartinganew
parallelprogram.
Theprincipal,teachers,staffandparentsinBroadwaysMandarinImmersionProgram
havealreadylearnedmanylessonswithasteeplearningcurveduringthepast5years.It
makesmuchmoresensetocontinueenrollinganalreadyestablishedandbyall
accountssuccessfulprogramratherthantostartfromscratchinanewlocation.
Languagecannotbeseparatedfromcultureandhaving4classesofincoming
Kindergartenstudentsisofsubstantialbenefitforprogramwideeventscelebrating
Chineseculturevs.separatingtheprograminto2paralleltracksonseparatecampuses.
Asuccessfullanguageimmersionprogramreliesonstrongleadershipfromitsprincipal
whohasadeepunderstandingofthelanguage,curriculum,culturalissues,andabilityto
attractandretaintheuniqueteachingstaffnecessarytorunthiskindofspecialized
program.FindingtwoormoreprincipalsontheWestsideofLosAngelestorun
MandarinProgramsonparalleltrackswouldbemuchmoredifficultthankeepingthe

programconsolidatedunderPrincipalWangwhohasalreadydemonstratedherunique
leadershipskillsandabilitytogrowtheprogramsuccessfully.
BecauseaMandarinlanguagecurriculumandsupportingteachermaterialsarenot
readilyavailable,teachercollaborationacrossmultiplegradelevelsisessential.If
Mandarinteachersaretogetherononededicatedcampus,collaborationismuchmore
efficientandproductive.

MarkTwainMiddleSchoolandVeniceHighSchool
TheparentsinourprogramarededicatedtoworkingwiththedistricttobuildaK12language
pipelineontheWestsideofLosAngeles.Wewanttoworkwiththedistricttocreatearobust
LAUSDworldlanguagesprogramatMarkTwainMiddleSchool.Themandatetocutour
programsubstantiallydamagesthepotentiallystrongpipelinebetweenBroadwaysMandarin
ImmersionstudentsandMarkTwainMiddleSchoolandVeniceHighSchool.Ifwestartwith4
incomingclassesitislikelythat3classeswouldmatriculatefromBroadwayintoMarkTwain.If
westartwith2incomingclasses,likelyonlyoneoversizedclasswouldmatriculate.

MandarinTeacherHiringIssues
PPErespectsandvaluesthedistrictsstringenthiringstandardsforteachingstaff.However,a
specializedprogramlikeourMandarinimmersionprogramshouldhaveauniquesetof
standardsrecognizinguniqueissuesliketeachervisas,languageneedsandthecredentialing
processforqualifiedoutofstatecandidates.Toomanytimesinthepastwehavebeenunable
tohireanexceptionallyqualifiedMandarinlanguageteacherbecausetheteacherhiringrules
donotrecognizespecificexemptionswhichwouldbehelpfultoouruniquehiringneeds.PPE
wouldwelcometheopportunitytoworkwithdistrictstaffofestablishingauniquesubsetof
teacherhiringguidelinesspecifictolanguageprogramswhichwouldbeofbenefittoall
specializedlanguageprogramswithinLAUSD.

PPEgreatlyappreciatesthedistrictssupporttodateofourwonderfulMandarinImmersion
programwhichisconsideredoneofthefinestelementaryprogramsofitskindinthecountry.
ParentleadersofPPEhaverequestedoneononemeetingswithLAUSDstaffandBoard
membersthroughyourvariousofficesandsincerelyhopewecanworktogethertocontinue
andbuilduponthesuccessofourremarkableprogram.

SuperintendentCortines,werespectfullyrequestafacetofacemeetingwithyouaswellas
withCherylHildreth,HildaMaldonado,MichelleKing,MarkHovatter,andtheindividual
membersoftheBoardofEducation.WethankBOEPresidentSteveZimmerforalready
meetingwithusandexpressinghisongoingsupportofourprogramandhopethatan
alternativesolutioncanbefound.
Icanbereachedatjennspullen@gmail.comor310/6662090.Thankyouforyour
consideration.

Sincerely,

JenniferPullen
MandarinImmersionProgramParent
President,ParentsforProgressiveEducation(PPE)

cc:CherylHildreth,InstructionalAreaSuperintendent,ESCWest
HildaMaldonado,ExecutiveDirector,MultilingualandMulticulturalEducationDepartment
MarkHovatter,ChiefFacilitiesExecutive
MichelleKing,SeniorDeputySuperintendent,LAUSD
GeorgeJ.McKennaIII,BoardofEducationMember,District1
MonicaGarcia,BoardofEducationMember,District2
ScottSchmerelson,BoardofEducationMember,District3
SteveZimmer,PresidentBoardOfEducationandMember,District4
RefRodriguez,BoardofEducationMember,District5
MonicaRatliff,BoardofEducationMember,District6
RichardVladovic,BoardofEducationMember,District7

SusanWang,Principal,BroadwayElementary

PPEBoardMembers:
MattBlute,VicePresident,PPE
LilyLiuChan,Secretary,PPE
WayTingChenHill,Treasurer,PPE
FrankBiele,BoardMember,PPE
BaronBrady,BoardMember,PPE
FangHuang,BoardMember,PPE
JackieHung,BoardMember,PPE
KenMarek,BoardMember,PPE
DonnaShenTripp,BoardMember,PPE
DarylLynnRoberts,BoardMember,PPE
SuzannaRosemont,HonoraryBoardMember,PPE