LAUSD Report card released, confirms colocation created safety concerns

   In January, we received the 2013/14 report card for Stoner Avenue Elementary School. The results were good and the school improved on many measures. However, there was one measure that went down significantly: campus safety.

     For the school years 2011/12 and 2012/13, 84% of Stoner ES parents responded "my child is safe on school grounds." Yet for 2013/14, the year of the co-location, only 67% of the parents agreed "School grounds are safe." Why the drastic drop?
     The report card has been discussed at various meetings of different school councils and committees and when the issue of safety came up, the majority opinion was that the co-location of CWC Mar Vista was the safety issue.
    During the co-location, parents were concerned about what was happening on the CWC side of campus: CWC students bullying Stoner special needs students in the bathroom, CWC parents and teachers in the students' only bathroom; CWC leaving their entrance gate open and unlocked so that CWC parents could enter campus freely, a special needs child escaping campus; and most disturbing of all that a CWC student was stripped naked and hosed down on campus.
    All of this created great concern for the parents about the safety on campus of the Stoner students. The consensus opinion of the Stoner ES parents was that the co-location made the campus less safe for our children.

[Flashback] CWC student escapes campus, police return student to parents

Looking at this blog right now, you might think this whole madness with the CWC Mar Vista co-location started with a cup of coffee. So, I wanted to provide some flashbacks to put the situation in context so that you can see how we arrived at the current state of affairs.
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FLASHBACK - FLASHBACK - FLASHBACK

   Early in the school year, Citizens of the World Charter Mar Vista began leaving its entrance gate unlocked and opened for the convenience of the CWC community. Parents could enter and leave campus as they pleased.* Deliveries could be made without checking who or what was coming on campus. This also meant that CWC students and Stoner ES students could just walk off campus. Which is exactly what happened.

   A special needs CWC student did escape campus.  CWC was unaware that the child had even left campus. Fortunately, the child was found down the street by conscientious citizen of our neighborhood.  The neighbor found the child in her yard babbling incoherently. The neighbor looked around, waited and didn't see anyone with the child. So, the good citizen called the police and the CWC student was reunited with their family. CWC would later learn about the incident.

  CWC's poor campus security decision to leave its gate open and unlocked had to be addressed. Their solution to the problem was to put a combination lock on the gate and give the combination to all the parents. We saw how well that turned out.

and, that's today's FLASHBACK.

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*Considering the CWC parents have been seen entering the students only bathroom, it's very disturbing that CWC parents had such free and unfettered access to the campus.

CWC parents throw spikes in the street around Stoner ES

CWC parent removing graffiti filled fence cover

   This last week was Spring break and school was out, but this doesn't mean CWC stopped creating safety issues in our community. Based on the orders of CWC administration, a group of CWC parents threw spikes on the sidewalk and street around the Stoner Elementary School campus**. If this sounds too crazy to be true, then please read on.

    On Tuesday, April 22 around 6 pm, a crew of 3 Citizens of the World Mar Vista parents (and two children) were seen removing the tagged up CWC fence covering. An hour later, the fence covering was down, but the removal started a multiple day safety issue in our neighborhood.

CWC spikes picked up on April 15

   That evening, I went to check out the removed fence covering and began to notice some of the metal brackets that were used to secure the fence were lying all along the sidewalk and in street. There were scores of brackets all over the place. This was a very dangerous situation.  These brackets created a serious safety issue in that they could pop a car or bike tire, topple a scooter or skateboard, or even puncture through a shoe.
   My wife, a neighbor and I spent an hour cleaning up the spikes. We picked up all that we could find on the sidewalk and street, but could see many more spikes inside campus that we could not reach.
   I alerted CWC (and cc'd LAUSD) to the danger and asked that CWC come an clean up the dangerous situation that they created. I received no response.

More CWC spikes April 18

    On Friday, my wife was walking past the CWC entrance when she heard a "clink, clink" at her feet.  She looked down and found that there were still spikes around the school. She picked up all the spikes she could find.
   On Saturday morning, I emailed CWC to follow up and demanded that they clean up this safety issue immediately.  These spikes should have never been in the street in the first place and should have been immediately removed when CWC was notifed of the danger on Wednesday morning.
    The CWC principle responded that she would deal with problem in a day or two. A concerned LAUSD administrator immediately responded to the principle's email saying that if CWC could not be there that day, she would go herself.
    An hour later, I get an email from the CWC principle saying that she inspected the area and didn't see any problem. She also thanked me for alerting her to the problem (but not for cleaning up their dangerous mess that CWC created, but just for alerting her to the problem; a problem that she did not see as serious and thought could be addressed in a few days.) An hour after that, I received an email from CWC director stating that she had just been to the area and there was "not much to speak of" and that she cleaned up a few remaining brackets.

More CWC spikes found April 19 using magnet

   Ten minutes after receiving the directors email, I went to inspect the area myself. I took a magnet on a string and went "fishing" for brackets with my daughters. We found another two dozen brackets in the street and on the sidewalk.

    These brackets left on the ground are basically spikes that could cause serious injury. These brackets were left on the ground by the CWC parents who removed the fence covering. These spikes in the community are an example of the problems that occur when volunteer parents are performing the functions and duties of paid professionals. As such, these "helpful" parents end up creating more problems for all involved.
 
    This is another disturbing example of the safety issues CWC is bringing to our campus and neighborhood. It's troubling that even when a safety issue is pointed out to CWC administration, they either do not see a problem (principle) or try to minimize the extent of the problem (director). These spikes should have never been left on the street and sidewalk in the first place, and should have been addressed and cleaned up when CWC was first alerted to the danger, not days later after multiple complaints.

**Just so I am clear, I'm not saying that CWC directly ordered parents to throw spikes in the street, but CWC's reckless order to have volunteer parents remove the fence covering resulted in the spikes being thrown in the street. Therefore, based on the orders of CWC admin, CWC parents were throwing spikes in the streets.

CWC fence covering removed

Today our neighborhood looks more open, inviting, and welcoming, all because the CWC fence covering has been removed.  We hope this is permanent change.

    Just like many of the other issues with the co-location of CWC on the Stoner ES campus, what is a source of pride for CWC, is a sore point for everyone else. To CWC, the fence covering gave a "A feeling of cocoon-like safety by being surrounded by a beautiful and private fence." and was "Helping the space to feel 'kinder and gentler...'" To the Stoner and local community the covering represented separation and segregation, entitlement and elitism, and a lack of respect for the local community.

    The fence covering has been a sore point since it was first put up. One day, the neighborhood was an open and inviting place, then without warning, there was separation and the claim that fence covering was for a "true community."

     The fence covering was one of the most blatant examples of the segregation that CWC is bringing to the Stoner ES campus. The separation and inequality was even written directly on the fence covering: "A true community of learners." This phrase was written in two places on the fence covering.  Could they not realize how insulting this message would be to the home school and surrounding community? "A true community" What does that say to the people in the community who live in the area? Are we not a real community?  Was CWC even aware that the Stoner motto is "a learning community?" If CWC is a "true" community and "true" learners, what does that say to the Stoner students? Are they a false community? Are they untrue learners?
     Everyday local residents and Stoner students had to pass by this backhanded insult to our community and school. Residents and Stoner parents complained about the fence covering, but their pleas fell on deaf ears and so resentment in community began to simmer.

    On Friday March 7, a red "CxC" appeared on the fence covering over the CWC logo. The tag was quickly covered over in white, but was still visible.

The following Monday, March 10, two new CxC tags showed up.

 Then on April 6 the fence covering tagged all over. This time with a stronger profanity filled message.

    Since the fence covering is now attracting gang activity, local residents and Stoner parents have urged CWC to remove the fence covering.

    The covering is down now. For the safety of the neighborhood and school, let's hope the covering stays down.