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Echo Park Resident Wants More Partnerships At Schools

Jordyn Holman |
October 5, 2013 | 8:51 a.m. PDT

Contributor

David Goldberg/ Photo Provided By David Goldberg
David Goldberg/ Photo Provided By David Goldberg

California is currently experiencing an overhaul in its public education system. In the past weeks, politicians in Sacramento have eliminated previous testing standards and are looking to implement assessments, such as the Common Core. At the center of this massive change in education, California teachers have a unique responsibility. The California public school system has one-eighth of the nation’s students, and the Los Angeles Unified School District is the second largest school system in the U.S.

David Goldberg, who has experience both in teaching and policy, helps to gauge how the newly elected mayor Eric Garcetti will influence these changes. Goldberg, who has been an educator in Boyle Heights almost two decades and now works as an advocate for more than 300,000 teachers and students around the state, firmly situates himself in the education debate. 

State of the Mayor: Echo Park

Name: David Goldberg

Neighborhood: Echo Park

Job: Teacher and elected member of the California Teacher Association  

Age: 41 

What are the top issues facing Los Angeles?

Some of the top issues that are facing us here are the same ones facing us nationwide. Income inequality...and definitely lack of access to good-paying jobs.

The first issue specifically surrounding education I think would also probably be income inequality. A lot of kids come to school where they are hungry, they’re parents are working all hours of the day and they don’t have adequate access to medical care. The second problem we’re seeing in L.A. is underfunding for public education across the state.

What should Mayor Garcetti do to address your top priorities?

I think former mayor [Villaraigosa] was constantly trying to push for the privatization of public education. I think the new mayor [Garcetti] will be more supportive of the school district, while not directly trying to run the school district because that’s not really his role in L.A.

I hope the mayor will start partnerships at the school. If Garcetti can do that in a more collaborative way, that would be a huge thing. The city can also really help support the school district in other ways, such as keeping the school campuses and parks open later. 

Who did you support in the May election?

My union and I supported Eric Garcetti. Personally he’s a close family friend, so I was 100 percent behind Garcetti. 

Under Mayor Garcetti’s leadership where do you see the city heading to in the future?

I’m hoping that the system and the Common Core becomes something that is driven by teachers and students, and not just a top-down thing. I think if that were to happen then it would be a very positive direction for the school district to move. I’m hoping that Proposition 30 money comes in the next few years and begins to alleviate some of the crisis for the funding issues. And with all of that, I hope the school board is able to shape itself in a positive leadership position. I’m just really hopeful for the future.

Contact Contributer Jordyn Holman here



 

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