Absent Teachers, Wasteful Spending

Re “Absentee Rate Has LAUSD Worried,” April 30: L.A. Unified School District officials piously proclaim that the presence of the regular teacher in the classroom has a strong positive effect on student achievement. Given that fact, why has the LAUSD gone completely overboard in pulling teachers out of their classrooms for incessant meetings of dubious value? Teachers are pulled from their students for twice-monthly math and language arts coaching meetings where forms are filled out to prove that the meetings were held. Teachers are regularly sent to extravagant hotel meetings for the day where they are introduced to the same old, tired ideas. We debrief so-called “learning walks” where we fill out discussion forms that evidence the meeting. Many teachers are pulled out for full days for Reading First grant meetings.

Since the district pays for the subs and for the regular teacher, we could cut the budget and improve achievement by eliminating unnecessary meetings. As an elementary teacher with the LAUSD, I want to be in my classroom where I can work with my students.

Will Olliff

Culver City

How lucky we are to have an LAUSD study on employee absentee rates and waste published in The Times (April 30). I can only hope that this topical issue takes everyone’s minds off the fact that schools in the LAUSD have to cut another $50 per child while 60-plus administrators make over $120,000 per year and millions are spent on consultants, mini-districts and the district’s new headquarters. Perhaps schools being forced to choose between buying toilet paper and having security might provide a good story.

Michele Levin

Los Angeles