L.A. School District Officials Self-Serving

* This letter is in regard to The Times article of Aug. 25, “Schools’ PR Consultant Also Aiding Breakup Bid.”

According to this article, Bill Borellis was hired as a “public relations consultant” to praise the accomplishments of the LAUSD to various business groups. Borellis is also being paid by the United Chambers of Commerce of the San Fernando Valley to provide information about breaking up the district. Union President Helen Bernstein said in the article, “It certainly seems he has a conflict of interest.”

No kidding. District spokesman Bill Rivera, in the same Times article, defended his hiring of Borellis. You can’t help but wonder what plans Rivera is making for his post-breakup career. And Supt. Sid Thompson has promised “to cooperate with the breakup forces and provide information to all sides in the debate,” according to the article.

Meanwhile, board member Barbara Boudreaux publicly supports the breakup. Board President Mark Slavkin wimps out, The Times reporting that he “agreed there is probably not much he can do about it now.” Slavkin did say, “We wouldn’t want to see district employees spending their days planning breakup campaigns.” Perhaps Slavkin should do some hall patrolling in the Hill buildings to see who is doing just that.

Creating 13 new school districts will create marvelous opportunities for current LAUSD associate and district superintendents and other Downtown officials who will see the breakup as a heaven-sent opportunity to further their own careers. Don’t be too surprised to find that highly paid LAUSD officials will be less than dedicated to the district when they are busy planning to be new superintendents, no doubt at a higher salary than their current inflated pay.

The public is being bamboozled by the hue and cry to break up the district. As with busing a generation ago, which was supposed to instantly integrate schools, the breakup will miraculously cure apathy, crowded classrooms, low teacher morale.

Understand that new districts won’t change anything. Students will be just as uninterested as before; drugs and weapons won’t disappear; 40-plus students in the classrooms will continue to be the norm; there won’t be money for teacher salaries, books, computers, maintenance, or innovative programs. LEARN advocates should already be aware that the district has been busy undercutting innovative plans to improve schools. Of course the district is doing this. Why shouldn’t it, since to do so is to advance the personal ambitions of the district officials themselves?

ABRAHAM HOFFMAN

Reseda

Hoffman teaches history and social studies at Taft High School in Woodland Hills.