Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Los Angeles, visited LAUSD’s John Muir Middle School in South L.A. on Monday to observe its Black Student Achievement Plan (BSAP) and highlight the need to expand such programs even as state and federal budget challenges loom.
The Los Angeles Unified School District’s BSAP is one of the nation’s largest educational programs dedicated to closing the racial academic achievement gap and and promoting the social and emotional wellbeing of Black students.
“I believe that the work that is happening here should be the norm and not the exception,” said Kamlager-Dove. “How do we continue to partner and build bridges and create a networking infrastructure so that L.A. Unified does not have to do all of this work alone? That is why we are here today.”
At LAUSD, only 19% of Black students met the state’s learning standards in mathematics compared to 55% of white students, according to the latest standardized test results released in October 2023. When it comes to English learning standards, only 30% of Black students met the mark compared to 65% of white students.
“Their capacity and ability is equal; the results currently aren’t,” said LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. “I’ve never met broken kids. I’ve seen systems that are broken and often break their dreams and their aspirations for their possibilities.”
The Board of Education approved the BSAP in February 2021 in response to community pressure following George Floyd’s death and the subsequent resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement. The program was funded, in part, by slashing the school police budget.
It currently receives $120 million in annual funding to provide tutoring, counseling and college prep programs for Black students. In addition, it funds school climate coaches, whose job it is to address racial issues and conflict on campuses, and partnerships with community organizations to enhance campus safety without police…
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