TOWN HALL LOS ANGELES AND THE PPIC SHED LIGHT ON CALIFORNIA EDUCATION

Wednesday, June 28, 2006, On Friday, July 14, Town Hall Los Angeles and the Public Policy Institute of California present "How California Education Really Works," a panel that addresses parents' frustrations with the California educational system, including being told to, "Talk to Sacramento" when they express concerns. The event serves to inform the public on education policy procedures.

Town Hall welcomes panel members Roy Romer, Superintendent, LAUSD; Caprice Young, President and CEO, California Charter Schools Association; and Jon Sonstelie, UCSB Professor and PPIC Senior Research Fellow. Moderating the panel will be 89.3 FM-KPCC Education Reporter, Adolfo Guzman-Lopez.

Romer has been LAUSD Superintendent since July 1, 2001. After LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa proposed governing the LAUSD through his office, Romer responded, "I cannot imagine why we would subject our children's future to this experimental management structure."

Prior to her position with the California Charter Schools Association, Young was president of LAUSD's Board of Education. Recently, when comparing the two, Young said, "?with LA Unified, it's taken them longer to figure out how to allocate the money than it's taken us to build schools."

Sonstelie was a coauthor and researcher of the PPIC report: School Resources and Academic Standards in California: Lessons from the Schoolhouse. The report is the last in a three-part series examining the relationship between school resources and student achievement. The central focus in all three reports has been the standards-based reform of California public schools.

Event sponsor, The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) is a private operating foundation established in 1994 with an endowment from William R. Hewlett. The Institute is dedicated to improving public policy in California through independent, objective, nonpartisan research.

Town Hall Los Angeles has been dedicated to promoting civic participation and awareness since 1937. As a nonpartisan and nonprofit forum, we work to encourage a public discussion of issues of regional, national, and international significance.