MacArthur Park Media is featuring a new interactive page in response to the fight of Esperanza Elementary School teachers against the “very likely” charterization of their Westlake District school. (The L.A. Unified School Board recently put Esperanza up for bid, even though, its teachers claim, the school's test scores have been steadily improving.)

“It is hard not to want Esperanza to be more like Camino Nuevo,” MPM says, contrasting Esperanza to the nearby Camino Nuevo Charter Academy. Of the latter: “They test less and score higher. They have art, music, dance, computers, and field trips to The San Diego Zoo. All parents volunteer at least 15 hours during the school year . . . Conferences are mandatory; so are school uniforms, punctuality, and four workshops (how to start a college fund, how to prepare for the CST). Even their building makes more sense.”

The page interviews instructors and parents from the two schools (both of which are located fewer than six blocks from MacArthur Park), along

with reps from the teachers union and LAUSD. Click on the individual's

photo to begin interview playback.

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