Mystery at Venice Skills Center
By Majorie Hinds
Is the principal of Venice Skills Center, Dr. Fred
Hermosillo, honoring a gag rule imposed by LAUSD?
Hermosillo refuses to explain why, on April 18th, he
notified instructors at the Venice Skills Center (VSC) that their services would
not be needed for the summer session. Hermosillo would not acknowledge the
letters he sent to faculty members and declined to state whether or not skills
training would be available this summer. Members of the community, and students,
who depend on the center for vocational training and employment preparation,
want to know if the school will be closing.
Nancy Woodrum, Administrator of the Regional
Occupational Programs of LAUSD, and Hermosillo’s supervisor, denies
exhorting silence from the principal and his staff on this subject. Her position
is that the decision pertaining to VSC summer offerings will be made within the
next two weeks. Tacitly admitting that a reduction of services is being
considered; she maintains ignorance on the subject of the layoff
notices.
It’s a troublesome matter if LAUSD’s
budget difficulties necessitate the closure of VSC for one semester. More
disturbing, however, is the implication that school officials were forbidden to
discuss the issue with students. The question of whether Hermosillo elected to
withhold information from the public, or whether his superiors instructed him to
do so, matters little.
The more pressing question is: why the subterfuge? A
desire to cash in on the current market value for prime Venice real estate is
almost too easy of an answer. But let’s not dismiss it as simply too
obvious, or because Woodrum denies the connection.
Like all schools in the LAUSD, this training
facility receives funding based on average daily attendance. The heads being
counted at VSC include those with disabilities, people of color, individuals
living at shelters, English language learners, and all manner of folks earnestly
readying themselves to participate in the workforce.
Closing for one semester would deflate attendance
figures for the following semester. Schools can be shut down due to insufficient
attendance.
Funding earmarked for remodeling the VSC campus has
been available for several years. If LAUSD were to proceed with this project it
would demonstrate a commitment to the future of this valuable community
resource. According to Woodrum the work is scheduled to begin this fall.
Let’s see that is does.
To support the Venice Skills Center, contact Nancy
Woodrum at 213-241-3153.
Posted: Sun - May 1, 2005 at 03:07 PM