This showed up in my inbox. If you are in the area, might be worthwhile to attend…
How do you get your high school diploma if you are afraid to go to school? Hard to believe, but that is the reality for many students, including youth in Watts, CA. Insight Schools of California, a tuition-free online public high school is offering information sessions this Saturday at one of the major churches located in Watts. Please see the media advisory listed below for more information:
*_MEDIA NOTIFICATION:_*
*Insight** School of California – Los Angeles is **Delivering Tuition-Free Online Public High School Curriculums to Today’s Internet-Savvy Youth*
*SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15th, 2008: A SPECIAL DISTANCE LEARNING EVENT*
*AT ST.** LAWRENCE** OF BRINDISI CHURCH (WATTS) *
*_IN CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL DISTANCE LEARNING WEEK (Nov. 11 – 14^th )_*
_Educational Awareness Series: Online Education for Students in At-Risk Communities_
Members of the Los Angeles media are invited to a special *Open House this Saturday, Nov. 15^th at **St. Lawrence of Brindisi Church *to hear enrolled students, instructors and community leaders talk about how the distance learning option can help families cope with the fear and violence that often keep students from attending school.
This is a unique opportunity to interview school spokespersons, educators and students and hear first-hand accounts from parents and teens living in the Watts area and how online education can provide an important alternative to the traditional “brick-and-mortar” school environment.
_Date and Time:_ Saturday, November 15, at 9:15AM (or 11:15AM and 1:15PM)
_Location:_ St. Lawrence of Brindisi Church (Watts) and Insight Schools
_Address:_ 10122 Compton Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90002 (convenient parking behind Church)
(Between East Century Blvd. and East 103^rd Street)
Insight School of California – Los Angeles is an innovative and tuition-free online public high school helping students achieve academic and personal success. As a free service available to all students, Insight School of California – Los Angeles is enabling young people to earn diplomas in a highly personalized, student-led, teacher-facilitated program where they can complete their studies at their own speed with weekly deadlines and in their own setting. In addition to being tuition-free, Insight provides students with a wireless laptop computer, a printer/scanner, reimbursement for Internet access and materials for required courses.
_Open House Interview opportunities with Insight School spokespersons:_
*Kathy Myhre*
Tel: 602-980-4901*Kimberly Williams*
Tel: 480-241-6459_Or, to schedule an interview time in advance, please contact:_
*Dave Holscher*
for KCOMM Public Relations
Tel: 949-295-5515
E-mail: dave@kcomm.com <mailto:dave@kcomm.com>* *
*Bobbi Coulter*
for KCOMM Public Relations
Tel: 775-771-7320
E-mal: bobbi@kcomm.com <mailto:bobbi@kcomm.com>*About Insight Schools, Inc*.
With 11 schools in 10 states, Insight Schools, Inc. is the nation’s largest network of tuition-free, diploma-granting, online public high schools. To learn more, call 1-800-975-8006 or visit _www.insightschools.net <http://www.insightschools.net/>_. For general information about online learning, visit the North American Council for Online Learning at www.nacol.org <http://www.nacol.org/>.
*The Education Crisis in California*
According to the Los Angeles Times, the multi-billion-dollar California budget shortfall is expected to result in an education cutback of some $4.8 billion statewide, with potential layoff notices already sent to 20,000 teachers, librarians, nurses and others.^1 For Los Angeles Unified, one of 14 Los Angeles area districts facing possible red ink next year, that translates into a projected deficit of $460 million.^2 The Orange County Register has reported nearly 1,900 anticipated teacher layoffs and terminations in that county.^3 Many schools are appealing to parent groups for financial support to maintain staff and programs.^1
Such significant funding reductions can lead to higher student-teacher ratios with decreased one-on-one attention, school overcrowding, safety issues, and reduced resources available to address students with special needs or who are struggling in the traditional brick and mortar setting. Plus, with tuition at private and parochial schools on the rise, families are seeing those expenses move out of reach, returning to the public schools and placing further stress on the system.
Dropout rates are also a major concern and a condition that can be aggravated by funding cuts. According to the California Department of Education^4 , for the 2005-2006 school year, the statewide high school dropout rate was 14.7% for a total of some 68,000 students. Rates for individual counties included Kern at 16.7%, Los Angeles at 17.3%, Orange at 5.9%, San Bernardino at 20.1% and Ventura at 9.0%. The reasons many students drop out of school include boredom or lack of challenge, pursuit of a career in athletics or the arts, work demands, illness and family obligations. A central issue is maintaining and strengthening each student’s engagement, both academically and socially, in a flexible and personalized environment to keep more students in school through graduation.
SOURCES:
1. http://www.latimes.com/news/education/la-me-foundations20apr20,1,6232000.story
2 . http://www.latimes.com/news/local/los_angeles_metro/la-me-schools18mar18,1,4853495.story?page=1
3. http://www.ocregister.com/news/teachers-unified-school-1996293-temporary-time
4 . http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/DrpGrdState.asp?cYear=2005-06&cChoice=GradeOnly&Level=State
