This is an archive of a past election. See http://www.smartvoter.org/ca/la/ for current information. |
The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
Most Important Issue,
Remedial Coursework,
Roles of Community College
Click on a name for candidate information. See also more information about this contest.
Answer from Sam Kbushyan:
As a Trustee, I will force the Board to acknowledge that the prevailing law, and future of the LACCD, requires that we scrap the undemocratic and unfair at-large election process and adopt a 9 District plan so that each community with a campus can elect a representative. This plan will allow for stronger community representation at the Board level and a counter-balance to the special interests and administrators that have run the LACCD aground with reckless spending, poor planning and a historic disregard for accountability.
It is my goal to someday give voters the ability to identify who their LACCD representative is and have a basic understanding of what they have done to make education more accessible and affordable for their family and their neighborhoods. Answer from Sydney Kamlager:
Answer from Sydney Kamlager:
Answer from Sam Kbushyan:
Once we start freeing up faculty resources, we can re-direct our faculty to tackling the growing number of remedial students and get those students back on track toward progress in their educational goals. We can also use technology to instruct these students outside the classroom and should consult with successful private entities like the Khan Academy to develop successful self-learning technologies. LACCD has the size and resources to tackle such a herculean task but we cannot do this alone.
The simple fact is that our LAUSD K-12 system is continuing to send us students who are not prepared for any college courses. As elected representatives, we need to develop partnerships with the LAUSD elected representatives to share the responsibility for getting their currently challenged students up to standard, and providing for past students to obtain the skills to earn their High School Diploma.
Finally, too many LACCD students are not engaged with campus counselors to develop realistic and meaningful educational goals. As a former Community College student, I went from a 1.6 GPA to becoming Student Body President at LA Valley College with a 3.4 GPA because a counselor showed me the way. I'll make sure every student has a plan and goals to work toward even if they need remedial help to get them on the path.
Answer from Sydney Kamlager:
Answer from Sam Kbushyan:
Currently, the LACCD Managers are spending 92% of their $127 million dollar technology budget on "District Wide" projects that do not benefit the Community. I'd shift a large portion of those programs to develop free wifi for neighborhoods surrounding our campuses so that there is a meaningful connection to the campuses. We need to make our campuses relevant to the Communities that surround them and give them a reason to think of their Community College as a pathway of opportunity for the late blooming student to the grandmother who wants to learn horticultural techniques. Our campuses should reflect the needs of our community and should enhance their educational journeys not inhibit them in the name of overcrowding and unnecessary construction projects.
We are so focused on college preparation that we've lost our purpose and connection to the Community. Everything I will do will be prioritizing our community role in restoring our campuses to meet our needs and not those of the bureaucrats that currently run the place.
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page. |