High Teacher Turnover: Reality of an LA Urban School

by Yolanda Arenales for New America Media/La Opinion, view original article

August 10, 2010

The slogan, “Soaring to Success,” flying above Edwin Markham Middle School, is in stark contrast to the abundant signs of decline in the community in which it is located. Trash on the ground, abandoned lots, and bars on the windows are the first signs of the ills that plague the neighborhood of Watts in Los Angeles.

There were 142 arrests in Markhan in 2007-08, and 329 suspensions for drug and violence—out of a total of 1,495 students—in the following year. The fact that in the 10-block radius around the school there are 38 identified gangs gives an idea of the circumstances the residents of this area face every day. That is why many are not surprised that the teachers do not stay long in the post.

“The first time I went through Compton Avenue, I thought it was the scene of a movie, with all the stereotypes of a slum: prostitution, gangs and poverty.”

Read the rest of this article at: http://newamericamedia.org/2010/08/los-desaparecidos-reality-of-an-la-urban-school.php