The Mar Vista and Venice neighborhood councils joined together and on Thursday night,  held an Education Summit at Venice HS.  With over 100 people in attendance,  there were some insightful questions that were fielded by a knowledgeable panel and moderated by Kate Anderson (MVCC education chair) who planned the event.

As an advocate for quality education in our communities,  I helped spread the word about this summit (as I have done for other public, private and charter school events),  because I believe information to be vitally important to parents so they can make the best decision for their children., Board member Marlene Canter,  Parent Advocate Bill Ring,  Local Dist 3 Supt Michelle King along with support from CFO Megan Reilly and incoming board member Steve Zimmer were all on the panel to discuss current district/budget issues as it relates to local area schools., I found the information that was discussed to be honest and the facts offered seemed to be based in the difficult budget reality we are are faced with. This summit and others like it that are happening throughout our communities,  are critical components to the overall puzzle as we move toward greater schools. Teachers and parents (including myself) are quite concerned about the long-term impact this all will have., As questions came into the panel,  two Venice High School students asked for a few minutes of microphone time to share with the group their newly formed Venice Student Union with the belief that students themselves should have a seat at the table. Additionally,  I recognized members from various stakeholders in the audience,  including LAUSD/district administrators/staff,  Green Dot/Parent Revolution personnel,  and others., There has already been some discussion of additional forums (like this one) for our community and I look forward to supporting,  participating and learning. I have found that many who attend meetings such as these to be well informed and are often the individuals that take the important steps needed for better schools and healthier communities.