Wednesday, January 25, 2006

City Crews Remove Illegal Crosswalk at Lincoln Elementary


Lynwood, CA - City crews remove unauthorized crosswalk in front of Lincoln Elementary allegedly striped by school staff. The two red stripes led from the school's main entrance, and to one of the circles on State Street. Students at Lincoln Elementary must cross the street to practice physical education.

44 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's obvious that the cross walk made by staff was needed. If any council member is reading this please assist Lincoln to obtain a safe cross walk.

Anonymous said...

First of all, who authorized the circle to be used as a "physical education" area? What happens if a car looses control and hit a child?

Second, the School personnel took it upon themselves to paint a cross walk. This is wrong. There is a reason why there isn't a cross walk at that location.

The School Board needs to take a look at this issue and reprimend or terminate whomever is behind this.

Anonymous said...

WHY IS THE SCHOOL TAKING CHILDREN OUTSIDE TO PLAY? DOESN'T THE SCHOOL HAVE A BIG PLAYGROUND? THAT'S SUICIDE. IF ANYONE IS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, YOU DAMN WELL KNOW TRAFFIC THERE IS BAD, AND IT TRAVELS AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL IS PUTTING CHILDREN'S LIVES IN DANGER!!!!

PLUS, THE INSURANCE TO COVER ALL THOSE KIDS SHOULD (GOD FORBID) SOMETHING HAPPENS IS PROBABLY COSTING A LOT OF MONEY. THE SCHOOLBOARD MEMBERS SHOULD USE THAT MONEY TO IMPROVE THE SCHOOL'S PLAYGROUND AND PROVIDE KIDS A SAFE PLACE TO PLAY.

NOW TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE DAMN TWO RED LINES, YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE THEM IF YOU'RE STANDING IN FRONT OF THEM. HOW CAN THEY THINK CARS WILL SEE THEM? THEY WON'T. PERIOD. CARS WON'T STOP. THEY HIT A KID. KID DIES. STORY IN THE NEWS. WHAT DO THE PARENTS GET? A WE'RE SORRY NOTE FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS AND CITY MEMBER WHO DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON.

Anonymous said...

To the first comment:

How could you think the crosswalk made by staff was needed? There is a good reason why the City didn't put one there before, just as there's a reason why the school has a play area.

The principal has put all those lives in danger. She needs to pay the price. FIRE HER. Someone who puts children's lives in danger should not be an educator.

Anonymous said...

I called the California Deparment of Education, and the representative told me that there is no reason why children are to be taken outside of the school for sports activities since the the campus has a play area. Allowing the school district to put children's lives in danger is sufficient to initiate a recall against the board members.
They gave the superintendent a raise, and this is one good example that shows he is not doing his job.

Anonymous said...

All of you are assuming that the kids are being taken out of the school to for PE. You guys are taking this information with out researching if it is true or not. Their has to be an explanation.

Anonymous said...

I drove through there today to see if the lines were actually there or if this was a hoax. Two black lines over the pavement were there, which leads me to believe that the redlines were painted over. And at 1:30pm, school children were using the circle as a playground. They were all wearing uniforms, and it was during school hours. If they are not in PE, what the hell are they doing there?

It's hard to believe otherwise when you see a bunch of school kids in uniforms and with a teacher. I also looked at the traffic. Cars don't slow down, and I saw a couple of them speeding.

If they are not in PE, why is the school letting them out, shouldn't they be in the classroom? Or safe int he playground?

Anonymous said...

California's playground safety regulations became effective on January 1, 2000.

The regulations determine each school's responsibilities in inspecting, modernizing, maintaining, and developing play areas on school property, not across the street on high traffic areas.

Anonymous said...

Well maybe if our kids had adequate play grounds these things would not have to be done. Take Roosevelt for example their kinder play ground consist of one metal slide (that gets very hot in the sun) and the other two so called playgrounds are filled with bungalows that have not been used in years.

Anonymous said...

You bring a good point. Why are the playgrounds not adequate? What is being done with the money? Maybe the schoolboard members need to stop givin outrageous increases to their friends (superintendent) and catering jobs (Lucy Avalos) to their campaign supporters, and fix the playgrounds.

Anonymous said...

I can bet you that most of the playground equipment that is available to our kids at the local schools was bought by the schools PTA. School throughout the city have heard promises by schoolboard members of putting their part to help fix the playgrounds but nothing seems to happen. I have heard talks about the Roosevelt playground being fixed since my little brother was a kinder student there and now he is already a seventh grader at Cesar Chavez. At this rate maybe his grandkids will get to go down the new slide.

Anonymous said...

To all the individuals who don't know the history,I will try to educate you. Lincoln elementary school yard has not been safe or adiquit for decades. Children over the years have sprang ankles and have broken arms due to the holes on the field. Lincoln has a horrible gopher problem which causes these holes. Dr. Harps is well known for fixing all the problems that exist at Lincoln. Starting with getting rid of teachers who were not doing their jobs. She's also been responsible for raising the test scores. Two years ago during summer vacation, Dr. Harps wanted all her classrooms to have working computers. The district said that there was no money as usual. Dr. Harps expressed that she couldn't believe that there was no money available for computers. The xx superintendant proposed to Dr. Harps, that if she could find the money in the budget, she could have her computers. Dr. Harps worked very hard during her summer vacation at her expense and found the money. This made us parents very proud of her. So don't think for one moment that Dr. Harps isn't thinking about the safety of our children. When the children are at circle park, they are totally supervised with two or more teachers. Dr. Harps has made the best of a sad overpopulated school. So, maybe some of you haters should find out the facts before you start blabbing your mouth. Dr. Harps is one of the most dedicated teachers we've ever had. I know, I attended Lincoln in 1969 and have sent all my children to Lincoln. Maybe some of you big mouths could come and volunteer during P.E. time to ensure the saftey of the children. But I know you won't volunteer you'll just continue to rip good people apart!!! Do your homework!!!!

Anonymous said...

Who has authorized Dr. Harps to use this "circle" as a playground?

Who is responsible for the children at this location? School or City?

Have the parents signed a waiver or do they not have a say so on this issue?

Anonymous said...

It sound like the principal herself put the previous comment. Don't come and preach us how wonderful you are. That's bogus. You have no authority to endanger children's lives. You need to go back to school, or better yet, the District needs to send you back to school to learn about safety.

Anonymous said...

This morning the school's principal held a meeting with the parents. Velma Asis directed the meeting and said that Washington Elementary dropped drastically after they changed the principal, and she also said that Lincoln Elementary and Washington Elementary were the only schools in the District that have books. When questioned by one of the parents, she changed her comment to say that in previous years, schools haven't had books.

I have two conderns:

1. What is the District doing with the money for the books? By law, every child SHOULD have books. The State needs to audit the Lynwood Unified School District to see where funds have gone.

2. If Washington Elementary has dropped drastically, why isn't the District doing anything about it?
If the District's own staff speaks bad of their schools, what should we as parents expect?

Anonymous said...

When ever it comes to buying anything for the student there is never enough money but there is always enough money to buy new flat
screen computers and nice comfy chairs and desk for the office "workers" at the various schools in the city the money needs to be spent on the kids not on raises or other things.

Anonymous said...

Wait a minute, there's a big discrepancy here. In today's meeting at Lincoln, we were told that there are no computers. We need to take a good look at how district is spending money.

Anonymous said...

Let me tell you about how much the City and the School District cares about our children safety!
Few years back the city spent 25,000 dollars to conduct a study regarding school "cross walks" The consultant recommended the repainting of all the existing cross walks and added a few more.
Lincoln lost one cross walk at Poplar st and onther at Oakwood Ave.
Then the city erected sings to the sugested "Safe Rout to School"
and ingnored the Consultants and about 62 parents that had petioned the city for those cross walks.
Now, the school and city employees can't do much about it.
Is our resposibility as parents!
BUT as long as we have a community that cares more about Novelas our "Honorable" elected offials are going to do what brings more money to their bolsas.
You re-elected crooks just because they said look about ALL the schools we built, but not Books, not enough qualified teachers, not enogh safety officers, but lots of prostitutes and gang recruitment going on.
Now what do you do as parent?
I get envolve at my child school, I watch the sorrunding of my child school, I talk with the teachers, I am on their ass all the time
What do you do??

Anonymous said...

When it comes to issues of safety between the district and the city, it is a matter of not wanting to spend the money or making sure the other entity takes care of the problem. How long will it take for the responsible party(ies) to place crosswalks near Chavez Middle, Marshall Elem, and Keller Elem. All three school face major streets (Abbott Rd, Long Beach Blvd.) with high vehicle traffic and human traffic as well. Or do we have to wait until one of our kids gets hit by a car.

Anonymous said...

Both City Officials and School Board Members need to step in. Inexperienced young boys like Solache shouldn't be elected, but here we are. Anyway, both should undertand that Mexico Town attracts a lot of people, which creates a lot of traffic. All that traffic goes from MLK to Imperial, and the other way around. They need to stop taking the kids out to play in that circle. It's dangerous. The problem is that parents were made to sign a waiver by the School Principal. In other words, if something happens to a kid, the School and the District wash their hands, and the parent is stuck with doctor bills, and even funeral services. I bet you anything that after a car looses control and a kid dies, we'll have a crosswalk and big signs, and even benches at the circle.

What the hell was the principal thinking when she put those red stripes? The only way I can see her as a doctor is as Dr. Dolittle, and she thinks all the kids are nothing but little animals.

Anonymous said...

You said that the principal worked free during the summer you have got to be joking. Her salary is probably so high that working during the summer is included. Hello haven't you ever heard of salary employees. Right now it's not about what the hell she did before is what the f_ _ _ is she going to do now to protect the children. Probably nothing why because the majority are hispanics???

Anonymous said...

Comment on Jan. 27, 2006 at 08:54 PM regarding Chavez Middle, Marshall Elem, Helen Keller Elem.
Parents ave gother signitures requesting Crossing Guards and other related safety precautions to be implemented immidiatly before a child gets run over by a car.
A meeting was set with Leticia to discuss the issue, but she had a
more important meeting to attend wich was the Block Watch meeting on Tuesday night. She was too busy orchestratiing a take over to try to clear her name, because of the recall she is facing.

She got 3 "Clawnsilmembers" to come to the meeting supporting her.
They claimed that no one is going to mislead the Lynwood residents, and put our city through caos because some outsiders.

But yet out-siders have come to our city and had taken over for manny years.
Bad, elected officials put our city in to this mess when they don't make descisions on the best interest of the commnuity.

Lynwood have taken a step back in to the future but, only we as concerned residents/citizens can do something about it, and that is get OFF YPUR BUTT and do wherever you think is wright, but do something intead of whinning.

Lynwood Watch Dog!

Anonymous said...

Is this Leticia's fault too??

Anonymous said...

No, we can't blame Leticia for this one. However I'm sure she will try to get involve one way or another. She will then screw up, wich in turn we will be able to blame her for it. Thanks for asking. We can always count on her love for attention.

Anonymous said...

LINCOLN WILL NOT GET THE APPROPRIATE REMEDIATIONS, BECAUSE WE ARE IN THE UNWANTED AREA OF LYNWOOD: THERES NO PLAYGROUND,OLD BUNGALOWS, wHAT HAPPENED ,WHY ALL OTHER SCHOOLS HAD RENOVATIONS AND NEW BUILDINGS, THERES TWO SCHOOL NEAR EACH OTHER IN ABBOTH, AND BOTH RECEIVED ADDITIONAL BUILDING...WHEREAS, LINCOLN NONE!! why didnt they expand like other schools?? not only does city council discriminate against our abandoned area , but also school board....WE SHOULD FILE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT!!!

Anonymous said...

LINCOLN WILL NOT GET THE APPROPRIATE REMEDIATIONS, BECAUSE WE ARE IN THE UNWANTED AREA OF LYNWOOD: THERES NO PLAYGROUND,OLD BUNGALOWS, wHAT HAPPENED ,WHY ALL OTHER SCHOOLS HAD RENOVATIONS AND NEW BUILDINGS, THERES TWO SCHOOL NEAR EACH OTHER IN ABBOTH, AND BOTH RECEIVED ADDITIONAL BUILDING...WHEREAS, LINCOLN NONE!! why didnt they expand like other schools?? not only does city council discriminate against our abandoned area , but also school board....WE SHOULD FILE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT!!!

Anonymous said...

I agree their playground equipment is contaminated with lead while the other schools have brand new equipment. What happened equal treament at the school!. Can someone give the email address of CDE?

we should contact the William people who is fighting these kind of issues. I will try to contact them

Anonymous said...

BACK IN THE DAY'S LINCOLN ELEMENTARY WAS THAT FAMILY LOVING TYPE SCHOOL, EVERYBODY NEW EVERYBODY,AND EVERYONE WOULD GET INVOLED RATHER IT WAS A SMALL SITUATION OR SIMPLY AFTER SCHOOL GAMES WHERE AS TO CHILDERN WOULD GATHER AND PLAY AS THEY AWAITED THERE FAMILY MEMBER TO PICK THEM UP,BACK THAN CHILDERN WERE WALKING TO THE HUNDREDS THE OTHER SIDE OF STATE ST,WE HAD TWO BASEBALL FIELD'S,MY POINT IS WHAT HAPPENED:I'LL TELL YOU US AS THE, FAMILIES, TODAY DONT GET INVOLED WE LET THE PRINCIPAL DO WHAT EVER, AND BEING THAT ALOT OF FAMILIES DONT SPEAK ENGLISH THERES THE OPEN DOORS,WE ALL NEED TO GET INVOLED AND NOT AWAIT A SOMEBODY ELSE"S NIGHTMARE,WE NEVER KNOW WHO'S KID COULD GET KILLED,WHY AWAIT FOR A LIVING NIGHTMARE TO HAPPEN,LET'S PUT AN END TO THIS WONNA BE SHOT CALLERS DEATH WISH FOR OUR CHILDERN.

Anonymous said...

BACK IN THE DAY'S LINCOLN ELEMENTARY WAS THAT FAMILY LOVING TYPE SCHOOL, EVERYBODY NEW EVERYBODY,AND EVERYONE WOULD GET INVOLED RATHER IT WAS A SMALL SITUATION OR SIMPLY AFTER SCHOOL GAMES WHERE AS TO CHILDERN WOULD GATHER AND PLAY AS THEY AWAITED THERE FAMILY MEMBER TO PICK THEM UP,BACK THAN CHILDERN WERE WALKING TO THE HUNDREDS THE OTHER SIDE OF STATE ST,WE HAD TWO BASEBALL FIELD'S,MY POINT IS WHAT HAPPENED:I'LL TELL YOU US AS THE, FAMILIES, TODAY DONT GET INVOLED WE LET THE PRINCIPAL DO WHAT EVER, AND BEING THAT ALOT OF FAMILIES DONT SPEAK ENGLISH THERES THE OPEN DOORS,WE ALL NEED TO GET INVOLED AND NOT AWAIT A SOMEBODY ELSE"S NIGHTMARE,WE NEVER KNOW WHO'S KID COULD GET KILLED,WHY AWAIT FOR A LIVING NIGHTMARE TO HAPPEN,LET'S PUT AN END TO THIS WONNA BE SHOT CALLERS DEATH WISH FOR OUR CHILDERN.

Anonymous said...

En esa escuela a los padres latinos nos trata muy mal esa "doctora" directora, yo fui , trate de hablar con ella y ella tajanmente me dice "I dont speak spanish" y me deja hablando , sin ningun intento de apoyarme o buscar a un traductor. yo mande una carta a la junta educativa y ya pAso casi un ano SIN RESPUESTA!

Anonymous said...

no es nada nuevo senora. que espera de nuestro politicos. si son una bola de melolengos. pero hay que ser realista. honde esta la responsibilidad de los padres. si uno de mis hijo empieza con fregaderas me lo friego. mientras no nos hagamos responsables por nuestras propias acsiones nunca cambiaran las cosas.

Anonymous said...

Padres no hay que dejarnos hablen y quejense aqui

State of California
Department of Education
www.cde.ca.gov
Categorical Complaints Management
P.O. Box 944272
Sacramento, CA 94244-2720
(916) 319-0929

If you have already filed a complaint with your local school or school district and are dissatisfied with the decision of the local agency, you may appeal within 15 days to the California Department of Education (CDE). If you are dissatisfied with the decision of the CDE, you may appeal within 35 days to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. For additional information on uniform complaint procedures, contact the address above.

Anonymous said...

No se porque nos dejamos de esa vieja que no quiere a los hispanos. No se den por vencidos sigan hablando al distrito y si no les hacen caso vallan con el estado.

Anonymous said...

To the ignorant one that said:"are we going to blame it on Letica" YES WE ARE BLAMING HER, LAST YEAR SHE NAMED HER THE "PRINCIPAL OF THE yEAR" GAVE HER THE APPLE AWARD IN A CITY COUNCIL MEETING.... INCREDIBLE LETICIA.....SIEMPRE METES LA PATA!!!!

Anonymous said...

By the way, the Principal attended school from 8:00 am to 1:00pm all last year. She got paid for attending school during work hours. Is this legal?

Lincoln Elementary Teacher.

Anonymous said...

WHAT IS SHE GETTING PAID FOR? YOU CAN'T GO TO SCHOOL DURING WORKING HOURS!! THAT'S WHY THE SCHOOL IS THE WAY IT IS. THE STATE NEEDS TO COME IN AUDIT THE DISTRICT. I'M SURE MANY OTHER SCHOOL HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS.

Anonymous said...

after leticia vazquez and council raised her ego.....she know wants to get her doctorate at our children's expense.....YOU GO TO SCHOOL AT NIGHT JUST LIKE MANY OF US DID......
IF TRUE WE SHOULD BEGIN A RECALL FOR THOSE INCOMPETENT BOARD MEMBERS...... BOARD MEMBER DO YOUR JOB AND DO THE RIGHT THING!!!!

Anonymous said...

She needs to go back to school for more than just her doctorate. How about some people skills classes? Or maybe even some business classes. So she can learn what the real business world is about. But what I really think she needs to do is see a real Doctor. She needs some serious psychological help.

Anonymous said...

This woman attended the council meeting yesterday. I had never met her but she does have a "chip on her shoulder".

Anonymous said...

I went to the office to request bilingual education classes for my son and told me tha this was America and the students should learn in Englis.......As a parent I see the benefits of my son being Bilingual and the benefits that dual language education will raise his achievement in Secondary schools and college. To the principal please, if you hate our community , What are you doing here? you might have your own philosophy of education , but as parents we know what is better for our children. Please don't try to intimated and allow our opion, we deserve that right.

Anonymous said...

All I know is that the PRINCIPAL is a RACIST against hispanics.

Anonymous said...

Parents we need to get this principal off. She gets paid too much money for her not to do anything.

Anonymous said...

Focus on why are school are over crowded. No one pays attention to the issues that matter. Why are their so many kids in our district that don't live here. 5 new schools and we are still over crowded? We need to make sure our kids are priority before our comadres kids. How about paying our teachers better salaries? They are the ones doing most of the work. How about showing our kids pride and respect? How about parents taking responsibility for their children? Claro que no! Las novelas estan mas buenas. Viejas mitoteras.

Anonymous said...

If they didn't hire stupid emergency credentialed teachers like Leticia, our schools would probebly be in better shape.