Since the cancellation of virtually all public summer school in Los Angeles, Yolanda Murrieta has been scrambling to find alternatives to keep her three children busy and academically engaged.
Tutoring, which would cost hundreds of dollars a month, is not an option. Instead, Murrieta is cobbling together a schedule that includes regular library visits and trips to the Boys & Girls Club.
"I am searching right now for a place to get in so they're not at home watching TV all summer," the 46-year-old Boyle Heights resident said. "I will need to take the teacher's role so they will be prepared."
She's not alone. As parents across the state struggle to come up with summer plans, educators are warning that the summer school cancellations could have dire consequences.
While visiting a children's center on skid row, state Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell said Friday that the elimination of summer school throughout California -- prompted by state budget cuts -- will jeopardize children's safety and lead to more teenagers failing to finish high school.
"Students need to attend summer school to stay on track, to be able to graduate with their peers," he said. "No summer school will contribute to our dropout rate, and make it more difficult for us to continue closing the achievement gap."
He spoke at Para Los Ninos, which provides child care, schooling and other services to low-income, minority children. Hundreds of families have called the group seeking options since the Los Angeles Unified School District announced last month that it was canceling virtually all summer school because of budget cuts.
Gisselle Acevedo, president of the nonprofit organization, shared a deeply personal tale about the importance of keeping children supervised during the summer.
She said that when she was 11, she stayed home alone while her mother worked several jobs. Her mother warned her to stay inside and keep the doors and windows locked. One particularly hot, stuffy day, Acevedo stepped outside, intending to stand on the patio for a few moments. She said three older boys dragged her into the apartment next door and sexually assaulted her.
"Eliminating summer programs and summer school means more parents will be forced to choose between feeding their children or protecting their children," she said.
