Student's video puts school cuts on personal level

David Vera, 18, has his young heart set on becoming a film editor or an actor. So the challenge posted on the door of his film arts class at Monroe High School in the San Fernando Valley held obvious appeal.

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The challenge had come from Los Angeles Unified School Board member Tamar Galatzan.

"We hear from all of the adults about budget cuts," Galatzan told me. That would be the teachers, administrators, parents, union bosses, legislators.

"But we don't hear from the students."

Good point. And it's not as if the wisdom of the adults has gotten us anywhere.

So Galatzan put out the word in her district, asking students in high school, middle school and elementary school to see what they could accomplish in one short reel, and she wasn't kidding about "short." The videos had to be one minute or less.

Vera's first attempt was no Oscar contender, although it wasn't bad. He took his camcorder and shot classroom scenes that showed a teacher disappearing and the number of students jammed into classrooms multiplying.

"Budget cuts cost teachers jobs," said a voice from on high, "but cost students opportunities."

Vera turned it in to teacher Vince Toto but insisted on taking another try.

That's when the music came to him.

"Tell me what's wrong with society," begins the song called "Crazy," by Simple Plan.

The lyrics were perfect.

Is everybody going crazy?

Is anybody going to save me?

Tell me what's going on . . .

If you open your eyes

You'll see that something is wrong

Next, the soundtrack needed some drama. That's where L.A. Unified gave the aspiring filmmaker a gift:

His favorite teacher got a pink slip.

That would be Travis Aranaga, an ambitious young teacher in his third year and loving every minute of his job. Aranaga's parents were both teachers, and he always knew he wanted to follow them into the profession. He went and got two masters degrees and threw himself into the job at Monroe.

But none of that mattered. The school district based its job cuts on seniority alone, and Aranaga's neck was under the budget ax.

Is everybody going crazy?

"David came to me one day and said he'd like me to do this video with him," said Aranaga.