Cristian Ayala
Professor Jesse La Tour
English 101
24 September 2013
Big Differences Start from Small Changes Corruption is like a cancer that is inherited into the political and economic issue of society. Not everyone living in the United States agree that we have the best government system. The United States government is a democracy that means rule of the people. The laws and most government actions are determined by the U.S citizens to a certain extent. The U.S government is by the people, but have people who represent them from the President Barrack Obama to the lowest seat in the system, city council. This division in the government is supposed to facilitate governing. It is obviously easier to govern a small city than a whole state because when there is less concerns. Many people think the president has a direct role in what goes on in their community, but little do people know city representative have more of a direct role in the community. In the community of Lennox there was a controversial political issue regarding education. The high school, Lennox Math, Science & Technology Academy has been the main focus on the political issue. Lennox Academy’s education is being affected since the school district does not grant them to be an independent charter school. Students are now feeling the effect of the education problem occurring in the district. Education leaders in every district should stay loyal to the district handbook because once one rule is broken there is a bad chain reaction. Lennox Math, Science & Technology Academy should be allowed to be an independent charter school. Lennox Academy has been ranked sixth best school in the state and thirty-ninth best in the nation making the school a crowned jewel of the Lennox school district (Metzler). Too much conflict is involved in the district is what influenced Principal Armando Mena to break away. The board will decide whether to approve the school’s written application to become an independently run charter school, meaning the district would lose virtually all of its authority over the academy. Founded about a decade ago, the school is currently a dependent charter, which is another way of saying the school’s principal answers to the district’s superintendent. Leaders of local school districts resist such a breakaway, because they lose not only control, but also the state money that comes with those students. But in this case, Kent Taylor, the deputy superintendent who is acting as the head administrator because the full time leader, Barbara Flores, is on medical leave; said he supports the of Lennox Academy being an independent school(Robbin). Kent Taylor said, “It’s done well academically; it’s financially sound. Is this not a perfect time to look at switching from a dependent model to an independent?” What Kent was trying to say is if Lennox Academy wants to depart from the district, Academy will have no problems walking on their two feet and still manage to provide a great education for their students. The district held a meeting in Lennox Academy’s cafeteria to vote on if Academy turns into an independent charter school. Five members of the district voted and the results were 3-2 in favor of Lennox Academy not becoming a Charter school. The school’s principal and founder, Armando Mena, had accepted a job at City Honors Charter High in Inglewood largely because he was at odds with the district’s leadership. But he hesitated in leaving when students organized a walkout to protest his resignation. Mena said “To walk away from that would be wrong”(Armando). The district was not going too over turn their decision so Mena felt he had to Move on and start another chapter in his life. Still trying to stay in the environment where school is the main priority of the students.
Mena and Flores the superintendent of the Lennox school district had a confrontation when Flores overturned a longtime school policy at the academy prohibiting credit-deficient