Activist group is going to war against the Army

A group against high school military recruitment is asking for the same amount of access as military recruiters.

The Coalition Against Militarism in Our Schools is proposing to the L-A Board of Education that military recruiters disproportionately recruit minorities or students from low-income neighborhoods.

Under the proposal- the Pasadena based group will visit ten to 15 high schools per week.

Offering information about enlistment, career options, and blocking contact information from the military.

The United Teachers of Los Angeles are supporting the bill.

Opponents of the bill argue activists use disinformation and graphic images to deter students from enlisting in the Army.

The U-S Department of Defense spends three point five Billion dollars annually on recruitment—enlisting more than 300-thousand people in 2007.

Los Angeles County ranked third in Army recruits in 2007.

The Coalition Against Militarism in Our Schools will present their proposal to the city.

La Unified students are improving on standarized tests

The Los Angeles Unified School district is continuing to score higher on the Academic Performance Index.
L-A-U-S-D’s A-P-I score is 662-- an increase of seven from last year.
According to the state Department of Education the target score is 800 and the highest score possible is one thousand.
The Director of Policies and Evaluations for the State Department of Education- Rachel Perry says the A-P-I allows schools to compare its scores with all California schools.
Perry says the A-P-I scores give local schools and districts an insight as to how they are doing compared to other schools in California and to other schools similarly situated in terms of their demographics.
The A-P-I calculates student scores based off the Standardized testing and Reporting Program and the High School Exit Exam.
Elementary schools tended to have the best index rating with a statewide average of 763.
Middle schools averaged a score of 720 and high schools scored 689—all three schools ranked higher than previous years.
The top three high schools on the A-P-I are Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies, the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies and Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy.