One obvious solution to the countless permanently and criminally dysfunctional schools like Locke all over the country is to give parents alternatives like charter schools and/or shut down schools like Locke and let proven successful charter schools like Green Dot take over -- which, happily, is exactly what ended up happening to Locke. I covered this extensively on my blog at: http://edreform.blogspot.com/2007/06/locke-high-principal-rips-la-unified_22.html, http://edreform.blogspot.com/2007/06/seceding-from-lausd-lausd-counters.html, http://edreform.blogspot.com/2007/06/inside-view-of-locke-high-school.html, http://edreform.blogspot.com/2007/06/district-blocks-locke-highs-departure.html, http://edreform.blogspot.com/2007/06/la-unified-school-bully.html, http://edreform.blogspot.com/2007/07/maverick-leads-charge-for-charter.html, http://edreform.blogspot.com/2007/07/joe-williams-on-steve-barr.html, http://edreform.blogspot.com/2007/07/watts-riot.html, and http://edreform.blogspot.com/2007/08/plan-to-convert-locke-high-to-charter_31.html
PS--Green Dot founder Steve Barr is on the National Advisory Board of Democrats for Education Reform.