History
In 2000, a coalition of concerned Latino leaders created ABC as a result of the shared desire to establish a mechanism that responds to and shapes Latino policy in Los Angeles so that our community experiences a rewarding and healthy quality of life. Given the demographics of the L.A's population, these enhanced opportunities for the Latino community would create, in the long term, a better Los Angeles.
The Belmont Learning Center
ABC’s initial goal and project was to ensure that the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) complete the halted Belmont Learning Center—the first comprehensive high school set to build in LA in more than 30 years. The school was critical to alleviating the extreme overcrowding in Pico Union schools and ending the busing of more than 3,800 high school students to distant schools, offering parents and students a chance at quality, local education. However in 1999, LAUSD stalled the construction of the school due to political and environmental controversies, denying the community an opportunity for all children to succeed in a neighborhood school. As a result, ABC, with its partner organizations, spent the first three years of its existence educating and engaging area parents and students to advocate for the school’s completion.
In 2002, the District issued an RFP soliciting private proposals to either build the school or sell it for private development. To ensure Pico Union residents received the school they deserve, ABC created the Belmont Community Development Group (BCDG) and submitted a proposal to build the school in response to the District’s RFP. In June 2002, LAUSD selected ABC’s subsidiary BCDG to complete the school’s construction and environmental work. By the end of that year, ABC had completed its preconstruction contract obligations, readying itself for the full contract. However, at this time the District announced the discovery of an earthquake fault that ran most of the length of the property. Despite extensive study, experts could not come to a decision as to whether it was an active fault. In December 2002, Superintendent Roy Romer, in “an abundance of caution” canceled the school’s construction. Consequently, ABC and its community partners again mobilized the community to advocate for the school’s safe completion.
Working with School Board President José Huizar, we developed an alternate school design that met state earthquake codes, built a campus for 2,600 students (rather than the previously planned 3,400), offered 12 acres for a Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy natural park and constructed a school and community joint-use soccer field. In March 2003, ABC led a march comprised of more than 500 students and parents from the existing Belmont High School to the School Board to advocate in favor of the newly planned school, now renamed Vista Hermosa. As a result, the LAUSD School Board voted 5-1-1 in favor of the new design. Vista Hermosa—the school, park and soccer field—are set to be completed by 2008.
Since then, ABC has continued its involvement in various school facility and student overcrowding campaigns. Specifically, we advocated that local and state school construction bonds be prioritized in high need areas to ensure that every student can attend school in their local neighborhood for a full 180 days per year.
ABC is also a founding member of the RFK-12 campaign that sought to provide seats quickly and cost effectively at the former Ambassador Hotel property. The development of this site and other schools in the area was jeopardized when external historical preservation forces sought to conserve as much of the existing hotel at a cost of $100 million more than the building of new school facilities. In a time of extreme overcrowding and budget crisis, ABC maintained that providing local seats, not historical preservation of buildings, was the District’s priority and obligation to voters.
The Latino Scorecard
On October 30, 2003, ABC in conjunction with the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, and five leading research institutions across the county (Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at UCLA, Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University, Tomás Rivera Policy Institute at University of Southern California, Pepperdine University, and Center for Southern California Studies at California State University Northridge) released the Latino Scorecard: Grading the American Dream.
The Scorecard assesses and grades five policy areas:
1) Health
2) Education
3) Economic Development
4) Housing and
5) Public Safety.
In addition to grading each policy area, the Scorecard offers recommendations to spur positive change in these areas and improve the quality of life for Los Angeles’ disadvantaged populations. In adopting the Latino Scorecard agenda as our own, ABC advocates for policies that provide equitable opportunities for Latinos to live an outstanding quality of life. Since the launch of the Scorecard three years ago, ABC has hired policy consultants in the areas of health, early education, secondary education, and economic development/housing that have been active in coordinating a community response to affect policy, leadership, accountability and communication.
In January 2006, the Latino Scorecard was reissued with a new assessment of grades for each of the five policy areas and an updated and more detailed Action Agenda. The 2006 report renewed the call to action, providing ABC and its many community, public and private partners more defined goals to pursue.
