We, the undersigned parents, guardians and supporters of LAUSD students, urge the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to immediately reverse the harmful changes made to the admission process for students entering Mark Twain Middle School (MTMS) and Venice High School (VHS). These changes are negatively impacting our children’s education and threaten the integrity of the Dual Language Immersion and Individualized Honors Programs (IHP).

For years, LAUSD's Dual Language and IHP programs have been a cornerstone of academic excellence, offering specialized pathways for students committed to rigorous educational experiences. Many families have made significant sacrifices and long-term educational choices based on the promise that their children would have the opportunity to continue their academic journeys in these pathways. However, recent changes to the admissions process undermine that promise and threaten to diminish the quality of these programs.

The Problems with the Current LAUSD Admission Process:

• Dual Language Immersion Program: Students who have no prior exposure to Dual Immersion Spanish are being admitted to the program, placing them alongside students who have spent years mastering the language. This creates an unfair and imbalanced learning environment for both groups and undermines the years of dedication by students in the pathway.
  
  
• Individualized Honors Program (IHP): The removal of entry requirements has resulted in students who are unprepared for the advanced coursework being admitted, diluting the academic rigor and quality of instruction. This is unfair to both the underprepared students and those who have invested years in preparation for this high-level program.

These changes are not only damaging to the educational experiences of our children but also harm the reputation of these once-prized programs. Parents were promised continuity from elementary school through high school, but that promise has been broken.

We, the parents, demand LAUSD take immediate action to:

1. Reinstate proper entry requirements for both the Dual Language Immersion and IHP programs, ensuring that students admitted to these programs are adequately prepared and qualified to succeed.
   
   
2. Engage in direct dialogue with parents, students, and educators from the impacted schools to find a solution that protects the integrity of these programs and ensures all students are placed in environments where they can thrive.
   
   
3. Reverse the current admission process BEFORE the 2025-26 school year to prevent further harm to students and families.

Time is critical, and we need LAUSD to prioritize this issue to ensure a fair and equitable process for all students.

By signing this petition, we, the parents and guardians of LAUSD students, stand together in asking LAUSD leadership to take swift action to rectify the current admission policies and restore faith in these vital educational programs.