Entertainment Industry Foundation sponsors special event to promote involvement in and support for public schools

GETTING A HANDS-ON LESSON in the realities of public education in Los Angeles more than 200 entertainment, business and community leaders fanned out to schools across the Los Angeles Unified School District to serve as "Principal for a Day."

Taking attendance, meeting with students, teachers and parents, supervising recess and lunch, and partaking in other daily school activities, participants got a view of a public school through the eyes of a school principal. Project sponsors believe the process will provide a valuable learning experience and promote ongoing and substantive involvement in and support for public schools in Los Angeles.

"We want to build new bridges between our community and public schools in support of quality education," said Whoopi Goldberg, Campaign Chairman of The Entertainment Industry Foundation. "Our goal is to create effective partnerships between schools and community members that can help to improve student achievement."

Principal for a Day is a project of The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) in association with the Los Angeles Educational Partnership (LAEP) and the Los Angeles Unified School District. The project is designed to engage a broad spectrum of the entertainment industry, including actors, agents, writers, directors, producers and executives, as well as other business and community leaders in a realistic learning experience that will provide insight into the strengths of public schools and the challenges they face.

The Los Angeles Unified School District is focused on finding ways to improve student learning and achievement," said Ruben Zacarias, Superintendent. We welcome this important opportunity to share our campuses with the community and look forward to building new relationships that can help us to better meet the needs of the students in our schools."

While participants in Principal for a Day make no commitment beyond visiting school campuses, project sponsors hope that the event will serve as a catalyst for partnerships between schools and community members that can provide schools access to needed technical assistance, expertise and support. Companies and individuals considering further involvement will be encouraged to consider focusing their efforts in areas of significant need such as literacy, teacher development, the arts, technology and after school programs where a company or individual could make an immediate impact at a school. EIF and LAEP will also offer specific opportunities for immediate participation.

A sample list of these activities includes:

• Participation in efforts to improve literacy such as the Los Angeles Times "Reading by 9" program
• Formation of school partnerships with the LAUSD School Partnerships Office
• Support for efforts to improve the quality of teaching such as The LAEP Teaching Initiative
• Support for efforts to increase access to and use of technology through the Los Angeles Learning Community technology initiative
• Participation in an ongoing discussion about public education through a new Forum on Education