And the Children Shall Lead
I have been to rock concerts and I have been to town halls. But, on an overcast morning in downtown Los Angeles, at one of this mega-district’s newest public high schools, I was about to experience an interesting hybrid of the two. It was a seamless combination of celebrity and the cerebral, pomp and the circumstance, all in the name of education. A human soundtrack of chatter, laughs, and greetings filled the auditorium at theEdward A. Roybal Learning Center, which was packed with students, educators, community members, elected officials, and media. At the front of the room, several large TV screens played interviews with people sharing stories about the difference teachers had made in their lives. As cameras flashed, and the crowd cheered, boxer and local hero Oscar de la Hoya took the stage, followed by recording artist and actor John Legend. Students