Final Report 1963*

Recommendations 7

• R1
  The Grand Jury recommended that the so-called Brown Act, which re- quires that meetings of public bodies be open to the public, should be streng- thened by amendment to make its enforcement more effective. This is des- cribed in detail in the Criminal Complaints Committee report.
• R2
  The Grand Jury recommended to Governor Edmund G. Brown that the subject of conviction of teachers on charges of sex deviation be included in any call for a special session of the 1964 Legislature. The Grand Jury also made recommendations to the County Board of Super- visors, as follows:
• R3
  A recommendation that a Citizens Committee be established to study and report to the Board on the operations and administration of the criminal laws of the State as they affect law enforcement in Los Angeles County. This was probably the most important recommendation made by the Grand Jury.
• R4
  A recommendation that more effective controls be established to prevent substantial losses in supplies in the County General Hospital and the Harbor General Hospital. Such losses had been disclosed to the Grand Jury by its Contract Auditor.
• R5
  A recommendation that the Board employ a private consulting organiza- tion, skilled in making studies and reports on the operations of government departments and agencies, to survey operations in the County Department of Charities, as administered under State laws, rules and regulations, as well as under County ordinances. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE STUDIES Areas which we believe deserve special attention of the Board of Super- visors are as follows:
• R6
  Provide in-service training for teachers so that they may work more effectively with culturally deprived students. We realize that the community as a whole is becoming aware of the drop- outs and the problems that they pose. We feel that this awareness is healthy, and that only by combined efforts of the community and the schools can this problem be solved. In our study of the drop-outs, we learned of the Youth Opportunities Board of Greater Los Angeles. Karl Holton, Executive Director, spoke to a joint Schools-Juvenile Committee meeting, and we received and read reports from the Board. We recognize the Youth Opportunities Board as an attempt by representatives of the schools and the community to work together to solve mutual problems. We commend this effort, and feel that it is a positive step toward solution of the problem of the drop-out and his lack of employ- ment. De facto segregation in the public schools is one of the problems that face most County School Districts at this time. It is also an area of concern to a majority of this Committee, and so we invited informed officials to talk to us on the subject, and we obtained a report on equal educational opportunities. As a result, we recommend to the County Superintendent of Schools that he continue doing everything consistent with his powers to encourage school boards and their staffs to exercise their legal and moral responsibilities in the use of their resources to provide facilities, personnel and conditions which will insure the best possible educational opportunities for all youth—regard- less of their race, religion, national origin, or economic status. This calls for qualified personnel, adequate physical facilities and sound educational offer- ings in all schools. To accomplish this, we recommend to the County Superintendent of Schools that he continue to encourage school districts to: Eliminate, whenever and wherever possible, double sessions.
• R59

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  . Study of Department of Charities Background . . . . . . . . . . 73 . Recommendation