The Invisible Profession
I’m going to interrupt this little story to throw light on what I call the Invisible Profession: architecture. Most people don’t seem to understand just what it is architects do and how valuable they really are. Sure, everyone has an opinion about how beautiful or ugly a building is. But there’s much more to it than just looks. Other issues include safety, accessibility, the way in which a building allows its users to function, and more. An architect, then, has a lot of things to consider when designing a building and making sure that its construction goes as smoothly as possible. And, of course, the architect has to do all this while juggling clients’ needs, limited budgets and tight schedules. To top it off, architects are liable for all the drawings they stamp and have to carry liability insurance for the rest of their lives. As I was told by an architect, and I paraphrase: “Think about it: a building failing can kill a lot of people if it isn’t designed or built correctly, which is more than can happen when a doctor makes a mistake.” You can understand, then, that a lot can be at stake in architecture.
Something else I’d like to point out: Architects have to be licensed. The privilege of regularly paying licensing fees only comes after extensive testing that includes nine written/graphic exams and an oral examination.
As for the outcome of the story, you’ve probably guessed that “X” didn’t win the case. The judge, in fact, dismissed it by stretching the Constitution to grant LAUSD immunity from prosecution on the basis that since the School District receives funding from the state of California, it is an extension of the state. And the thieving architect, “Y”? He wasn’t even disciplined by the California Architects Board, the entity responsible for protecting the “health, safety and welfare of the public through the regulation of the practice of architecture in California.” (http://www.cab.ca.gov/)
“X” wanted very much to appeal, feeling that the dismissal was unjust and that the judge was out of line. But LAUSD has considerably more legal funds than “X,” meaning there was no appeal and LAUSD got away with a highly unethical act. But given all the tomfoolery LAUSD is typically up to, that‚s hardly shocking, right? We all remember how LAUSD handled the Ambassador Hotel, rejecting plans to adaptively re-use the historic hotel as a school. That the Ambassador was demolished proved yet how hopelessly broken LAUSD is.
Breaking Up Is Easy to Do
A few suggestions had been bandied about to fix LAUSD’s bloated bureaucracy in the past, but you wouldn’t know it from the headlines. These days, it’s all about Mayor Villaraigosa and his bid to take over the School District. Frankly, the idea that a person whose job it is to run a city the size of Los Angeles could also steer the lumbering machinery of the School District is rather silly. But the earnestness with which the Mayor hangs onto the idea forces us to take the idea just as seriously. There’s dissent, of course. But the real question is, what happened to that other idea, namely, firing LAUSD’s upper tier of management and breaking up the School District into smaller districts? It seems as if every time there’s a problem, we rush to concentrate authority in the name of “accountability” instead of finding solutions that enable people to handle things themselves. Smaller, more localized districts would be more responsive to their community’s concerns, have boards with more direct accountability, and, I think, have fewer of the ethical shortcomings I described above. Unless, of course, they‚re the Culver City School Board with its excessive medical premium payments and superintendent shenanigans. But hey, at least the Culver City School District’s size makes it easier for the community, including newspapers like thefrontpageonline.com, to make a noisy fuss about it.
The moral of the story? The discussion regarding LAUSD isn’t over, despite Mayor Villaraigosa’s antics, and smaller is better, which applies just as well to the Mayor’s ambitions.
And you should hug an architect if you haven’t already done so because they sure deserve some appreciation for the work they do.