Child Welfare & Attendance at LAUSD

A Brief History...

Massachusetts passed the first compulsory school laws in 1852. New York followed the next year. The first public school opened in Los Angeles on March 19, 1855, as the direct result of a City Council ordinance on July 26, 1853. For a long time, there had been an unenforceable state attendance law. Consequently, by 1903, a new Compulsory Education Act had been enacted, and the Los Angeles Board appointed an Attendance Officer. Thus began our Pupil Services and Attendance Branch. Within a decade, the Los Angeles School Directory listed a Supervisor of Attendance, an Assistant Supervisor, and five attendance officers. A couple of years later, in 1915, the first woman attendance officer was appointed. Right after the First World War, the Board of Education recognized the attendance staff--now fifteen officers with a director and assistant director--onto the Department of Compulsory Education and Child Welfare.

In 1919, members of the newly constituted department formed a professional association, the Child Welfare Association, later renamed Association of Pupil Services & Attendance Counselors, or APSAC, which has been in existence since. We are one of the oldest professional groups in the Los Angeles City School District.

LAUSD COMPULSORY EDUCATION and CHILD WELFARE in the "OLD DAYS"

1855--The first school opened in Los Angeles on March 19, and had 500 children.
1898-99--The number of school aged children not attending school was 6,549, partly due to lack of school housing. Children 8-14 were to attend school at least five months, of which 18 weeks must be consecutive.
1905-06--Arthur C. Ayers, first Attendance Officer (later principal of 30th St. Intermediate - John Adams Jr. High School) submitted his report that 835 (mostly boys) were apprehended for truancy. He recommended that the Compulsory Education Law be raised to 16 years, unless the child was regularly employed, and that continued unexcused absences be filed against the parents.
1913--The L.A. Federation of Parents and Teachers, who were well organized, promoted the passage of laws through the State Legislature, such as the Juvenile Court Act, curfew ordinance, moving picture censorship, minimum wage law, anti-prize fight bill, fire arms prohibition, which resulted in more enforcement work for the Attendance Officer.
1913--A position of Assistant Superintendent of Compulsory Education and Evening School was established.
1915--Eight employees were appointed as Deputy Sheriff's, complete with badges. Their salary was $100 a month. A woman Officer was appointed.
1916--The Department of Compulsory Education and Child Welfare was officially established with R.W. Hickley as Director, and E.B. Hitchcock as Assistant Director.
1919--The establishment of the Child Welfare and Attendance Association, later renamed Association of Pupil Services and Attendance Counselors (APSAC).*
1919 to Present--APSAC has supported students, families and PSA Counselors to ensure school age students are enrolled, attending and on track to graduate.
2022- The LA County Board or supervisors name September the Child Welfare and Attendance Counselors month, and the last Tuesday of September as the PSA Counselor Day, after APSAC's President, Ofelia Ryan collaborated with Ms. Janice Hahn's staff to create the motion. APSAC's President worked with LAUSD Board member Scott Schmerelson to write a resolution to mirror the LA County motion. Board Members Jackie Goldberg, and George McKenna supported the resolution. PSA Counselors celebrated the PSA Counselor Day for the first time on September 27, 2022.

To read more about the "History of U.S. Children's Policy, 1900-Present" click here.