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LAUSD Board Selects Operators For Several Campuses


LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Some big changes are on the way for Los Angeles schools and charter school operators say, it's a victory.

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education selected operators for a variety of campuses under the district's Public School Choice program.

The program has drawn the ire of some groups, most notably the teachers' union, United Teachers Los Angeles, which has derided the program as a giveaway of public schools and public money at a time when thousands of teachers are receiving layoff notices.

As the board labored through Superintendent Ramon Cortines' recommendations for operators of 13 campuses, tensions often ran high.

"I think the good news is that overall, as we open new schools – even during these tough times – we're looking for the best collection of operators, of professionals to help us serve every student," board President Monica Garcia said.

Board member Marguerite LaMotte took issue with Garcia's support for charter school operators taking over various campuses, hinting that she was doing the bidding of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a backer of charter schools.

In the end, the board chose a variety of operators, ranging from charter schools to pilot programs and local school district groups. In some cases, no operator was chosen.

But not everyone is happy about this decision.

A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, says this could mean more teacher layoffs, more nonunion jobs and he says charter schools have a high turnover rate.

The changes are expected to take effect this Fall.

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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