LA School Board To Weigh In On Charter School Fight
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The Los Angeles Board of Education is expected to begin considering two proposals aimed at limiting the growth and independence of charter schools.
One proposal for the controversial $490 million plan under consideration would have the school board go on record opposing plans by the Broad Foundation and others to enroll half the districts 650,000 students in charter schools within the next eight years, the Los Angeles Times reported.
A second plan would require charters to expand the amount of information they disclose about their operations, including staff salaries and what types of services are available to disabled students.
Both proposals are supported by the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) union, which has emerged as the most vocal opponent of the charter expansion.
"We all want the same thing," California Charter Schools Association's Shawn Brown said. "We all want well-educated kids who leave school college-ready, and I think we're all trying to do the same thing. We can all work together on this."
The Broad Foundation's Gregory McGinity told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO despite the opposition, the group wants to work with students, parents and the district.
"We need to find a why to get more of both the magnet schools as well as charter schools in Los Angeles," said McGinity. "Wherever we can find a great school, we should be asking, 'How do we get another one?'"
UTLA members picketed outside Stevenson Middle School on Indiana Street and at various other schools around the city Tuesday morning, and handed out leaflets opposing charter expansion plan, said Kim Turner of UTLA.
Los Angeles continues to serve the largest number of charter school students nationwide with a current waiting list of nearly 70,000, according to a new report from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
The Broad Foundation released a statement that read in part: "The proposed board resolution on today's agenda is premature and unfortunate. It has evolved over the past months and does not reflect ongoing conversations with community groups about how best to improve public schools for all LA students." (A previous version of this article incorrectly attributed the above statement to Eli Broad. CBSLA regrets the error.)
(©2015 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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.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.)
