PLAINTIFFS JOIN REQUEST TO HAVE CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT HEAR APPEAL OF AB 1381

January 18, 2007

NEWS RELEASE
LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
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PLAINTIFFS JOIN REQUEST TO HAVE CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT
HEAR APPEAL OF AB 1381

LOS ANGELES – The coalition of plaintiffs, which includes parents, teachers, organizations and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), joined Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other defendants in requesting the California Supreme Court to hear the appeal of Assembly Bill 1381 and bypass the lower appeals court.

“Having the California Supreme Court make the final determination on AB 1381 will allow everyone to focus on the real and important work of improving outcomes for LAUSD students," said Marlene Canter, President of LAUSD’s Board of Education. She continued, “Our students and parents are the ones who are harmed by the uncertainty in resolving this dispute. They deserve to have final resolution of these issues.”

Kevin Reed, LAUSD’s General Counsel, noted that “while the winning party in the trial court often seeks to delay the appeal process, we are confident that the Supreme Court -- which is the court with the ultimately authority in this dispute -- will agree with the trial court and so we are urging them to take the case now, rather than to await an intermediate appellate court decision.”

AB 1381 was set to go into effect January 1, 2007 until it was ruled unconstitutional in December 2006 by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Dzintra I. Janavs. Last week, Janavs denied Villaraigosa's request to implement portions of the legislation while the case goes through the appeals process.

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