ALLOW OUR SCHOOLS FREEDOM TO INNOVATE

by School Boardmember Tamar Galatzan in her Galatzan Gazette newsletter

7 November - At a meeting of the Governance Committee last week, Senior Deputy Superintendent Ray Cortines mentioned something very interesting that I’ve been thinking about ever since.

When addressing ways the District can support school-led innovation, he used Title I funding as an example.He said that many people wrongly believe that federal law prevents the use of Title I dollars for class-size reduction.

This prohibition is actually imposed by the District.

I’ve been wondering ever since how many other rules and restrictions the District
created for the ease of recordkeeping or other suspicious reasons?

With LAUSD facing both a budget crisis of epic proportions and a steady exodus of dynamic schools from the District and into the charter community, we must allow our schools the freedom to innovate.

I am not talking about tinkering-at-the-edges,but an every-thing-is-on-the-table
brainstorming session.

Schools are being asked to do more with less; let’s allow them to decide how and when to spend the dollars. The District should stand aside and free schools from bureaucratically-imposed-burdens.

Instead we must work with parents, teachers, administrators, staff, and students to spend money in a way that most benefits the kids.

 

●●smf’s 2¢: 4LAKids hopes that the boardmember is doing more than “thinking about ever since” and “wondering ever since how many other rules and restrictions the District created for the ease of recordkeeping or other suspicious reasons?”  

These are questions that should challenge sleep at night.

As a public trustee she needs to be demanding the answers and transparency she seeks – and sharing what she finds with the rest of us.

Go for it Tamar. You are not alone at that table with everything on it  – we have our sleeves rolled up and our edge-tinkering tools stowed away.

We have your back!