LAUSD TO CONSIDER NEW SCHOOLS TO BE PRIVATELY RUN

KCBS – TV Online

Aug 24, 2009 3:55 am US/Pacific  -- LOS ANGELES (CBS) ― New schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District could soon be privately operated if Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa gets his way.

Villaraigosa is expected to urge LAUSD Board Members to approve a resolution to allow 50 new schools to be operated by charter operators and other institutions for 2010-11 school year.

Those schools are planned to be opened in the next three years.

Villaraigosa said the idea will allow those most qualified to better run the schools and ease some of the financial burden from the City of Los Angeles.

The school superintendent would make the decision based on the operation and instructional plans the bidders submit.

However, opponents of the resolution met Saturday and issued a statement that states the motion: "fails to address key issues impacting students, parents, teachers and LAUSD employee bargaining units."

The opposing group is looking into legal counsel to pursue an injunction if the school board approves the resolution on Tuesday.

According to Andrea Canty of the California School Employees Association, the school choice resolution was prepared without the involvement of parents, teachers, LAUSD administrators, employees and labor representatives.

"The unions are in favor of educational reform," Canty said. "However we must be included in all stages of the process. The school choice resolution does not include provisions and protections for collective bargaining agreements and sacrifices jobs of workers, who are parents of LAUSD children."

 

REWIND/REPLAY: “Villaraigosa said the idea will allow those most qualified to better run the schools and ease some of the financial burden from the City of Los Angeles.”

Either the reporter or the mayor needs to explain ‘the financial burden upon the City of Los Angeles’ by public schools; LAUSD is a separate  government entity with constitutionally guaranteed and mandated independence. -smf