ONLY TWO APPLICATIONS RECEIVED TO OPERATE AND IMPROVE SAN FERNANDO MIDDLE SCHOOL

Written by Diana Martinez, Editor | San Fernando Valley Sun

En español: Solo se Reciben dos Aplicaciones para Operar y Mejorar San Fernando Middle School | http://bit.ly/69RDvX

PHOTO: Laura Tracy, the UTLA Chapter Chair, is also a history teacher at San Fernando Middle School.

Wednesday, 13 January 2010 -- Eighty-four groups submitted applications to operate both LAUSD's under performing schools and new schools set to be opened.

San Fernando Middle School was one of the schools that has been designated as a "focus" school cited for under performing and available for an outside proposal to run the school.

Teacher teams, non-profit agencies and existing charter school operators applied for the right to operate one or more campuses, said Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent Ramon C. Cortines. "The District is committed to education reform as we determine what works best for each school and its students," said Cortines.

While there were eight letters of intent sent to LAUSD initially to operate and improve San Fernando Middle School, only two actual proposals were received by the district's deadline on Monday.

The two applications were from the San Fernando Middle School Collaborative and the Youth Policy Institute. The San Fernando Middle School Collaborative is a partnership with most of the middle school's current teachers and administration along with Project Grad and LEAP with a school based management plan. YPI, the Youth Policy Institute currently runs charter schools in other areas but has proposed a pilot school with a small group of San Fernando Middle School teachers interested in having a multi-media emphasis for the school.

Teachers at the school have described the process as disruptive and stressful for both students and teachers.

Starting this week, community meetings will be held at each of the 36 campuses, where applicants will present their plans to parents.

A meeting will be held to discuss the new high school scheduled to be built on Arroyo (swap meet site) in San Fernando, on Jan. 15 and 19 at 3:30 p.m. at Gridley Elementary School 1907 Eighth Street in San Fernando.

On Friday, Jan. 22 at 5 p.m. at San Fernando Middle School (Auditorium 130 N. Brand Blvd., San Fernando) a meeting will be held to discuss the two proposals currently on the table to run the middle school.

The district plans to appoint internal and external review panels, and ask for advisory votes from parents and other stakeholders before the superintendent makes recommendations to the school board. A final vote by the L.A. Board of Education to decide what plan will be approved is expected in February.

This week, The San Fernando Valley Sun/El Sol interviewed Laura Tracy, the UTLA Chapter Chair. Tracy is also a history teacher at San Fernando Middle School and has been very involved in the development of the Collaboration proposal.

Entire story and interview: http://bit.ly/54aAPm