LA MAYOR SAYS REFORMS TO LAUSD WILL MOVE AHEAD

 

By CHRISTINA HOAG, Associated Press Writer in the San Francisco Chronicle | http://bit.ly/c9BdA1

Thursday, October 7, 2010 11:32 PDT Los Angeles, CA (AP) -- Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa says the city and school board will move ahead with reform efforts with or without the support from the teachers' union.

At a press conference Thursday, Villaraigosa called on United Teachers Los Angeles to join in the movement to reform the nation's second largest school district, starting with an overhaul of the seniority-based layoff system.

The union has promised to challenge a proposed settlement of a lawsuit over layoffs at three of the district's lowest performing schools that left their teaching staffs decimated.

School board member Yolie Flores-Aguilar said at the news conference that it was frustrating the union was not on the same page as the school board in reform efforts.