FIRST-HAND REPORT FROM THE HS#13/TAYLOR YARDS PSC ELECTION …now with photos!

by smf for 4LAKidsNews

School buses from across the city (Downtown, the San Fernando Valley) are busing in charter school parents - with instructions on how to vote taped to the window: for one (PUC School) of the two charter schools and four Pilot on the High School #13 Public School Choice ballot. There are only five small schools, one will get left out!

The bused-in-parents – often accompanied by children - are off loaded, lined up and shepherded by charter folks and school district staff into the polling place, often with their instructions in hand.  The buses refill with  the recently-voted and go back for another load. The League of Women Voters election monitor says it’s OK because the rules for who can vote based on where they live was changed/clarified on Thursday. The first day of voting was Monday!

“We just keep voting”, the character played by Edward G. Robinson says to the character played by Humphrey Bogart in ‘Key Largo’, “until we get the results we want.”

It’s like a finely oiled machine – if the machine is in a Chicago or Florida  – Election!

And if one should try to take a picture of a bus the bus driver cites chapter-and-verse about how it’s illegal to take a picture of a school bus. 

• The fact that it’s a school bus during school hours and a charter bus when it subverts (or perhaps augments) democracy is lost on the angry driver.  
• The law that school buses when acting as charter buses are supposed to cover the words “School Bus” and cover their red lights is conveniently ignored.

The driver doesn’t take up the photographers suggestion to call the cops.  I think “You call the cops!” was her snappy reply!  I was cut to the quick.