Update: JORDAN HIGH SCHOOL/FOR THE RECORD + smf’s 2¢

from the LA Times | http://lat.ms/eGJeFE

January 15, 2011 - An article in the Jan. 13 LATExtra section [http://lat.ms/ia1uaz] about L.A. school district leaders' decision to split Jordan High School into three campuses to be run by outside groups said that parents and teachers in 2008 rejected a takeover of the school by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's nonprofit education group, the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. About 150 parents cast ballots, and 83% of those favored the partnership. The school remained under L.A. Unified's control because a majority of teachers opposed the change.

smf: The above clarification still remains in conflict with Mayor Tony’s allegation to KABC News:

"Thursday, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said the decision was backed by 90 percent of parents and 60 percent of the school's staff" | http://bit.ly/erNai7

• If Jordan has a student population of 1799 and every Jordan student has a single parent, 150 parents voting equals only 8.3% of parents..
• 83% of 150 equals 125 votes for the mayor’s partnership – the parent approval was actually 6.9%. Or less.
• The representation that the decision was backed  by “60% of school staff” is statistical hogwash.
  • The law requires support of teachers, not school staff. This may not be fair …but it is the law.
  • It is possible that 60% of the teachers who voted voted for PLAS – but the charter law requires support of a majority of all the teachers at the school. No vote is a No vote.

Part of what’s happening here is that part of the school is being given over to the Partnership for LA Schools …even though a majority of parents and faculty opposed it.