Tuesday, August 25, 2009

LA school board approves school choice plan

By CHRISTINA HOAG (AP)

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Board of Education voted Tuesday to adopt a controversial resolution that could turn a third of the schools in the nation's second-largest school district over to private operators.

The proposal, which gives Superintendent Ramon Cortines 60 days to develop a plan, was approved 6-1 after a contentious four-hour public hearing and board debate..

The LAUSD, which has more than 688,000 students, already boasts the highest number of charter schools of any school district in the country. About 150 of its 800 schools are run by nonprofit educational groups.

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Newcelebrityblog said...

"It's not acceptable. Our children deserve a better education. We cannot keep doing the same thing thinking we'll get different results," said Isabel Medina of East Los Angeles whose child attends Garfield High School, which has a 50 percent dropout rate.

The choice plan also drew the support of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the Valley Industry Commerce Association and the United Way of Greater Los Angeles.

School district unions opposed the plan, arguing that the district was giving away its schools.