URBAN PERSPECTIVE - South Los Angeles parents, teachers, students, and community members are preparing for a showdown with the Los Angeles Unified School District over its education reform policy at the Board Meeting on Tuesday, August 30.
Tuesday’s demonstration and advocacy efforts will be sending a message to the 7 seated School Board representatives that the South Los Angeles community is not taking a marginal role in decisions that will affect their schools.
It is rumored that some elected officials may be present, including U.S. Representative Maxine Waters.
“We want to be in the center of LAUSD’s education reform. We want the District to provide a space for us and all the necessary resources for all our students to succeed,” says Kahllid A. Al-Alim, a parent representative for the Coalition For Educational Justice. “We have tried to be part of the academic success formula for years, only to be marginalized and divided by the special interest of a few. Certain board members have taken it upon themselves to dictate what our schools need or what’s best for us.”
Myriad policy decisions have ignited opposition, such as the removal of Principal Veronique Wills at Barack Obama Global Preparatory Academy, turnover of Clay Middle School to charter operator Green Dot, and eliminating parent advisory roles for input and recommendations to Public School Choice.
LAUSD will be hearing the community’s dismay over their top-down and back door decisions regarding the privatization of public education and the community’s demand for a binding stakeholder vote as part of Public School Choice.
To many, LAUSD’s reform is not a fair and democratic process to improve the performance and quality of its schools.
The collision course with LAUSD is about a democratic principle – hearing the voices of people and representing the people’s interest.
Info: Board of Ed will meet Tuesday August 30 at 1 p.m. at 333 S. Beaudry Ave (Board Room). Agenda
(Janet Denise Ganaway-Kelly offers more than a decade of accomplishments in the housing and nonprofit sector. Janet brings valuable insight in the areas of community and economic development. Additionally, she brings knowledge regarding the leadership and management challenges faced by large and small nonprofits that are struggling or growing organizations. She blogs at jdkellyenterprises.org ) –cw
Tags: LAUSD, South LA, Maxine Waters
CityWatch
Vol 9 Issue 69
Pub: Aug 30, 2011