Los Angeles may turn one-third of public schools over to private operators

A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles teachers union, talks to dejected opponents after the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education voted to adopt a resolution that could turn a third of the district's schools over to private operators, in downtown Los Angeles Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009.
(AP Photo/Reed Saxon)


Los Angeles education board to vote on allowing outsiders to run many schools in huge district
By CHRISTINA HOAG , Associated Press
Last update: August 25, 2009 - 8:52 PM


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.

Proposals will be accepted from private charter school operators, local communities and the mayor's office for the operation of 50 new schools that will open over the next four years, as well as 200 existing schools that are chronic underperformers.

School board member Marguerite LaMotte cast the only dissenting vote.

"I haven't seen any research-based study that says giving away schools improves academic achievement," LaMotte said.

more...
http://www.startribune.com/nation/54867997.html

teaching our children.

This sounds like a good idea.....

:sarcasm:

...doing away with teachers' unions the root of all evil.

Private can be non-profit, co-op, etc.

n/t

How are the existing 150 doing?

"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."

My first thought was that the Dominionist Evangelical mega-churches will buy the schools and force their version of Christianity down our kid's throats. Or Rupert Murdock buys them and turns our children into mimiature Glenn Becks.