Making Schools Autonomous…and Responsible

LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy and UTLA have reached a tentative agreement to bring decision making to the school sites.

Replacing the Public School Choice resolution that put schools out to bid, teachers within a school will have three years to turn a school around.

If a school wants to change their schedule, their curriculum, or choose their staff, it will be in their power. The devil will be in the details, however. In schools that currently control the right to hire, Deasy has vetoed the school community choice–in some cases, multiple times.

Teacher groups led some extremely successful applicant teams during the rounds of Public School Choice–beating out well-financed charters. It would be in the district–and the union’s–best interest to create thriving programs that parents and families seek out.

Right now, the plan is still lacking a parent component. But any program that fails to invite families and the community to the table is destined to fail.

While this pact is a step in the right direction, I really need to see how it plays out before I celebrate.

UTLA members will vote by December 12.