School reform in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) took an unforeseen turn when most of the low-performing schools were awarded to the plan headed by teachers and administrators.
United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) President A. J. Duffy assured that now they could implement education plans that were previously blocked by bureaucracy. We hope this is true.
The selection was made after a referendum on the various alternatives to run these schools where most people supported the proposal by the teachers, who came to the polls well organized.
The LAUSD’s decision was disappointing in part because it left out leading charter school operators, relegating the charter movement to a supporting to role. The selection also denied a major role to the alliance headed by Mayor Villaraigosa.
Despite this, we do not believe that the schools are a magic bullet for the problems of public education in Los Angeles. As in everything, there are good ones and bad ones.
Now teachers and administrators truly have a unique opportunity. We have no doubt about the altruism that drives those who devote themselves to teaching and the vocation this requires. However, we are concerned when job protection —which all employees deserve— takes precedence over student learning.
This is an opportunity for the UTLA to show whether it is part of school reform to improve learning, or whether it is one of the problems when the union is more interested in defending inept educators at student and taxpayer expense. We hope learning wins out.
The LAUSD needs deep reform because the state of student learning is disastrous. At first glance, today’s teachers and administrators are not a model for transformation, but the time has come for them to prove otherwise.
Parents have faith in teachers as indicated in the referendum. Now that confidence must be repaid with results.
School reform in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) took an unforeseen turn when most of the low-performing schools were awarded to the plan headed by teachers and administrators.
United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) President A. J. Duffy assured that now they could implement education plans that were previously blocked by bureaucracy. We hope this is true.
The selection was made after a referendum on the various alternatives to run these schools where most people supported the proposal by the teachers, who came to the polls well organized.
The LAUSD’s decision was disappointing in part because it left out leading charter school operators, relegating the charter movement to a supporting to role. The selection also denied a major role to the alliance headed by Mayor Villaraigosa.
Despite this, we do not believe that the schools are a magic bullet for the problems of public education in Los Angeles. As in everything, there are good ones and bad ones.
Now teachers and administrators truly have a unique opportunity. We have no doubt about the altruism that drives those who devote themselves to teaching and the vocation this requires. However, we are concerned when job protection —which all employees deserve— takes precedence over student learning.
This is an opportunity for the UTLA to show whether it is part of school reform to improve learning, or whether it is one of the problems when the union is more interested in defending inept educators at student and taxpayer expense. We hope learning wins out.
The LAUSD needs deep reform because the state of student learning is disastrous. At first glance, today’s teachers and administrators are not a model for transformation, but the time has come for them to prove otherwise.
