Story Created:
Feb 4, 2010 at 1:27 PM PST
Story Updated:
Feb 4, 2010 at 1:27 PM PST
The Los Angeles Unified School District is holding the first-of-its-kind vote on the Public School Choice selection process this week.
To provide answers to questions parents may have on the process, the district has established a telephone hotline to explain the voting process, which began Tuesday and ends Saturday.
The hotline — (213) 368-1616 — will be staffed from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Saturday. Callers can get information on who is eligible to vote, what type of identification will be required, when and where voting will take place, and how the advisory votes will be tabulated.
Public School Choice, an initiative approved by the Los Angeles school board last year, permits charter schools, nonprofit groups and collaborative teams of teachers to compete to run a dozen low-performing existing schools and 18 campuses scheduled to open next September.
The 85 applicants vying for this opportunity have been making their case to parents and the community at public meetings in anticipation of the upcoming advisory vote.
“We are encouraged by the interest in this process and I want parents, guardians, students, district employees and members of the community to know that we recognize the importance of this historic occasion and what the outcome will mean for improving students’ performance and achievement,” LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines said.
The district has partnered with the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles to serve as independent elections managers for the voting process. Callers to the hotline will reach the League of Women Voters office.
The league is a nonpartisan organization devoted to encouraging and promoting active participation of all citizens in government.
“Although the league’s involvement is limited to administrating the election process, I applaud LAUSD for seeking input through the ballot box,” said David A. Holtzman, president of the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles. “As with all important government decisions, people should get involved and shape the outcome.”
Voting ends Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at selected school sites.
InnerCity Struggle, an Eastside organization that has latched on to the school choice issue is urging East Los Angeles parents to vote for pilot schools at Esteban Torres High School, a new school that will open in September to
relieve overcrowding at Garfield High School.
The school is expected to have five smaller schools operating on campus and a representative of InnerCity Struggle said the organization was endorsing pilot schools to operate each campus to provide personalized education focused on preparing students for college or future careers.
Ten groups have made proposals to operate the new campus, five headed by groups of teachers and five operators of charter schools.
Voting on the Torres High plan will be conducted Saturday at Belvedere Middle School, 312 N. Record Ave., East Los Angeles.
The results of the non-binding advisory votes will be included when the superintendent makes his recommendation to the Los Angeles school board later this month.
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