Disappointing many who had hoped Los Angeles public schools were on the brink of bold reform, school board members voted Tuesday to let the operation of most of the 36 schools up for grabs in a bid process remain in district hands.
"We missed an opportunity to make bold change today," said school board member Yolie Flores, who authored the district's School Choice plan. "Clearly, there is a line of board members that are still beholden to unions. I am beholden to children."
The School Choice plan, approved in August, allows teachers and administrators from within LAUSD as well as independent charter school operators and nonprofit groups to bid on new and underperforming district schools.
The plan has been fiercely opposed by all district employee unions, in particular the powerful teachers union, because nondistrict operators selected to run schools are not required to hire union workers and some propose using amended union contracts.
The 36 schools drew more than 200 applications from local and out-of-state groups as well as dozens of proposals from district workers.
In the end, the board voted to let charters, which had bid to operate 18 schools, have full control of three campuses and partial control of another.
A nonprofit organization will be allowed to open a small school within San