Aspire Charter Schools: Behind the Reversal
Changed votes by two Board members over the approval of two Aspire charter schools at this week’s Board meeting gave the public a glimpse at a much larger debate over whether charter schools based in Los Angeles should be allowed to operate their special education programs through a partnership with a far-off district that costs them less.Initially, the Board deadlocked 3-3 over the proposed approval of Aspire, a highly rated charter operator founded by Don Shalvey (who’s now the Deputy Director of Education for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation).
Then, two Board members — Bennett Kayser and Steve Zimmer — changed their votes at the behest of Superintendent Deasy and others. However, Zimmer says he remains concerned about roughly 20 charter schools in LA whose special education programs are administered through a partnership located in El Dorado County — seven hours away.
Every school district in California must form a Special Education Local Plan Area, or a SELPA (see overview here), which oversees the administration of special education. Charter schools have to sign on to a