Parents protest L.A. Unified's English learner policy
Annie Gilbertson/KPCC
40 parents gathered in front of school board member Tamar Galatzan's field office in Lake Balboa, demanding Spanish and English speaking children stay in the same classroom.
A group of parents protested outside Los Angeles Unified school board member Tamar Galatzan's office Friday, objecting to the district's policy of putting English-Learners in a specialized class.
"It’s almost like instead of taking a step forward we are taking three steps back, because this is the way it used to be before," said Cindy Aranda-Lechuga, whose child goes to Granada Hills Elementary Community Charter School. She said it reminds her of segregated schools.
She and other parents said they were recently informed by their school that children classified as English Learners must be grouped. They said change would be disruptive now, months into the school year.
L.A. Unified officials said the policy has been in place for years, but some schools had been putting English Learners in mainstream classes. The district is required to give
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