If the LAUSD’s Goal is “Parent Engagement”, What is the Plan of Action?
Complaints about the many obstacles that the public faces when they attempt to participate in meetings of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board are close to universal. Parents of children enrolled in charter schools and those in District schools all seem to recognize that there is a problem with a system that requires them to line up hours in advance because the Board Room is not large enough to hold the number of people who show up, particularly when there are contentious issues on the agenda. While other local districts hold their meetings in the evening, the LAUSD hold theirs during the school day which means that working parents, students and teachers are usually not able to attend. Since the Board limits the number of people who can speak on a subject, frustrations mount when opposing sides are not given equal opportunity to present their arguments before a vote is taken.
For years, Board members from both sides of the aisle have promised to fix these problems. Former LAUSD President Steve Zimmer, who was supported by the District’s teachers, promised that he was “actively trying to get better on this.” Charter backed Board member Nick Melvoin has agreed that the “time of meetings…are valid concerns” and would be “looking at our Board rules soon to make sure that we can hear all voices.” While minor adjustments have been made, none have ended the need for parents to spend hours in line before sitting through marathon Board meetings.
In an attempt to force the LAUSD Board to finally discuss this issue, I used Article 3, Section 35145.5. of the California Education Code to submit the “Board Meeting Accessibility to the Public” resolution as an agenda item. As a result, it will be heard at the March 26, Committee of the Whole meeting at 1:00 PM. If adopted by the Board, this resolution would make several changes, including a requirement that meetings could not be held while school is in session, that at least half of meetings would occur after 6:00 PM, that meetings be planned to last no longer than four hours and that speakers for both sides of any issue be given an opportunity to speak. The full text of the CONTINUE READING: If the LAUSD’s Goal is “Parent Engagement”, What is the Plan of Action?