VIDEO: Mayor Villaraigosa: Historic Moment For Los Angeles School System
Great things happening in LA- and great to see the Mayor standing up for real school reform to bring much needed change to the school system. Other elected leaders throughout the country should take notes.
Mayor Villaraigosa writes in part:
I can’t thank you – the students, parents, teachers, and all those who supported the school choice motion – enough for your dedication and hard work to ensure its passage. We couldn’t have done it without you.
You said loud and clear – “We want reform in our schools.” You held town hall meetings, took to the streets and the airwaves to spread the message that we’re tired of the status quo of failing schools and we want something better for our kids.
And because of you and your efforts, the School Board voted overwhelmingly to open over 250 schools to outside operators with a proven track record of success.
Today, we can rejoice and celebrate one of the most comprehensive school reform efforts to ever hit LAUSD.
We still have work to do, but with you as our continued partners in this effort, I am confident that we will succeed in our efforts to fundamentally transform our system of public education.
Read the full letter and watch the video online at Brentwood Blogged.
Friday must-reads: Post urges Obama to re-think vouchers and other news
More Friday headlines:
- DC Charter Schools Examiner: D.C. Mayor puts kids in public school and gets school choice at the same time
When D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty took over DCPS a couple of years ago he promised to move his two sons from private to public school. Turns out he stuck to his word although it proved difficult for the press to obtain this information. The reason? Mr. Fenty did what all arrogant politicians do and put his children not in the neighborhood school, West Elementary, at 14th and Farragut Streets that has failed to make AYP for a couple of years, but instead enrolled them at a much better institution, Lafayette Elementary, which is located in Chevy Chase, and whose students score over 90 percent proficient or above in both reading and math.
We think that it is wonderful that Mayor Fenty and his wife were able to make the best choices for educating their sons. But it is beyond frustrating that ALL families don’t have this same choice.
- Appeal Democrat: Our View: A step toward school choice
Even if parents prefer their children attend lower-performing charter schools, their choice should prevail. To assert otherwise assumes that arbitrary standards must dictate, rather than parental rights. There may be myriad reasons parents prefer alternative programs. That decision should rest with them, not with bureaucrats or politicians and not with unions. That’s about to be the case in Los Angeles. Next, we hope, the rest of the state.
I couldn’t put it better myself. Parents’ choices should prevail. Period.
- Washington Post: Beach Reading for Mr. Obama: Useful literature on school vouchers
…we enthusiastically support public school reform and quality charter schools, too. But vouchers are an answer for some children whose options otherwise are bleak. In Washington, they also are part of a carefully designed social-science experiment that may provide useful evidence for all schools on helping low-income children learn. Why would a Democratic administration and Congress want to cut such an experiment short?
That says it all. Let’s make all schools better- let’s make education better. And when something is working, like the DC Opportunity Scholarships, why wouldn’t we all embrace it as positive change for our students?
