ADVISER WOBBLES ON CHARTER VOTE FOR GRANADA HILLS.Byline: Helen Gao Staff Writer A top Los Angeles school The Los Angeles School of Urbanism is an academic movement emerged during the mid-1980s, loosely based at the University of Southern California and UCLA, that poses a challenge to the dominant Chicago School of Urbanism. administrator reneged Monday on his recommendation to approve Granada Hills High's charter petition and hours later flip-flopped but demanded that the school meet tough conditions to gain approval. Assistant Superintendent Assistant Superintendent, or Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), was a rank used by police forces in the British Empire. It was usually the lowest rank that could be held by a European officer, most of whom joined the police at this rank. Jim Konantz raised new obstacles as the Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. board prepared to vote today on the charter sought by Granada Hills Principal Brian Bauer with strong support from faculty members and parents who want freedom from the LAUSD LAUSD Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA) . Among the last-minute conditions are demands that officials of the proposed charter school work out arrangements with the LAUSD to contribute financially toward upkeep of districtwide facilities and to continue accommodating students who are bused in from outside the area. Also at issue is how much the school should be assessed to help fund workers' compensation workers' compensation, payment by employers for some part of the cost of injuries, or in some cases of occupational diseases, received by employees in the course of their work. insurance and lifetime health benefits for teachers in the LAUSD. ``I think we are all on the same playing field of wanting to make it work and make it work in a way that protects the interests of children in the whole L.A. area,'' Konantz said. Bauer said the school is committed to shouldering its share of district enrollment. ``These are all conditions we feel we can address,'' he said. Superintendent Roy Romer's spokeswoman, Stephanie Brady, said Romer
A Romer or Roamer is a simple device for accurately plotting a grid reference on a map. stands by the staff's latest recommendation. The superintendent himself, who has publicly warned that the charter movement could undermine LAUSD's economic and organizational health, was not available for comment. The latest development is seen by Granada Hills High charter advocates as part of a series of tactics to derail de·rail intr. & tr.v. de·railed, de·rail·ing, de·rails 1. To run or cause to run off the rails. 2. the bid for independence and to make it financially difficult for the campus to survive as a charter school. Konantz - appointed recently by Romer to oversee charter petitions - first sought to delay today's vote, with the backing of the district teachers union. When that failed, he withdrew his recommendation Monday morning for approval of the charter and instead called for denial. However, later in the day, under pressure from several board members, he reversed himself again and said he would support conditional approval of the charter. ``It's pure obstructionism ob·struc·tion·ist n. One who systematically blocks or interrupts a process, especially one who attempts to impede passage of legislation by the use of delaying tactics, such as a filibuster. ,'' said the school board president, Caprice ca·price n. 1. a. An impulsive change of mind. b. An inclination to change one's mind impulsively. c. Young, who fought last week to keep Granada Hills' petition on today's board agenda. If the charter is not approved today, Granada Hills is unlikely to make the May 31 deadline to apply for state funding to operate as an independent charter school starting next fall. ``It's back and forth several times today. It could be back and forth several times before the school board meeting,'' Young said Monday. Granada Hills parents say it's obvious that district officials do not want to grant their school independence for fear of losing control. ``It's like these people have their heads buried in the sand and they want to control everything,'' said parent Isabel Schenkel. ``The political stabbing that goes on is so detrimental to what the purpose is. The purpose is to educate children.'' Konantz defended his actions, saying the district is just beginning to grapple with to enter into contest with, resolutely and courageously. See also: Grapple high schools seeking independent charter status. In addition to Granada Hills, Palisades Palisades, cliffs along the west bank of the Hudson River, NE N.J. and SE N.Y., extending from N of Jersey City, N.J., to the vicinity of Piermont, N.Y., with a general altitude of from 350 ft to 550 ft (107–168 m). and El Camino Real high schools El Camino Real High School (also known locally as "ECR" and by some more recently as "ELCO") is a public secondary school located in the Woodland Hills district of the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California. have charter petitions pending before the school board. All three are high-performing schools located in relatively affluent neighborhoods - a change in the charter movement that historically has flourished mainly in elementary schools in poor communities with low test scores. ``We had some stuff to work out last week,'' said Konantz. ``There were still a lot of discussions going on. We haven't reached resolution with everything.'' The LAUSD's soaring liability for workers' compensation is estimated at $377 million to $503 million, while its reserve is only $250 million. The district also has $6.6 billion in unfunded liability in lifetime health benefits for teachers. Romer fears that, as more schools choose to become financially independent of the district, the LAUSD could be unable to meet its obligations. Also at issue is what role Granada Hills will play in helping the LAUSD alleviate overcrowding overcrowding overcrowding of animal accommodation. Many countries now publish codes of practice which define what the appropriate volumetric allowances should be for each species of animal when they are housed indoors. Breaches of these codes is overcrowding. by continuing to accept students bused from the inner city. Today's vote on the Granada Hills charter petition is not only eagerly anticipated by students' parents, teachers and administrators at the high school, but is being closely watched throughout the district, the state and the nation. ``I think tomorrow is a big day ... for the school, certainly for the district, and for observers of public education both locally, at the state level and nationally,'' Bauer said. ``Perhaps there hasn't been any more important vote affecting public education, at least at the secondary level.'' Approval would make Granada Hills High the largest in the nation converted to charter operation in a growing movement of suburban communities seeking independent status for their schools as an alternative to traditional public school education. Young and East Valley board member Julie Korenstein have said they would vote for the charter. Other board members are making their votes dependent on Granada Hills' willingness to meet the district's conditions. ``I've been working really hard to help it happen,'' said Korenstein, who is running for a City Council seat. After hearing early Monday of a potential recommendation against charter approval, Korenstein said she spent a good part of the day talking to Noun 1. talking to - a lengthy rebuke; "a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline"; "the teacher gave him a talking to" lecture, speech rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval - an act or expression of criticism and censure; "he had to district staff members. School board members Marlene Canter canter a gallop at an easy pace. The rhythm is three-time, first one hind, then the opposite hind with the diagonal fore, then the opposite fore, the leading limb. collected canter and Jose Huizar said their votes would depend on whether Granada Hills officials agree to meet the district's conditions. ``Assuming they have been able to comply with outstanding issues, I am supportive of the concept,'' said Canter. ``I don't feel threatened by the fact that there are schools converting.'' Huizar said he fears that converting schools such as Granada Hills, Palisades and El Camino Real El Camino Real (Spanish for The Royal Road or The King's Highway) was the name of a series of pre-automobile highways linking the various New World colonies of Spain:
``If they would explain to me how the rest of the district would not be left worse off, I would fully support any school going independent charter,'' he said. ``Up until this day, the poor schools, the remainder of the district, will be left worse off, owing millions in unfunded liability. That's unfair.'' Despite assurances to the contrary, Huizar also worries that inner-city children will not be able to attend Granada Hills, Palisades and El Camino Real once they become charter schools. ``My fear is that we will have a top-performing school that is free to the local community, and there is going to be heightened interest in the local community to be able to attend the school,'' he said. ``Given the way the charter is written, there is no guarantee that they will be obligated ob·li·gate tr.v. ob·li·gat·ed, ob·li·gat·ing, ob·li·gates 1. To bind, compel, or constrain by a social, legal, or moral tie. See Synonyms at force. 2. To cause to be grateful or indebted; oblige. to receive students bused from low-income areas.'' |
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