BUSINESS GROUP GIVES LAUSD REFORMS A LIFT.

Byline: NAUSH BOGHOSSIAN Staff Writer

Efforts by the LAUSD and the Mayor's Office to revolutionize the city's public schools got a boost Tuesday from a San Fernando Valley business group, which released a list of nine ``big ideas'' for improving education.

The report, released by the Valley Economic Alliance as a result of last month's Education Action Summit, endorses reforms such as mayoral intervention, the creation of smaller districts and implementing more personalized school environments.

``There's no reason they can't be implemented concurrently. We can work at the problem from a number of directions,'' said Bob Scott, the founding chairman of the Economic Alliance.

``I think we're approaching the tipping point and the reforms within LAUSD are creating enough competition that LAUSD has to do something about it.''

The idea is to create a coalition of organizations -- including the United Way, Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. -- interested in pursuing the strategies that may have encountered resistance in the past.

``We see this as an opportunity to look at some of these ideas that may have run into problems in the bureaucracy,'' said Scott, who also chairs the Valley Industry and Commerce Association and is director of the Mulholland Institute.

``We're going to try to remove the obstacles and create an environment, whether through legislation or the initiative process, where we're going to try to make LAUSD a district of reform rather than a district of resistance.''

Los Angeles Unified officials noted that despite calls for reform,

it has been making progress in improving student achievement. They also said each recommendation should be examined thoroughly before being implemented.

``I think any one of the ideas are certainly ideas that have some opportunity for discussion. But taken as a list of ideas, you'd have to really define it and spend some time really understanding how it looks when it goes out to a school,'' said Jim Morris, the superintendent of Local District 2, which encompasses the Valley.

And some of the recommended reforms, such as the creation of small learning communities, have already been undertaken by the district, said Donna Smith, an aide to school board member Jon Lauritzen.

``We have a ways to go, but over the years, we have dealt with all kinds of issues and we've been working for years on reform,'' Smith said. ``Some of the ideas make sense and we're working on them.''

naush.bogossian(at)dailynews.com

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LAUSD'S NINE BIG IDEAS