CAMPUS STAFFERS WILL RESIGN IN DISPUTE.

Byline: Terri Hardy Daily News Staff Writer

Almost all teachers, administrators and staff at two successful San Fernando charter schools will resign from the Los Angeles Unified School District by today because of a contract dispute with the district and the teachers union, officials said.

Faced with an ultimatum that they must resign to stay at their schools, scores of workers at Vaughn Next Century Learning Center in Pacoima and Fenton Avenue Charter School in Lake View Terrace have already given notice - losing their seniority and vesting in the LAUSD's health plan.

``I refused to give up the dream we started at Fenton, even if it meant losing my seniority,'' said Yvette King-Berg, curriculum adviser at Fenton. ``We were forced to choose, and the bottom line for me was I believe in this school, absolutely.''

Beyond personal financial loss, educators at Fenton and Vaughn believe the district and union stance will have a chilling effect on the formation of new charters within the LAUSD.

``How many great teachers out there will stay away from charters because they're afraid they'll lose everything they invested in the school district?'' said Irene Sumida, director of instruction at Fenton.

Sumida said 93 of the school's 95 full-time employees have stated their intentions to resign by today. Alixa Carbonell, vice principal of Vaughn, said only three or four of her employees are going back to the LAUSD.

LAUSD's chief attorney said Thursday that the district and union had been more than fair with the schools, and he did not believe the resignation decision would have wide ramifications for charters.

School district attorney Rich Mason said school workers at charters can have a five-year leave from the district before they must decide whether to stay or come back to LAUSD.

``It's a reasonable, extensive amount of time,'' Mason said. ``I think there's an irony here, where a movement designed to produce independence wants to have a perpetual umbilical cord.''

Sam Kresner - assistant to United Teachers Los Angeles President Day Higuchi - said if charter teachers want the ability to come back to the district after their leave, they should be held to the same requirements as other workers - including paying into the benefits fund for teachers already retired and paying dues and fees to the union.

Charters in Los Angeles operate under the umbrella of the LAUSD but are unfettered by most state and district regulations governing other public schools. In return, they are held accountable for improving student performance and achieving the goals of their charter contracts.

The charter schools will still operate under the umbrella of the LAUSD, but the workers will be private employees of each campus.