CHARTER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL PROUD OF CLINTON'S PRAISE.Byline: Eric Leach Daily News Staff Writer Yvonne Chan, principal of the first charter school in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. , said President Clinton's expressions of support this weekend for the nation's charter schools represent a milestone in a long struggle such schools have faced to gain acceptance. Chan recalled that four years ago when she helped convert the Vaughn Next Century Learning Center in Pacoima into a charter school she faced severe financial hardship and resistance from a number of factions within 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. . ``When I started, there was widespread opposition,'' Chan said. ``I had to mortgage my house to get the school set up. Now we have $2 million in the bank and support from the president of the United States The head of the Executive Branch, one of the three branches of the federal government. The U.S. Constitution sets relatively strict requirements about who may serve as president and for how long. . ``The president said he wants every school to function like a charter school. He is holding us up as a model,'' she said. Charter schools are public schools run under contract by teachers, parents or community leaders. They have a high degree of independence to manage their own finances and education programs. Chan and a group of Vaughn teachers were in San Carlos San Carlos (săn kär`lōs), residential city (1990 pop. 26,167), San Mateo co., W Calif.; inc. 1925. The chief manufactures are plastic products, hardware, and machine parts. on Saturday when Clinton announced $40 million in grants for the nation's charter schools, including what Chan said was $3.2 million for such schools in California. Chan said she wants to help schools in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. receive a good portion of that money, and said Clinton's statements let everyone know that charter schools deserve respect. ``When the president of the United States makes a public statement of support for charter schools as a model for the nation, we don't feel that we are a stepchild step·child n. 1. A child of one's spouse by a previous union. 2. Something that does not receive appropriate care, respect, or attention: "Demography has a reputation for being the stepchild of . . . of public education any more,'' Chan said. ``This is support from the very, very top.'' Vaughn - located in one of the Valley's poorest areas - has been named a California Distinguished School and a National Blue Ribbon School because test scores and attendance rates rose dramatically under the charter process. Hillary Rodham Rodham is an English surname which may refer to a number of persons or places. People Family of Hillary Rodham Clinton
``This is not about politics,'' Chan said. ``Everyone is beginning to accept this.'' |
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