FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN OK'D UTLA THREATENS AN UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICE.

Byline: Jennifer Radcliffe Staff Writer

The Los Angeles Unified School District board dismissed threats from the teachers union Tuesday and voted to move ahead with plans to implement full-day kindergarten at some schools as early as July.

The board voted unanimously to apply for the required state waiver to allow full-day kindergarten at some campuses over the objection of United Teachers Los Angeles leaders, who said there is not enough time to correctly launch the program. In a letter to the board this week, UTLA threatened to file an unfair labor practice charge against the district.

Speaking in defense of the district's plan, Superintendent Roy Romer told the board that to stop the plan now would slow LAUSD's momentum in improving elementary education.

``We just have an obligation not to miss a year in 50,000 youngsters' lives. We don't need to miss a year in helping close the achievement gap,'' Romer said.

Advocates of full-day kindergarten say it is one of the most beneficial educational reforms a school district can make. Many school districts nationwide have already adopted the program.

But UTLA said there is not enough time to implement full-day programs and is concerned about youngsters' safety and whether the district can afford to hire needed teachers' assistants.

The district wants to offer full-day kindergarten at all LAUSD's 445 elementary schools within four years. The cost of the full-day program is $100 million, which will be paid for out of LAUSD's $3.87 billion bond measure approved by voters earlier this month.

Union leaders said they fear the phasing-in process will create inequity issues among the district's needier campuses, which tend to be more crowded and could be among the last to get full-day programs.

``I think full-day kindergarten is important, and it's important to go forward, but I also think that it's important to do it well. Quality over quantity is really important,'' said Janette Gembitz, UTLA's kindergarten committee chairwoman.

In a March 22 letter, union leaders stated that ``if there is not an immediate cessation of full-day kindergarten implementation affecting our unit members, we will be forced to file an unfair labor practice charge against the district within a period of one week.''

Union leaders are negotiating teacher contracts Thursday, and UTLA spokesman Steve Weingarten said the unfair labor practice complaint may still be pursued.

``That is one course we may follow,'' he said. ``We have every reason to doubt this district's ability to launch a new thing.'' Switching to full-day kindergarten represents a significant contract change that should be negotiated before it's considered final, Weingarten said.

But Romer said the full-day kindergarten doesn't alter teachers' contracts and that the district will work with the union to sort through the safety, space and supply issues on a campus-by-campus basis.

Board member Marguerite LaMotte said she's confident school employees can work through the union's concerns.

``I feel strongly that our children can no longer wait,'' LaMotte said. Teachers and administrators ``are miracle workers, and they can do this. They always rise to the occasion.''

Jennifer Radcliffe, [phone]

jennifer.radcliffe(at)dailynews.com