HUNDREDS STORM CAPITOL; FAMILIES, TEACHERS RALLY FOR AUTONOMY OF CHARTER SCHOOLS.

Byline: Terri Hardy Sacramento Bureau

They cheered, waived signs and circulated petitions. Then they were given a directive: Storm the Capitol.

Hundreds of students, parents, teachers and administrators from California's charter schools rallied on the west steps Monday to protest proposed legislation they believe jeopardizes the campuses' freedom and academic effectiveness. Then they went calling on their representatives.

``Invade that Capitol and let everyone know you won't let liberals command and control the charters you've created,'' Assembly Republican leader Scott Baugh told the crowd.

Charter officials say they are under attack from Democratic lawmakers who are working to weaken their schools through legislation pushed by the California Teachers Association and California School Boards Association. As charter schools increase, they say unions and school board groups are fearful of losing members, money and, most of all, power.

Among the crowd were teachers and administrators from Fenton Avenue Charter School, one of three charters in the San Fernando Valley.

The Valley contingent headed to the office of Assemblyman Tony Cardenas, D-Panorama City.

``We've got to make it clear to our lawmakers that this legislation will put us back into the grip of the school district. We would give up our independence,'' said Susan Cornell, a third-grade teacher at Fenton.

After the meeting, the group said Cardenas had been ``very receptive.''

``He said he'd give it consideration, and was in contact with the authors,'' said Joe Lucente, Fenton's principal. ``He was noncommittal, but seemed open to listening.''

Charter supporters are more confident of Republican support, so are focusing their lobbying on Democrats. Already, Assemblyman Robert Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, has said he supports the legislation.

Created in 1992, charter schools are allowed to operate outside state or district constraints, with the understanding that they will increase student achievement. There are 156 charters in the state.

Assembly Bill 842, authored by Assemblywoman Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, would require all charters to operate under collective bargaining - making them the only public campuses in California required to have union contracts. Union officials said amendments were in the works, but details were not available Monday.

AB 696, carried by Assemblyman Carl Washington, D-Compton, would require charters to operate only in the boundaries of their sponsoring district, which could close down many independent study and home-school charters.

Among the crowd were representatives from Fenton Avenue Charter School in Lake View Terrace, which operates under the umbrella of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Lillian Lopez, president of the Oakland Community Organization, which has sponsored six new charters to aid their ailing school system, told the crowd: ``I wish Carole Migden had come to Oakland and talked to some of the parents, visited some of the schools and talked to the community before they decided to do this.''

Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown has harshly criticized the Migden bill, saying it will deliver setbacks to the charter reform movement.

Standing on the steps of the Capitol watching the rally was Dean Vogel, a member of the teachers union's board of directors, which is pushing the bill.

``This legislation is not about control,'' Vogel said. ``This is not about a union grabbing power. This is about basic employment rights.''

However, many teachers like Cornell said if they are required to adopt the contract provisions of the United Teachers Los Angeles, the school would not be able to continue to set their hours and plan their own training. They would be forced to assign teachers to classes based on seniority.

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Photo: Austin Lang, 12, left, and Rachel Norman, 10, hold up a sign in support of charter schools during a rally in Sacramento.

Rich Pedroncelli/ Associated Press