LAUSD TAKEOVER STILL FACES BATTLE IN CAPITOL HALLS.

Byline: HARRISON SHEPPARD Staff Writer

SACRAMENTO -- Los Angeles Unified leaders roamed the halls of the Capitol on Monday to rally opposition to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's school-takeover plan.

The mayor's plan, which was formally introduced Monday as Assembly Bill 1381, has its first hearing Wednesday in the Senate Education Committee.

LAUSD Superintendent Roy Romer, school board President Marlene Canter and board member Jon Lauritzen traveled to Sacramento to try to turn key lawmakers -- many of whom remain undecided -- against the bill, which gives Villaraigosa a greater degree of influence in running the schools.

Infuriating school officials who were left out of the talks, the mayor struck a compromise deal last week with the powerful teachers unions.

``This is a very political bill,'' Romer said. ``One of our concerns is the very quick backdoor way this was done. I mean, bang, the mayor and one of our unions that we're in negotiations with go to Sacramento and have a pajama party and come up with a bill that affects the lives of 730,000 children.''

The mayor's bill is authored by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles and Assemblyman Dario Frommer, D-Glendale.

``The LAUSD bureaucracy is failing our children, and it's time for fundamental change,'' Romero said. ``It is possible to improve student achievement and cut the dropout rate, but only if we shake up the bureaucracy and move resources straight to the classroom.''

The district officials met with a wide range of key lawmakers as well as with aides to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has said he would sign the bill even prior to seeing the specific language.

They met with Assemblyman Mark Wyland, R-Vista, the vice chairman of the Assembly Education Committee, who was one of the few Republicans to initially support the mayor's compromise plan. But Wyland has quietly asked that his name be withdrawn as a co-author of the legislation.

Wyland's staff said Monday that he supports the general concept of mayoral control, but is now having second thoughts about this specific proposal. That change comes after Wyland heard from Republican opponents of the bill who explained their alternatives and more of the Los Angeles politics behind the bill.

Those other Republicans include such opponents of the mayor's plan as Assemblyman Keith Richman, R-Granada Hills, and Sen. George Runner, R-Lancaster, who would rather break up the LAUSD into smaller districts.

[e-mail]

[phone]