LA Unified limits charters' access to new schools

The board voted unanimously to amend its 3-year-old "public school choice" program in which charter organizations and teacher-led teams submit plans to operate selected brand new and failing schools in a competitive process. With the superintendent's input, the school board chooses the group with the best plan.

Under the amendment, the district would first consider plans from teacher-led teams starting with the slate of schools that will be up for grabs this year. If the superintendent deems that no high quality plan was submitted by an in-house team, the process would then be opened to outside groups.

School board member Steve Zimmer said he proposed the amendment because charter groups have overwhelmingly preferred to bid for brand new schools and not submitted bids for chronically underperforming schools.

Charter organizations have submitted four applications for failing schools and 39 for new schools over the past two years, he said, making it more difficult for teams of teachers and administrators to win the new schools.

Rundown, overcrowded school buildings are a major reason for low-performing academic results, he said.