Interesting. Barr is trying a hostile takeover.
Troubled L.A. Campus May Be Taken Over
By Jean Merl and Joel Rubin, LA Times Staff Writers
A successful Los Angeles charter schools operator is moving to take over troubled Jefferson High School and convert it into several smaller campuses with higher-paid teachers and a more rigorous educational program.
The proposal by Steve Barr, founder of Green Dot Public Schools, would offer an aggressive alternative to improving the city's struggling high schools and could threaten the school district's centralized power structure and the teachers union.
Barr's plan faces significant hurdles, including a resistant school board and teachers union. If turned down, Barr said, he was prepared to appeal to the state Board of Education. He said he would announce at a news conference today a community campaign aimed at rallying Jefferson teachers and parents.
"Over time, we are going to change this school, one way or the other," Barr said.
Los Angeles Unified School District officials said they were open to discussing converting Jefferson to a charter campus but bristled at what they said were Barr's strong-arm tactics.
"We want to cooperate with the charter school community. We need them to help with our schools, and I look forward to that collaboration," said district Supt. Roy Romer. "But what I do not look forward to is a hostile takeover."
The president of the teachers union flatly dismissed Barr's plan. "I'm not in favor of charters," said A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles. "As far as I'm concerned, they are just private schools in a different suit or a fancy dress."
........... Several community activists who already have joined Barr's campaign said they were desperate for immediate improvements.
"I'm all for it," said Tesra Jackson, whose son is a senior at Jefferson. The district, she said, has not done enough to improve the school's academics, instead focusing mainly on safety issues.
"My biggest concern is that we get these kids up to where they should be academically, get them ready to go to college and not continue to give them a substandard education," said Jackson, who said she would add her signature to the 2,500 the alliance hopes to collect.
Noreen McClendon, executive director of Concerned Citizens of South Central Los Angeles, said she too wanted quicker results, which she believed the plan could produce.
"It's no secret that the district is not performing," McClendon said. "And it's not rocket science that smaller schools work … and Steve Barr's schools have a track record."
State charter school laws require Barr to gather signatures from at least half of Jefferson's permanent teachers before he can petition the school board to convert the school.
Barr said he would begin soliciting teachers immediately. But Duffy, of United Teachers Los Angeles, countered, saying he planned to meet with faculty members today to encourage them not to support the charter plan.
Duffy also rejected Barr's call for him to grant exceptions to the teachers contract. Barr said it would be necessary to get contract waivers to increase teacher pay and change limits on working hours and other conditions.
"I'm not signing off on any contract waivers," Duffy said.
The state Board of Education, where Barr has allies, is familiar with Green Dot schools.
The board granted Barr a charter for his Inglewood Animo Charter High School five years ago after the Inglewood Unified School District turned him down. Last month, when the local board balked at renewing the charter, the state board voted 7 to 0 to keep Animo going.
latimes.com |
