Two organizers of California’s first “parent trigger” petition have filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Education’s civil rights office, alleging that they and their children have been targets of retaliation by school employees.
Marlene Romero and Hebert Hidalgo said in documents filed Jan. 14 that teachers at McKinley Elementary School in Compton, Calif., are using intimidation to turn their children against them. Ms. Romero said her 3rd grade son said he hated her for supporting charter schools after a teacher told him charter schools are a “bad thing.” She said the same teacher harangued her in a meeting.
The state’s “parent trigger” law allows a majority of parents at a failing school to force a district to make drastic changes, such as charter conversion.
Compton Unified School Districts acting superintendent, Karen Frison, promised an investigation of any harassment complaints.
