Families & the Community News in Brief

‘Parent Trigger’ Row Resurfaces in Calif.

By Sean Cavanagh — August 28, 2012 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A California school board has approved a plan to restructure a school at the center of a closely watched “parent trigger” dispute, but it’s not the plan that a group of parents wanted—nor the plan they say a judge ordered.

The Adelanto, Calif., board voted Aug. 17 to accept a petition circulated by parents seeking to become the first in the country to use a parent-trigger law to overhaul an academically struggling school. But the panel rejected the parents’ preferred option, which was to convert Desert Trails Elementary into a charter school, the board’s president, Carlos Mendoza, told Education Week in an email. The board instead decided to move forward with a form of “alternate governance,” which would result in a longer school day, improved technology, and other changes.

The Adelanto board’s actions drew an immediate, angry reaction from the parents seeking to change the school. They said the panel has run afoul of a court decision issued last month, which in their view calls for the creation of a charter.

It’s likely the parents will go back to court to fight the Adelanto board’s decision, said Ben Austin, the executive director of Parent Revolution, a group that has helped them with the trigger effort.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the August 29, 2012 edition of Education Week as ‘Parent Trigger’ Row Resurfaces in Calif.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Rethinking STEM Assessment: Strategies for Administrators
School and district leaders will explore strategies to enhance STEM assessment practices across their district, within schools and classrooms.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
Federal Webinar Keeping Up with the Trump Administration's Latest K-12 Moves: Subscriber-Exclusive Quick Hit
EdWeek subscribers, join this 30-minute webinar to find out what the latest federal policy changes mean for K-12 education.
Artificial Intelligence Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: Math & Technology: Finding the Recipe for Student Success
How should we balance AI & math instruction? Join our discussion on preparing future-ready students.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Families & the Community ‘Where Are Your Blind Spots?’: How Schools Can Create a Sense of Belonging
District leaders share their advice for creating frameworks to help students feel like they belong in their schools.
3 min read
Ty Harris, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Virginia Beach City Public Schools, delivers closing remarks and applauds students for their work during the Power of We event at the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center at Old Dominion University in Virginia Beach, Va., on Dec. 18, 2024.
Ty Harris, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Virginia Beach City Public Schools, delivers closing remarks and applauds students for their work during the Power of We event at the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center at Old Dominion University in Virginia Beach, Va., on Dec. 18, 2024.
Parker Michels-Boyce for Education Week
Families & the Community Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Building Strong School & Home Connections?
Answer 7 questions about building strong family and school connections.
Families & the Community Q&A This Educator Shows Why Family Trust Is Key to School Attendance
Overhauling family engagement helped Richmond, Va. public schools helped boost attendance. Here's how.
5 min read
072523 parent involvement fs stanford 1209442706
sturi / E+
Families & the Community Moms for Liberty Has a 'University.' What Is It Teaching?
In 2025, the prominent conservative group Moms for Liberty launched Moms for Liberty University, or M4LU.
8 min read
The homepage of Moms for Liberty University.
The homepage of Moms for Liberty University.