The Los Angeles Unified school board has voted to give preference to district educator teams applying to run new schools, limiting charter groups’ chances of winning schools that are just opening their doors.
The vote amended a 2-year-old “public school choice” program, in which charter groups and teacher-led teams submit plans to operate new and failing schools in a competitive process. Under the amendment, the district will now consider plans from teacher-led teams first, and if the superintendent determines that no high-quality plan was submitted, 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 new schools, rather than chronically underperforming ones. Charter organizations have submitted four applications for failing schools and 39 for new schools over the past two years, he said.
