The Los Angeles Unified School District’s board of education on April 18 voted 4-3 for a resolution supporting pending state legislation that would establish more regulation and local oversight of charter schools.

Board of education members George McKenna, Scott Schmerelson, Richard Vladovic and Steve Zimmer voted in favor of the resolution; Monica Garcia, Monica Ratliff and Ref Rodriguez voted against it.

Charter schools would be required to follow the same conflict of interest laws and disclosure regulations that traditional schools follow under new state bills.
(photo by David Schott)

One of the three bills, AB1360, requires that charter schools adopt certain procedural standards for admissions, suspensions and expulsions. Supporters of the bill claim that some charter schools have implemented discriminatory policies over these issues.

Another, AB1478, requires charter schools to follow the same conflict of interest laws and disclosure regulations that traditional schools follow. Supporters of the bill claim that some charters are not transparent enough.

The third bill, SB808, would repeal existing law that allows charter petitions to be approved by county boards of education or the state board. Instead, school districts would have sole authority to approve petitions for charter schools within their boundaries. The bill is scheduled for a hearing on April 26.

“If we are responsible for approving it, we should be responsible for holding it accountable,” McKenna said.

Ratliff said she supported both assembly bills, but she did not want the district to endorse SB808. A provision in the bill states that a school board can reject a charter petition if granting the petition caused financial hardship for the district. This provision could theoretically disqualify any charter petition in Los Angeles, Ratliff said. Without the ability to petition the state or the county, she added, charter school petitioners would have “no recourse” if they were arbitrarily rejected by their local school boards.

“I don’t think that’s appropriate,” she said.

Ratliff then proposed an amendment to the resolution that would support both Assembly bills and exclude SB808; the board voted it down.

Rodriguez said the bill is “too simplistic,” and that the district should be wary of supporting a bill that could still face further changes before it’s voted on.

“This could look very different by the time it gets in front of our legislators,” he said.

McKenna, who cosponsored the resolution with Schmerelson, argued in favor of the Senate bill.

“We should have the responsibility and authority to decide who’s in our house,” he said.

Charter school advocates in attendance urged the board to reject the resolution.

“Let’s call these pieces of legislation for what they are,” said Keith Dell’Aquila, director of regional advocacy for California Charter Schools Association. “Solutions in search of problems.”

He also said the three bills “do nothing to address the issues” that need to be fixed within the state’s charter school system.

Ebony N. Wheaton, a member of the association’s regional advocacy team, also spoke against the resolution.

“We are tired of the war on charters,” she said.

Next month’s runoff election could influence the outcome of future board of education votes over divisive charter school issues. Zimmer finished first in the March primary for the Board District 4 seat, but did not surpass 50 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff. His challenger is Nick Melvoin, who has said he would support nonprofit charters to increase choice. Melvoin has the backing of local charter school advocates such as billionaire Eli Broad. Zimmer has advocated for more district regulation of the city’s charter schools than many charter school proponents would prefer, as underscored by the board’s Tuesday vote.

A runoff will also decide the District 6 race for school board between Kelly Gonez and Imelda Padilla. Ratliff, the incumbent, finished third in her attempt to win the vacant City Council District 7 seat.

The runoff election will be held on May 16.