"The LAUSD said [KIPP Sol] was a crap school. LACOE staff said it was a crap school. With all of this agreement, how did LACOE vote?"
- Tracy Cook, Public Education Advocate
Unlike most county school districts in California, the Board of Education for the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) is not elected by its constituents. Instead, its members are selected by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. They, therefore, face no consequences when they act in opposition to the needs of families.
Los Angeles Public Education advocate, Tracy Cook, saw LACOE's vote earlier this month to overturn the LAUSD's denial of the renewal petition for KIPP Sol as a call to action. You can read her thoughts in this edition of the "Voices From The Community" series:
Do you know who your Los Angeles County Supervisor is? Depending on where you live, it is one of these people: Hilda Solis, Holly Mitchell, Lindsey Horvath, Janice Hahn, or Kathryn Barger.
These five supervisors have the authority to manage a $50 billion annual budget. This is larger than the budget of most states.
Supervisors are also responsible for appointing board members of the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE). The majority of these Supervisors have failed at this task. They ignored the needs of students and selected advocates for charter schools.
Earlier this month, the KIPP nationwide chain of charter schools asked the LACOE Board to allow it to continue operating KIPP Sol. In January, the LAUSD School Board determined this charter school's performance was so bad that it rejected its charter renewa l. The LACOE staff agreed with this assessment and recommended to its Board that they should not allow KIPP Sol to continue operating.
The LAUSD said it was a crap school. LACOE staff said it was a crap school. With all of this agreement, how did LACOE vote? Four to three in favor of KIPP Sol.
It was insane and it was embarrassing.
They got away with this because our county supervisors do NOT hear enough from their constituents about their appointees' votes at LACOE.
- Holly Mitchell's appointees, Stanley Johnson and Andrea Foggy Paxton, voted to approve KIPP Sol.
- Janice Hahn appointee James Cross voted to approve KIPP Sol.
- Kathryn Barger appointee Yvonne Chan voted to approve KIPP Sol.
Holly Mitchell is your County Supervisor if you live in Wilshire, Mid City, or South LA. Janice Hahn represents the south section of Los Angeles, including Wilmington, San Pedro, Vernon, and South Gate. If you live in East Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, parts of Studio City, and East San Fernando Valley, then Kathryn Barger is your supervisor.
Please email or call Mitchell, Hahn, and Barger and tell them how disappointed and concerned you are by their appointee's votes. Wasting taxpayers' dollars is not what you want from their appointees.
- Holly Mitchell
(213) 974-2222
HollyJMitchell@bos.lacounty.gov
- Janice Hahn
FourthDistrict|AT|bos.lacounty.gov">FourthDistrict@bos.lacounty.gov
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Post Article Comment and Rate This Article
