LOS ANGELES – Today, California Charter School Association (CCSA) President CEO Myrna Castrejón issued the following statement denouncing the passage of a Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board resolution (Res-026-22/23) by Board Members Jackie Goldberg and Rocio Rivas to limit public student access to LAUSD public school facilities:
“We are saddened and disappointed by the actions of the LAUSD Board of Education to pass this immoral resolution. This resolution by Board Members Goldberg and Rivas is not in the best interest of LAUSD students and, in our opinion, illegal.
“As written, the resolution could impact 11,000 charter students at more than half of charter schools that currently share a campus with an LAUSD school. It could also impact nearly a dozen charter schools that are also Community Schools, which is exactly the type of school the resolution purports to support.
“We need to improve district policies collaboratively, ensuring that we make informed decisions that truly serve our students’ best interests. This misguided attempt to place a blanket exclusion on public school campuses severely limits the ability of Superintendent Carvalho to enact policies that take into account the specific needs of a community. Rather than limit options, the focus must be on enhancing the quality and breadth of public education opportunities.
“CCSA will support charter public school students by reaching out to Superintendent Carvalho to work collaboratively on solutions that support inclusivity and educational excellence across LAUSD.”
As approved, the resolution gives Superintendent Alberto Carvalho 45 days to develop new policies on shared campuses. The policy, as directed by the resolution, would ban charter public schools from sharing space with more than 300 district campuses, a practice employed by the LAUSD commonly known as co-location. Even though the board members say that this will not have an impact on current schools, the resolution does not explicitly protect charter public schools that have to reapply for space with the District each year and could have a devastating impact on thousands of charter public school students enrolled on campuses across LAUSD.
About the California Charter Schools Association
The vision of the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) is to build great public schools of joy and rigor that prepare all California students for success in college, career, community, and life. The mission of CCSA is to meet parent, educator, and community need for great public school options by supporting and advocating for high quality non-profit charter schools and sharing their success throughout California’s public schools. Learn more.
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