Panel Oks It Over Objections:
CTA proposed a series of amendments to a pending charter school reform measure that in its current form could allow virtually unaccountable private organizations to oversee public charter schools. Discussions over the amendments, coupled with CTA's opposition, slowed the bill's movement. But at the end of the day, lawmakers sent the bill to a fiscal panel for its next consideration.
AB 1137, the CTA-opposed measure by Assembly Member Sara Reyes (D-Los Angeles), came before the Assembly Education Committee on April 2. Lawmakers finally agreed to move the measure to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for further action.
CTA's concerns have centered on provisions of the bill that would allow a local school board to abandon its responsibility to oversee a charter school under its jurisdiction. Among other things, the measure would also eliminate charters for schools in the lowest three deciles on the Academic Performance Index (API).
CTA believes that charter schools should be accountable to a publicly elected body -- such as a school board or a county office of education.
CTA amendments would, among other things, require a school board not wishing to oversee a charter school to cede that authority to the local county office of education.