SILENCING PARENTS

Lack Of Community Engagement Leaves School District Without A Plan

The LAUSD School Board was forced to backtrack on plans to change the school calendar after failing to obtain consensus on the issue. What now?

“Six extra days of class time and four days of teacher professional development was an insufficient measure to address the trauma of the last year and a half. This is the time to address critical needs and begin prioritizing the allocation of funds towards real mitigation measures for learning inequities, increasing mental health services, and creating smaller class sizes.”

- Nicolle Fefferman, Parents Supporting Teachers

The block of LAUSD Board Members supported by the charter school industry has a long history of making changes to the school calendar against the wishes of parents. Many parents were blindsided when this group initially moved the start date from after Labor Day to August in 2016, in part to better prepare students for standardized tests. Backed by survey results that showed the majority of parents wanted a return to the traditional start date, Scott Schmerelson…