Friday, June 22, 2007

Faculty at 2 more campuses discuss breakaway idea

Some more AWESOME news from LA -- what's most amazing is that the two leaders reaching out to Green Dot are the teacher union reps at their schools!
Signaling deep discontent and a possible spreading revolt among the city's public school teachers, faculty at two more Los Angeles high schools met this week with a leading charter school operator to discuss alliances aimed at breaking away from the school district.

The meetings between Steve Barr, founder of Green Dot Public Schools, and faculty members at Santee Education Complex in South Los Angeles and Taft High in Woodland Hills come after a majority of teachers at Locke High School took steps to convert the deeply troubled campus into a series of Green Dot schools.

Teachers at Santee and Taft said the surprise move by Locke's teachers tapped into a well of frustration and discontent they also feel over the slow pace of reforms and lack of support from leaders of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

"With what happened at Locke, we've entered into a new chapter. They've instigated reform that all these district hot shots either are unable or unwilling to make happen," said Santee English teacher Jordan Henry, who arranged the meeting with Barr. "When you see something that looks promising … it behooves you to have a conversation about it."...

Perhaps most striking is that Gibbons and Henry reached out to Barr. The two represent the teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles, at their schools.
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FACULTY AT TWO MORE CAMPUSES DISCUSS BREAKAWAY IDEA

Teachers frustrated by L.A. Unified meet with the founder of Green Dot charter schools.
By Joel Rubin, Times Staff Writer
May 25, 2007
 
Signaling deep discontent and a possible spreading revolt among the city's public school teachers, faculty at two more Los Angeles high schools met this week with a leading charter school operator to discuss alliances aimed at breaking away from the school district.

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