40 Attend L.A. Schools Breakup Hearing
Turnout was low but emotions ran high Saturday at a State Board of Education hearing on proposed regulations for breaking up the Los Angeles Unified School District.
The proposed regulations would require those trying to secede to analyze issues of race and class segregation as well as labor agreements in their breakup petitions.
About 40 people attended the session at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, the last of two hearings held by the board in Los Angeles. A Friday hearing at Valley College in Van Nuys drew about 100, some of whom also attended the Trade-Tech hearing.
Most of those testifying ignored the panel’s instructions to stick to discussing the proposed regulations and spoke passionately for and against breaking up the district.
Some said the proposed rules are meant to thwart secession efforts.
Ruth Perez, a member of a group trying to split Gardena schools from the district, called the proposed regulations “a delaying tactic to slow it down until we all go away.â€
Sylvester T. Hinton Jr. of the Inner City School District Assn. said the board “is trying to ensure they can do what they can to get in our way.â€
Gabriel Madel of Parents for Unity said turnout was low partly because the board did not publicize the hearing well among Spanish-speaking parents and did not provide a Spanish translation of the proposed rules.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
