Kara Kerwin, LA Times
To the editor: It’s outrageous that the Los Angeles Unified School District thinks it’s above the “parent trigger” law by suspending it for the upcoming school year. (“LAUSD says it’s not subject to state’s ‘parent trigger’ law this year,” Aug. 14)
In the letter to L.A. Unified granting a waiver from federal requirements, there was nothing that would condone or justify the circumvention of state law. Parent-trigger author Gloria Romero is rightfully livid, as this breach of public trust by district officials is in complete contradiction to the spirit of a law designed to give parents a voice.
Parents don’t have the luxury of establishing a new timeline for assessing school performance; their children’s learning needs are too important for that. Accountability and parental involvement are critical to a school’s success, and it’s a shame that the district feels compelled to undermine the positive relationship between parents and educators.
Kara Kerwin, WashingtonThe writer is president of the Center for Education Reform.