SB 808 Would Rein-In Charter Schools
The current system for approving charter schools in the state of California is broken.

Rather than creating space for innovation and creativity to improve public education as a whole, the system is being abused and as a result we see inadequate charter schools failing our precious children. Locally elected school boards do not have the final authority to determine whether or not a charter school fits the needs of their student population and community.

 Here, in Glendale Unified School District, I serve on the school board and had a front-row seat to watch another teachable moment about the broken charter approval process. We had a charter school application be denied by us on the school board, the local authorizer. It then moved to the county school board level and once again was denied – only to be eventually approved by the California State Board of Education.

Both the local school board and the county school board denied the petition because it did not meet the criteria necessary for approval. Yet, upon reaching the state level, the state Board of Education decided to authorize the petition and allow the charter school to move forward. Long story short, the charter school never opened. Unfortunately, the process took nearly two years and ended with broken relationships between fellow parents and district representatives. Had local control been respected, the community would have been spared two years of discord between parents, between the community and the charter, and between the charter and the district.

Proposed Senate Bill 808 by state Senator Tony Mendoza would help avoid this scenario by allowing the local authorizer, the locally elected school board, to determine what is best in the local district. The locally elected school board is directly accountable to the community and will clearly operate with that in mind.

When the important process of a charter school’s approval becomes a rollercoaster of appeals that ignores local control, our students get taken for a ride. When locally accountable school boards have the ability to regulate charters and integrate them into local education systems, our students, parents and communities will all benefit in the long run.

Jennifer Freemon
Jennifer Freemon is a member of the Glendale Unified School District
school board.

Grateful for Commentary
Just to say that I enjoyed [Robin Goldsworthy’s] April 13 editorial and thank you! Thank you for publicly talking about the unfortunate yes vote on SB1 and SB54.

Thank you, also, for pointing out that our Supervisor Kathryn Barger had the courage to stand up against sanctuary state status and to call for federal immigration reform and law enforcement.

Just as an aside, I recently (again) called Laura’s office. While SB1 is probably a “done deal,” I did speak to a pleasant young man, telling him that I wanted a no vote on SB54. He indicated that the Assembly has not yet voted on that item – but is set to do so in the next week or so! Hopefully, Ms. Friedman will have a change of heart. I have encouraged every friend I have to call her office and register their opinion – which is: no! California should never be a “sanctuary state.”

Below is a letter I sent to the LA Times regarding our Sheriff McDonnell – who also has shown real leadership in advising against a sanctuary state status. Was it printed? Obviously not, but it best expresses my opinion and gratitude.

What has happened to our state and our country when our government has allowed so many persons to enter illegally that we no longer know what to do with them? The only recourse for politicians, now hoping for a public buy-in, is to pretend this is the “new normal;” thus their continual mantra of how much these “hard-working immigrants (illegal) contribute to our economy and quality of life” and must be protected, as quoted by Mayor Garcetti.

Many thanks to our Sheriff Jim McDonnell for coming out publicly against the “sanctuary state” bill proposed by State Senate leader Kevin de Leon. Sheriff McDonnell did this at serious peril to his future career in Los Angeles law enforcement. He is to be congratulated for his courage. He will always have my vote.
Louise (Easy) Delaney
La Crescenta