Carl J. Petersen is a parent of children in the Los Angeles school district. In this paper, he reviews the claim that schools get better if they compete. And he wonders, if competition improves schools, why does the Los Angeles school board insist on collaborating with those who want to put them out of business?
Petersen says that LAUSD has thrown in the towel. Instead of competing to show they are better than charters, they bow to the charters and throw the fight. Of course, it is true that the charter lobby, the California Charter Schools Association, is the richest lobby in the state. And it is true that CCSA and its allies will pour millions into the next school board race. Once in a while, a grassroots candidate can beat the CCSA millions, but it is not a good idea to count on it. CCSA is not willing to fight fair. It not only claims its schools are better, but it wants to buy every seat on the LAUSD school board so as to own the competition.
The charter lobby acts like Walmart. It doesn’t want competition. It wants a monopoly.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Competition is always a win for privileged consumers….
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One of the most celebrated public charter high schools in the country is Granada Hills High which has won numerous national Academic Decathlon titles as well as receiving high API scores year after year. Nearly 50% of its student population has been rated “gifted” during much of that period.
I challenge someone to get hold of Granada’s enrollment records and determine how many of its students actually live in its district. The school holds an open enrollment lottery each spring for some 200 spaces at a school with a population of around 4,000. Are there really upwards of 2,000 students at Granada, living in its district, that are “gifted”? Is it the water? If it indeed is playing fast and loose with its enrollment policies, nothing would so clearly demonstrate that as an audit of Granada’s student population.
I’m willing to bet there are other charters in LAUSD, California, and the nation that might not withstand this kind of scrutiny either.
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Anyone reading this post should take a closer look at the 3 part written report that Mr. Petersen presented at a charter seminar on Richmond, CA on July 30th. Granada Hills Charter High School, mentioned in Brian Hayes’ comment, is a conversion from a district school. As such, it is required to accept any and all students from within the original boundary. However, due to many exclusionary policies, many local students chose to attend other high schools. That leaves more spots for the higher performing students. Also, Granada has been allowed to increase its enrollment up to approx. 5500 students. However, for several years in a row, hundreds of students who initially enrolled did not show up. That brings into question the validity of the so-called waiting list which is used as a reason to ask for an increase in enrollment.
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The location of this school is also problematic. Take a look at a map. Then study transportation systems. Add in travel time at rush hour, which today seems to start at 2:00 p. m. and end at 7:00 p. m. Read a few real estate ads. You will see that Granada Hills is in a middle and up income area. Consider the loose definition of gifted in Los Angeles. There may be few local high school age children. Consider that not every family is anxious to send their children outside the home area and may not be persuaded that such a transfer is relevant to their lives. Also, how many are willing to transfer from their private/parochial school? Granada Hills may not even have to be exclusive in their selection. What are their exclusionary practices? Many factors to consider. I cannot imagine how they would get 5500 students to come there. Maybe some come from other school districts much as happens with athletics.
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The name of the game these days is selectivity. If a school is to survive, it’s got to ditch the weak students through covert means. Even the most hard-working and capable staffs will be pilloried and then liquidated if they are brave enough to stick with the weak.
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It’s impossible to trust anyone on the LAUSD Board or in its administration. Even lowly assistant principals seem to have ulterior motives and conflicts of interest. None of them had any problems supporting and collaborating with John Deasy. That says it all.
Good people do not compromise or collaborate with segregation and privatization. Good people fight for what is right.
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