The board of the Los Angeles Unified School District adopted a new policy last week that will bar charter schools from “co-locating” in schools that enroll the most vulnerable students. This policy will provide stability to public schools that have been forced to give up classrooms and other facilities to privately-managed charters. Los Angeles and New York City both guarantee free public space to charter schools, which compels the host school to give up classrooms and other space that are not used 100% of the time.
The Los Angeles Daily News reported:
Charter schools will be barred from hundreds of Los Angeles Unified District school campuses under a new policy that is among the most restrictive of its kind.
The new rules, presented at a school board meeting Tuesday, Jan. 30, prevent charters from being sited in campuses that have been identified as serving vulnerable students, accounting for roughly 350 of about 770 school buildings in the district. Charter schools would still be offered space to operate in other LAUSD district school buildings.
The regulations prevent co-locations in low-performing schools, community schools that provide social services, and schools in the district’s Black Student Achievement Plan — immediately impacting about 21 charter schools — now co-located in those buildings — enrolling thousands of students who may need to move to new L.A. Unified campuses in the fall.
“This is one of those situations that, no matter what, we’re going to have some people dissatisfied on either side,” said L.A. school superintendent Alberto Carvalho, who created the new regulations at the direction of the district school board, an effort led by board president Jackie Goldberg and board member Rocio Rivas.
Carvalho said the new regulations are within the bounds of a 2000 state law compelling California districts to provide classroom space for charter schools. There are currently 50 charter schools co-located in 52 LAUSD school campuses, serving roughly 11,000 students. Thirteen additional charters have requested space for the upcoming school year.
“I believe that what has been presented may in many ways alleviate some of the issues,” he added. “However, we need to be vigilant and honest about unintended consequences of well intentioned policies.”
The new rules are a reversal for a city that historically has been friendly to charter schools and was immediately opposed by charter advocates, who threatened legal action in a letter to the school board as soon as the new policy was announced….
The long-simmering conflict over charter schools in Los Angeles reached a flashpoint in September when the board issued a resolution compelling Carvalho to create the policy and spelled out many of the specific components it should contain.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Gooood!
I cannot imagine a charter school using my classroom. Teachers “set up” their classrooms for the next day, which takes thought and a lot of equipment.
LAUSD did NOT vote to adopt this policy. That will happen at a later full board meeting. AND…..no charter school will be removed from their present location. The charter community wants to “cry wolf” whenever possible. They don’t want the public to understand that many of the public schools with co-located charters are high poverty and do not want classrooms they use for specialized student services and enrichment taken away. Charter law describes “competition” with public schools as a positive, but it’s not a fair fight when the charters can take away classrooms used to improve learning conditions at the public school.
My reply unfortunately went into moderation.
The school board voted yes on Board President Jackie Goldberg and Member Rocio Rivas’ proposal directing the superintendent to come up with this plan. That was a fun to watch board meeting. Charter collaborator, Member Nick Melvoin was pleasingly displeased and outstandingly outnumbered. One would assume the same board will vote yes and make it policy
It will halt the board from approving more co-locations at many vulnerable campuses. No present charters will be removed, however, although charters that are not reapproved will have trouble just moving to another co-location, which is almost a de facto removal. The board majority UTLA hits the streets in number to elect and preserve is opposed to Prop 39, and rightfully so. Saving our public schools is worth any struggle.
Let us now undertake to appreciate the predatory nature of language in the California Charter Schools Association’s veiled threat of a letter to the board regarding barring co-location. It bemoaned the creation of “charter school deserts” in underserved communities. That’s like saying there shouldn’t be payday loan deserts, bail bond deserts, or lottery ticket sales deserts.
Hallelujah! Maybe more folks will realize what a scam the charter “pseudo” schools are—stealing resources (and even space) from public school students.
Stay safe, LA folks.
Thank you. Seems the worst has passed today.
Shame on you Los Angeles Unified School District. You have sentenced marginalized students to an inferior educational experience. Rich and poor students must learn together no matter what.
Agree. LAUSD drank the Bill Gates Koolaid.
Susan Shedlow,
I don’t understand your point.
Co-location doesn’t integrate rich and poor. Charter take the kids they want and push out those they don’t want. Because so many very wealthy people support charters, they are frequently better funded than public schools. Under what set of circumstances would co-location of charters promote economic integration?
I call this discrimination. Minority students should have the option of attending a charter school close to where they live. Also neighborhood charter schools should/must be allowed to offer social services like housing homeless students in permanent supportive housing.