LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools issued the following statement applauding today’s landmark decision by Superior Court Judge William Highberger to guarantee students in the city’s lowest performing schools the same access to a quality public education as other students across the city.
“This is a great, historic day that will positively impact the futures of thousands of poor, inner city kids throughout Los Angeles,” said Marshall Tuck, CEO of the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. “This judgment, first implemented last spring at two of our middle schools, has already made a difference in the quality of teaching and campus life at these schools. And now, needy students across the district will benefit from this ruling.”
“First and foremost, I want to thank the students who made all this possible. Specifically, I want to thank Sharail Reed and Concepciona Manuel-Flores, both from Markham Middle School, who stood out front and led this charge. I also want to thank the many teachers and administrators such as Sonia Miller, principal at Gompers Middle School, who gave of their time and energy, and showed the courage to drive this change home,” said Tuck. “I believe today’s seminal ruling is a big step in bringing meaningful reform to this city’s schools.”
The settlement approved by Judge Highberger is a joint agreement by the Plaintiff student class, Partnership and the Los Angeles Unified School District. The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools and Mayor Villaraigosa began the process of addressing the inequities of budget-based layoffs in the spring of 2009 when it first became apparent scheduled lay-offs would devastate the staffs at Gompers and Markham Middle Schools. The Partnership and Mayor initially approached the school district seeking relief, but no solution was found. The Partnership and Mayor then asked the ACLU to get involved and after months of weekly meetings and research, the suit was filed in February of 2010. On May 12 of that same year, Superior Court Judge William Highberger issued an injunction barring any further lay-offs at the three named schools until the suit was resolved. Today’s settlement expands that initial ruling to include 45 LAUSD schools that will now be protected from grossly disproportionate budget-based layoffs. The Partnership was added as a party to the case in May 2010 and has been represented by pro bono counsel from Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools was founded in 2007 as the cornerstone of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s strategy to improve education in Los Angeles. It is a unique collaboration between the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Unified School District to turnaround LA’s lowest performing schools and to create a model for doing so district wide. The largest non-district school operator in Los Angeles, the Partnership today manages 21 schools with approximately 20,000 students and 1500 employees. The Partnership is a 501(c) 3 non-profit education management organization with 30 employees.
Partnership Schools
Carver Middle School * Dolores Huerta Elementary * Figueroa Elementary * Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary * Gompers Middle School * Hollenbeck Middle School * Markham Middle School * Mendez Math & Science * Mendez Technology & Engineering * 99th St. Elementary Ritter Elementary * Santee Education Complex * Stevenson Middle School * Sunrise Elementary * The High Schools at Roosevelt: Law & Government * Humanities, Art & Technology * Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics * Communication, New Media & Technology * Environmental & Social Policy * Medical & Health Sciences * Math, Science & Technology