Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa鈥檚 bid for control of the nation鈥檚 second-largest district has taken a more modest form as it wends its way through the California legislature.
Mr. Villaraigosa鈥檚 original plan to strip the Los Angeles Unified School District鈥檚 elected school board of nearly all its authority drew fierce opposition from the local teachers鈥� union and its statewide affiliate. (鈥淟.A. Mayor Seeks Role in District,鈥� April 26, 2006.)
The first-term mayor, a Democrat and a former lobbyist for United Teachers Los Angeles, agreed to rewrite his proposal and give teachers a central role in choosing curricula and shaping instruction鈥攔esponsibilities that have been controlled by the central office.
The union and its affiliate, the California Teachers Association, are now supporting Mr. Villaraigosa鈥檚 bid, but the 727,000-student Los Angeles district remains vehemently opposed. His new plan, which cleared its first legislative committee late last month, includes a mayors鈥� council that would consist of Mr. Villaraigosa and the mayors of the 26 other municipalities served by the district.
The council would select a superintendent, who would control the budget and handle contracting responsibilities now managed by the elected school board.
Mr. Villaraigosa鈥檚 plan must survive several more votes before it reaches Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, who has said he would sign the measure.
