L.A. Unified School District to vote on school choice

Trustee Steven Zimmer sought to require that teachers, other union members and parents approve any schools reform plan through separate majority votes. At high schools students would also vote. Lacking support from his colleagues, he settled for a watered-down process that includes only advisory ballots. (Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times)

Sept. 16, 2014 4:16 PM PT

Protesters voice opposition to the L.A. Unified plan outside district headquarters. (Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times)

Supporters cheer the Board of Education’s vote to allow outside groups to seek to run 250 campuses in L.A. Unified. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Ingrid Villeda expresses her opposition to the Board of Education’s vote. (Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times)

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa addresses an enthusiastic crowd gathering outside Los Angeles Unified headquarters. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Retired state legislator Jackie Goldberg speaks against the plan that would allow outside groups to take control of 50 new L.A. Unified campuses scheduled to open over the next four years, plus more than 200 existing schools that have persistently failed to meet state and federal improvement targets. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

L.A. Unified Supt. Ramon C. Cortines addresses the board on the issue of turning over 250 schools in the district to outside groups. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

A security officer works to maintain order at the door of L.A. Unified headquarters. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Members of the audience listen to arguments about allowing outside groups to take control of 250 L.A. Unified schools. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

A crowd of at least 2,000 gathers outside Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters downtown to show their support for (or opposition to) a proposal that would give charter schools access to 50 new LAUSD campuses scheduled to open over the next four years. The L.A. school board began debating the proposal Tuesday afternoon. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa addresses the rally in support of the charter school resolution. Were here today to stand up for our children, he said. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

The crowd, dominated by supporters of the charter school proposal, listens as Villaraigosa speaks. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Melinda Dockery, left, and Darinee Barba urge motorists to honk in the support of their cause. They and other members of the “Parent Revolution” and “Families that Can” gathered in front of the Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters to voice their support for the LAUSD resolution “The Public School Choice.” (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Members of “Parent Revolution” and “Families that Can” gather in front of school district headquarters to voice support for the LAUSD resolution “The Public School Choice.” (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Sisters, Adriana, 17, right, and Darinee Barba, 13, urge motorists to honk in the support of their cause. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Yvette King-Berg voices her support as members of the “Parent Revolution” and “Families that Can” voice their support for the Los Angeles Unified School District resolution “The Public School Choice.” The plan that would allow outside groups to take control of 50 new campuses scheduled to open over the next four years. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Monique Bacon holds a sign at a rally outside the headquarters of the Los Angeles Unified School District. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)