17 Valley Schools Seek to Join District’s LEARN Reform Plan : Education: Officials pleased with cross-section of campuses. Teachers and parents would get broader power to design programs.

Forty-two schools--including 17 in the San Fernando Valley--have applied to become part of the Los Angeles school district’s ambitious LEARN reform program in which teachers, principals and parents are given broader authority to design their own educational programs.

The schools, whose applications must be approved by the Board of Education, would embark on the second phase of the LEARN effort, now under way at 34 campuses. LEARN (Los Angeles Educational Alliance for Restructuring Now) was developed by a coalition of business, civic and education leaders and seeks to raise student achievement by granting greater powers to local schools.

The new group of schools, which submitted applications by the Monday afternoon deadline, includes at least four senior high schools; another one is still considering applying. These would be the first senior high campuses to become part of the reform program.

District and LEARN officials, who had said they hoped for at least 60 schools to sign up, said they are pleased with the cross-section of campuses that have applied and that they will probably begin another application process in the fall. The current application process will remain open until May 5.

“From the very beginning, we tried to absolutely make sure this is not condemned to be a pilot program and that’s what this shows,” said Mike Roos, the head of LEARN and former state assemblyman. “It’s very, very validating. I think we’re on track.”

United Teachers-Los Angeles President Helen Bernstein, a LEARN supporter who serves on the group’s executive working group, said she would have preferred fewer schools but that the numbers show that teachers, parents and administrators want their campuses to change.

“It will be interesting and it will be a challenge--for everyone,” Bernstein said.

Under the LEARN plan, approved by the school board last year, teachers, principals and parents are given broader authority to design their own educational programs. Principals have power over essentially all aspects of campus management, including budgets.

To be eligible to apply for LEARN, 75% of the teachers have to agree. At Arminta Street School in North Hollywood, teachers fell one vote short of the required number.

“We have some people who have been here a long time--who are the status quo-type people,” said Larry McCall, the assistant principal at Arminta. “Any school that has problems, it’s probably because of the long-timers.”

Judy Hergesheimer, principal at Camellia Avenue Elementary in North Hollywood, where 91% of the teachers approved the plan, said it took the staff several months to decide whether to apply. She said the school had meetings with other LEARN campuses, interviewed teachers and principals and had speakers on the issue.

“The turning point for me and the teachers was when we started to figure out that it wasn’t a list of changes or reforms,” Hergesheimer said. “We wanted the definitions--we wanted the rules, the format and the logistics. We still don’t have it defined . . . but we really need to help our students be successful.”

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LEARN schools are asking for more financial independence and the school board will probably have to intervene in funding disputes, Bernstein said, adding that she believes the schools should be given more financial autonomy. The school board will take up the issue on Monday.

LEARN officials must also raise the money for intensive training that will begin this summer for the new group of schools. The training will cost about $40,000 per campus and LEARN officials estimate they need to raise about $2.4 million.

Roos said the group has so far received $600,000--including a recent $500,000 grant from the Ahmanson Foundation and $100,000 from the Annenburg Foundation. But while Roos admits he has much more to raise, he says he is confident he will meet the goal.

Aside from the money issues, the LEARN program is also fending off attacks from members of the teachers union who complain that the effort strips teachers of rights won after bitter strikes and contract disputes. The union’s 300-member House of Representatives agreed last week, in a heated meeting, to support the teachers at LEARN schools. Some members of the union had asked that the union take a position against LEARN.

Roos, however, said he remains optimistic about LEARN. “It’s an evolving process toward new relationships, roles and responsibilities,” he said. “As a consequence, I can understand people’s reluctance. Support for the schools is support for LEARN, in my opinion.”

The Applicants The following list shows the schools that have applied to become part of the LEARN program next fall. The San Fernando Valley campuses are in boldface.

CHILDREN’S CENTERS

El Sereno Children’s Center in east Los Angeles

Murchison Street Children’s Center in east Los Angeles

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS Atwater Avenue in Silver Lake

Brockton Avenue in west Los Angeles

Camellia Avenue in North Hollywood

Eagle Rock Elementary/Gifted Magnet in Eagle Rock

First Street in Los Angeles

El Oro Way in Granada Hills

El Sereno in east Los Angeles

Farmdale in east Los Angeles

Fifty-Second Street in Los Angeles

Glenwood in Sun Valley

Harding Street in Sylmar

Kittridge Street in Van Nuys

Latona Avenue in Los Angeles

Loreto Street in Los Angeles

Loyola Village Elementary and Magnet Center in Los Angeles

Magnolia Elementary in Los Angeles

Melvin Avenue in Reseda

Murchison Street in Los Angeles

Ninth Street in Los Angeles

Parthenia Street in North Hills

Paseo del Rey Fundamental School in Playa del Rey

Ritter in Los Angeles

Santa Monica Blvd. in Los Angeles

Serrania Avenue in Woodland Hills

Strathern Street in North Hollywood

Vena Avenue in Arleta

Vinedale in Sun Valley

MIDDLE SCHOOLS Columbus Middle School in Canoga Park

Frost in Granada Hills

Nightingale in Los Angeles

Reed in North Hollywood

HIGH SCHOOLS Crenshaw High School in the Crenshaw area

Francis Polytechnic in Sun Valley

Palisades High and Charter in Pacific Palisades

Wilson High in east Los Angeles

SENIOR HIGH CONTINUATION / OPTION SCHOOLS Cooper Opportunity in San Pedro

Eagles Center Options High in west Los Angeles

Jane Addams Continuation in Granada Hills

Miguel Leonis in Woodland Hills

Youth Opportunities Unlimited Alternative School in Los Angeles

The following schools have indicated they will submit applications this week:

El Camino Real High in Woodland Hills

Grape Street Elementary in Los Angeles

Source: The Los Angeles Educational Alliance for Restructuring Now