Vaughn School Innovations

* Although provocative, your editorial on the new school calendar at Vaughn Street 21st Century Learning Center (“Write 100 Times: I Won’t Innovate,” Aug. 23) failed to capture the real issues. Contrary to your rhetoric, there is no desire to “punish” this incredible school for its new schedule. The Board of Education applauds this achievement and voted unanimously to approve the new 200-day schedule at Vaughn. Vaughn is a shining star within LAUSD and a national leader in charting the course for innovation as a self-governing charter school. Rather than dictate any school’s calendar, board policy allows all schools to select their own calendar, as long as it does not result in more students being bused away.

The policy question is whether “integration” and “year-round” funds targeted to help relieve the burdens on the most overcrowded schools should be used to support “innovation” in other schools. Charter schools are innovative and clearly deserve our support. Further, I believe the district should reward excellence and provide financial incentives to schools that succeed. The question in my mind is not whether this should occur, but rather whether the specific funding source designed to help overcrowded schools should be further diluted to support more than the intended purpose. Funds spent at Vaughn would not be available to help the 190 schools operating literally year-round to address overcrowding.

I do not believe it is “idiocy” to consider these issues. In fact, a debate about equity versus excellence in public education is long overdue.

MARK SLAVKIN, President

LAUSD Board of Education

* Regarding your editorial: I applaud the district in its efforts in moving toward a per-pupil budgeting system. It is an important cornerstone for the innovative and successful LEARN reform effort currently under way in the district.

In May, 1994, the Special LEARN Budget Task Force presented, and the Board of Education approved, a series of selected recommendations that will dramatically change the way funds are provided to schools.

One specific recommendation is to “allocate year-round funds to multitrack schools which are operating with enrollments above their two-semester enrollment capacity.” The intent of this recommendation was to provide the year-round funding to the specific schools which were generating the funding from the state by giving up their area’s eligibility for future construction funds and to cover their concomitant increased operating costs. The year-round funds reimburse the costs to do business. They are not “rewards.”

MIKE ROOS, President

LEARN