Glendale school board lays down timeline to consider charter petition
The Glendale school board is expected to make a decision by mid-December regarding a proposed charter school.
Their consideration comes after a Glendale parent, Hilary Stern, delivered a nearly 250-page petition that would offer dual-language immersion courses to students in kindergarten through eighth grade in German, Italian, French and Spanish.
The school aims to serve students who live in south or west Glendale.
The school board did not discuss the specifics of the petition Tuesday night. Instead, they adopted a timeline that would have the board discuss the petition on Nov. 3, hold a public hearing over the charter on Nov. 17, and make a final decision whether or not to allow the charter to open on Dec. 15.
School officials are also encouraging local residents to view a copy of the petition on the school district’s website and to share their opinion with the school board during the public hearing on Nov. 17.
“We’re really looking to hearing from the public at that point. We’re looking to hear from potential parents who are pro or against the charter and we’re also looking at teachers and staff and getting their input for it,” said Kelly King, assistant superintendent of Glendale Unified.
Some parents showed up Tuesday night with their opinions ready to share, including parent Joal Ryan, whose child is part of the district’s Korean dual-language immersion program.
“There is an opportunity to learn and to achieve at every Glendale school,” she said. “There is no need for the escape valve of a charter school in general, and certainly not for the languages.”
But fellow parents, including Gillian Bonacci and Gwendolyn Mahler, said the school would fulfill the demand they’ve witnessed with not all parents being accepted into Glendale Unified’s dual-language programs.
“There are people who didn’t get into Franklin and would now have a second chance at immersion,” Mahler said.
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Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com
Twitter: @kellymcorrigan