At Jordan High School, a kid has a one in 3 chance of graduating from the place, and its standardized are not just bad, they’re hideous.
But this time, instead of fighting drastic action, the Los Angeles Unified School District is initiating it.
The LA Times has an editorial on the topic. Here’s how it opens:
Ordinarily, we’d rail against a decision by the Los Angeles Unified School District to hand over a school to outside operators without a vote of the teachers, without consulting parents, without an open discussion or an opportunity for existing staff to offer a competing proposal. But Jordan High School’s record isn’t ordinary. The school performs so poorly that only 2% of its students are proficient in math; the picture for English isn’t much better.
According to school officials, Jordan will be split into three separate entities, each run by an outside group: Green Dot Public Schools, Alliance College-Ready Public Schools and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. These are three well-run organizations that have demonstrated particular diligence in working with inner-city schools.
There are no guarantees. But at least the district isn’t choosing business as usual.