K–12 | Daily Report

A Los Angeles area middle school may soon be the first example of the state's new education reform law in action.

According to the Los Angeles Daily News, under the new "parent trigger" law, some are trying to force Mount Gleason Middle School of Sunland, Ca., to reform by considering one of three options: fire the staff and hire new teachers; turn the school over to a charter organization; or close.

If 50 percent of the parents sign a petition to change Mount Gleason, then officials will have to choose one of the three options to reform the school.

The effort is being supported by the Parent Revolution, a non-profit organization whose president is entrepreneur Steve Barr, founder and chairman emeritus of Green Dot charter schools.

Parent Revolution is actively seeking the signatures necessary for Mount Gleason and four other schools to qualify for the reform action.

Last month, the organization was successful in getting the Legislature to include the parent trigger into the education reform bills created to help the state compete in the federal Race-to-the-Top competition. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger subsequently signed the measures into law.

Although Mount Gleason apparently has low test scores, some are questioning whether the parents' actions are fully warranted.

This school has blossomed into one of the Northeast Valley's highest performing middle schools," said local District 2 Superintendent Alma Pena-Sanchez. Pena-Sanchez said that in response to complaints by parents new administrators have been placed at the school to work with special education issues and community outreach.

Academically, Mount Gleason has also leaped 50 points in its API score over the last two years, and suspensions at the campus have dropped considerably. "They are on an upward-bound trajectory," Pena-Sanchez said. "Why would you want to reform a school where improvements have been made... and there is buy-in from the teachers and the community?"

Some administrators questioned whether the motivation to have the school taken over was spurred by genuine parent concern, or outward pressure from community groups. "One thing is for residents of Mount Gleason to initiate this trigger," said Jose Rodriguez, an LAUSD director for the school. "But it's another thing for an outside group to come in and encourage parents to use this trigger law.

Ben Austin, the executive director of Parent Revolution, denied that his group was orchestrating a takeover of Mount Gleason. Lydia Grant, one of the parents in support of the change, said the school's problems were spilling over into the community.

Grant's youngest child graduated from the middle school campus more than three years ago, but she said her determination to make lasting change at the campus goes beyond her own self-interests.

"My daughter managed to get through with good teachers and great grades," Grant said. "But that was only because she got on the right path and had an involved parent. I am fighting for the kids who don't have those things.