School leaders in Los Angeles County, California have sparked a campaign to enshrine the constitutional right to quality education. This initiative was ignited by a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and its refusal to accept an obligation to provide good schools. Led by former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and a coalition of parents and civil rights advocates, supporters of the election bill are striving to create the constitutional obligation that LAUSD refused two years ago. The proposed amendment would guarantee the right to attend a high-quality public school and would empower students and parents to demand changes in schools.
It would also give them more influence to hold politicians accountable for investing in education. The California Teachers Association and local unions such as United Teachers Los Angeles have expressed skepticism about the initiative. Christina Laster, Western regional director of the National Action Network, a civil rights organization, is determined to ensure that the state commits to providing a good education as a matter of law. She was motivated to join this campaign after her son encountered issues with administrators in the San Diego public school system. Jim Newton, a veteran journalist and professor, has also noted that health, education, student success in school, and a prosperous future for California are interconnected. Karen Bass ran for mayor of Los Angeles mainly because of her promise to address the vast and persistent problem of homelessness in the city.
Raphael Sonenshein, director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles, has noted that once Bradley dedicated himself to traveling by bus, he remained attentive to educational issues. Historically, Los Angeles mayors have adopted different approaches to their participation in educational issues. The Attorney General accepted the language proposed for the vote and the Office of the independent Legislative Analyst concluded that the measure would not have a direct fiscal impact on the state. Supporters were encouraged after these developments late last month. If passed, this amendment would give students and parents more influence over educational policies in Los Angeles County.
