Mayor backs school plan

Backing a controversial plan that would allow parents to pick private operators and others to take over failing schools, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa told a town hall meeting Tuesday that reforming Los Angeles Unified will be a long but necessary fight. Connie Llanos in the Daily News.

The mayor's comments highlighted the emerging political battle between the teachers union and other interests that fear the plan will lead to the privatization of the school district, and reformers who argue the district is no longer capable of making the right decisions for students.

"This will not be easy," Villaraigosa said. "It's going to be like at the fights, when they say `Let's rumble,'... but this isn't personal, this is about our children."