Updates on LAUSD inter-district transfer policy*

A lot has been happening in the media and among parents over the inter-district permit situation in Los Angeles Unified School District.

I have a list of links to some other media stories after the jump, but first, an update on some action at the board meeting this week.

As you probably know, LAUSD plans to severely restrict the number of permits -- currently 12,249 -- it gives out to students to attend public campuses in other school districts. Many of those kids attend South Bay schools.

We had a big story on this earlier this month, and we followed up with the news that board member Steve Zimmer has a resolution that would exempt current high-schoolers. That resolution, which now has the support of Tamar Galatzan as well, will likely come to the board on April 6.

The issue came up at this week's board meeting too, causing a bit of a scene during the public comment section of the event.

More than a dozen parents came forward to plead with the board -- sometimes tearfully -- to let their children stay in outside schools.

The first parent to speak, who gave his name as Mark Milinch (not sure on the spelling), said his daughter would lose the opportunities she currently has the Spanish language immersion program at Edison Language Academy in Santa Monica-Malibu Unified.

"We will have to scramble to get her into a second-class high school," Milinch said. "Her chances of getting into universities are profoundly diminished ... I know that you do this with knowing disregard for the harm that you cause her."

His comments caused an angry outburst from board member Richard Vladovic, who represents the Harbor Area. Noting "how arrogant a parent can sound," Vladovic defended LAUSD schools, saying he and his children had attended them.

"To diminish and degrade our district is unconscionable to me. I will never, never accept that," Vladovic said. "I won't listen to it."

He rose to leave the dais, yelling, "You know how I'm going to vote now! Thank you, sir!"

After that, other parents came forward.

Some complained about the timing of the policy change, which was made quietly last month -- after the deadline had passed to apply for district magnet programs. Others said they had applied to the notoriously difficult-to-navigate magnet system in the past and been unable to get their children in, or that they had lost magnet "points" because they had left the district.

But most said they could not find LAUSD programs comparable to those in other districts, notably language immersion instruction.

One parent said she supported public education but wanted her child to stay at Edison.

"We want to be in LAUSD ... We're Democrats, we're liberals, we want to support our local school system," she said.

She asked for an exemption specifically for Edison, which gets about half of its students from outside Santa Monica.

At the end of the public comment, board President Monica Garcia thanked parents.

KPCC's Adolfo Guzman-Lopez had a story that included comments from the meeting.

After the jump are some more links on the issue.