Re “Seizing Initiative, Chardiet Rocks Board Meeting, Thrills Parents”
Before a capacity crowd of about 50 intensely interested parents and union leaders, the School Board yesterday at a study session began a weeks-long exploration of presumably developing a policy for the gray area-hiring of adjuncts for all schools in the School District, beyond the seminal controversial case of El Marino Language School.
It was strongly agreed that progress – amorphous though it may have been – was achieved. But throughout the two-hour meeting there was a recurring accent on the crucialness of honoring the sanctity of process.
Meanwhile, in a pumped-up spirit of collegiality, Supt. Patti Jaffe has invited parents to a 5:15 meeting at the District office next Tuesday to thrash out the Board’s perceived intentions and to discuss guidelines for creating equity among all District schools.
“Equity” was the hot concept at the meeting, especially since the present state of adjuncts/wannabees seems lopsided, El Marino sailing on while the rest grope in the dark for a meaningful map or policy.
But while some parties were emphasizing a strict common policy for hiring volunteers/aides through the auspices of booster clubs – as at El Marino – other Board members favored a flexible policy that is adaptable to uniquely different circumstances at each school.
Following a lengthy, guarded presentation of the Board’s potential paths out of this engulfing community mess by Tina Kannarr, an attorney for the District, three points seemed clear:
• El Marino’s quarter-century old program of so-called volunteer aides in language classes appears preservable in roughly its historic form;
• All District schools not named El Marino who are enviably eying a similar arrangement for their campuses remain fogged in, in a state that resembles limbo and little encouragement, and
• Board member Laura Chardiet, who introduced a four-part panacea-type proposal six weeks ago that now is wheezing, came back with a capital new idea for all schools other than El Marino. It is an open-faced intern program that utilizes students from Loyola Marymount University, West Los Angeles College and Santa Monica College. They would staff District schools at affordable rates, give the teacher trainees experience and boost District relationships with the three colleges. All of this adds up to win-win, Ms. Chardiet said.
The District’s legal expert, Ms. Kannarr reviewed the Feb.28 proposal by Ms. Chardiet. She concluded that “we do not believe those changes will necessarily resolve the issues raised, either because they do not comply with law or would have no practical binding effect on the courts and other administrative agencies.”
After the Board tentatively grappled with policymaking making solutions without reaching firm ground, Board President Karlo Silbiger said:
“Our attorney told us clearly that any (adjunct-like) program created after Jan. 1, 2003, will go under different rules” than previously established programs.
“That is why, absolutely without question, (we would) keep El Marino’s program the way it is. But for any other program that wanted to hire staff similar to job descriptions that classified employees do within our District, it is unclear whether we would be able to.
“That is why I asked for more information. We are not sure. But it definitely would not be 100 percent for others.”
