Observers predict more parent involvement in schools with 'parent trigger' rules

The dust is starting to settle over a new California law that allows the radical overhaul of a low performing school if a majority of parents demand it. The so-called “Parent Trigger” law now has rules and regulations approved by the State Board of Education.

Parent Revolution, an L.A.-based nonprofit, pushed for the new rules. Executive Director Ben Austin says parents now will have a say in campus reform where professional educators have tried and failed.

"There will be a petition posted online for every parent to download and use without the risk of it being invalidated on a technicality. The regulations specifically say no signature shall be invalidated based on a technicality if [the] signature is of itself valid. It lays out time frames by which districts need to act so they can’t filibuster parents," Austin says.

That’s what his group faced when it helped organize parents at McKinley Elementary School in Compton. Compton Unified successfully challenged the parent effort to turn McKinley into a charter school. Parent Revolution helped get approval for a separate charter school to open nearby in the fall. Austin said he’s not sure if the new Parent Trigger rules will renew the charter effort at McKinley.

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Yvette Hughes says the rules will help her. She feels like she’s been hitting her head against the wall trying to turn around her kids middle school in Carson.

"So we’re pretty much rebuilding, so it’s something that is going to hopefully wake up those that are sleeping, or maybe some that need to retire will retire. Maybe we’ll get new teachers, fresh teachers, who want to teach, who want children to learn," Hughes says.

Hughes says she and other parents will use the "Parent Trigger" law to turn around her school if educators don’t listen to parents.

The law is simple. It lets a majority of parents at a school that’s failed to improve over years sign a petition to trigger reforms approved by parents. The school could be turned into a charter, the principal and teachers could be replaced - or the school could be closed.

USC education researcher Laila Hasan says that ace in the hole will convince administrators to listen to parent ideas.

"I think it’s very significant and I think it provides a foundation for parents to think outside of the regular structure, ways in which education, parent involvement and education have been very structured and very narrow," Hasan said.

The law’s strongest advocate is Parent Revolution, formed out of the Green Dot Charter School group. Austin said parents from San Diego to Sacramento have asked for his group’s help.

Our next step is to help parents to form Parent Union chapters. To help those parent union chapters not only to grow but to educate themselves on the best practices, in terms of transforming schools rooted in what’s good for kids, not what’s good for adults.

Observers say the success of the law will depend on Parent Revolution being one of many groups helping parents turn around their low performing schools.