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'Parent Trigger' group to open charter school near beleaguered Compton campus
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It's up to a judge to decide if parents can take over the low-performing McKinley Elementary School under the state’s new 'parent trigger' law.
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After months of contention, a charter school will open within the boundaries of the Compton Unified School District.
Advocates of the new “Parent Trigger” law are behind the new school.
Last week, the L.A. County Office of Education gave the Celerity charter school company the go-ahead to open an independent elementary school at Church of the Redeemer in Compton.
Celerity was part of a coalition that filed a petition six months ago to convert nearby McKinley Elementary School to a charter under California’s new Parent Trigger law. The law allows radical overhaul of a low-performing campus if a majority of parents sign on.
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Compton Unified, with the support of the California Teachers Association, fought the effort tooth and nail. An L.A. Superior Court judge sided with school district in a tentative ruling; now the pro-charter coalition says it’s going to open its school nearby to serve parents who believe the district isn’t improving McKinley Elementary fast enough.
Despite the announcement, the charter advocates say they still hope to take over McKinley Elementary. State educators are changing Parent Trigger regulations as parent groups in other areas plan to file petitions so they can gain control of their schools.
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