A Path to Open Dialogue
The LA Times wrote an editorial this morning criticizing the Parent Revolution for excluding several UTLA protestors from our event with the Mayor this past Tuesday. While we understand the position they took, we would like to take a moment to explain ourselves, and offer some thoughts moving forward.
The night before our town hall with the Mayor, LAUSD held a town hall at Griffith Middle School in East LA to speak with parents about plans to improve failing District schools. Hundreds of parents showed up to listen to Superintendent Cortines and his staff explain possible plans that would directly impact their children's education. Rather than becoming educated, however, the presentation was shut down half way through by UTLA protests. UTLA essentially hijacked the meeting, using the same tactics we've seen from extreme Republicans attacking health care town halls. Parents who had shown up to speak were shouted down and booed if they disagreed with the protesters. Rather than competing in the marketplace of ideas, they just shut down the marketplace. That night, parents were the losers.
At our town hall on Tuesday, the same UTLA organizers and protestors showed up. We made a promise to the parents who were coming that they would get to interact with and ask the Mayor the questions they wanted to know about public education. Based on UTLA's behavior the night before, we believed it was impossible to fulfill that promise if they were allowed to come in. Thus, we restricted the meeting to those who had already RSVP'd, which UTLA had not.
On Wednesday, we had another town hall in Venice, at the Boys and Girls club. This time several UTLA teachers showed up, and we let everybody in, including the teachers (and a principal). We laid out one simple ground rule- that everybody be civil. And they were! Throughout the event, there were many challenging questions proposed by people who were clearly hostile to the Public School Choice Resolution and to charter schools more broadly. Afterwards, one of the UTLA members present starting passing out UTLA literature denouncing the Public School Choice Resolution. Our response? At least half our staff, including myself, went up and personally thanked him for being respectful, and told him he was more than welcome to pass out whatever literature he wanted. And the 70+ parents in attendence got to hear a lively discussion, full of dissenting views, about crucial issues in their children's education.
We would always prefer to have the open and vigorous debates that Wednesday night brought over the confusion and anger that took place Monday and Tuesday. We firmly believe we have the facts on our side, and that this resolution will bring much needed change to the parents and children of Los Angeles. That's why the LA Times, the Daily News, and La Opinion have all endorsed the resolution. That's why dozens of community groups, including Alliance for a Better Community, Families in Schools, HOPE, Padres del Sureste, the Parent Revolution, and many more across Los Angeles have stood up and supported the resolution. That's why President Obama and his administration have called for precisely the same types of changes and reforms that this resolution would bring.
It's crucial that parents have the ability to participate in an open and honest debate about their children's education. We appreciate the LA Times calling for a transparent and open dialogue. We also call on them to give an accurate reporting of how these protests and disruptions are being conducted, and hold both sides accountable for their actions. And we extend an open hand to UTLA and anyone else who opposes this change for our schools to meet us any place, any time for an open and honest debate. All who commit to civil and respectful dialogue are always welcome.
