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Parents at LAUSD retreat urge clearer accountability, want strategic plan tied to LCAP
Summary
Several parents at the Los Angeles Unified School District board retreat urged clearer connections between the district—s strategic plan and the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), better explanations of assessment measures for English learners, and stronger school‑level communication of subgroup results.
At the Los Angeles Unified School District special retreat on Jan. 14, several parents used the public‑comment period to press the board for stronger accountability and clearer communication about how the district measures student progress.
Maria Daisy Ortiz told the board that English learners were not being properly identified or reclassified and that parents are not being informed when students should be reclassified; Ortiz warned that the district—s approach to dual‑language programs and reclassification "undermines the parent" and urged the board to work with families on reclassification decisions. "If not we would have excellence in our results," she said.
Maria Louisa Palma criticized the retreat materials for failing to connect the proposed strategic plan to the LCAP. Palma said parents need consolidated, comparable graphs showing subgroup performance (low‑income students, English learners, special education) and clear explanations of terms such as "distance from standard" so families can set and assess future targets. "This is what the parents need to see," Palma said, adding that the presentations given to some parent bodies were overly simplified and did not show the comparative subgroup data parents seek.
David Tokovski, another public commenter, urged the board not to lower standards and to preserve science, social‑emotional learning and career‑technical education in the revised plan; he also suggested the board examine contractors and research funding cited in consultant materials.
Diana, who identified herself as chairperson of a central parent organization and a member of a school‑safety parent network, said Latino families want academic results, not just general descriptions of programs, and called for more parent‑friendly presentations at both district and school levels.
Why it matters: parents asked the board to link the strategic plan explicitly to the LCAP, provide side‑by‑side subgroup comparisons and explain assessment measures in plain language. Board members and staff acknowledged those concerns during the retreat and said they would circulate revised slides and pursue community engagement as they finalize targets and operational plans.
