FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 17, 2015
CONTACT: Bill Bird @ 916-651-4029
Huff Applauds Ruling in Palm Lane Elementary Case
Students and Families Win Historic Fight for Educational Control
SACRAMENTO: Senate Minority Leader Bob Huff (R-San Dimas) is congratulating both students and parents connected with the Palm Lane Elementary School Parent Trigger case, where a judge has ruled against the Anaheim City School District and declared Palm Lane Elementary a new charter school. The ruling from Orange County Superior Court Judge Andrew P. Banks overturned the district’s decision to reject the Parent Trigger process and allows parents to immediately begin “the process of soliciting and selecting charter school proposals.”
“Justice prevailed in this instance,” said Senator Huff following the ruling. “This is a complete win for the students and parents who demanded change at an underperforming school and stood up against union bullies and district delay tactics. The ruling sends a clear signal to all school districts in California: Clean up your act because the parent trigger process is here to stay.”
Senator Huff was first approached by a group of parents from Palm Lane Elementary last year. They expressed concerns regarding the school’s academic performance and asked Senator Huff for assistance. Senator Huff, who has been a leader in expanding school choice for parents and students through legislation that he authored with former Senator Gloria Romero, leading to the creation of California’s nationally recognized parent trigger law.
The law gives California parents the ability to intervene in their child’s school if it is performing poorly. With enough signatures from parents, any number of actions can be taken against low performing schools. These can include converting it to a charter school, replacing some of the school’s administration and faculty or closing the school altogether.
Although parents followed the letter of the law by organizing petition drives and gathering the required number of signatures to force change at Palm Lane Elementary, the district rejected the effort citing a number of concerns that Judge Banks found to be “procedurally unfair, unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious.”
“Is Palm Lane a subject school under the Act,” Judge Banks questioned in his ruling. “Clearly it is in the Court’s judgment.”
“I’m pleased that Judge Banks also found that the district did not work with the parents during the parent trigger process, even though state law clearly requires them to do just that,” said Senator Huff.
###
Senator Huff serves as the Senate Minority Leader and represents the 29th Senate District covering portions of Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino Counties. Follow Senator Huff on Twitter at @bobhuff99.