Which Way, L.A.?
A Surprising Convert to LA School Reform
As president of UTLA, A.J. Duffy was a staunch opponent of charter schools. Now he wants to run one that makes tenure harder to get and streamlines teacher dismissals...
By Warren Olney • • 52m ListenAs president of the LA teachers' union, A.J. Duffy was a staunch opponent of charter schools. Now he wants to run one that makes tenure harder to get and streamlines teacher dismissals. We talk with him and his successor as head of the UTLA, and hear about new rules set by the elected school board that could change who gets to control new schools. Do the new rules rely on standardized tests to judge teacher performance? Do they give insiders too much clout? On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, America and the food revolution.
Banner image by John Moore/Getty Images
In this episode
2 storiesSchool Reform and LA Unified's Public School Choice Plan
LA Unified has more charter schools than any other district in the US. That's because of the Public School Choice plan, created to improve schools through competition by allowing outside groups, as well as internal teams, to bid for control of new and under-performing schools.
Read the story26 minBlah Chicken, Bland Tomatoes and the Food Revolution
There's a growing backlash against industrialized food production, including tomatoes and chickens that don't taste right and aren't genuinely nutritious. But not everybody can afford to buy the real things.
Read the story26 min
