Fighting teen violence in LA Unified but not spending to do it
LA School Report | December 10, 2014
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Tamar Galatzan at Tuesday’s LAUSD school board meeting
One of the more contentious moments at yesterday’s LA Unified board meeting was a debate over a resolution to “Promote Healthy Relationships and Prevent Teen Dating Violence”
No one disagreed with the intent or with asking Superintendent Ramon Cortines to deliver a report to the board early next year on how to implement such a program.
Rather, the fight arose over the projected cost: as much as $3.5 million to cover such needs as curriculum specialists, pamphlets, brochures and experts to run a pilot program.
As it appeared before the board, the item was sponsored by Tamar Galatzan and Steve Zimmer, but Galatzan on Monday asked that her name be dropped when the cost became apparent. (It wasn’t.) She was objecting to “budgeting by resolution,” a view she strongly expressed at the board meeting before suggesting that the district seek other funding sources for the program.
Once the funding was stripped out through an amendment that passed 6-1, with Zimmer as the lone dissent, the measure passed unanimously.
The big loser? Peace Over Violence, a community group that works in schools to teach civil resolution, was listed as a potential contractor, for $550,000.