Venice Neighborhood Council EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEETING, Saturday, March 12, 2011; Time: 2 - 5 pm

Hope to see you there!

Venice Neighborhood Council

PO Box 550, Venice, CA 90294 / www.VeniceNC.org
Email: board@grvnc.org / Phone or Fax: 310.606.2015

EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEETING

Chair: Pete Thottam
(Tele: 310.497.7255; peter.thottam@venicenc.org)

Location: Westminster School Elementary Auditorium

1010 Abbot Kinney Boulevard; Venice, CA, 90291

Date: Saturday, March 12, 2011; Time: 2 - 5 pm

(Note: We are expecting a large number of attendees. Please arrive on time! In addition to Public
Comments, Board of Ed District 4 representative, Steve Zimmer, will be present and will speak to
the Prop 39 & Charter School issues affecting the Venice & Mar Vista family of schools. We will
also have representatives from UTLA and Green Dot speaking on behalf of both organizations.)

UPDATED AGENDA

1. Call to Order and Roll Call (2 pm sharp! – Please Arrive On Time)
2. Approval of Agenda & Welcome from VNC Education Chair, Pete Thottam.
3. COMMUNITY FORUM DISCUSSION RE PROP 39 & CHARTER SCHOOLS: The March 12th
meeting’s focus will be gathering public comments on Prop. 39’s impact (current and pending) from
Venice stakeholders. Please note that no actual vote will be taken at the meeting. This primarily will be
an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss facts and to share information about Prop. 39’s local impact.

The meeting is being held to obtain community feedback and for the VNC board to gauge the range of
perspectives existing on area Co-location & Set-Asides, particularly for parents & teachers of school
children enrolled at Westminster Elementary and Walgrove Elementary. We will discuss the complex
factors & events since 2000’s voter passage of Prop. 39 as a constitutional amendment. We will also talk
about the potential negative effects of Prop. 39’s local implementation, about recent API & enrollment
trends at our local schools (positive & negative), about the two Prop. 39 lawsuits that LAUSD lost and the
apparent ‘gag rules’ that have informally been adopted by the District, LAUSD’s funding crisis and the
loss of federal stimulus funds after this year, & class underutilization concerns at LAUSD. Board member
Steve Zimmer will be present as will be representatives from UTLA & Green Dot. Gary Walker, a reporter
from the Argonaut, will be there to cover the discussion. We expect a large crowd. Please arrive on
time.

Also for discussion (as time permits): (A). Steve Zimmer will present to the VNC on March 15th 2011
(location: Westminster Elementary School Auditorium near Abbot Kinney; 7 pm); (B). Michelle Rhee / Ex-
Mayor Riordan / UTLA} VNC Fall Town Hall on Charter Schools; (C). Mark Twain “World Language
Magnet” & Broadway/City Terrace dual language immersion programs (Mandarin/Spanish); (D).
Nutritional programs / DOLE partnership; (E). LAUSD’s new corporatization ‘budget subsidy’ initiatives.

4. Announcements & Public Comment on items not on the above Agenda.
5. Adjourn and Set Date for Next Meeting (tentative).

It's YOUR Venice - get involved!