Mayor Reasserts Bid to Take Over L.A. Schools

Upping the ante in the debate over education reform in Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Thursday that he planned to gain authority over the city’s schools before the end of his current term.

In recent months he had appeared to back away from earlier statements that he sought control of the schools, saying instead that he wanted to first build consensus on the idea.

Villaraigosa set a possible timeline Thursday at a news conference where the recommendations of a group of education experts were announced. The experts called for creating safe passages for students going to school, expanding mentoring programs and supporting smaller schools.

Asked whether those recommendations signaled that he was stepping back from more dramatic reform, Villaraigosa went beyond the experts’ proposals.

“It would be my intention that we would move to a new governance structure that would give the mayor the responsibility and authority for Los Angeles public schools by the end of my term,” he said.

In a speech, delivered in English and Spanish, to highlight the accomplishments of his first 100 days in office, the mayor said his visits to schools had convinced him that reform must be a priority.

“Our school district is in crisis,” he said. “We are failing our kids.”

Villaraigosa has said the mayor should be able to appoint the members of the Los Angeles Unified School District board, but he said Thursday that the idea was complicated because the district also serves other cities.

At a speech earlier Thursday at USC, Villaraigosa said he wanted to be deliberative and careful in coming up with a plan for the schools.

“We’re evaluating reform models around the country,” he said. “We’re looking at what can work in Los Angeles. And we’re committed to fighting and building a consensus for fundamental change.”

The mayor’s comments raised eyebrows at the district.

“It’s time to stop framing the discussion as crisis and failure,” said school board member David Tokofsky, who added that what goes on in the classroom is more important than the debate over governance. He said the mayor would probably rethink his position about taking over authority.

Board President Marlene Canter said she hoped to continue collaboration with the mayor on issues of mutual interest. She also said she did not see a change in governance as the answer.

For now, the mayor’s Council of Education Advisors recommended Thursday that the city develop safe passage corridors so students can get to school without becoming victims of violence.

The group urged that “safe spaces,” where mediators can help calm tensions, be set up at 10 campuses.

The panel said that 2,000 new mentors should be deployed to help students and that $35 million should be raised to provide health coverage for uninsured young people.

Villaraigosa called the recommendations “a great start” and said he would lead the fundraising himself, if necessary.

Times staff writer Joel Rubin contributed to this report.