Los Angeles, CA – Centro CSO (Community Service Organization) along with teachers, parents and students from several East Area schools announced a historic victory, April 4. After months of struggle, corporate KIPP Promesa Charter school will not be building a new mega-charter school in Boyle Heights, at the location of the former Lincoln Hospital near 4th and Soto Street.

Rosario Bonilla, a mother who lives next to proposed site said, “I’m excited we obtained the victory against KIPP that I know would have affected the lives of my children and my community. Also, I feel proud to say that billionaires can't teach our kids!”

KIPP, which is the United States’ largest charter school corporation, operates in multiple states. In Los Angeles, like many other cities, charter schools are promoted in poor working-class neighborhoods that are primarily Chicano and African American. With the backing of real estate billionaires like Eli Broad, they build new private charter schools that pull students from already existing public schools. As student enrollment from public schools declines, funding also declines, causing layoffs for teachers and support staff. Those jobs are almost always unionized, with good benefits. Charter schools are also a part of the wave of gentrification responsible for rent hikes, evictions and displacements. With a population of over 100,000 who reside in Boyle Heights, there are currently over a dozen charter schools. KIPP Charter Schools already have one school in Boyle Heights and three in East LA.

When word spread that KIPP was trying open up another school the community sprang into action. On January 4, Centro CSO supported a lawsuit filed by Boyle Heights Neighborhood Association and longtime activist and resident Carlos Montes. The lawsuit against KIPP Promesa and LA City was based on the environmental damage to the already existing bad conditions and failure to conduct an Environmental Impact Report.

Carlos Montes, of Centro CSO said, “The proposed mega-project would have an adverse impact by adding more pollution, traffic and noise to the already harmful conditions.”

Centro CSO, along with teachers from nearby schools like Breed St. Elementary and the groups like East LA Padres Contra Privatizacion, went to LA city hall and through the planning commission’s long process demanding they not build the new charter school. But the LA city council voted to approve the project, with the urging of Councilmember Jose Huizar.

KIPP also got letters of support from LAUSD Board member Monica Garcia, LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis and Maria Brenes of Inner City Struggle, which the community strongly criticized. Centro CSO led protests several times at the proposed site, demanding an end to privatization of public education.

In late January, Los Angeles teachers, overworked with huge classroom sizes, lack of support services, plagued with charter school co-locations and budget cuts went on a historic week-long strike. Over 30 thousand teachers fought against the attacks on public education, as more and more public funding went to private charter schools. The attacks were led by billionaires like Eli Broad, the Waltons of Wal-Mart and the Gates Foundation with their sellout lackeys on the LA school board like Monica Garcia and former board member and money-launderer Ref Rodriguez. During the strike, the United Teachers of Los Angeles led a protest on the headquarters of the California Charter Schools Association demanding a moratorium on charter schools within the district.

After the strike, teachers and parents in Boyle Heights continued the fight against privatization. They continued with protests, and on February 28 they went to KIPP Promesa offices demanding, “No new mega-KIPP!”

On the afternoon of April 4, at Mariachi Plaza, mothers, students and teachers of Boyle Heights and East LA announced the huge victory. Lupe Torres, an ELA resident, teacher and UTLA Chapter Chair at Marvin Avenue Elementary school, fired up the crowd, chanting “No mega KIPP!” CSO announced that the LA City Planning Department issued a termination letter on the proposed project. Eloisa Galindo of Eastside Padres Contra Privatizacion said, “The people united will never be defeated! The power and money will never defeat people united!”

Carlos Cerdan, a teacher from nearby Breed Street Elementary said, “This win was a huge victory for the community. Centro CSO’s commitment to Boyle Heights is clear yet again, defeating a corporate charter behemoth. The fight doesn’t end here. We need to continue to inform and mobilize the community because privatizers are not going away easily. Charter schools serve to divide communities at an early age in order to destroy unity through false pretenses of choices. Schools not profits!”

This historic victory shows that the wave of charter schools can be stopped if communities stand up and fight back. Teachers, parents and community members will continue to struggle against co-locations and the invasion of private charter schools on the Eastside. Community leader Carlos Montes states, “This victory against KIPP will inspire others to fight back against privatization.”

#LosAngelesCA #PeoplesStruggles #ChicanoLatino #CentroCSO #TeachersUnions #KIPPCharterSchool

Los Angeles, CA – Los residentes del vecindario de Boyle Heights, acompañados por familias de estudiantes de escuelas públicas locales, anunciaron, en una conferencia de prensa el 5 de enero y piquete, la presentación de una demanda en el Tribunal Superior contra la ciudad de Los Ángeles y la escuela “charter”  KIPP Promesa para detener el mega proyecto. KIPP Promesa quiere construir una gran escuela “charter” en el antiguo Hospital Lincoln en Boyle Heights.

El 4 de enero, los abogados de Defensores del Medio Ambiente presentaron una demanda en el Tribunal Superior de Los Ángeles contra la ciudad por no llevar a cabo un Informe de Impacto Ambiental (EIR); y pidiendo que se detenga el proyecto debido al impacto dañino en el ambiente ya dañado.

La Asociación de Vecinos de Boyle Heights, con el Centro CSO, declara que los megaproyectos propuestos tendrán un impacto adverso en las condiciones ambientales al agregar más contaminación, tráfico y ruido a la situación ya dañina. La madre de la estudiante de Breed Street School, Rosa Bonilla, dijo: “esta mega escuela tendrá un impacto dañino a largo plazo en las escuelas públicas locales al drenar a los estudiantes y los fondos necesarios”. Bonilla, su familia, vive al lado del proyecto propuesto y teme la contaminación adicional.

El Centro CSO solicita una nueva biblioteca pública, un parque público o viviendas asequibles en este sitio. Ya existen muchas escuelas en Boyle Heights, tanto públicas como charter. Roosevelt High School, Hollenbeck Middle School, Breed School y Saint Mary Catholic School están a una o dos cuadras del proyecto propuesto.

Lucía García, una maestra local en la Escuela Malabar, habló sobre el creciente apoyo de la comunidad para la huelga de maestros pendiente. La UTLA exige un control más estricto de las escuelas chárter, que se consideran un ataque a la educación pública a través de la privatización. El Centro CSO y Padres Contra Privatización del Este están trabajando para detener el crecimiento de las escuelas charter en East LA y Boyle Heights.

Lupe Torres, una maestra de LAUSD, madre de una graduada de LAUSD y Presidenta de Capítulo de UTLA en la Escuela Marvin Avenue, habló sobre la importancia de apoyar la educación pública y por qué sale en huelga el 10 de enero. Torres explicó que KIPP se dirige a los pobres Afro-Americano y Latino comunidades; tiene un estilo muy estricto de disciplina, pero selecciona solo a “buenos estudiantes” y tiene un historial de expulsión de estudiantes varones Afro-Americanos. “KIPP es un programa único, donde no se reconoce la individualidad”.

La propuesta de la escuela charter KIPP Promesa es construir una gran escuela primaria para 625 estudiantes en un área ya densa y contaminada, que ya cuenta con servicios muchas escuelas locales. KIPP actualmente opera una escuela en Boyle Heights en Whittier Boulevard, al lado de ELA YMCA, y tres escuelas KIPP en ELA, una en Atlantic Boulevard cerca de Garfield High School, una en Chavez y Mednick, cerca de Hamasaki School, y otra en Olympic Boulevard cerca Eastman School.

Luis Sifuentes, miembro del Centro CSO, y Eloisa Galindo, madre de familia local, dirigieron a los estudiantes y padres en voz alta contra KIPP Promesa y en apoyo de la huelga de maestros de UTLA.

El Centro CSO llama a los residentes de LA a unirse a la huelga de UTLA uniéndose a una línea de piquete en su escuela local de LAUSD.

#LosAngelesCA #PeoplesStruggles #CentroCSO #UTLA #TeachersUnions #KIPPCharterSchool

Los Angeles, CA – Residents of the Boyle Heights neighborhood, joined by families of students of local public schools, announced, at a January 5 press conference and picket, the filing of a lawsuit in Superior Court against the city of Los Angeles and KIPP Promesa charter school to stop the mega project. KIPP Promesa wants to build a large charter school at the former Lincoln Hospital in Boyle Heights.

On January 4, attorneys with Advocates for the Environment filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against the city for failing to conduct an Environmental Impact Report (EIR); and asking to halt project due to the harmful impact to the already damaged environment.

Boyle Heights Neighborhood Association, with Centro CSO, state that the proposed mega projects will have adverse impact on the environmental conditions by adding more pollution, traffic and noise to the already harmful situation. The mother of Breed Street School student Rosa Bonilla stated, “this mega school will have long lasting damaging impact to local public schools by draining students and needed funds.” Bonilla her family live next door to proposed project and fear the added pollution.

Centro CSO calls for a new public library, a public park, or affordable housing, at this site. There already exist many schools in Boyle Heights, both public and charter. Roosevelt High School, Hollenbeck Middle School, Breed School and Saint Mary Catholic School are within one or two blocks from proposed project.

Lucia Garcia, a local teacher at Malabar School, spoke about the growing community support for the pending teachers strike. The UTLA demands stricter control of charter schools, which are seen as an attack on public education via privatization. Centro CSO and Parents Against Privatization are working to stop the growth of charter schools in East LA and Boyle Heights.

Lupe Torres – a LAUSD teacher, mother of a LAUSD graduate, and UTLA Chapter Chair at Marvin Avenue School – spoke about the importance of supporting public education and why she will be striking on January 10. Torres explained that KIPP targets poor Black and brown communities; it runs a very strict style of discipline but picks out only “good students” and has a history of expelling Black male students. “KIPP is a one-fits-all cookie cutter program, where individuality isn’t acknowledged.”

The KIPP Promesa charter school proposal is to build a large elementary school for 625 students in an already dense and polluted area, which is already served by many local schools. KIPP currently operates a school in Boyle Heights on Whittier Boulevard, next to the YMCA, and three KIPP schools in ELA, one on Atlantic Boulevard near Garfield High School, one on Chavez and Mednick, near Hamasaki School, and another on Olympic Boulevard near Eastman School.

Luis Sifuentes, member of Centro CSO, and Eloisa Galindo, a local parent, led the students and parents in loud chants opposing KIPP Promesa and in support of the UTLA teachers strike.

Centro CSO calls on LA residents to join the UTLA strike by joining a picket line at your local LAUSD school.

#LosAngelesCA #PeoplesStruggles #CentroCSO #UTLA #TeachersUnions #KIPPCharterSchool

Los Angeles, CA – More than 30 parents, teachers, students and supporters of Christopher Dena Elementary took to the streets angrily opposing a co-location move by KIPP Charter. A co-location by KIPP at a public school means students would be segregated, within the same building, depending on which ‘school’ they were enrolled in.

Dena (the locals’ name for Christopher Dena Elementary) is located in the historic neighborhood of Boyle Heights and is home to hundreds of students from mostly Chicano, Latino and immigrant working-class families. KIPP Charter is notorious for being supported by multi-billion industries like Netflix and the multi-billionaire Eli Broad, whom has publicly vowed a war against public education.

Joined by various teachers from Dena and neighboring East LA schools, Centro CSO, as well as parents from Marianna Avenue Elementary, the powerful crowd stood their ground for over an hour. Three young Dena students equipped with bullhorns led chants including, “No co-location! We love Dena!” and “Si se puede!”

Martha Gandara, of United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) and chapter chair of Dena said, “This attack hits close to home. I went to school at Dena, one of my youngest is there now. I stand with Dena today in demanding KIPP stop their co-location threats.”

At the end of the protest Eloisa Galindo, a mother whose child goes to Marianna Avenue Elementary, told the crowd that battles against privatization for public education are far from over. Galindo said, “Feb. 28 we will be outside of the Boyle Heights City Hall at 6 p.m. obtaining signatures against rezoning efforts by KIPP. Then March 7 we will be collecting all petition signatures and presenting them at a City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning Public Hearing. KIPP plans to obtain approval from City of LA Planning Commission to rezone the former Lincoln Hospital and construct a new KIPP Charter school. Many oppose another charter school in Boyle Heights. Join us!”

KIPP’s efforts failed when these same parents, students and teachers fought back at the Jan. 24 Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council meeting when the board voted against allowing KIPP to rezone the former hospital property.

To stay connected with the fight, follow Centro CSO on Facebook, email them at centrocso@gmail.com, or call for more information at 323-943-2030.

Márquez is a Chicana member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) and Centro CSO.

#LosAngelesCA #ChicanoLatino #KIPPCharterSchool