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LAUSD to Shift Money from Substitutes to Phys Ed Program*

LA School Report | September 19, 2013



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phys edFollowing a contentious discussion at the Sept. 10 board meeting, LA Unified announced today that it will fully fund the Physical Education Teacher Incentive Program by siphoning off $1.6 million from the budget that now pays for substitute teachers.

The shift in money satisfies a resolution offered by Bennett Kayser and Steve Zimmer that passed in a 4-2 vote. Joining the majority were Board President Richard Vladovic and Monica Ratliff, with Tamar Galatzan and Monica Garcia dissenting. Marguerite LaMotte did not vote.

“The resolution calls for the Superintendent to pursue sponsorship opportunities as he has done with other District needs,” Zimmer said in a press release from the district. “I hope once sponsorship is secured, the money taken from schools can be restored.”

Galatzan, in particular, had raised questions during the board debate over how such a program would be supported without harming another district program. Despite no definitive answer from Kayser or Zimmer, the resolution passed, leaving Superintendent John Deasy responsible for finding ways to make up the shortfall.

Offering no specifics, the release said the district would seek to find money “from other resources” to offset the reduction in the substitute budget.

The program pays for teachers expert in physical education to train other teachers, who would then instruct students.

The teachers union, UTLA, did not respond to a message seeking comment.

*Update:
In a press release issued this evening UTLA expressed concern about the tradeoff: “We are concerned about this plan because defunding any part of the substitute budget endangers the continuity of instruction at every district school.”

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