The Los Angeles City Board of Education is the governing, policy-making body of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Members of the Board make decisions on matters relating to public education in the City of Los Angeles and several surrounding communities. All Board meetings are open to the public, and all Board business takes place in public except for discussion on some specific topics where the Board meets in Closed Session. Closed Session agenda items are announced in public and then discussed with only Board Members and District staff present. Closed Sessions are permitted by law and held in accordance with the state Open Meeting laws to allow Board Members to discuss confidential legal, personnel and collective bargaining matters as well as certain real estate issues. Most official business of the Board is conducted during regularly scheduled meetings on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. Upcoming public meetings are announced at the end of Board Meetings and are posted outside the lobby at the District Headquarters, 333 South Beaudry in downtown Los Angeles. Regular Meetings begin at 1 p.m. Special meetings are occasionally held for specific purposes and are always announced in advance. Regular Meetings take place at the District Headquarters in the Board Room unless otherwise indicated.
All regular meetings of the Board of Education are shown live and videotaped for later broadcast over KLCS Television Channel 58 and other cable channels. The meetings are shown live the day of the meeting and repeated the following Sunday. Phone for KLCS/TV for exact show times (213) 241-4036.
The audio and video of Regular Meetings of the Board and Committee Meetings is available live on the web. Go to the Board home page at www.laschoolboard.org and click on LAUSD Board Meetings Live link http://audio3.lausd.k12.ca.us/.
Individuals or groups can express their views in writing on any issue before the Board of Education by addressing their letter to an individual Board Member or to All Board Members:
Los Angeles Unified School District,
PO Box 3307, Los Angeles, CA 90051
Board Members can also receive e-mail via the LAUSD website www.laschoolboard.org or the e-mail addresses on the Members of the Board page. laschoolboard.org/contacts
Individuals and representatives of organizations are invited to address the Board on any subject that falls within the District's purview. If the item will be acted on at the Board Meeting, speakers are called on to speak just prior to Board action on the item. Board Rules allow seven speakers in most instances, with a balance preferrred between speakers favoring and opposing the Board's proposed action. Each speaker is allowed a maximum of three minutes to speak and may only make a single appearance at each Board Meeting with exceptions made for "Public Hearings."
If the speaker's topic will not be voted on at the Board Meeting, their presentation is made during the Miscellaneous Speakers portion of the meeting. Board Rules limit Miscellaneous Speakers to 15 at any single meeting. Each speaker is limited to a three minute presentation.
A new process for speaking to the Board was implemented November 1, 2009. Individuals who wish to speak before the Board must obtain a speaker form at the meeting prior to the item being discussed by the Board. Speakers should plan to arrive early because the Board anticipates covering items where there are no speakers signed up at one time at the beginning of the meeting. Please call the Board Secretariat office at 213-241-7002 for more information.
The meeting location is wheelchair accessible. Speakers needing any disability related or language accommodation should notify the Board Secretariat office to arrange for accommodation and inform the staff when arriving at the meeting.
Regular meetings begin with the Board hearing special reports and presentations from the Superintendent. This can include Instructional Reports and presentations from Student Body Presidents.
After the presentations, the Board will consider which items will be removed from the list of "consent" items which will be adopted with a single vote without discussion. This is followed by the Board discussing and voting on the items removed from the list by the Board or where individuals have signed up to address the Board on the item.
The next portion of the meeting is devoted to voting on motions and resolutions introduced by individual Board Members or the Superintendent. Most of these motions will have been introduced at previous meetings.
The last portion of the meeting is for the introduction of resolutions by Board Members.
Meetings are concluded with the approval of previous meeting minutes and announcements of upcoming meetings.
The Board currently recognizes and honors achievements and within the District and contributions to the children of Los Angeles by groups, individuals and organizations during the Committee of the Whole meetings of the Board of Education.
The Board occasionally meets as a Committee of the Whole where a small number of issues are brought before the entire Board for introduction or review. Public speakers are limited in number and time. Members of the public who wish to speak should sign up at the meeting. Board Rules allow fifteen speakers in most instances to the agenda items or any other issue under the Board's purview, with a balance preferrred between speakers favoring and opposing the Board's proposed action. Each speaker is allowed a maximum of three minutes to speak. Questions regarding the meeting may be answered by calling the Board Secretariat at (213) 241-7002.
BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES
STANDING COMMITTEES FOR 2010-2011
The Board has not scheduled any Committee meetings for the 2011-2012 school year.