“There's a New Blood”: Parents Take Control of West Adams School as Students Return to Class

24th Street Elementary is the first school in the district to be reorganized under California's parent trigger law

As an estimated 600,000 LAUSD students returned to class on Tuesday, one school in the district marked the beginning of what parents hope is a classroom revolution.

24th Street Elementary in West Adams is the first school in the district to be reorganized under California's "parent trigger" law.

Simply put, the majority of parents voted to take control of what has been a chronically under-performing school.

"Their scores were very low, and they were below standards as far as education," parent Shawnett Hearns said.

The school is now a hybrid charter: LAUSD runs kindergarten through 4th grade, while Crown Prep Academy runs 5th grade through 8th grade. Parents made the request.

"The parents and the community have to be involved in order to see changes," Jaime said.

Among those changes is a restructured staff. Only five of the school's 29 teachers are back for this school year.

Hadrian Carter is one of the returning teachers, and he's back because the parents chose him.

"I'm glad they felt that I was needed," Carter said. "There's a new blood that we have and a lot of eager and willing new teachers. So they're learning their craft and they're bringing a lot of energy with them."

And the energy was definitely there as students filed into the school.

"You get to learn, and you get to play," said one 2nd grader, who seemed to have her priorities straight even at such a young age. "You get a job and get your own house."

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