Charter school parents, school leaders and supporters line up to speak at LAUSD meeting today

LOS ANGELES - Parents of charter school students, school leaders and supporters lined up in the pre-dawn hours outside the Los Angeles Unified School District's headquarters for a chance to speak during today's board meeting, during which the panel will choose operators for 13 district campuses.

The school board will consider recommendations by Superintendent Ramon Cortines on who should manage 10 new and three existing schools Public School Choice program.

The program continues to spark outrage among some groups, most notably the teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles, which has derided the program as a giveaway of school campuses at a time when thousands of teachers are receiving layoff notices.

The school board was expected to begin discussing the potential school operators at 1 p.m., but it planned to hear testimony from 60 people first. Some parents and charter-school supporters who lined up overnight outside district headquarters were given numbers early today so they would have a chance to speak.

Public School Choice sites being discussed today are: Clay, Mann and Muir middle schools; Central Regional Elementary School #14; South Region Elementary School #6; Central Region Middle School #7; Central Region High School #13; Central Region High School #16; East L.A. Star Academy; South Region High School #2; South Region High School #4; Valley Region High School #4; and Valley Region High School #5.

Carol Grow Kerry Suseck Ana Paula Lemes Shana Hiatt Ashley Scott