Cracking the Education Monopoly

In "Unlocked," Reason.tv told the story of the successful fight to transform Locke High, one of Los Angeles' most notorious public high schools, into a charter school.

Charters are public schools, often run by private nonprofit organizations, that give students an alternative to traditional schools and principals and teachers more local control over how campuses are run. The transformation of Locke High, completed over objections from the teachers union, marked the first time an existing school in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) was turned into a charter school.

On August 25, 2009, the LAUSD took another major step toward cracking the public school monopoly in the nation's second-largest school district.

Thousands gathered in downtown Los Angeles to sound off on a revolutionary school choice resolution put before the school board. Parents donning "My child, My choice" t-shirts faced off against union members and others who opposed the resolution, which would give students in some of LA's worst schools the choice to attend charter schools. In the end, the resolution passed by a six-to-one vote. Now, roughly 250 of LAUSD's 800 traditional public schools are eligible to become charters.

"Cracking the Education Monopoly" is produced by Ted Balaker and Hawk Jensen, who also narrates. Nathan Chaffetz field produced.

Approximately three minutes. Scroll down for embed code and downloadable versions.