Employees At Struggling Watts School To Reapply For Jobs

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Employees at Jordan High School in Watts will have to re-apply for their jobs at the end of the school year under a major restructuring plan announced Wednesday by the Los Angeles Unified School District.

"Jordan has its strengths, its traditions, and has made some improvements over the last few years," Superintendent Ramon Cortines said.

"The reality is that even with these positive elements, Jordan is still struggling to educate and graduate most of its students."

Cortines said only about one-third of Jordan students graduate, and only one out of 926 students scored advanced in math and only 13 scored proficient on the 2010 California Standards Tests. In English, about 13 percent of students scored proficient.

As a result, Cortines said a trustee would be put in place at the school beginning Feb. 1 to oversee the school's operation until the end of the academic year. At that point, all employees — both certificated and classified — will have to reapply for their jobs.

Cortines said he plans to break the school into three "independent learning academies."

"This is not Public School Choice. This is an emergency situation that requires immediate action," Cortines said. "Jordan has been in Program Improvement status for the last 13 years and needs special attention. The time for excuses has expired. The time for action and progress is long overdue."

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa praised Cortines' action.

"Long troubled by low achievement numbers and high drop-out rates, Jordan continues to face many challenges that must be addressed so that our students have a safe and comfortable environment in which to learn and grow," the mayor said.

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