What is LAUSD’s Innovation Division?

The Innovation Division (or iDivision) was created to model a new method of school governance, in which schools get more autonomy from LAUSD in exchange for increased accountability.   Each school must have a network partner, a civic institution that agrees to work with a family of schools. 

Network partners and schools will be given authority over a number of key areas:  budget and resource alignment, staffing, school schedules, curriculum and assessments, professional development and school services.  Schools that show success may have their best practices implemented system-wide.

To join the iDivision, parents and certificated staff (in separate votes) have to approve.  For UTLA members, a majority of members assigned to the site (not just those who voted) have to vote yes.  IDivision schools must make a 5 year commitment to the program. 

Specifics on how the iDivision partnerships will work will be hammered out in the coming months.  UTLA is working with the District to give the iDivision schools the best chance for success. 

“The bottom line is that we endorse local control and UTLA will always support what the teachers at the school want,” UTLA President A.J. Duffy says.