Parents wore blue shirts proclaiming “My Child, My Choice” while standing beneath a bold “Parent Revolution” banner. The mayor addressed the crowd, organized by a coalition of community activists and charter school companies, saying, I am pro-union but I am pro-parent as well. If workers have rights, then parents ought to have rights too.

Then, in a 6-to-1 decision, the Los Angeles Board of Education voted to adopt a resolution that could potentially turn a third of its schools over to private operators. The district’s 33% high-school dropout rate was cited as a key reason for radical change.

The move garnered support from the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the Valley Industry & Commerce Association, and the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, but was vehemently opposed by labor unions, particularly United Teachers Los Angeles.

About 150 of the district’s 800 schools are currently run by nonprofit groups. This new resolution will formalize the application process and give the district a greater role in choosing providers, monitoring performance, and holding schools accountable for student achievement.