City Section Bars Activities on Staff Days

City Section teams will be barred from practicing or playing games during 11 days set aside for staff development days, according to Barbara Fiege, commissioner for the section.

The Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent’s office decided to discontinue after-school activities on days faculty members are scheduled to meet and students have the day off. The dates affecting teams are Nov. 6 and 20, Dec. 4 and 11, Jan. 22, Feb. 12 and 26, March 12, April 16 and 23 and May 7.

Fiege has directed schools to reschedule games on those dates. If the games can’t be rescheduled because of contract restraints, teams will be permitted to play. Football teams in the playoffs will be allowed to practice on Nov. 20 as a one-time exemption to the policy.

The decision to ban teams from practicing on staff development days has led to criticism from coaches. “None of it makes any sense,” said Westchester boys’ basketball Coach Ed Azzam. “It’s beyond reason.”

Fiege said transportation problems are the chief reason for the shutdown of after-school activities on staff development days. Giving schools the option of practicing without buses to transport students was rejected because of equity concerns, Fiege said.