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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Children's advocate Milton Reiterman dies


Children's advocate Milton Reiterman dies



As a turret gunner wedged in the belly of a B-24 bomber, Milton Reiterman dodged the flak that came with each of the 40 combat missions he flew during World War II.
After one particularly grueling flight, he found 200 holes in the fuselage before he decided to stop counting.
Perhaps the experience steeled him for three decades of dodging San Francisco's political minefields, forging a public service career committed to the city's schools and the welfare of children.
Mr. Reiterman, a top administrator for the San Francisco school district, died Dec. 29 during treatment for a stroke. He was 85.
As a high school football star, teacher, football coach, counselor, administrator and labor negotiator, Mr. Reiterman was dedicated to San Francisco and its schools.
Through the civil rights era, the Summer of Love and the years of desegregation and affirmative action, Mr. Reiterman rose through the ranks at San Francisco Unified, reaching the post of associate superintendent.
He was a key, if controversial, player in the early 1970s under Superintendent Thomas Shaheen, who was highly criticized for an affirmative action policy limiting the promotion of white employees. Mr. Reiterman, who was considered more moderate, had the support of the district's