Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Ramon Cortines Tuesday announced a hiring freeze on all building consultants for at least 30 days, giving him time to do his own review of contract irregularities reported by the school district's internal watchdog agency.

Ironically, Cortines' hiring freeze accompanied a lengthy defense of the district's Facilities Department, which manages LAUSD's $20 billion school construction program, in front of the school board.

"The issue here is that my policy direction was not communicated to all levels of management and staff," Cortines told the board. "Facilities has corrected this," he said in reference to problems reported by the district's Inspector General's Office last month.

The freeze follows last month's cancellation of two consultant contracts that came into question following the release of the report.

The inspector general's report was prompted by whistle-blowers inside LAUSD's construction program and

The next round of school reform is on tap

by By Connie Llanos, Staff Writer
After gaining control of just a handful of campuses during the inaugural run of Los Angeles Unified's "Public School Choice" plan, charter leaders vow to fare better during the second round of the reform effort.