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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Will Dallas school trustees follow L.A.'s lead? | The Education Front Blog | dallasnews.com

Will Dallas school trustees follow L.A.'s lead? | The Education Front Blog | dallasnews.com

Will Dallas school trustees follow L.A.'s lead?

So, why did the Los Angeles public school system hire John Deasy as their next superintendent? And hire him by a unanimous vote?

The decision is a surprising one because education unions have been strong in L.A. They frustrated the likes of Roy Romer, the former Democratic governor of Colorado who served as L.A.'s superintendent from 2000 through 2006.

But the board apparently has enough members who are willing to back a superintendent that wants to make students his first constituency. Yes, that sounds pretty cloying, but it's true. Among other things, Deasy wants to link a teacher's evaluation to the performance of his or her students in the classroom.

This Wall Street Journal profile highlights how Deasy is well known for his beliefs about linking the two. He had