New LAUSD board member Monica Ratliff seeks' end to 'business as usual'
New LAUSD school board member Monica Ratliff spent more than a decade in the classroom.
But after an intense three-day orientation last week at the Beaudry Avenue headquarters, the newest member of the school board said she actually found common ground with the leaders responsible for running the nation's second-largest school district.
"They all lit up as they talked about their work and how proud they are to be with LAUSD and how they want to provide the best support they can for the students," said Ratliff, known for putting her fifth-grade pupils ahead of politics as she ran her underdog campaign for the East San Fernando Valley seat.
"One of my big interests is to reconnect the staff of Beaudry with staff at the school sites. I think that people are coming up with fantastic ideas that aren't being conveyed."
Ratliff said the back-to-back meetings with about 50 district executives included two constructive sessions with Superintendent John Deasy. Ratliff had previously expressed cautious support for Deasy, whose aggressive reforms have put him at odds with United Teachers Los Angeles, as well as
