L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti backs John Deasy, seeks to end feud between LAUSD leaders, board
Amid mounting tension between Los Angeles Unified’s top administrators and the school board, Mayor Eric Garcetti expressed support Monday for Superintendent John Deasy and said he plans to meet with both sides in order to ensure the district’s academic progress doesn’t falter.
Garcetti was responding to questions about the future of the district, and its leaders, following the resignation Friday of Deputy Superintendent Jaime Aquino. The instructional chief said the new school board majority has become ineffectual and overly intrusive, creating an unhealthy political climate in which he could no longer work.
“I’m a strong supporter of John Deasy, and I think he’s done a great job of moving this district forward … whether it’s bringing in new technology or whether it’s having more accountability for the progress we’ve made on our (test) scores and on reducing dropouts,” Garcetti said in an interview.
“I’m concerned that there will be a culture that will drown out innovation and that may ultimately leave the superintendent feeling like he can’t do