How Ramon Cortines set the standard for the next L.A. schools chief
On his first day back as the head of the nation's second-largest school system,Ramon C. Cortines paid an unlikely visit to the headquarters of United Teachers Los Angeles. The union had a tense relationship with former Supt. John Deasy, and was pushing toward a possible strike over stalled contract talks.
Cortines met union officials on their turf: He wanted to show that there would be no barriers between him and teachers.
With that step, Cortines set himself apart from his predecessor. It was one of many moves that Cortines made during his 14 months at the helm of the L.A. Unified School District that set the standard for the next superintendent.
The Board of Education is now seeking a leader who will follow his model.
Cortines, 83, came out of retirement in October 2014 to steady the school system after Deasy's tumultuous tenure. He undid some of Deasy's most controversial policies, including canceling a $1.3-billion technology plan that originally had sought to provide every student with an iPad. He also spent millions to repair a malfunctioning online records system that created errors in transcripts and left many high school students stuck in auditoriums without classes or placed them in the wrong ones. And he won labor peace with a double-digit pay raise and by giving the union some say in teacher discipline practices.
Though some civic leaders still favor someone with Deasy's aggressive agenda for change, district officials described Cortines' leadership as both calming and productive, particularly on matters that affected students.
"This has nothing to do with being aggressive, but with whether the next superintendent pursues an agenda unilaterally," said school board President Steve Zimmer. "The next superintendent will need to collaborate with our community, our parents, our Board of Education and our labor partners."
None of the candidates is strongly associated with a particular ideological agenda for reshaping education. Some board members don't want that sort of leader; others simply realize that they won't get the full board to agree on a reform agenda to follow.
No finalists' names have been released, but some candidates who have been under serious consideration include San Francisco Supt. Richard Carranza and Miami Supt. Alberto Carvalho. Both have worked well with their local school boards. St. Louis Supt. Kelvin Adams has worked collaboratively with unions and also a local charter school group.
In L.A. Unified, Chief Deputy Supt. Michelle King worked directly for Cortines and has decades of experience within the district, replicating Cortines' familiarity with the system. And Fremont Unified Supt. Jim Morris preceded King in a similar post under Cortines and other L.A. district leaders before he left.
King is serving as acting superintendent until a choice is made. The board will meet behind closed doors Tuesday to continue its deliberations.
Board members, some of whom had been marginalized under Deasy, are seeking a more inclusive leader. Cortines proved that path was effective, they said.
In addition, Cortines' strategy was to focus on making progress school by school and on selecting and nurturing leaders who would act independently.
It was a style that differed sharply from that of Deasy, who sought sweeping changes to district policies and even education law, including an effort to limit teacher job protections through litigation. Deasy successfully cultivated a leading national position among like-minded reformers.
"Reform is not rhetoric," Cortines said in a recent interview. "And it is not passion. It is getting dirt under your fingernails. Let me tell you, this district has to be managed. It is a $12-billion business."
Among Cortines' first acts was restoring a relationship with the teachers union. He succeeded in negotiating a new contract that called for a 10% raise over two years. The How Ramon Cortines set the standard for the next L.A. schools chief - LA Times:
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