"As stakeholders of the LAUSD, we want to make certain that Superintendent Beutner's successor holds an education background, maintains and sharpens the focus on safety and resources for the Fall school year, and adheres to the bargaining commitments made on behalf of teachers, staff and families."
- Parents Supporting Teachers
It would seem logical that the leader of the second-largest school district in the country would be a professional educator, but Austin Beutner, the current superintendent of the LAUSD, had no previous professional experience in public education when he was appointed to the position in 2018. Instead of hiring Acting Superintendent Vivian Ekchian, the block of board members supported by the charter-school industry hired someone whose resume included investing in the National Enquirer and publishing the Los Angeles Times. Convicted felon Ref Rodriguez, Nick Melvoin, and Monica Garcia made this decision out of the view of the public, allegedly violating California's open-meeting laws.
Beutner has announced that when his contract expires in June he will be stepping down from the position. Parents Supporting Teachers, which has over 25,000 followers on Facebook and is "dedicated to parent communication and education support in the entire LAUSD", has issued the following statement today in response to Beutner's resignation:
Parents Supporting Teachers, the largest public education advocacy group supporting Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) teachers and families, wishes to express gratitude to Superintendent Austin Beutner for his dedication and commitment to families during the Covid-19 pandemic and throughout his three years of service to the LAUSD.
"As stakeholders of the LAUSD, we want to make certain that Superintendent Beutner's successor holds an education background, maintains and sharpens the focus on safety and resources for the Fall school year, and adheres to the bargaining commitments made on behalf of teachers, staff and families. We are grateful that Superintendent Beutner will help support and onboard the hiring of the district's next leader," group co-founder Nicolle Fefferman stated.
The Superintendent of the second-largest school district in the country needs to wear many hats, and the goal is to find an educator and public servant capable of stepping into this important position who will have a shared commitment for the safety, success, and support of all students and community stakeholders. The continued transition back to in-person learning requires a Superintendent who is open to the needs of students, families, and school staff, and can ultimately lead us on the path towards stronger community schools.
"Parents and families are grateful for the life-saving measures Superintendent Beutner has implemented over the past 13 months. As significant stakeholders, we look forward to playing a role in the search for a new Superintendent. We expect that this individual will help lead our district, and the country, in promoting equitable, and inclusive neighborhood public schools, while simultaneously addressing the historical inequities and underfunding in the LAUSD," said co-founder Jenna Schwartz.
Before the charter school block forced through the hiring of Beutner, it was customary for the LAUSD School Board to work towards consensus on the hiring of the Superintendent. As an employee of the school board, the next leader should represent the students of the LAUSD and not the 20% of students who attend privately operated charter schools. The search for this leader needs to be conducted in full public view. As demanded by Parents Supporting Teachers, all persons considered should have a background in education. Ideally, this should include time in front of a classroom.
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Carl Petersen is a parent, an advocate for students with special education needs, an elected member of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council, a member of the LAUSD's CAC, and was a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race. During the campaign, the Network for Public Education (NPE) Action endorsed him, and Dr. Diane Ravitch called him a "strong supporter of public schools." For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.
