Dear Members of the LAUSD Board of Education:
As LAUSD parents, we are deeply disappointed by the outgoing LAUSD board’s late-night, backroom decision to prematurely extend the contract of the LAUSD superintendent until the year 2020.
The board’s action, led by recently defeated LAUSD School Board President Steve Zimmer, was made behind closed doors without any public notice or comment and with no formal evaluation of the superintendent’s performance and how this extension will impact our kids.
Parents and voters spoke loudly and clearly in the recent election. We voted for change, not more of the same. We voted for transparency, not backroom deals that attempt to force the status quo on the newly elected board just weeks before it is seated.
Zimmer was soundly and overwhelmingly defeated in the May election, and his disrespect for his parent constituents was a big reason parents organized and voted against him. This action shows that he and the board not only disrespect the will of the voters and their mandate for change but also the democratic process itself.
We applaud Monica Garcia for her leadership. She was the lone board member to voice dissent and cast a no vote, saying that her vote was not a vote against the superintendent but against the process itself because that new board should be allowed to make this decision.
We wholeheartedly agree and urge the new board to revisit this decision and to in no way feel constrained by this vote to take any action and make any changes necessary to improve student performance and balance the LAUSD budget while putting the needs of our kids first.
Superintendent Michelle King may or may not be the right person to lead the district during this period of change that we, the voters, demanded, but it should be up to the new board to make that decision. And we urge the new board to fully evaluate the district’s performance and to choose the best superintendent possible to serve the interest of all of LAUSD’s kids.
Updates
June 17, 2017
The massive surge of support proves that parents are finished with the cowardice of a board that operates in the shadows. Steve Zimmer and his allies thought they could slide this deal through the back door but they underestimated how quickly this community would mobilize to stop them.
Reached 100 supporters
June 17, 2017
47 Comments
I think Dr. King is doing a fine job, but her contract evaluation should not have been considered until closer to the end of her existing contract. This surprise vote is clearly an attempt by outgoing Board members to maintain and assert their power beyond their elected time period. This should have been left to future board discussion.
The acts of the school board in this matter, though they may be technically legal, are under-handed, undemocratic, and will ultimately destroy the trust that the public has in this group.
It worries me that the LAUSD is making such important decisions behind closed doors. I hope the new board will demonstrate the utmost transparency in something as important as the evaluation of the superintendent.
It's not about Supt King's performance but the blatant and desperate power grab by an outgoing board. We hope the new board will take future decisions out of the dark and bring them into the light.
I am not objecting to Michelle King as having done a commendable job in a difficult position, however I vehemently object to an old board prematurely extending a contract that was not their decision to make!
While not surprised, completely mortified by board's actions.
These actions were unwise, undemocratic and ultimately destructive.
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Dear Members of the LAUSD Board of Education:
As LAUSD parents, we are deeply disappointed by the outgoing LAUSD board’s late-night, backroom decision to prematurely extend the contract of the LAUSD superintendent until the year 2020.
The board’s action, led by recently defeated LAUSD School Board President Steve Zimmer, was made behind closed doors without any public notice or comment and with no formal evaluation of the superintendent’s performance and how this extension will impact our kids.
Parents and voters spoke loudly and clearly in the recent election. We voted for change, not more of the same. We voted for transparency, not backroom deals that attempt to force the status quo on the newly elected board just weeks before it is seated.
Zimmer was soundly and overwhelmingly defeated in the May election, and his disrespect for his parent constituents was a big reason parents organized and voted against him. This action shows that he and the board not only disrespect the will of the voters and their mandate for change but also the democratic process itself.
We applaud Monica Garcia for her leadership. She was the lone board member to voice dissent and cast a no vote, saying that her vote was not a vote against the superintendent but against the process itself because that new board should be allowed to make this decision.
We wholeheartedly agree and urge the new board to revisit this decision and to in no way feel constrained by this vote to take any action and make any changes necessary to improve student performance and balance the LAUSD budget while putting the needs of our kids first.
Superintendent Michelle King may or may not be the right person to lead the district during this period of change that we, the voters, demanded, but it should be up to the new board to make that decision. And we urge the new board to fully evaluate the district’s performance and to choose the best superintendent possible to serve the interest of all of LAUSD’s kids.
Updates
June 17, 2017
The massive surge of support proves that parents are finished with the cowardice of a board that operates in the shadows. Steve Zimmer and his allies thought they could slide this deal through the back door but they underestimated how quickly this community would mobilize to stop them.
Reached 100 supporters
June 17, 2017
47 Comments
This is exactly the reason I voted to replace the incumbent board member, back room political deals addressing the needs of employees, not students and parents. Whether I not or I agree that Michelle King deserves a contact extension, I completely oppose this underhanded lame duck politicking.
I think Dr. King is doing a fine job, but her contract evaluation should not have been considered until closer to the end of her existing contract. This surprise vote is clearly an attempt by outgoing Board members to maintain and assert their power beyond their elected time period. This should have been left to future board discussion.
The acts of the school board in this matter, though they may be technically legal, are under-handed, undemocratic, and will ultimately destroy the trust that the public has in this group.
It worries me that the LAUSD is making such important decisions behind closed doors. I hope the new board will demonstrate the utmost transparency in something as important as the evaluation of the superintendent.
It's not about Supt King's performance but the blatant and desperate power grab by an outgoing board. We hope the new board will take future decisions out of the dark and bring them into the light.
I am not objecting to Michelle King as having done a commendable job in a difficult position, however I vehemently object to an old board prematurely extending a contract that was not their decision to make!
While not surprised, completely mortified by board's actions.
These actions were unwise, undemocratic and ultimately destructive.
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This is exactly the reason I voted to replace the incumbent board member, back room political deals addressing the needs of employees, not students and parents. Whether I not or I agree that Michelle King deserves a contact extension, I completely oppose this underhanded lame duck politicking.