Ramon Cortines Back at Helm of LAUSD for Third Time

The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education today unanimously approved a contract with Ramon Cortines to serve as superintendent in place of John Deasy, who resigned under pressure last week.

Cortines, 82, began his third stint leading the LAUSD on Monday, starting with a 7:30 a.m. meeting with district staffers.

Deasy submitted his resignation last week but will remain with the district on “special assignment” until the end of the year.

Cortines’ contract with the district, which was approved by the board without discussion, calls for him to receive an annual salary of $300,000, which is $50,000 less than Deasy’s salary. The employment contract will run through June 30, 2015, but it can be extended or terminated at any time.

Cortines served as LAUSD superintendent for three years, beginning in 2008, before passing the baton to Deasy. He also served as the district’s interim superintendent in 2000.

Cortines previously led school systems in New York City, San Francisco, Pasadena and San Jose and was a special adviser to U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley from 1995-97.

Prior to being hired by the LAUSD in 2008, he was Los Angeles deputy mayor for education, youth and families and chaired Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s Partnership for Los Angeles Schools.

The LAUSD is the nation’s second-largest school district, with 640,000 students.

Deasy resigned amid outcry from some board members and the teachers’ union over the troubled rollout of the MiSiS computerized student information system and questions about the bidding process for the district’s $1.3 billion effort to provide iPads or laptop computers to all students and staff.

--City News Service

PHOTO Courtesy of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

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