Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District
Incumbent
Alberto M. Carvalho
since February 14, 2022
TypeSuperintendent
AppointerBoard of Education
Term lengthNo fixed term
Formation1854 (as City Superintendent of Common Schools)
First holderStephen C. Foster (as City Superintendent of Common Schools)
WebsiteOfficial website

The Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District is the chief administrative officer of the District selected by the District's Board of Education. Portuguese-American educator and former superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Alberto M. Carvalho, has been serving as the District's superintendent since February 14, 2022.[1]

History

The Board of Education meeting with Superintendent Frank Bouelle (upper left), 1935.

With the first ordinance of establishing public schools passed by the Los Angeles Common Council in 1853, the ordinance stated that out of three appointed members of the Board of Education the chairman would act as Superintendent of Public Schools.[2] The first officeholder was Joseph Lancaster Brent, who served until 1854.[3] That year, Mayor Stephen C. Foster was chosen by the other Board members and urged the need for improvements in the system.[4] From 1853 to 1866, the superintendent was appointed by the Common Council. From 1866 to 1870, the office was elected via popular vote before being discontinued as the office did not have power nor authority to enforce decrees.[4]

In 1872, the Common Council created the City Board of Education, which would have the power to appoint a superintendent, thieir first appointment being Dr. William T. Lucky in 1873. The first female superintendent was appointed in 1880, when Chloe B. Jones took office.[5] The second female superintendent would be Susan Miller Dorsey, appointed in 1919 and the longest serving with 10 years.[6] In 1961, the Los Angeles City School District and the Los Angeles City High School District merged to create the Los Angeles Unified School District, to which its first superintendent of all school in the district was Jack P. Crowther who fought cutbacks to the district.[7][8]

In 2005 after his election, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa attempted to gain control of the Los Angeles Unified School District as one of his top priorities. He did so with the passing of AB 1381 through the California State Legislature, which would remove the power from the Board of Education and give it to the superintendent who would be picked by a council made by mayors of the cities in LAUSD.[9] The law was signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006 before being struck down as unconstitutional in 2007.[10][11] The first African-American superintendent would be Sidney A. Thompson in 1992,[12] followed by David L. Brewer III in 2006.[13] The first female Africa-American and first female superintendent in over 80 years would be Michelle King in 2016.[14]

Duties and powers

Superintendent office sign.

The superintendent is the chief administrative officer of the District and serves as the responsible local agency, able to delegate appropriate authority and responsibility to the Deputy Superintendent of Instruction with the direction of the Board of Education as well as able to supervise the Chief Special Education Officer and local district superintendents.[15] The superintendent could gain special powers if the Board of Education declares an emergency; one of these times it was utilized was during the COVID-19 pandemic in California, when superintendent Austin Beutner used it to make fast-track deals.[16][17]

Succession

If an superintendent decides to step down from their post, the Board of Education approves a superintendent selection timeline for the district to find the next superintendent. During this time, an interim superintendent is appointed to serve as the head. After community and stakeholder input, the recruitment begins . After an interview process, a permanent superintendent is selected and their contract is finalized and approved by the Board of Education.[18]

List of superintendents

  Interim superintendent
City Superintendent of Common Schools
Name Photo Tenure Ref.
J. Lancaster Brent 1853–1854 [3]
Stephen C. Foster 1854–1855 [4]
William B. Osburn 1855–1856 [4]
John S. Griffin 1856–1857 [4]
J. Lancaster Brent 1857–1858 [4]
E. J. C. Kewen 1858–1859 [4]
William E. Boardman 1859–1862 [4]
James H. Lander 1862
A. F. Heinchman 1862–1863 [4]
J. F. Mellus 1863
Gustavus L. Mix 1863–1864 [4]
Russel F. Hayes 1864–1865 [4]
Elias Birdsall 1865–1866 [19][20]
Joseph Huber Sr. 1866–1867 [4]
H. D. Barrows 1867–1868 [21]
Andrew Glassell 1868–1869 [4]
T. H. Rose 1869–1870 [4]
Vacant (1870–1873) [4]
Superintendent of Los Angeles City Schools
Name Photo Tenure Ref.
William T. Lucky 1873–1876
Charles H. Kimball 1876–1880
Mrs. Chloe B. Jones 1880–1881 [5]
James Miller Guinn 1881–1883 [22]
Lyman D. Smith 1883–1885
W. M. Freisner 1885–1893
LeRoy D. Brown 1893–1894
William Nicholas Hailman 1894
Preston W. Search 1894–1895
James A. Foshay 1895–1906 [23]
Ernest Carroll Moore 1906–1910 [24]
John Haywood Francis 1910–1916
Albert Shiels 1916–1919 [25]
Susan Miller Dorsey 1919–1929 [5]
Frank A. Bouelle 1929–1937
Vierling C. Kersey 1937–1939 [26]
Alexander J. Stoddard 1949–1954 [27]
Harry M. Howell 1954
Claude Lamar Reeves 1954–1956 [28]
Ellis Adams Jarvis 1956–1961 [29]
Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District
Name Photo Tenure Ref.
Jack P. Crowther 1962–1970 [7]
William J. Johnston 1971–1981 [30]
Harry Handler 1981–1987 [30]
Leonard M. Britton 1987–1990 [31][32]
William R. Antón 1990–1992 [30]
Sidney A. Thompson 1992–1997 [30][12]
Ruben Zacarias 1997–2000 [30]
Ramón C. Cortines 2000 [33]
Roy Romer 2000–2006 [34]
David L. Brewer III 2006–2008 [35][13]
Ramón C. Cortines 2009–2011 [33]
John Deasy 2011–2014 [36][37]
Ramón C. Cortines 2014–2016 [38][39]
Michelle King 2016–2018 [14]
Vivian Ekchian 2018 [40][41]
Austin Beutner 2018–2021 [42][43]
Megan K. Reilly 2021–2022 [44][45]
Alberto M. Carvalho 2022–present [46][47]

References

  1. ^ "Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Chosen to Lead Los Angeles School District". WTVJ. December 9, 2021.
  2. ^ "Getting Schooled with a Joint Resolution of the California Legislature to Congress on School Lands, April-May 1854". The Homesteam Meuseum. May 10, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Getting Schooled with Los Angeles County's Public School Origins, 1854-1855". The Homesteam Meuseum. May 3, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Guinn, J. M. (1897). "Pioneer School Superintendents of Los Angeles". Annual Publication of the Historical Society of Southern California and Pioneer Register, Los Angeles. University of California Press on behalf of the Historical Society of Southern California. 4 (1): 76–81. doi:10.2307/41167692. JSTOR 41167692.
  5. ^ a b c Szymanski, Mike (August 20, 2015). "A correction, sort of: LA has had 2 females in district leadership roles". L.A. School Report.
  6. ^ McGregor, Georgette (1953). "The Educational Career of Susan Miller Dorsey". History of Education Journal. Cambridge University Press. 5 (1): 15–17. JSTOR 3659236.
  7. ^ a b Oliver, Myrna (May 22, 1993). "Jack P. Crowther; Led L.A. Schools From 1962 to '70, Fought Cutbacks". Los Angeles Times.
  8. ^ "JACK P. CROWTHER". Orlando Sentinel. May 23, 1993.
  9. ^ "What does AB 1381 do, and what happens next?". Los Angeles Daily News. August 30, 2006.
  10. ^ "Schwarzenegger signs bill granting L.A. mayor power to help govern L.A. schools". The San Diego Union-Tribune. September 19, 2006.
  11. ^ "AB 1381, RIP". Los Angeles Daily News. May 22, 2007.
  12. ^ a b Harmon, Joanie (August 21, 2014). "From LAUSD to Center X, retired district chief still strives to change lives through education". University of California, Los Angeles.
  13. ^ a b Cholo, Ana Beatriz (October 14, 2006). "Former admiral picked to run L.A. schools". The Press Democrat.
  14. ^ a b Guzman-Lopez, Adolfo; Walz, Maura (January 11, 2016). "LAUSD board picks long-time administrator Michelle King as new superintendent". KPCC.((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ "DESCRIPTION OF GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE LOCAL PLAN" (PDF). Los Angeles Unified School District. pp. 3–4.
  16. ^ Stokes, Kyle (October 2, 2020). "How LAUSD's Superintendent Has Used Special Pandemic Emergency Powers To Make Fast-Track Deals". LAist.
  17. ^ Stokes, Kyle; Javier, Carla (March 10, 2020). "LAUSD Board Approves Emergency Coronavirus Declaration". LAist.((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ "Overview of Superintendent Search 2021". Los Angeles Unified School District.
  19. ^ "'Jerusalem Epiphanies' lecture set for Jan. 24 with leader of Churches for Middle East Peace". Saint Mark's Episcopal Church. January 7, 2015.
  20. ^ "Treading the Boards: The Temple/City Hall Theatre, Los Angeles, 1859-1868". Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum Blog. December 20, 2020.
  21. ^ "Henry Dwight Barrows". Annual Publication of the Historical Society of Southern California. University of California Press. 9 (3): 260–262. 1914. doi:10.2307/41168714. JSTOR 41168714.
  22. ^ "J.M. Guinn – The Father of Anaheim Education". Anaheim High School Alumni Association. July 24, 2017.
  23. ^ "School Namesake and Interesting Facts". James A. Foshay Learning Center.
  24. ^ "Ernest Carroll Moore, Co-Founder of UCLA". University of California, Los Angeles. 2007.
  25. ^ "DR. ALBERT SHIELS, EDUCATOR, IS DEAD; Columbia Professor Emeritus, Who Headed Los Angeles Schools, 1916-19, Was 74 BECAME TEACHER IN 1890 Ex-District Superintendent in New York Was Once a British Proconsul". The New York Times. March 15, 1940.
  26. ^ "Education: Supt. Kersey Goes to War". Time. April 13, 1942.
  27. ^ "Stoddard, Alexander J. (Alexander Jerry), 1889-1965 Variant names". Social Networks and Archival Context.
  28. ^ "Northridge man has been acting in post since Sept". Calisphere. 1954.
  29. ^ "Finding Aid for the Jarvis Family Papers, 1880-1962" (PDF). Online Archive of California. p. 2.
  30. ^ a b c d e Maltais, Michelle; Kohli, Sonali (January 13, 2016). "See how LAUSD has wavered between picking leaders from the outside and within". Los Angeles Times.((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  31. ^ "CANDIDATE HAS HAD CAREER HIGHS, LOWS". Orlando Sentinel.
  32. ^ "Welcome, Leonard Britton". Los Angeles Times. May 12, 1987.
  33. ^ a b Blume, Howard (January 4, 2016). "How Ramon Cortines set the standard for the next L.A. schools chief". Los Angeles Times.
  34. ^ "Colorado Ex-Governor Takes Schools Post". The New York Times. The Associated Press. June 7, 2000.
  35. ^ McDonald, Patrick Range (December 26, 2007). "HOW SUPERINTENDENT DAVID BREWER RAN AGROUND". LA Weekly.
  36. ^ Ebright, Olsen (January 11, 2011). "Board Votes 6-0; John Deasy Named LAUSD Superintendent". KNBC.
  37. ^ "Deasy picked to lead LAUSD". Santa Monica Daily Press. 12 January 2011.
  38. ^ Maxwell, Lesli A. (October 16, 2014). "John Deasy Resigns Top Post in L.A.; Ramon C. Cortines to Be Interim Chief". Education Week.
  39. ^ "New LAUSD Interim Superintendent Ramon Cortines Begins Watch". KCBS-TV. October 20, 2014.
  40. ^ "Acting LAUSD Superintendent Named". San Fernando Valley Sun. January 10, 2018.
  41. ^ Szymanski, Mike (January 9, 2018). "LAUSD's school board can begin superintendent search; Ekchian is named interim head". LA School Report.
  42. ^ "LAUSD Names Philanthropist, Former Investment Banker Austin Beutner Superintendent". KCBS-TV. May 1, 2018.
  43. ^ Stokes, Kyles (May 1, 2018). "LAUSD board names Austin Beutner as next superintendent". KPCC.
  44. ^ Blume, Howard (April 23, 2021). "L.A. school board names Megan Reilly, head of business services, as interim superintendent". Los Angeles Times.
  45. ^ Haddock, Tim (August 16, 2021). "LAUSD's interim chief helps Valley's Cleveland, Arleta high schools return to in-person learning". Los Angeles Daily News.
  46. ^ Burke, Mihcael (December 14, 2021). "Los Angeles Unified's new superintendent pledges to be 'a voice in the community'". EdSource.
  47. ^ Blume, Howard (December 14, 2021). "New LAUSD Supt. Alberto Carvalho: 'We have to emerge from this crisis stronger'". Los Angeles Times.
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