After more than three years heading the LA Unified School District, John Deasy stepped down from his post this week.
Howard Blume is longtime education reporter at the Los Angeles Times, and Vanessa Romo writes for the news website LA School Report. Both joined in for the Mixer.
Deasy is set to remain with the district on “special assignment” (read: a little golden parachute) through the end of the year.
His predecessor, former Superintendent Ramon Cortines, was named interim superintendent; he’ll take over the job on Monday.
Cortines retired as superintendent in April 2011 after a long career as a respected educator, but his exit was marred by a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a current district employee.
Under Deasy’s tenure, the school district came under fire for a plan to equip every student with an iPad. To be sure, the board’s investigation into his handling of that $1.3 billion plan will continue.
There were also teacher scandals involving sexual impropriety, and a teachers’ union that voted no confidence in him.