Trustees Name Successor for Retiring Schools Chief

The Board of Education has found a replacement for retiring Supt. Louie Joseph in its own back yard.

Assistant Supt. Leslie Adelson will assume the post July 1, school board member Patricia Martinez-Miller said.

“I am pleased the board had confidence in me and recognized my leadership,” Adelson, 44, said after the appointment was announced last week.

Joseph is retiring after six years as superintendent of the South Pasadena Unified School District and 42 years as an educator.

Adelson has worked for the district for four years as director of instruction and then assistant superintendent. Adelson said he would elaborate on his plans to lead the 3,600-student district when he assumes the post in July.

Martinez-Miller said Adelson was chosen for his ability to work with teachers and parents. “Dr. Adelson has a history of working effectively with all facets of our community,” she said.

She said Adelson had been instrumental in labor negotiations with the teachers in recent years.

“The board felt it would be a very smooth transition and he is as good a qualified candidate as anyone we could find out there,” board member Susan LaCombe said.

The district did not look outside its staff, she said.

Before coming to the district in August, 1989, Adelson worked for 16 years in the Simi Valley Unified School District. He served as the principal of Simi Elementary School, a district administrator and a special education teacher.

He is a Glendale resident and teaches education part time at Cal State Northridge. Adelson has a doctorate in education management from the University of La Verne.

Test scores in the school district, known for its strong academic program, dropped 30% this year. A district principal blamed the drop on poor testing conditions.