A Triad of Deputies for Zacarias

Ruben Zacarias, the new superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, has asked for and got from the Board of Education three deputies, tripling the number under his predecessor. Then-Supt. Sid Thompson made do with one--Zacarias himself.

The new chief came into office with promises of efficiency and reform. This seems a curiously bloated beginning, but he deserves the benefit of the doubt.

So far there is no clear picture of how the deputies will help Zacarias reorganize dysfunctional LAUSD operations or help him achieve his stated top priority, improving the district’s 100 lowest-performing schools.

Perhaps the three deputies--and a to-be-named business czar--fit into a well-thought-out blueprint that will help Zacarias concentrate on instruction issues. But the appearance is uncomfortably business-as-usual. This sense was heightened by the renewal, seemingly without debate, of one-year contracts for 26 other high-level administrators.

The three new appointees, all veteran district employees, were chosen with school board politics in mind as well as Zacarias’ wishes. Liliam Castillo, now in charge of parent outreach, will oversee schools, curriculum and instruction; state Legislature lobbyist Ronald Prescott will take over government relations and public affairs, and Francis Nakano, an executive in the superintendent’s office, will handle support services, including school police and health services. Each will be paid $139,000 a year, averaging about 30% more than their previous salaries.

Big promotions with hefty pay raises ought to come with clearly stipulated goals attached to the positions. What are they? Will the deputies alleviate the problem of too many people reporting directly to the superintendent? Hard to tell. The new appointments also make it harder to see where the promised new chief administrative officer, or “business czar,” will fit in the power structure. The district’s fiscal troubles won’t be fixed by a financial officer whose powers are not clearly define.

There have been plenty of reports outlining the problems of the LAUSD and the need for restructuring operations. Perhaps the 29 people promoted or reappointed are up to the job. We look forward to hearing more from the superintendent on his operational plans.