School Board Says Highly Critical Report Goes Too Far

Los Angeles Board of Education members Thursday defended their leadership of the school district in the face of stinging criticism by a committee of prominent business and civic leaders, but admitted they are guilty of some faults cited by the group.

“Leave out this name calling,” said board President Victoria Castro. She said the committee of elite attorneys, executives and nonprofit leaders assaulted her dignity by “implying that we don’t care about student achievement, that we have other agendas than doing well for children.”

Board member Valerie Fields said the criticism, though well-meant, was so shrill it gave the appearance of “blaming us for the fall of the Roman Empire.”

“We get no credit for the good things that have happened, but all the blame for the bad things,” Fields said.

Nonetheless, Castro conceded that board members meddle too much in personnel decisions and small expenditures that should be left to the superintendent.

“Sometimes there is shading of the line between vigilance and micromanaging,” Castro said. “Am I micromanaging, or am I responding to a constituent?”

In contrast, challengers seeking to unseat four board members in the April 13 election enthusiastically endorsed the proposals.

“Right on target,” said Caprice Young, a former aide to Mayor Richard Riordan who is challenging Jeff Horton. “They’re exactly the things I support.”

Said Yolie Flores Aguilar, who is opposing board member David Tokofsky, often criticized by colleagues as a micromanager: “This is everything I am and everything he isn’t.”

Castro and Horton attended a news conference Thursday morning when the 26-member Committee on Effective School Governance released its bruising critique of school board practices.

The committee is asking all board members and candidates for four board seats to endorse a five-point plan calling on the board to adopt a long-term strategic plan and restrict its scope to setting policy. The committee said the board should stay clear of decisions involving small amounts of money and appointments such as assignment of school principals. The board’s only job should be to set educational goals and hold the superintendent responsible for achieving them, it said.

Horton said the strong language from the committee could help board members fight off pressure to become involved in petty decisions.

“We take heat if we don’t get involved,” Horton said. “It’s hard to say, ‘I don’t get directly involved.’ It’s tough.”

Board members took exception to some of the group’s proposals, particularly the suggestion that they need to prepare a strategic plan.

Castro said Supt. Ruben Zacarias has identified key educational programs that build on the programs promulgated by his predecessor, Sid Thompson.

She cited Zacarias’ effort to identify poorly performing schools and the massive program to end social promotion next year.

“We have not abandoned [Thompson’s agenda],” Castro said. “These are for me refinements and direction. I believe the superintendent is acting on that plan.”

Some board members defended their attention to small-scale financial decisions. The committee was especially critical of the board’s practice of dwelling on financial decisions that represent a minuscule portion of the district’s $6.6-billion budget.

Fields, who requested board review of contracts as small as $50,000 when she joined the board in 1996, said she does not consider that scrutiny to be micromanaging.

“I consider that asking questions in order to develop policy,” she said.

Even those who wholeheartedly endorsed the committee’s proposals said it will take time to change the culture of the board.

Mike Lansing, who is challenging board member George Kiriyama, said it will take at least a year before board members can make the structural changes that would allow them to pull back from day-to-day operations.

Genethia Hayes, who is challenging Barbara Boudreaux, expressed reservations about the premise that the district should operate like a private company.

“I am not prepared to say I believe the board is like any other corporation,” Hayes said. “We’re not building cars. You cannot recall kids.”