Romer Stresses Schools’ ‘Moral Obligation’

Los Angeles schools Supt. Roy Romer told an audience of principals and other administrators Thursday that they have a moral obligation to provide students with a good education and said he is going to push them to bring out “untested talents.”

In the customary back-to-school address, Romer predicted he will conclude labor negotiations without a teachers’ strike, pledged to use his influence in Washington to free administrators of burdensome paperwork and affirmed his intention to start a school building program large enough to someday eliminate year-round schools.

Speaking at the downtown Westin Bonaventure hotel without a prepared text, Romer sought to inspire school leaders for the new year and to assure the city at large that he has a program to reverse the slide that has given the Los Angeles Unified School District a reputation of being among the nation’s worst.

“You’re more important than any dot-com out there. You are going to manage the process that is going to determine the character of this community.”

The former Colorado governor drew from his eclectic experience in farming, flight instruction and politics to define the district’s mission. He spoke of raising a good crop and training young teachers the way he learned how to fly.

The point was that principals have resources in their schools to help bring young teachers along, and he believes they are more effective than paying to send them to off-campus conferences.

“Every time I see one of those contracts going through, I am going to ask, “Is this the best way to spend our money?’ ”

In a speech that carefully balanced praise and promises with prods, Romer hammered home the message that improving instruction is the principal’s primary duty.

“If you’re not spending 50% of your day managing for better instruction, I think you’re spending your time wrong,” he said.

To help them, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee pledged to use his influence in Washington get principals out from under a web of federal paperwork that he compared to the ropes lashed around Gulliver by the Lilliputians.

Education Secretary “Dick Riley is a personal friend,” he said. “I intend to go back and cash in my personal chits to get some waivers.”

Romer got his only standing ovation when he said the district has the money to pay administrators and teachers competitive salaries.

He gave no inkling of how much of a raise he is offering, but drew a public line in the sand on several issues that are still subject to contract negotiations.

For example, he pledged to give elementary school principals the power to assign teachers to classes. Currently, teachers can pick their assignments.

“Now we have some management powers in this district I don’t think we’re using enough,” he went on. Specifically, he said middle school and high school principals have the authority to make teacher assignments.

“I’m told quite often we don’t use it, because it’s too much of a struggle,” he said. “You need to use it if it is going to help the education of children. You have a moral obligation, if nothing else.”