Low Turnout Greets Schools Chief Search

Members of a citizens committee appointed by the Los Angeles Board of Education to help it find a new superintendent lamented Wednesday an apparent lack of public interest in their mission.

As of Tuesday, only 245 people had attended four public hearings designed to solicit ideas on what the district should look for in a new superintendent.

“We’re all very frustrated, but what can we do?” asked panelist Ed Kaz, a teacher at Reseda High School. “Either people don’t know about us, or they don’t care about the process.”

The panel had scheduled six hearings at selected high schools across the district. It is now considering adding meetings. It also plans to extend the deadline to report to the board from Jan. 24 to Feb. 1, and to launch a telephone survey aimed at 500 households.

Ed Hamilton, a spokesman for the firm conducting the search for a new schools chief, said the hearings are critical to the selection process.

“The citizens committee will recommend the guts of the position--what this job is all about,” he said. “Everybody would like to see these auditoriums filled.”

Given the poor attendance, his firm, Hamilton, Rabinovitz and Alschuler, may have to rely more heavily on surveys mailed in December to 10,000 teachers and parents. The deadline for mailing back completed surveys was moved back from Jan. 12 to Jan. 19. As of Wednesday, about 1,500 surveys had been returned.

Surveying an audience of 18 in the cavernous University High School Auditorium on Monday night, Hamilton said, “We’ve done every form of outreach ever used. People come if they come.”

Board member Valerie Fields, whose district embraces University High, was visibly dismayed.

“I’m disappointed,” she said. “I expected to see hundreds of people here tonight.”

The 14-member committee, consisting of two appointees selected by each board member, will report its recommendations to the board, which will accept the suggestions as part of the process to find a new superintendent. Supt. Ruben Zacarias leaves office Jan. 15.

So far, public comments have ranged from suggestions that a superintendent should uphold “high standards for academic performance,” to hostile criticism from people who believe the selection process is somehow rigged.

One man stepped up to the public microphone at University High, wagged an accusing finger at the panelists and said, “The board is using you to rubber stamp a fraud on the community!”

To be sure, there have been promising signs. Extraordinary efforts to drum up interest at the meeting held Tuesday night at Reseda High School produced an audience of 150.

But overall, “we’ve been fairly challenged to communicate our mission,” said panelist Arturo Vargas.

Committee members offered a variety of explanations for the lackluster turnouts. Some complained about inadequate public notice of their meetings, and tight deadlines imposed by the board. Others figured people were too exhausted after the holidays to spend their evening hours at a public hearing.

Hamilton remained optimistic about the process.

“I can’t forecast the outcome of this search,” Hamilton said. “But this is a major league opportunity and it will attract major league talent.”