Don’t belittle educators’ volunteer efforts

Re “A below-average audit,” editorial, Dec. 14

Thirty of the nation’s best school superintendents and senior managers from 17 major city school systems across the nation traveled to Los Angeles this year, volunteered their time to give their best advice to the city’s school system -- and the thanks they get from The Times was to question their motives and belittle their efforts.

The study -- not an audit but a peer review -- praised the Los Angeles Unified School District for the progress it had made on student achievement and facilities, took it to task on a number of organizational and operational issues and proposed a roadmap for taking the district to the next level -- something the school board asked us for about 14 months ago.

That the 300-page report did not cover every issue or spell out every detail suggests that The Times ought to go back to school on how these systems work before criticizing the district and the people trying to help it.

MICHAEL CASSERLY

Executive Director

Council of the Great

City Schools

Washington, D.C.