Brewer unable to land schools deputy

Los Angeles Schools Supt. David L. Brewer faltered Tuesday in one of his first major moves aimed at reorganizing the Los Angeles school system, when he failed to persuade a veteran educator from Philadelphia to become his deputy in charge of instruction.

Soon after being hired six months ago, Brewer made clear his intention to hire a chief academic officer to help guide how students are taught in the mammoth Los Angeles Unified School District.

The post, which had not existed under previous superintendents, is particularly important for Brewer, a retired Navy vice-admiral with no practical experience or training in public education.

After a candidate search by a private firm, Gregory E. Thornton, who holds a similar position in the Philadelphia school district, surfaced recently as Brewer’s choice. On Tuesday, the seven-member Board of Education was scheduled to vote in a closed meeting on whether to ratify the decision. Brewer, however, withdrew Thornton’s name before the board voted, saying his salary demands were too high.

“He’s a superstar. We just couldn’t come to an agreement,” Brewer said in a brief interview. “I really wanted him, but the question is, ‘Do you want him that badly?’ ”

With the district facing budget cuts next year, Brewer said Thornton’s salary demand of $275,000 was too high. Brewer, in a last-ditch phone call Tuesday morning, could not persuade Thornton to accept less money. Brewer earns $300,000 a year, along with a $3,000 monthly housing allowance, a $45,000 annual expense account, an automobile and an extensive benefits package.

Thornton, 52, could not be reached for comment.

Brewer acknowledged that pursuing Thornton was a longshot. Thornton had been a finalist to become Seattle’s school superintendent and is reportedly still a candidate for the top education post in Baltimore. The Seattle job pays about $240,000 a year.

While dealing with various district crises and learning how to navigate the intense politics of L.A. Unified, Brewer has so far focused largely on reorganizing the district’s bureaucracy instead of instructional reforms. He hasn’t decided whether to revisit the other finalists for the instructional job or conduct a new search, a district spokeswoman said.

It is unclear how strongly the school board would have supported hiring Thornton -- at any price. Board member Monica Garcia praised Brewer for being “bold” in his pursuit of an instruction chief, but indicated she was not convinced Thornton was right for the job.

In a heavily Latino district in which nearly 40% of its 708,000 students struggle to speak English, she questioned whether Thornton had the experience and skills to revamp instruction for these students.

“There was great attention and inquiry as to who he is, what he could have done for us and how he would have fit into the team,” she said.

Board member David Tokofsky echoed Garcia, saying he hopes Brewer’s next candidate will “really know the texture of California and LAUSD ... the complicated funding, the language skills of its students, the politics.”

joel.rubin@latimes.com