LAUSD Superintendent Search

Parent Group Demands That The Next Superintendent Have Education Background

The largest public education advocacy group in Los Angeles also looks for the public to play a role in the search for a successor to Austin Beutner.

“As stakeholders of the LAUSD, we want to make certain that Superintendent Beutner’s successor holds an education background, maintains and sharpens the focus on safety and resources for the Fall school year, and adheres to the bargaining commitments made on behalf of teachers, staff and families.”

- Parents Supporting Teachers

It would seem logical that the leader of the second-largest school district in the country would be a professional educator, but Austin Beutner, the current superintendent of the LAUSD, had no previous professional experience in public education when he was appointed to the position in 2018. Instead of hiring Acting Superintendent Vivian Ekchian, the block of board members supported by the charter school industry hired someone whose resume included investing in the National Enquirer and publishing the Los Angeles Times. Convicted felon Ref Rodriguez, Nick Melvoin, and Monica Garcia made this decision out of the view of the public, allegedly violating California’s open meeting laws.

Beutner has announced that when his contract expires in June he will be stepping down from the position. Parents Supporting Teachers, which has over 25,000 followers on Facebook and is “dedicated to parent communication and education support in the entire LAUSD” has issued the following statement today in response to Beutner’s resignation:

Parents Supporting Teachers, the largest public education advocacy group supporting Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) teachers and families, wishes to express gratitude to Superintendent Austin Beutner for his dedication and commitment to families during the Covid-19 pandemic and throughout his three years of service to…