CULTURE SHOCK FOR LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT PLANNING TO REVAMP SCHOOL STRUCTURE.

Byline: NAUSH BOGHOSSIAN

Staff Writer

In his first State of the Schools address since taking the helm of Los Angeles Unified, Superintendent David Brewer III unveiled an ambitious, wide-ranging strategy Thursday to radically revamp the culture and structure of the nation's second-largest school district.

Presenting a unified front with the mayor and school board, Brewer outlined five guiding principles that will form the backbone of efforts to boost everything from achievement and community involvement to parental support and curriculum.

Brewer conveyed a spirit of hope and optimism and said he's learned that improvements in safety, student achievement and graduation rates can only be achieved through partnerships with the city, cultivating relationships and engaging the community.

"Often we get distracted by adult issues like governance, winners and losers, who has the juice or the power, or who lacks the influence," he said.

"But the bottom line is this: These are distractions from the core mission of providing high-quality instruction in that classroom to improve student achievement so that our students eventually graduate from high school college-prepared and career-ready."

Brewer said the five principles are making decisions based on research and data, providing all employees with professional development, encouraging innovation, engaging parents and community, and ensuring the safety of students.

"The time for commitment, action and unity is now," he said. "Work with us, lean on us, bicker with us, keep us in check -- because we are indeed family."

District leaders acknowledged the massive job ahead, however, in trying to overhaul a system that has become disjointed and dysfunctional after years of complacency.

"Change is really hard and we're all working to overcome decades of neglect, overcrowding and low achievement," board President Marlene Canter said. "We are poised right now to accelerate the changes that need to be made and to replicate all the successes that exist throughout the district."

Preach on

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said he was heartened that the superintendent's goals aligned with the education reform blueprint he unveiled months ago.

And he applauded the superintendent for bringing a "sense of hope and optimism," telling Brewer after the speech, "You're a preacher, man."

Still, Brewer faces significant funding obstacles for his plans and he emphasized that he will look to the mayor for help lobbying Sacramento and funds for joint-use projects.

Villaraigosa said he campaigned for a $4 billion school bond last November that includes $90 million LAUSD can tap for joint-use projects. On Thursday, the mayor said the city would kick in 20 percent of the cost of each project.

"There is a pot of money that can be used for capital projects like YMCA, the Boys & Girls Club, libraries and parks together with the schools," Villaraigosa said. "Those are the kinds of synergies I've talked about for a long time and I'm glad to see that the superintendent agrees it has to be a priority."

And Villaraigosa said the city is willing to talk with the district about funding more joint-use projects.

Change promised

Eight months after taking his post, Brewer focused his message Thursday on promising systemic changes that would change the culture of the system.

He said a newly created innovation office would provide a venue for employees, teachers and others to "unleash their creativity," to drive "substantial and sustainable organizational change."

Autonomy coupled with accountability will lead to change, Brewer said.

"(Those with ideas) are often burdened with outdated bureaucratic rules, arcane requirements and a six-inch (thick) contract," Brewer said.

Brewer said he also is currently in talks with the mayor, the teachers' union and Loyola Marymount University, among others, to create innovative programs particularly at low- performing schools.

United Teachers Los Angeles President A.J. Duffy called the speech bold but said two proposals -- making decisions based on data, and the need for longer school days -- raised concerns.

Duffy said that public-education data revolves mainly around test scores, which could lead to teaching kids strictly on how to take tests. And while Brewer also touted cutting the central office by 14 percent, Duffy said the new divisions Brewer is setting up offset any cost savings.

"He covered a lot of ground. He was probably presented with the dilemma that you need to be bold, but you need to make sure what you're talking about is attainable," he said.

School board member Julie Korenstein applauded Brewer for his passion but questioned whether he is overextending himself amid a lean financial outlook.

"New superintendents are always very ambitious, then with time, reality sinks in, especially in a year where we have to cut the budget, which makes it more difficult," she said.

Korenstein said rather than "over-innovating" she would prefer to see the district focus on replicating and expanding concepts they have already dedicated energies on such as small learning communities and the magnet program.

"I'm concerned about too many innovations. You can't spread yourself too thin that you lose the progress you're making," Korenstein said.

"You have to be selective and pick and choose, looking at programs that are working now and replicating it. Rather than reinventing the wheel, we should be replicating exemplary programs."

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Address highlights

Highlights of LAUSD Superintendent David Brewer III's State of the Schools address Thursday:

Hire a deputy superintendent of professional development, learning and leadership to provide professional development, management and leadership training for all district employees. The new senior position would focus on school-site programs with "learning teams."

Create a new innovation division for educational achievement overseen by an external advisory board. Members will be announced in weeks. The division would review proposals for alternative education at schools designed to boost autonomy and control over curriculum and personnel.

Create an office of parent and civic engagement responsible for improving communication with parents and partnerships with the community.

Provide all office personnel with more customer-service training.

Set aside $2 million for a parent-notification system that will allow schools to immediately communicate with parents in the event of an emergency or when their child is absent from class.

Offer free online courses to parents.

Launch a "Books of Summer" program encouraging parents to read books with their kids. Incentives include savings bonds for students who submit the best book reports.

Convene a summit of leading educators in coming months to learn how to best teach English language learners.

Develop small learning communities at all middle and high schools.

Align middle school instruction with instruction at the high schools where most of their students attend.

Provide change-management courses for all senior administrators to better adapt to reform at the district.

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

(color) Listen to David Brewer III's interview with the Daily News at dailynews.com.

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Address highlights (see text)