FROM NEW SCHOOLS TO SCORES ROMER LEAVES IMPACT ON LOS ANGELES UNIFIED.

Byline: NAUSH BOGHOSSIAN Staff Writer

City Councilman Tom LaBonge likes to say that while William Mulholland will always be known for bringing water to Los Angeles, Roy Romer will be remembered for bringing schools to Los Angeles Unified.

But ask Romer about his biggest accomplishment, and he'll say it was raising student test scores in the nation's second-largest school district.

He's not going to quibble, though, about how he'll be viewed after six years as superintendent of the notoriously dysfunctional district. With the future of 727,000 students at stake, he says, every task was critical.

``I walk away feeling it was important work to do,'' said Romer, who will attend his last school board meeting Tuesday. ``I feel good about what I helped get done and I know there's a whole lot yet to be done.''

When Romer was hired in 2000, he'd been the governor of Colorado and chairman of the Democratic National Committee, but had no formal experience as an educator.

Skeptics wondered whether he'd understand the unique problems facing the district -- overcrowded classrooms, dilapidated campuses, unhappy teachers and students who consistently scored below their counterparts in California and nationwide.

Building schools

One of Romer's first priorities became building new schools. He ultimately launched three successful bond issues that raised $19.2 billion to construct hundreds of campuses in a district that hadn't built a school in three decades.

He implemented a standards-based curriculum that even his detractors credit for consistent improvements in student test scores whose rate exceeds those of other California districts.

And in the waning months of his administration, he took aim at the district's dropout rate -- pegged at 24 to 50 percent -- launching the $10 million Diploma Project designed to keep at-risk students in school and re-enroll those who leave.

``He is a man of incredible intelligence, determination, integrity and a force not to be ignored under any circumstances,'' said Darry Sragow, a consultant to the district on all its bond measures.

``He takes the greatest pride in improving instruction, but physically, certainly the most visible legacy is going to be 150 new schools. The impact is going to be massive.''

Facing hurdles

Romer's determination brought him criticism, as well, as he resisted efforts to create small-learning communities within massive campuses and refused to give teachers more control of their local schools.

Then there was arguably Romer's most difficult task -- reining in a contentious and sometimes cantankerous school board.

``This is a very large organization with a very large number of children involved, and the authority to do it is not as clear and direct as when you're governor,'' he said. ``The most difficult thing was to bring together different interest groups and push them in one concrete direction.''

But Romer and the school board came together as allies when Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa proposed -- and ultimately accomplished -- wresting significant control of the city's public schools.

School board member David Tokofsky said Romer's staunch defense of the district in the battle over Assembly Bill 1381 marked a key shift in their relationship.

``While Romer was, I think, initially inclined through his experience to be favorable to the possibility of mayoral control, I think in the end, the relationship that we developed was one where he saw his stewardship at risk to a power play, not a policy play,'' Tokofsky said.

The real Romer

Most who have met Romer describe him as a driven, focused, intellectual, well-read man who indulges in one to three books a week.

``He's one of the smartest people I've ever met, and because of that it was always fascinating to work with him and to watch how his mind works,'' said Stephanie Brady, former spokeswoman for the district, who worked with Romer his entire six years on the job.

``I think because he was so bright, a number of those who worked closely with him appreciated the opportunity to work with him.''

And he bore years of public criticism and abuse like a professional, she said.

``He is rough and tough. He has the thickest skin of anybody I've ever met. He had to take a lot of shots from a lot of different people, and I never once saw him falter. He took the challenges of that job from a very intellectual standpoint.''

Brady said Romer's character and work ethic could be traced back to his childhood.

Born in 1928 in Garden City, Kan., Romer grew up on a Colorado farm. He received a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from Colorado State University and a law degree from the University of Colorado and studied ethics at Yale University.

``I think that Roy Romer is a reflection of his childhood and all the experiences that life provided him,'' she said. ``When you start out on a farm where you get up at 4 o'clock in the morning to feed the horses, then you live through the Depression, and a rough life in the political arena, he was able to take whatever curves life threw at him.''

Speaking his mind

Romer has also been admired -- somewhat grudgingly -- for another trait many in his position don't have the courage to display: speaking his mind and not indulging in rhetoric.

Famously, in 1998, he frankly admitted to a 16-year relationship with an aide.

``I'm not smart enough to lie,'' he said, laughing. ``You have to be smart to keep track of all your lies.''

Now, as the board gets ready to bid farewell to the superintendent, Tokofsky said the truest reflection of how the members feel is the fact that they chose retired Navy Adm. David L. Brewer -- who, like Romer, has no educational experience -- as his successor.

``The very fact that the board went to another outside-of-education candidate in Brewer, even through years of tough relationships, shows that they were willing to say at the end that Romer was a success,'' he said.

While most people with resumes that boast being a three-term governor, attorney, farmer and chairman of the Democratic National Committee would probably call it a day and look forward to doing nothing, the 78-year-old is something of a restless spirit, looking for the next challenge.

About two weeks ago, he hosted a fundraising dinner in Denver for the Romer Committee for Educational Excellence group, which he formed to donate to Colorado candidates who share his vision for funding education. His son, Chris Romer, is also running for the Colorado Senate, but none of the money will go to him.

Denver will be his home base, but he's already in talks to explore work in education and education advocacy.

``I like to work when I do something that's important. I like actions and I like ideas,'' said Romer, who with wife, Bea, has seven grown children and 18 grandchildren. ``A guy needs to do what he likes to do.''

naush.boghossian(at)dailynews.com

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) LAUSD Superintendent Roy Romer addresses some of the criticism of him and the district during an address at the new Santee Education Complex in Los Angeles on July 20.

Daily News

(2) Roy Romer gives a speech at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer