LAUSD WON'T LET MAYOR BE PART OF HIRING PROCESS.

Byline: NAUSH BOGHOSSIAN Staff Writer

Los Angeles Unified officials rejected pleas Thursday by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to allow him to participate in hiring the next superintendent, saying that responsibility lies solely with the school board.

During a news conference in North Hollywood and at a keynote speech to 300 San Fernando Valley business leaders later in the day, Villaraigosa implored the LAUSD to allow him to participate in hiring a successor for retiring Superintendent Roy Romer. Assembly Bill 1381, which takes effect Jan. 1, gives the mayor authority to ratify the district's top administrator, but Villaraigosa wants to get involved now.

``This is the biggest decision this school board will make,'' Villaraigosa said at the news conference, flanked by state Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, and City Council members Tom LaBonge and Wendy Greuel.

``We shouldn't rush the decision through behind closed doors,'' he said. ``I believe we've made a modest and reasonable proposal. Since the new law won't take effect until Jan. 1, we didn't ask for all the authority that AB 1381 confers. Far from it.

``We simply asked the board to open up the process, and to let some light shine in.''

During a news conference held hours after the mayor's, school board President Marlene Canter dismissed Villaraigosa's request as ``divisive,'' saying he and the public had been given ample opportunity to provide input on a new superintendent.

``While current law assigns responsibility of the superintendent selection solely to the Board of Education, the district has gone above and beyond our duty to include Mayor Villaraigosa in the process,'' she said.

``We are committed, and we're going to be delivering a national-class leader for this district. The mayor doesn't have veto or choosing rights.''

The source of the increasingly heated debate is the timing of the bill, which was written by Villaraigosa and gives him a significant role in overseeing the district -- including power to ratify the hiring and firing of the superintendent.

Villaraigosa -- with support from state legislators, the mayors of neighboring cities and the LAUSD's teachers union -- has asked to be involved in recruiting the superintendent, saying they'll have to work closely to implement improvements in the nation's second-largest school district.

LAUSD officials maintain that the bill is unconstitutional, and they are expected to file suit challenging its legality.

Monica Garcia, the mayor's sole ally on the five-member school board, released a statement asking the board to invite Villaraigosa to participate in recruiting a superintendent.

Romero said the current process contrasts sharply with the search that resulted in the hiring of Romer because the public had an opportunity to question the final candidates. ``Last time, it was a very public process. Now is not the time to shut down the public process.''

Josh Pechthalt, vice president of United Teachers Los Angeles, said the union is concerned about the lack of diversity among the partial list of finalists leaked earlier this week.

``Only one of the candidates is a person of color. That concerns me,'' he said. ``None of the candidates are women, and that concerns me.

``We would hope the school board backs off on its rush to select a superintendent and involves parents and teachers in the process.''

The board is reportedly interested in Tom Vander Ark, executive director for education initiatives at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Ted Mitchell, former Occidental College president who now heads a nonprofit company that funds charter schools; and Carlos A. Garcia, a former superintendent in Clark County, Nev. The names of two other candidates could not be confirmed.

Villaraigosa's frustration with the LAUSD spilled over to an address at the second annual Mayors' Luncheon in Woodland Hills.

``I am asking them to cooperate, to bring transparency to the process of hiring a new superintendent. I know there were a lot of hard feelings during the negotiations on this. I say, let the healing begin by having us cooperate.''

Staff Writer Rick Orlov contributed to this report.

naush.boghossian(at)dailynews.com

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