SCHOOLS CHIEF GETTING TO KNOW L.A. BREWER MEETS WITH LATINO, BLACK COMMUNITY LEADERS.

Byline: NAUSH BOGHOSSIAN Staff Writer

Newly selected L.A. Unified Superintendent David Brewer III, who is virtually unknown in Los Angeles, began an aggressive campaign Monday to meet civic leaders and community members.

But his most important reunion will have to wait until next week, when Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa returns from his Asian trade mission.

Brewer and Villaraigosa will share much of the power over public education in Los Angeles if recently passed legislation -- due to take effect Jan. 1 -- survives a district lawsuit questioning its constitutionality.

Brewer had meet-and-greets throughout the day as part of the district's efforts to introduce him to the city, leading to his meeting with the mayor Oct. 25.

Brewer emphasized that he has the same vision for education as the mayor.

``The first thing the mayor's going to figure out is I'm his man, that we have a lot in common. We both were dropouts -- I dropped out of college -- and I was resurrected and redeemed and he was resurrected and redeemed,'' Brewer said. ``When he looks at me eyeball to eyeball, he'll find out who Dave Brewer is.''

Villaraigosa had repeatedly requested having input in the selection of the superintendent, but the school board went ahead with the decision while he was away on city business in Asia.

The mayor has said he looked forward to meeting with the new superintendent.

Brewer met with leaders in the Latino community for breakfast at El Paseo Restaurant on Olvera Street and lunch in Huntington Park with Sen. Martha Escutia -- a vocal opponent of the mayor's plan to assume a significant role in the district.

In the late afternoon, he met with Assemblyman Mark Ridley-Thomas and leaders of the African-American community at the Eso Won Bookstore in South Los Angeles and is scheduled to meet with San Fernando Valley leaders today.

The school board last week unanimously selected the retired U.S. Navy vice admiral, 60, to replace Roy Romer, who's retiring after six years of serving the district.

Board President Marlene Canter said Brewer is currently negotiating his contract and they hope he will start the job in mid-November.

Under the new law, the school board will be stripped of a large portion of its authority, which will shift to the superintendent, and Villaraigosa will directly oversee three clusters of the district's lowest-performing schools.

A coalition led by the LAUSD filed suit last week challenging the legality of Assembly Bill 1381, which was signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Brewer, who will be the second African-American to head the nation's second-largest district, has no prior experience in K-12 education, but has experience managing some 8,000 employees and comes from a family of educators.

naush.boghossian(at)dailynews.com

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