Ramon Cortines, the new superintendent of schools in Los Angrles, is moving swiftly and decisively to clean up the district’s technology mess. Today he fired the chief of technology, who was responsible for the malfunctioning MISIS system, which left students without programs and scrambled schedules.
No excuses, no delay. This 82-year-old has taken charge.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
So far, so good, with the new interim Superintendent Cortines. This firing was long overdue. Let’s hope he continues cleaning the LAUSD stables and fires other Deasy administrators at Beaudry….then embarks on hiring back teachers, librarians, nurses, janitors, etc. And that he rapidly reduces class sizes to create teachable classroom environments.
Thanks Dr. Cortines, please keep this positive action going.
Additionally on the table, review ‘teacher jail’ situations and clear up this dirty ‘not so little’ secret, and also stop the charter movement and the parent trigger assault. Public schools and teacher training can be improved, but must be kept public, and only with trained educators professional oversight. Public education is not a vehicle for free market profiteering using business models to enhance revenues.
I’m with you Ellen. I am a parent and I am so happy Dr. Cortines is moving so swiftly to fix the problems with LAUSD. Deasy’s resignation was long over due.
how many teachers sit in teacher jail, able to work and on the payroll, while class sizes have increased?????? mis-use of tax dollars, would you think?
Do you agree with this o ris it horseshit?
Chandler was pushed into implementing MISIS. Let’s be clear who pushed that agenda and it wasn’t Chandler. The Deasy destruction goes deep.
I agree with you Ann.
Perhaps this was justified, but I would be cautious about singing Cortines’ praises. I’m seeing the same old, top-down, autocratic decision-making that existed before. It’s business as usual in LAUSD. Cortines was a terrible choice to lead the District for many reasons.
Well said. While Bria Jones was definitely an inherent part of whatever the MISIS was really about and I say good riddance , Cortines is acting out like he is trying hold up an image as tough as Deasy’s. We should bit forget who ushered in teacher jail — witch hunts, published test scores, & Deasy besides . You see he had to know Bria Jones was a key accomplice in whatever MISIS is accomplishing. After all she was the go to girl on the same program when Deasy implemented at Prince George. Notably it had same outcome there it did here. Why would you use it again? I suspected it was about scrambling data to cover his tracks. However a recent request to purchase the appropriate computers they need to be comparable with the MISIS. Cortines is all for it. But the BOC just told the BOE they need an inventory before it will approve purchases . I am nit sure where the $$ will come from if there is an big tech but like that. If they dip in the bond fund you will know Cortines is a hypocrite. Anyway he is showing off. He can’t be trusted but if he starts to behalf ethically and in behalf of kids. I will support him
Susan…it has only been two weeks, but Cortines so far is addressing serious issues like MiSiS. Ron Chandler is the Jaime Aquino replication of being made to be the one who falls on the petard for Deasy’s vast errors. He warned Deasy and the BoE that the software was not ready to be implemented but the overbearing Supt. made the decision to go ahead and use it. Alas, it failed miserably and students are still being damaged.
Deasy has a gift of coming up smelling, if not like roses, at least cleaner than he is. EdWeek today had the nerve to say he went into teaching because of his love of children, or words to that end. Do not believe it. Some think that he ended up in teaching for less noble reasons…and left when he could to dance with Gates, then got dumped on LAUSD by his mentor Broad.
It shocks most of us that there is still not an independent audit of his fiduciary actions while acting as Supt. Even the City of Bell finally got that one right. Deasy’s BH lawyer got that in writing it would seem as a condition of his leaving. And no one has stepped up to demand and file for a Grand Jury investigation of LAUSD en toto.
I am willing to see how Cortines delivers. The main thing I worry about is not having Eli Broad select any more of the LAUSD leaders. His training has become a broken record of failure to collaborate and make positive changes…but rather, all his “grads” seem to have the same mantra…shut down schools, bring in charters staffed by TFA kids, pay yourself a fortune with your family as your Board, and all on taxpayer bucks.
We all know the drill…but will the BoE here listen to the educators, parents, and community and resist Eli’s overbearing behaviors? We still have Deasy near by until at least the end of the year…which is also worrisome.
We all must stay active and on guard, and not falter in being watchdogs of this often unpredictable Board, and the hounds of greed nipping at our bank accounts.
Well said. While Bria Jones was definitely an inherent part of whatever the MISIS was really about and I say good riddance , Cortines is acting out like he is trying hold up an image as tough as Deasy’s. We should bit forget who ushered in teacher jail — witch hunts, published test scores, & Deasy besides . You see he had to know Bria Jones was a key accomplice in whatever MISIS is accomplishing. After all she was the go to girl on the same program when Deasy implemented at Prince George. Notably it had same outcome there it did here. Why would you use it again? I suspected it was about scrambling data to cover his tracks. However a recent request to purchase the appropriate computers they need to be comparable with the MISIS. Cortines is all for it. But the BOC just told the BOE they need an inventory before it will approve purchases . I am nit sure where the $$ will come from if there is an big tech but like that. If they dip in the bond fund you will know Cortines is a hypocrite. Anyway he is showing off. He can’t be trusted but if he starts to behalf ethically and in behalf of kids. I will support him
Cortines trained at Broads academy. He may be traditionally trained and a real educator but he drinks the kook aid. I don’t think you’d approve of his relationship with Scholastic, Broad ( who put Cortines on his beloved arts HS ) Scott Graham, Monuca Garcia or LAT. The Hermes ties say it all.
I’m worried. Corrine’s is saying it will take at least a year to clean up MISIS. I don’t think it’s fixable. I don’t understand why we can’t go back to our old system.
Also, what’s the idea of canceling Pd that’s already been planned and paid for. Now I don’t get to go to training next week… The first common core training that’s gotten any positive feedback. Oh well. I’ll still have to implement CC. Why bother paying for training when he can just hold me accountable?
If your being professionally developed had anything thing to do with the CCSS and now you won’t be professionally developed on that educational malpractice (unless it was to tell you that they were dropping that crap) then you should be shouting from and to the rooftops Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!!