Aug. 28--The Los Angeles Board of Education is meeting in an unusual closed-door meeting Sunday to discuss what they want in the next superintendent of schools and how to go about finding someone.
Most of the meeting is structured as a private retreat at the Point Fermin Outdoor Education Center in San Pedro.
The board also has scheduled a vote in public on hiring a firm to conduct a superintendent search. That decision could be tabled for a later meeting, district officials said.
"Most of the time on Sunday we're going to be talking about our goals and the superintendent selection process," said board member Richard Vladovic, describing the closed session. "We need to set our own direction and decide what we want before we start the selection process."
Vladovic said district legal counsel has said the discussion can be conducted in private provided it is generally structured as related to the evaluation of the current superintendent. Employee evaluations can be conducted in private.
Board President Steve Zimmer and other members have talked of wanting a selection process that is as publicly transparent as possible.
Five firms submitted proposals: La Quinta-based Leadership Associates; Hamilton, Rabinovitz Associates of Carmel; Hazard, Young, Attea Associates from Rosemont, Ill.; McPherson Jacobson of Omaha, Neb.; and Ray and Associates from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The firm would be paid up to $250,000 plus expenses.
Participating in the private discussion will be current Supt. Ramon C. Cortines, who came out of retirement to take the top job last October, after John Deasy resigned under pressure.
The board almost never meets on weekends. Its regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday.
L.A. Unified has chosen its most recent superintendents through a variety of methods. A group of civic leaders pressured board members in private to hire Deasy, who was brought in initially as the top deputy superintendent for the 2010-11 school year. He took over the top job in April 2011. No other candidate was seriously considered.
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