L.A. schools Supt. Cortines resigns from Scholastic Inc.

[Jeanfromfillmore]

Los Angeles Times | Feb. 18, 2010 | 12:47 p.m.

L.A. schools Supt. Cortines resigns from Scholastic Inc.

L.A. schools Supt. Ramon C. Cortines resigned today from the board of Scholastic Inc., a position that paid him compensation worth more than $150,000 last year.

Cortines' dual role with the company and the district received scrutiny in the wake of an article on that subject last week in The Times. In defending his position with Scholastic in a recent interview, Cortines said he avoided any issue involving the leading educational publishing company. And his senior staff said this recusal included any decision involving academic intervention programs.

Scholastic provides the district's primary reading intervention program for high schools. And, as of this year, Scholastic's program also became a key component for middle schools. The company has earned more than $5.2 million from L.A. Unified since Cortines joined the school system as its No. 2 administrator in April 2008. He became superintendent in December 2008.

More soon at: http://www.latimes.com

L.A. Unified schools' chief works for district supplier
Supt. Ramon C. Cortines sits on the board of Scholastic Inc., which supplies a district reading program. Officials say he is not involved in decisions pertaining to the publisher.
February 12, 2010|By Howard Blume
Los Angeles schools Supt. Ramon C. Cortines earned more than $150,000 last year for serving on the board of one of the nation's leading educational publishing companies, a firm with more than $16 million in contracts with the school district over the last five years.
Scholastic Inc. provides the main reading intervention curriculum for the Los Angeles Unified School District, a program that is part of the company's fast-growing educational technology business.


Cortines has disclosed his relationship with the New York-based company, and officials say he has avoided any decisions on Scholastic contracts.
Cortines' role, however, has generated criticism among some former senior officials and current employees. They said the corporate tie creates an appearance of impropriety.
"My objection is the perception it creates and the door it opens for others to do the same thing," said former school board member Marlene Canter, who sits on the city ethics commission and who said she admires Cortines.
Board members, including Canter, never examined his outside employment in the rush to elevate the respected Cortines from the district's No. 2 position after a board majority suddenly decided to replace predecessor David Brewer in 2008, she said.
No current board members expressed concerns.
"Ray has done all the proper things he has to do" in terms of disclosure, school board President Monica Garcia said. "It's never been something that's been hidden. I don't know what is interesting here." Echoing others, she added: "I never met a person with more integrity than Ray Cortines."
Cortines has recused himself from dealing with matters that might involve Scholastic, said chief academic officer Judy Elliott.
"Mr. Cortines has never been involved or part of any instructional decision about any intervention program," she said.
Abdicating major instructional decisions in the nation's second-largest school district is an unsatisfactory solution, said former school board member Jeff Horton, because the superintendent is ultimately responsible even when he delegates.
And if Cortines isn't involved, he should be, Horton said, given the importance of addressing poor reading skills among tens of thousands of students.
Cortines said he performs his duties with Scholastic Inc. as needed after work, on weekends and on vacation days. The board meets in New York about five times a year for one or two days. Cortines sometimes participates by phone
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb...es12-2010feb12