John E. Deasy, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, delivered the keynote address at the second annual LMU Charter School Leadership Symposium to a packed audience of faculty, students, charter school leaders, administrators and teachers. Deasy outlined his “three bets” for the future success of Los Angeles schools: human capital, performance management and quality choice. He said that if L.A. Unified, the nation’s second largest school district, makes good on these three bets, it will fulfill it’s promise to “honor the rights of kids and graduate them college and work-force ready.”
Following the keynote, co-moderators Brian C. Johnson, executive director of the Larchmont Schools, and Emilio Pack, LMU clinical faculty and faculty lead of the LMU Charter School Leadership Academy, led a distinguished panel of charter school leaders (see full list below) in a response to Superintendent Deasy’s remarks. The panelists discussed areas of collaboration, change and impact. Deasy, who remained as a panelist to further the dialogue, closed with action steps for charter schools and urged members of the audience not to lose the courage to persevere and to rise above the rhetoric to be models for positive change.
Shane P. Martin, dean and professor of the LMU School of Education, gave closing remarks that highlighted the themes of the symposium, which included the power of relationships and the need to learn from one another’s successes, the reality that economics will force change, and the need to further tear down the wall between public and charter schools, since our collective goal as educators is to serve the needs of youth.
Panelists included:
- Roberta Benjamin, Superintendent, Aspire Public Schools, Los Angeles
- Cristina De Jesus, Chief Academic Officer, Green Dot Public Schools
- John E. Deasy, Superintendent, Los Angeles Unified School District
- Hrag M. Hamalian, Founder and Head of School, Valor Academy Charter School
- Parker Hudnut, Chief Executive Officer, Inner City Education Foundation Public Schools
- James Waller, Principal, Gertz-Ressler High School, Alliance College-Ready Public Schools
