Ramon Cortines resigns from Scholastic board

L.A. schools Supt. Ramon C. Cortines resigned Thursday 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 at the district 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 the L.A. Unified School District since Cortines joined the school system as its No. 2 administrator in April 2008. He became superintendent in December 2008.

Cortines is paid $250,000 a year by L.A. Unified.

The superintendent’s brief letter to Scholastic's president and chief executive officer, Richard Robinson, read as follows:

“Per my telephone conversation with you and attorney Andy Hedden on Thursday, February 18, 2010, this correspondence serves as a formal notice of resignation from the corporate board at Scholastic Corporation. A hard copy of this correspondence has been mailed to you.”

Copies of the letter were sent to members of the Board of Education and school district general counsel David Holmquist.

Board members had been placing no pressure on Cortines to resign from Scholastic last week, but it’s unclear whether their views changed in the wake of increased public awareness of the matter.

-- Howard Blume

Photo: L.A. Times file

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Comments

[Anonymous]

Why is it that the Times always seems to find a way to make it look like they cause the news? I thought that media was supposed to be impartial. Never knew that meant going out and creating stories.

[Tony O'Farrill]

What a joke.. Why did Cortines refuse and fail to disclose this relationship when he was in the process of being hired. The LAUSD continues to be the most corrupt and incompetent school district in the nation.

[jay]

He should have quit the LAUSD

[concerned parent]

Wow!! $150K + $250K No wonder he's heartless in laying off people, he is double dipping. I wonder if LAUSD is getting a good price on books purchased from scholastic

[jennydonut]

And how about the director of reading programs selling the district a book he authored?

Why are Mr. Cortines' closest advisors paid for by private interests?

These guys are gross, raising teacher/student ratios, laying off the people who actually work with the kids, to make more money available for the corporations they work for on the side.

[Disappointed]

Mr. Cortines met his obligations by disclosing the conflict, but why didn't the School Board (led by that great reformer, Monica Garcia) have a problem with it? Did the Ethics Office, the Inspector General or the Office of the General Counsel express appropriate concern to Ms. Garcia and the Board? If not, there are the next few cuts that should be made to narrow the budget gap.

[David]

In a time of double digit unemployment, this guy not only has two jobs... but he has two jobs that both pay more than $100,000 per year?! What is the median wage for parents of LAUD students?

[woolybully]

Crook

[Norm Silver]

Now when does the D.A. begin the investigation into improprieties of this very big Conflict of Interest?

[BillC]

If anyone questions the need to subscribe and keep the Times going this is proof indeed. And no, I don't work for the Times, but I sure am glad they're there. The LAUSD board would never have taken action on this blatant conflict of interest, and Cortines sure wouldn't have stepped down, without this public exposure of the sweetheart deal.

[Garcia]

I'm happy to hear that this unreal man turned away from the school systems. He needs to go home and live his life away from the kids. He was too hard and cold! He seem not to have a heart!

[jimboo]

He still can keep his stock in the company, can't he? Can't he?

I mean, just because he owns the company, or part of it, doesn't mean that he will be biased when hiring his, oops I mean some company to provide the scholastic services, does it? Does it?

Just because his company profits from LAUSD contracts doesn't mean he would bring any influence toward hiring that company does it? Does it?

Gee, he doesn't look corrupt, he looks like a nice old man. Let's keep him. I mean LAUSD is doing so well, why should we change horses?

[3dayscondor]

Cortines has moved quickly to correct a problem.

Cortines resigning is the appropriate action to take in this matter.

However, it speaks volumes about Cortines that he did not see the need to do this until the public became aware of the LAUSD CEO's employment with an outside vendor.

Cortines should have resigned from Scholastics Board the day he was hired by LAUSD.

[NarNar]

Wow, the LAUSD Supt making $250,000.00 a year from LAUSD is moonlighting as board member for "Scholastic Inc". paying him $150,000.00 a year. Last year the LAUSD Supt. Cortines bankrolled $400,000.00. Who else can make this type of bread during a recession? Let me see...

Scholastic Inc. made 5 million... 5 MILLION from LAUSD, since Cortines joined LAUSD.

How many teachers have been laid off?
Supt. Cortines is still going to work in the morning?
LAUSD kids have THE WORST EDUCATION in the US... DEAD LAST

Is it just me... or is this guy is literally stealing from our kids? You decide. Email me. Would love to hear your idea.

Solution for Californians... MOVE OUT!

[thecanimalshusband]

It would be preferable if Cortines resigned from the schools and kept his Scholastic Job. Scholastic should be prohibited from doing business with the schools due to their bribing Cortines.

[El Vergudo]

This tool doesn't lift a finger or enter a LAUSD classroom and he's making that much bank? I tell my students every day that the LAUSD is where it is because it hires incompetent people at all levels and pays them to do nothing. Teachers aren't required to teach. All they have to do to collect a paycheck is show up. Hell, even child molesters aren't fired, they're just moved to another school.

This scumbag was clearly adding to his bogus salary by striking deals with Scholastic, and forcing these generic and useless education models on a school district that needs a real overhaul. Bravo, you oblivious and shameless idiots, bravo.

[Chuck B]

This guy is a joke, ruining LAUSD with his agendas.

[JayCeezy]

I give him credit for having shame, and doing the right thing. It will be interesting to see if Scholastic has such a good product that they continue to get millions from LAUSD even without compensating Cortines for part-time consulting.

[Jeff K.]

Right move...wrong position. This man does not deserve to hold a post of public trust. Shame on the board for not disclosing this to the public. He should never have been number two. And just separating yourself from the votes means nothing. What competetive information did Scholastic gain by having its employee in such a high position. Are we to believe Cortines said nothing to his private sector employer about the needs of LA Unified? If not, what on earth was he doing to earn 150,000? Go ahead, keep the job with Scholastic, and resign from the LAUSD.

[Henry]

Hey Cortines it was okay last week, what your lawyer had teach you about "conflict of interest" and proper ethical conduct. Wow, an you are the one running our schools. No wonder our schools are in trouble-people like you running them. Let's see who wanted you in that job at LAUSD, oh yeah your mentor of ethical conduct, the mayor of Los Angeles.
What winners we have in L.A. We deserve a lot better than the both of you-believe me.

[Oz]

In many ways, it seems that the only thing that will reform LAUSD is the constant scrutiny of the LA times. Keep up the good work.

[uh huh]

He should return all of his ill-gotten gains he's received from the date of his hiring at LAUSD, if he has any ethics. This must include all stock options.

[eddie]

Poor bastard. Makes me want to cry. I really hope that he can find some other source of suspect income to help him bridge this gap. Really, how does one keep such ill-advised, obviously interest conflicted, corrupt even to a child practices on the down-low any more? It's like, what do I tell my kid? "Son, you know how I've been preaching to you that in America your only hope of ever putting and keeping food on your table is to exploit any and all possible opportunities without regard for how it might affect others or look to someone else? Well, there may be a downside." Ramon, some day your weasel dick wan't see such scrutiny. Keep the faith my friend.

[Kevin]

I agree that the Times deserves some kudos here and i appreciate Howard Blume. That said, my question in some ways is what took the Times so long? How long has this been going on and it doesn't seem to have been hidden well at all? I agree this shows a need to keep the Times going. I also think it emphasizes the public value of increased budgets for investigative reporting, not the slim on substance LATEXTRA.

[Wear of LAUSD]

Thank you Times for reporting on this subject. I hope that you can now investigate whether or not there are any LAUSD employees, including Cortines and every school board member, having inappropriate dealings with these private charter programs. I know that many of them have friends at Aspire and possibly other companies. Which makes me go, "hmmmm," every time they want to give our schools away rent free to private and lucrative companies.