L.A. Unified schools' chief Cortines works for district supplier
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.
-- Howard Blume
EDITOR'S PICKS:
"The fox guarding the chicken coop"
Posted by: sandboxkid | February 11, 2010 at 06:15 PM
Another criminal with a sweet hart deal.
Posted by: Joemamabush | February 11, 2010 at 08:19 PM
where is the outrage? Here this story is, buried deep in the website.
Will the LA Times look into all the ramifications of this relationship? I won't hold my breath, since there are rarely any inquiries into administrative malfeasance (or their salaries), since it's so easy to blame teachers.
I wonder how this relationship effects the district's purchase of school texts. For example, the textbook industry's game at many educational levels is to reissue the same book slightly modified so that they can continue to get high prices. You have to wonder about how this portion of the LAUSD budget has been managed, while teachers are fired, their benefits reduced, and the competence questioned constantly.
At the least, it sounds like Cortines could afford a paycut.
Posted by: LA person | February 13, 2010 at 11:21 AM
I guess someone won't be worried about losing 6 pay days.
Posted by: Lisa Davis | February 14, 2010 at 10:27 AM
So, what is he going to do about it?
Is he going to keep both jobs? or Concentrate on his main job?
I trust that he'll make the right decision.
Posted by: Krisseol | February 14, 2010 at 04:09 PM
I think it would be beneficial to form some kind of joint job where the schools work together. It should be rewarded to the most deserving employee.
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