LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner announced Wednesday that he will step down at the end of the school year, saying, "I believe that it is fitting that a new superintendent should have the privilege of welcoming students back to school in the fall. I respectfully request that my contract end as planned on June 30. In the meantime, I will remain focused on the task of ensuring that schools reopen in the safest way possible while helping in a seamless leadership transition." Deputy Superintendent Megan K. Reilly will be named acting superintendent while a search is conducted.

Speak UP Parents shared their thoughts on Beutner’s leadership during turbulent times, his decision to leave and what they would like to see in the next head of the nation’s second-largest school district.

“Superintendent Beutner has the hardest job in the state. He came into this role with opposition on every front, including from me. I wasn’t thrilled with his appointment. However, over the years, I have appreciated the superintendent. I think he’s done a better job than he will ever get credit for. He has had to weather many storms — a historic teacher strike, calls for defunding of school police and a pandemic — to name a few. News of his departure caught me off guard, but it’s not surprising. What’s unfolded over the past year in public education, and particularly within our district, will be hard to recover from. The district will have a very hard time filling this position. With that said, we know that it will eventually be filled. It’s easy for us to say what we want from the next superintendent, but the question is really about who we will be. By we, I mean the stakeholders, especially the power players. Will this be yet another gang war between the union and charter schools folks? Will we continue to choose politics over people? Will parents finally have a real voice? Will students be at the forefront of the decision making? Or will this be the same old LAUSD process? I ask these questions because the candidate pool won’t matter if we don’t shift. So while I am hoping this person will be a person of color, a parent of school-age children with a strong background in education, I am also hoping that they will be welcomed by stakeholders who are truly here to be collaborative and supportive of the work it will take to save this school district.” — Dr. Tunette Powell, LAUSD parent in BD1

"I really think this is a good opportunity to have a new superintendent who serves kids first and no longer allows UTLA to put the union's agenda ahead at the expense of keeping our children hostages. I think the qualifications should be to have someone who takes an education agenda ahead of a political agenda. This cannot be a position for a 'good negotiator' but for someone who puts an educational agenda front and center, at all times. This person should have a background in education and know very well the communities LAUSD serves, especially the disadvantaged and underserved. I think, unfortunately, during the pandemic, Beutner allowed UTLA to cause irreversible damage to our kids' education. The (teachers) union did as they pleased while he was in office. I want to make clear that I am a huge supporter of public education. My three kids have attended LAUSD schools. I am a huge supporter of teachers. I fully supported my child's teachers during the strike, but what they did to our kids during the pandemic has been unacceptable. I hope Los Angeles schools can get a new leader who once and for all can put our kids first." — Virginia Gaglianone, LAUSD parent in BD6

“As a person that was very skeptical when Mr. Beutner came into our district, I have been very satisfied up to this point with the work that he has done. I am especially happy when I see all the work he is doing in spite of COVID. And I was very surprised that he would make such a decision to step down in this very moment where I feel like our families need him the most. When we heard the news, it was just really difficult to process. I don’t want to have an interim for a very long time. It’s really unfortunate if that happens. I really would like to find someone who can understand our communities and the needs of our communities. I would love to see a Spanish-speaking leader, a female leader, a strong leader. I would love to see that for the first time. But really I’m in shock about what is happening at this moment, and I’m wondering if we’re going to continue being as stable as we have been considering COVID, considering the reopening of hundreds of schools right now, testing, vaccinations. There’s a lot of questions, and I’m a little bit nervous about that. What does it mean for our charter community and where do we stand? I’m a bit concerned.” — Gloria Rodriguez, district and charter parent in BD5

“I hope our next superintendent empowers parents to have a true voice in LAUSD policy and corrects the current power imbalance. Our teachers clearly have a powerful union advocating for teachers, or rather advocating for the union. Parents need to be able to effectively advocate for their children or else we have no real negotiation happening in our district. Also our superintendent needs to be willing to fight for all students’ right to a quality education and not be afraid to take on UTLA when necessary. With LAUSD parents on their side, the next superintendent will be just as powerful as UTLA.” — Ashley Ranshaw, LAUSD parent in BD3

“Beutner did a great job of ensuring that families were fed during the pandemic. But under his leadership, children with disabilities were ignored for over a year, likely setting those students back in ways from which they will not recover. We can never allow that to happen again. I hope the next superintendent will refocus LAUSD on its central mission of education and lead the district from a child-centered perspective. The pandemic has brought into sharp relief the many systemic injustices in education, and I’d like to see LAUSD lead the way in addressing those injustices.” — Pam Schmidt, parent in BD4

“I think he did an OK job with what he had available. As a parent I can't help but feel he could have fought harder to open the schools sooner and made a bigger effort to rally around the parents and what our children needed.” — Bri Giron, LAUSD parent in BD7

“While school districts around the country have held in-person instruction for months, LAUSD students are still on Zoom. Billionaire Austin Beutner has failed LAUSD children, with no real leadership, plan or sense of urgency. I’m glad to see him go. In the wake of his departure, let’s not sugarcoat Beutner’s failed leadership with mentions of a few small accomplishments. LAUSD students and families will be reeling from this for years. I hope his replacement puts students first and stands up to UTLA.” — Tiffany Morrison, LAUSD parent in BD1

“As a special needs parent that was new to LAUSD this year, we are ready for a fresh start. Although I sincerely appreciate the regular COVID testing, Grab-and-Go meals for families and electronic devices for each and every student, I feel he did not do enough from a leadership and advocacy standpoint for the 80,000 children with IEPs in the district. LAUSD needs a superintendent that can both work cooperatively with labor partners and someone who can stand their ground and defend those that cannot defend themselves. He failed to do this by not working within the parameters of the LACDPH guidance provided in September 2020 for acute needs kids. Here we are one year since COVID shutdown, and there still isn’t a real plan in place for special needs kids in the district. That is unacceptable and unforgivable.” — Carla Suarez-Capdet, LAUSD parent in BD6

“I’m surprised to hear he is stepping down. I’m having mixed feelings. I’m not sure if he was behind the push to reopen schools, but I was happy to see that. The schools reopened. He did accomplish that, and our kids needed it. But there are things LAUSD has lacked and is still lacking, which is parent input. We’re the only true representatives of our kids, and we haven’t been heard for a long time. They need to fix this in order for our schools to be better. The schools are supposed to prepare our kids for the future. The only purpose is for what is best for the kids and their future. I feel like we need the next superintendent to be a strong leader that is strong enough to stand up to political organizations. I have heard Beutner wanted somebody from the inside to take over. I feel the opposite. We need a drastic change in LAUSD. I would like to see somebody outside the district that has some experience with dealing with a diverse population and can come in and shake things up in LAUSD. The difference in the charter school my child attends is that we do have parents on the school board, and we are heard at that school, and we feel they are about our kids. That is lacking in the district. LAUSD is lacking parent input. We’re just being ignored. I have a child in LAUSD and a child in a charter school, and the differences are clear.” — Maribel Campos, district and charter parent in BD6

“I have been a vocal critic of LAUSD and Austin Beutner, specifically regarding their messaging about the reopening that I felt misled parents. However, my first thought when I heard Beutner was leaving was concern over who his replacement would be, especially since there is no agreement with UTLA for the fall. I am concerned his replacement will not put LAUSD in a better situation, considering the position is known to be difficult, and LAUSD has had multiple superintendents in just 10 years. I think it would be ideal that LAUSD's next superintendent have children who are attending LAUSD. This past year, it was disheartening to realize that none of the LAUSD board members have children attending LAUSD, which made me feel they didn't fully understand the dire situation parents were experiencing. Many parents feel they currently have no representation in LAUSD, and UTLA has extreme resources and power when it comes to negotiating. I would like to see a board and superintendent who are the check to the demands of UTLA. Unfortunately, many times this year I have felt when there was an issue, such as play structures and instructional minutes, the demands of the teachers union wins over what is best for our students.” — Cynthia Rojas, LAUSD parent in BD4

“I get that many people want to see someone with an educational background, but I don't think that's the overall solution. All board members have educational backgrounds, and many times they don't seem to understand the needs of their constituents, especially students with disabilities. All I can say is that we need people that will put students' needs first.” — V. Aguirre, BD5 parent

“He certainly wasn’t perfect, but in my eyes, the meal assistance program he offered to families during the pandemic as well as the weekly in-school COVID testing that will happen are major wins. I hope that our next superintendent is also willing to put the best interests of the community above their own political interests.” — Lily Liu Chan, LAUSD parent in BD4

“I thought Beutner did a commendable job in spite of the tough climate he inherited. When he was appointed, I welcomed an outsider's perspective, one who had never taught but still wanted to see students succeed. During his tenure, I believe his strong business acumen helped him to navigate the historic teachers' strike. As parents and students navigated the pandemic, he attempted to remain proactive and transparent, displaying strong leadership. I'm so glad he made the achievement of African American students a priority during his tenure, though there is much more work to be done. I'm hopeful his successor will continue to keep African American students at the forefront of their agenda. Being a superintendent is a tough job. It takes a toll on all fronts, and I've witnessed this as I've worked with other superintendents. I'm appreciative of what Beutner was able to accomplish during his tenure. I'm hopeful for a seamless pass of the baton so that what was started, as it relates to African American student achievement, continues.” — Andree Miller, parent in BD3

“I am not surprised he’s leaving. The strike and the pandemic were a lot to take on. I have seen some changes for the better, facility improvements, electronics for all kids, and his meal sites helped so many families. I think overall he did a good job. It’s easy to get frustrated with him for not pushing harder on the union to follow the CDC in their safety recommendations for opening schools. But I think a good leader knows that using your power to force people to do things they don’t want to do only results in pushback and further resistance. I think his diplomacy, as frustrating as it was, got us to the best possible outcome. In that, I appreciate his service. Going forward, I’d like to see a solid plan to get kids back on track as far as proficiency. A plan that takes into account all kids in all areas. And is flexible in knowing that with a district this big, you need different plans for different needs. It’s going to be a tough road.” — Christina Nairn, LAUSD parent in BD4

“He definitely took on the role through some challenging times, starting with the teachers’ strike and through the current pandemic. While I don't doubt he did try to do the best he could, there’s always more that could have been done, especially with the current remote learning situation. It seemed like his hands were tied by the demands of the teachers union. I hope the next superintendent has a background in education and is a person of color who truly is about the students. A leader who is not afraid to shake things up and does not easily fall for the union's ploys." — Josie Zavala, parent in BD2

“Overall, I think Beutner dealt with a very difficult situation that had no available roadmap pretty well. I am impressed with the systems and procedures LAUSD put into place to reopen schools in this post-COVID world. I do wish he would have been stronger in negotiations with UTLA and helped to get our kids back to school sooner. I am not shocked that he is leaving. I know other school leaders who are experiencing high levels of burnout, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is his motivation for leaving. In our next superintendent, I want to see someone who is strong enough to counter the often unchecked power of UTLA and someone who is looking to innovate.” — Maggie Pulley, LAUSD parent in BD1

“I am hopeful that we will have a fresh start with a new superintendent moving forward. Beutner definitely had an arduous road throughout his leadership dealing with the strike and the pandemic, and I think he did a decent job, but I can't say I was impressed. I feel his leadership felt a bit detached and top down, and seemed to be guided by political agendas rather than the true needs of students and their families. I do hope the next candidate comes with a background in education with a focus on equity (in a real, action oriented-sense — like when Michelle King led the charge with Restorative Justice — not a superficial one) and really listening to families and teachers. I'm hearing the next superintendent candidate may be chosen internally, and I have mixed feelings about that. On the one hand, an insider may better understand the inner workings of the district and understand the culture so that it can be change from the inside out. On the other hand, an external candidate may be less jaded and can come with a fresh outlook and less political entanglements. For me, I think it's time that we saw more tangible steps taken to improve the outcomes for our historically and perpetually underserved students, especially Black students and those with special needs. (I'm a parent to both, and I speak also from personal experience.) I feel like LAUSD is corrupt in some ways and does not often follow the letter of the law. This has to change.” — Marini Smith, LAUSD parent in BD1

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AT THE BOARD

Speak UP Parents React to Resignation of LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner