Michelle King, former LAUSD superintendent who championed unity, dies at 57
LA School Report | February 3, 2019
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*Updated Feb. 4
Michelle King, who as L.A. Unified’s first female African-American superintendent championed unity and collaboration among all public schools, has passed away at age 57 after fighting cancer.
King was “a collaborative and innovative leader who broke down barriers to create more equitable opportunities for every student,” the district stated Saturday in announcing her death.
Just weeks after her January 2016 appointment, King told a crowd of about 700 parents, teachers and principals at a Pacoima town hall meeting that from the moment she was named, she wanted to find ways to share best practices among educators in traditional district schools, independent charter schools and the district’s innovative magnet and pilot schools.
“We are all L.A. Unified school students,” she said. “It is unfortunate we have labels, saying that this one is better than that one. It’s not us vs. them.”
She announced she was meeting with charter leaders to plan a forum to share strategies. “I can’t do it alone, we need your help. We need all of us breaking down walls and barriers on behalf of kids and be working together. It doesn’t help to have battles over property.”
Four months later, her “Promising Practices” forum was sold out in advance and brought praise for King from charter leaders.
“I’m so excited about what Michelle King is doing, because for the first time since I was on the board, we have a superintendent who is saying, ‘Hey, we can learn from each other,’” Caprice Young, then-CEO of Magnolia Public Schools and a former L.A. Unified school board member, said at the forum at Sonia Sotomayor Learning Academies in Cypress Park.
Young tweeted Saturday, “So very sorry she is gone. Not enough time to make the difference we all knew she could.”
King announced a year ago that she was being treated for cancer and would retire at the end of the 2017-18 school year. She went on medical leave in September 2017 after feeling weak during a long school board meeting.
In a fall 2016 interview, King described herself as an LAUSD “lifer.” She spent her entire career in the district and attended its schools, even working as a teacher’s aide while a student at Pacific Palisades High School.
When she was promoted to superintendent, she said, “I want to be a role model for students who look like me.”
King was L.A. Unified’s first female superintendent in 80 years. But she said she didn’t always aspire to that role. “It’s something that just kind of evolved,” she said.
King grew up in a largely middle-class and African-American neighborhood of South Los Angeles.
After graduating from UCLA, majoring in biology, she taught science and math at Porter Middle School in Granada Hills.
She was promoted to a coordinator for the math, science and aerospace magnet at Wright Middle School in Westchester and then served as assistant principal and principal at Hamilton High School in Cheviot Hills.
She then joined the ranks of L.A. Unified administrators in positions heading the division of student health and human services, interim chief instructional officer for secondary education and was superintendent of a western and southwestern region of the district.
She was chosen by Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines to be his chief of staff. She served as deputy superintendent under John Deasy and was named chief deputy by Cortines in October 2014 when Cortines came back to the district to replace Deasy when he resigned under pressure.
As she moved up the ladder, she said people began asking her if she had thought about becoming superintendent. Once her daughters graduated from school, she gave it more serious thought, though she imagined she might have to leave L.A. Unified to do so.
“I was as shocked as everyone,” she said of being the board’s pick.
In her first year as superintendent, King visited about 100 schools on a “listen and learn” tour to hear from students, teachers and parents.
On school visits, she was treated like a rock star, as students and staff asked to take selfies with her.
Steve Zimmer, then-president of the school board, told King eight months into her tenure that teachers had more confidence in her than in any other superintendent he had worked with in his 17 years in the district.
“You inspire trust amongst our ranks,” Zimmer said.
King’s commitment to collaboration was seen in her joint announcement in September 2016 with Myrna Castrejón, who was executive director of Great Public Schools Now, of up to $3.75 million that would be available in grants for high-performing, district-run schools. After the teachers union objected to some programs receiving the funds, $1.5 million was spent to expand the programs of two South Los Angeles schools — Diego Rivera Learning Complex Public Service Community School and King/Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science. Both have had long waiting lists.
The schools’ programs were replicated at two other sites. When they opened last fall, University Pathways Public Service Academy and University Pathways Medical Magnet Academy collectively enrolled nearly 200 students.
Castrejón said when the grants were announced that replicating high-performing schools had not been attempted in Los Angeles before or anywhere in the nation at the same scale. She said the grants were possible after she and GPSN staff had worked with King in a collaborative and open process.
“I am excited about the opportunities to increase the number of high-quality choices for our LA Unified families,” King said then. “We have schools in every corner of the district where students are excelling. Investing in these campuses will allow more of our students to attain the knowledge and skills to be successful in college, careers and in life.”
Castrejón, who is now president and CEO of the California Charter Schools Association, said in a statement Saturday, “I loved working with Michelle King.” She called King “a visionary leader who supported the replication of innovative schools and was focused on finding new ways to best meet the needs of each student. I respected her thoughtfulness and commitment to collaboration as a critical pathway to opening up opportunities for all kids.”
In a 2016 interview, King said she learned that people have to be brought together “to have dialogue and to be in each other’s face to work together to really start to break down some of these walls and barriers.”
“Sometimes in life, we don’t think that certain positions are available to us particularly if you’re a youth, a minority, that job or that position or that role might not be for you because you don’t see many role models, you don’t see many folks in those positions,” King said. “I feel that the appointment has said to particularly young women that anything is possible.”
At the end of her first community meeting, in March 2016, King said, “I think some of you see the ‘I love LAUSD’ buttons we have on, and that’s what it’s about for me, it’s about being united.”
• Read more:
Michelle King on charters: ‘It’s not us versus them’
Interviews and reporting for this article were conducted by Sarah Favot and Mike Szymanski.
*This article has been updated with the GPSN grants.
On behalf of the entire @LASchools family, we are deeply saddened to share that our beloved former Superintendent, Dr. Michelle King, has passed away. Words cannot begin to describe the sorrow we feel, the love we shared with – and for – Dr. King…https://t.co/4Nz9ydGlhL pic.twitter.com/I19nGg3d4o
— L.A. Unified (@LASchools) February 3, 2019
Dr. Michelle King’s life and career encapsulated what it means to be an Angeleno: excellence, kindness, integrity, service above self. Deeply saddened by her passing, sending love and prayers to Michelle’s daughters, parents and the entire LAUSD family.https://t.co/VMewRcd36Q
— Mayor Eric Garcetti (@MayorOfLA) February 3, 2019
.@LASchools lost a daughter and servant leader with the passing of Dr. Michelle King. She will be missed by all who were impacted by her. pic.twitter.com/IdXlyGRiap
— George McKenna (@DrGeorgeMcKenna) February 3, 2019
Thank you Dr. Michelle King. Your love & life opened doors for many just like you; scholars @LASchools who believe in themselves and are willing to lead & serve. We will embrace your call for “all hands on deck” to serve all students. Mil gracias. https://t.co/BTiYAFI5PX
— Mónica García (@Monica4LAUSD) February 3, 2019
California lost an incredible public education leader today in Dr. Michelle King, who passed away after a brave battle.
Our sincerest condolences are with the family and friends of Dr. King, and the Los Angeles Unified School District family. https://t.co/NfQdhKX1It
— Tony Thurmond (@TonyThurmond) February 3, 2019
A terrible loss. King dedicated her life to education & her career was marked by a steadfast devotion to a public ed system that serves all students. As the first African-American woman to serve as LAUSD superintendent, she blazed a trail for our future. https://t.co/N6tKR9zm7N
— United Teachers Los Angeles (@UTLAnow) February 3, 2019
Supt Duardo: Michelle King was a dear friend and colleague who inspired all who worked along side her. I’m deeply saddened and send my sincerest condolences to all whose lives have been touched by this extraordinary woman. @LASchools Read our statement: https://t.co/ug8RI7xFyv
— LACOE (@lacoeinfo) February 3, 2019
The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce sends its condolences to the family, friends and @laschools community on the passing of former LAUSD superintendent Dr. Michelle King. We were not only proud to have been an education partner with her, we are the better because of it. pic.twitter.com/D1E3F2IUpc
— L.A. Area Chamber (@LAAreaChamber) February 3, 2019