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JUST IN: Richard Vladovic re-elected LAUSD board president

Vanessa Romo | July 1, 2014



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Richard Vladovic elected as LAUSD board president for 2014-2015 year

*UPDATED

The LA Unified School Board today re-elected Richard Vladovic to serve as president for the 2014-15 school year.

Rather than postpone the vote until after the August runoff to fill the vacant District 1 seat, the six member board voted and by a 5-1 margin supported Vladovic’s continued leadership.

Tamar Galatzan was the lone dissenting vote. Barbara Jones, her chief of staff, said the dissent was not directed toward Vladovic as much as the board’s proceeding with the vote instead of waiting until after the new board member is sworn in.

After the vote Vladovic took his seat without comment, and the discussion turned to consideration of meeting dates for the coming school year. An intense debate ensued, followed by the members voting to start the monthly meetings at 4 pm to allow more parents and teachers to attend. The new time would also suit member Monica Ratliff, who told her colleagues she would like to resume her job as a teacher.

This is Vladovic’s second and final term. Last year the board imposed term limits, precluding a board president from seeking a third consecutive term. Vladovic could return to the presidency but only after another member has served after next year.

The change was proposed by the late board member Marguerite LaMotte who argued, “Traditionally, the Board President’s position rotated annually among Board Members, with the vice-president training then ascending to the Board President’s position… Prior to 2007 the average term for the Board President was 1.9 years.”

The new rule also ended six consecutive years as president for Monica Garcia with whom LaMotte was often philosophically at odds.

As one of his first appointments, Vladovic named Steve Zimmer to continue his roles as board vice president and as chairman of the Committee of the Whole.


*Includes explanation of Galatzan’s vote.

 

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