LOS ANGELES (August 30, 2021) – This week, the Board of Education of Los Angeles Unified School District kicks off a multifaceted community outreach and engagement campaign to gather input from the diverse constituencies that make up the district. The feedback will provide insight into the search for a permanent leader, after former Superintendent Austin Beutner’s contract expired on June 30, 2021.
The campaign to gather input from students, parents, school staff, and community members will include a 20-question survey available in nine languages and formats, as well as a series of focus groups and both virtual and physical facilitated listening sessions.
The survey is now available online in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, Armenian, Tagalog, Arabic, Vietnamese and Russian. It will be distributed via e-blasts, social media, text-2-survey, and direct engagement at school sites. Street teams will conduct approximately 135 site visits districtwide to help with physical survey completion. The survey will further be distributed through community-based organizations, religious groups, student groups, parent teacher associations, labor unions, and other relevant groups.
Starting in September, there will be 14 virtual facilitated listening sessions—two in each Board District—that include a detailed explanation of the process, request for engagement on the survey, and request additional questions. There will be a mix of in-person and virtual sessions, developed in consultation with each Board member representing the area. Dates for all listening sessions will be shared as soon as they are available.
The Board is also scheduling eight focus groups among various stakeholders, including student groups, parent committees, administrators, teachers, and classified staff, to allow for deeper feedback and perspective.
Finally, the Board will hold two listening session opportunities for community organizations to collectively participate in giving input, as well as working with them to maximize outreach to their members.
Once this outreach stage is complete, the final report, reflecting input from focus groups, facilitated listening sessions, commentary section on the survey and street team discussions, will be released to the Board and the public. The report will serve as to guide the Board of Education in developing the job description, identifying the right group of candidates, and selecting the next leader of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
The Board-approved timeline for the Superintendent selection process outlines community engagement and candidate recruitment in the fall, with a permanent Superintendent selected by winter 2021.
More information and updates will be posted at achieve.lausd.net/suptsearch2021.
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