The stars are aligned for a major overhaul of the Southland education system, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Wednesday during his annual State of the City speech, during which he focused heavily on education despite having no official role in running the school district.
"While it is true that I don't have any formal authority over our schools, I do have a bully pulpit and I will continue to use it," the mayor said.
Villaraigosa said he chose Jefferson High School as the site for his speech because it is an example of a school that has made a significant turnaround through the Public School Choice program he supports.
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Villaraigosa called for a fundamental shift in the management of the LAUSD -- changing from a system in which decisions are made at the top to one where "our local schools make the calls on budget, staffing, curriculum, schedule and professional development."
The mayor said the expiration of teachers' contracts in June will provide an opportunity to negotiate a new contract, one that he said should empower teachers, parents and principals. He also hinted at his support for a teacher-evaluation system that measures their performance in part by the achievement of their students.
Villaraigosa spent the rest of his speech ticking off bright spots in the city's economy, infrastructure, environmental efforts and crime reduction.
He touted his America Fast Forward plan -- an effort to leverage federal transportation dollars with local money -- and his Summer Night Lights program, which he said led to the safest summer in three decades.
Villaraigosa also touched on the city's budget crisis, promising to extend library hours, add park space, fill potholes and maintain the size of the police force, while cutting an estimated $350 million deficit.
