What is the purpose of this survey? On April 21, LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner announced that he is stepping down from his position. He will leave the district on June 30, and the Board of Education will soon begin to look for the person who will be the fourth LAUSD superintendent in ten years. The survey questions below are meant to give us as a network information about the priorities and concerns of families so that we can work to influence the decision of who will be the next superintendent of LAUSD, and so LAUSD can hear directly from families about what they want. The current process and communications about what's happening in our schools has not left much room for families to provide our opinions or make decisions. This survey is a way for us to share directly with board members and district leadership what is important to families.

What does the Superintendent do? The Superintendent is a very important position in LAUSD. The Superintendent is responsible for creating LAUSD’s budget, is the person who runs the district day to day, and plays an important role in carrying out district priorities. The Superintendent has enormous influence over things that impact the education that students receive every single day, from the instructional program, to the plan for reopening, to the contracts the district negotiates with the unions representing teachers, administrators, and service employees like teachers assistants and special education assistants. The Superintendent is chosen by the Board and reports to the Board.

Who is in charge until the new Superintendent is selected? The LAUSD Board has appointed Megan Reilly to be the interim superintendent until someone permanent is found. Reilly has been a member of Austin Beutner’s senior team as LAUSD’s Deputy Superintendent for Business Services and Operations. She has been very involved in LAUSD’s Grab & Go meal distribution, trying to get hotspots to LAUSD families, and working on school reopening plans.

When will the new Superintendent be selected? There is not currently any public timeline about when the new Superintendent will be selected and start.