Second of three parts
Re “Super LaRose and Charming First Lady Bid Hello to School Parents and Teachers”
What community members were saying about new Supt. Dave LaRose during Tuesday evening’s informal introductory program at the School District offices:
Madeline Ehrlich, former School Board member: “After reading about him and just meeting him, I am impressed that, at 46, he is in his prime right now, and he looks at the whole child. He seems excited to be in Culver City, and I think he is going to do good things.”
John Nachbar, City Manager: “I have met him, and he seems likable, outgoing and friendly.”
Karlo Silbiger, School Board President, on vacation this month, made a surprise appearance: “I head back out of town again on Thursday. Just enough time to do laundry. I am going to Kaizuka, Japan, with our Sister Cities delegation for 10 days. I am bringing eight students from the Middle School, all of whom went through the Japanese Immersion program or are studying the Japanese language at the Middle School. I will have a chance to see some schools in our Sister City and to meet the mayor. This is my first trip to Japan. One reason I agreed to go is our Sister Cities committee wants to set up a teacher exchange with them. I am very interested in some of the different comparative education stuff other countries use, so different from ours, and moving in different directions. I am hoping to start the process.”
Mr. Silbiger on Mr. LaRose: “What I like most about him is that he has been an extremely successful superintendent in a (Washington state) district that in many ways mirrors ours. Of the four Title I schools that have been deemed ‘Most Successful,’ in his county, three were in his district. Dave has won so many awards that he has gone to the state capitol on behalf of the district. He has been an active superintendent, really taking issues head-on. Four years of success in this economic situation is an achievement. The biggest thing about him is his incredibly strong philosophical structure. Anyone who doesn’t see this when they talk to him or when they see him at Board meetings, is blind and deaf. This is somebody… You know, we always talk about making decisions in the best interests of the kids. Everyone says that. But very few people do that. What I love about him is, that’s the lens through which he sees everything. He knows what we need to do. Every decision is made with that in mind. The biggest thing he needs to do here is to inventory all of the great things we are doing and find ways to improve each of the programs and other things we are doing. For example, we have great programs at certain schools at certain levels that are not articulated at every school in the District. That is the biggest problem. Depending on where you go to school – everyone will get a good education – but we are not taking advantage of all of the great things happening at one site. Or that are happening at the high school, but we are not getting them ready for that in elementary school and at the Middle School. An ability for someone to come in fresh, to look at our programs and say, ‘Take this little nugget and make it District-wide,’ that is the opportunity we have here.”
(To be continued)
