[Editor’s Note: The former School Board President’s tribute to retiring Supt. Patti Jaffe at last night’s School Board meeting. Two years ago this month, Mr. Zeidman’s Board elevated Ms. Jaffe to Interim Superintendent and later voted her to the permanent position.]
In 1970:
•The average income in the United States was $9,400 per year;
•Unemployment was at 2.5 percent;
•A postage stamp was 6 cents;
•Sports Illustrated cost 15 cents;
•The Baltimore Orioles won the World Series and the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super bowl; no kidding;
•The Beatles broke up;
•Oh, and Patti Jaffe started at Culver City Junior High School as a teacher’s aide and student teacher.
Much has changed in the past 42 years, but the one constant at the Culver City Unified School District has been Patti Jaffe.
I can stand up here and tell you all about her incredible teaching for 25 years here in Culver City (I believe I was her favorite student). I can tell you about the tremendous job she did as the Principal at Culver City Middle School.
I can tell you how she reformed and revitalized the Human Resources Dept. as the Assistant Superintendent of that department.
I can certainly tell you about the fabulous job she did as our Superintendent. But I’ll leave all of that to the host of others who will be speaking tonight.
When I’m asked about Patti, I often think back to a Board meeting a over a year ago. The Board was about to ratify Patti’s Superintendent contract. Just prior to that meeting, Teachers’ Union President David Mielke sent out a call to arms, asking the teachers to speak at the Board meeting to urge us to reject the contract, as he felt that the salary package Patti was to receive was too large.
Arms arrived, indeed. Over 20 teachers came to the Board, instructing us, unambiguously, that no matter the cost, the Board had to hire Patti Jaffe for the Superintendent position. That is just how respected Patti was and is.
The Boards I had the pleasure of sitting on accomplished a lot in four years. We passed a parcel tax raising $6,000,000, we expanded immersion, we capped enrollment, and we began the process of putting in long-overdue elevators, going solar, and upgrading Robert Frost and our athletic fields. However, the best decision that the Board made, without a doubt, was hiring Patti Jaffe as Superintendent.
I’d like to close with a quote about a word that exemplifies Patti. That word is, “Passion.”
English novelist E.M. Forester is quoted, “One person with passion is better than 40 people merely interested.”
Frankly, I think that 40 is just a drop in the bucket compared to Patti.
Patti, thank you for your commitment, thank you for your enthusiasm, and thank you most of all for your passion. You will be sorely missed.
Mr. Zeidman may be contacted at scott.zeidman@laslots.com
