#  Rodriguez Surfs a Wave of Court Continuances That Protect His Charter-Owned Vote

     Details    Sara Roos   ![logo](https://mail.citywatchla.com//templates/ja_teline_v/images/logo.png)         April 30 2018      [  ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Apr-2018/035d.png)    ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/15362-rodriguez-surfs-a-wave-of-court-continuances-that-protect-his-charter-owned-vote)

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> EDUCATION POLITICS--Ref Rodriguez appears in court today to delay answering for felony charges related to campaign money laundering. He has [complicated](https://mail.citywatchla.com/applewebdata://D16F9EA7-C1CB-45B4-9359-309B3CC996D6#https://www.scpr.org/news/2018/04/18/82269/ref-rodriguez-filed-two-forms-disclosing-his-2014/)[legal problems](https://mail.citywatchla.com/applewebdata://D16F9EA7-C1CB-45B4-9359-309B3CC996D6#http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-edu-ref-rodriguez-public-intoxication-arrest-20180404-story.html)that [collectively beg the question of why](https://www.laprogressive.com/lost-honor-ref-rodriguez/)a gentleman of such alleged moral turpitude should retain his school board seat. *(Photo above: Ref Rodriguez, center.)*

 But his day in court has been kicked down the road which is convenient to [those who would anoint our next Superintendent](http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/california/la-me-edu-andres-alonso-drops-out-20180427-story.html): Rodriguez [holds a swing-vote](http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-edu-superintendent-search-power-game-20180419-story.html). Having resisted the[hue](http://www.tinyurl.com/RefRodriguezRenuncia)and [cry](https://www.change.org/p/concerned-parents-of-lausd-call-for-ref-rodriguez-to-resign-now)for his resignation, it is clear he is needed for a bigger purpose: installing permanent Leadership that favors [those holding the purse strings](http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-edu-beutner-nonprofit-faulted-20180415-story.html), and [without answering to the public](https://www.dailynews.com/2018/04/25/valley-parents-want-voices-counted-in-search-for-lausd-chief/).

A closed BOE meeting is scheduled for Tuesday at which it is believed the Superintendent may be selected, but you may yet weigh in, if only tangentially – [amplify the characteristics needed (lol)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZJZh2ZTOqs)in the next Leader of LAUSD, as identified by the last Superintendent search.

*And what was identified last time?*

It was decided, wisely, that what LAUSD needs is:

- an educator, a unifier, a leader with vision who can tackle the difficult problems facing the district, someone who would support teachers, someone who can support charter schools, someone who could solidify labor peace.

[**Vivian Ekchian**](https://anca.org/vivian-ekchian-named-interim-superintendent-of-los-angeles-schools/), hand-selected by our last Superintendent for precisely such qualities, is the only current candidate who satisfies these conditions.

This is really important folks: ***phone your school board member's office TODAY! (4/30/18) and tell them as much:***

District 1 ~ Dr. George J. McKenna III: 213-241-6382
District 2 ~ Mónica García: 213-241-6180
District 3 ~ Scott Schmerelson: 213-241-8333
District 4 ~ Nick Melvoin: 213-241-6387
District 5 ~ Ref Rodriguez: 213-241-5555
District 6 ~ Kelly Gonez: 213-241-5555
District 7 ~ Dr. Richard Vladovic: 213-241-6385

It appears there is an unseemly effort to install a Superintendent before Mr. Rodriguez' legal problems overwhelm him. But such hastiness is not only imprudent but unnecessary, given the excellent [choice at hand](https://lausddaily.net/2018/04/city-council-honors-ekchian-during-armenian-genocide-observance/)in Dr. Ekchian.

*(Sara Roos is a politically active resident of Mar Vista, a biostatistician, the parent of two teenaged LAUSD students and a CityWatch contributor, who blogs at*[ *redqueeninla.com*](http://redqueeninla.com/)*).*

*-cw*

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