Dr. Michelle King Named Superintendent of the Year!

23May
by Alma Renteria

There were many issues debated throughout the 2017 LAUSD School Board campaigns with candidates making it clear that they stood on opposite ends of the spectrum. Despite the difference in opinions and visions, a name that was often regarded with positive affirmation for her work and servant leadership was that of Los Angeles Unified School District’s Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Michelle King.

Dr. King, a product of LAUSD, began her career in the district first serving as a teacher and later moving up the ranks as principal, magnet coordinator and top administrator, serving LAUSD for over 30 years before being selected as Superintendent of Schools last year. Just a few weeks ago, Dr. King added to her accomplishments by graduating with a Doctorate in Education from the University of Southern California. From day one, Dr. King has made clear that her focus was to unify the district. Her responsibility as top administrator was to look out for the best of all students, including students from charter and district schools.

While LAUSD has historically experienced turnover with top administration when a new board majority is elected, there is a sense of optimism that LAUSD’s Superintendent will remain leading the district forward. Perhaps her work with Great Public Schools Now, which seeks to expand charters as well as replicate successful district schools, along with her commitment to serving all students and families in LAUSD, have garnered the confidence and support she needs to continue being a trailblazer for our communities.

As she stated during one of her first town halls after being selected as Superintendent of Schools, Dr. King’s focus is simple: “We need all of us breaking down walls and barriers on behalf of kids and be working together.” With her relentless attitude and fearlessness to move the district to new heights, it is no surprise that she was awarded the highest honor a Superintendent could receive as the top administrator of a school district.

Join us in congratulating Dr. Michelle King on this well-deserved honor as the 2017 National Superintendent of the Year! We, at La Comadre, are excited for what comes ahead for LAUSD. As Dr. King shared, LAUSD has “been making great gains toward the goal of 100 percent graduation, and through continued collaboration, LA Unified is poised to reach new, record-breaking heights in the years ahead.” We look forward to collaborating and supporting work that will allow our students to thrive and our families to succeed.

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Alma Renteria

Alma-Delia Renteria is a proud product of Lynwood schools. After graduating UC Riverside, with a B.A. in English and a year earlier than anticipated, she decided to commit her “gap year” to City Year. After City Year Los Angeles, Alma went on to purse a teaching career with Teach For America Los Angeles. Upon joining TFA, Alma began her education career as a middle school teacher. It was while teaching that she realized the need to do her part to help serve the community she grew up in and decided to run for office, getting elected to the Lynwood School Board at only 23 years old. Alma completed her first Master’s degree in Urban Education at Loyola Marymount University and a 2nd Masters in Educational Leadership along with her Admin Credential at Concordia University. She was appointed by the Speaker to the Instructional Quality Commission and re-elected to the Lynwood School Board in 2018. She currently serves as the Principal at a local elementary school in Pico Rivera, where she hopes to demonstrate that magic is possible when thee right people are given opportunities to lead.

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