Mayor Villaraigosa continues

Ray Cortines Begins Stint as Education Advisor to L.A. Mayor
Ramon Cortines, who won praise as the district's interim head six years ago, starts today as Villaraigosa's education advisor.
By Howard Blume, Times Staff Writer : Los Angeles Times
August 1, 2006

When Ray Cortines took charge of the Los Angeles Unified School District in 2000, its problems were overwhelming: poor test scores, dilapidated campuses, a fractious school board, a divided administration, massive overcrowding and a disastrous school construction effort headlined by the Belmont Learning Complex scandal. Legislators talked seriously about breaking up the nation's second-largest school system.

So what was the agenda of the veteran educator who, as a superintendent elsewhere, had dueled with Mayor Rudy Giuliani in New York, integrated schools in Pasadena and brought back San Jose schools from bankruptcy?

The Mayor of Los Angeles continues in his effort to take over Los Angeles schools. He has brought in an advisor who has run several school systems; and those school districts did not improve. Pasadena, San Jose, and temporarily in Los Angeles.
This is like so many political decisions.

Now, to remind readers. Mayors have the ability to incraeas enforcement and gang intervention near schools, to provide after school academic and recreational support, and most important;;; to work for adequate funding of schools.
Why do Mayors and politicos seek power in school districts rather than work with teachers to improve schools.
Note: Villariagosa is not a bad guy.