Ramon C. Cortines
Encyclopedia
Ramon Curtis Cortines is a retired American educator who was the Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District
in Los Angeles, California
from January 1, 2009 to April 16, 2011.
Cortines was born in San Antonio, Texas
. He briefly served as Superintendent of Schools in LA in 2000 and has headed a total of five school districts nationally. Cortines had also served in the U.S. Army from 1953-1955.
Cortines is a former Superintendent of Schools in the California cities of San Francisco
, San Jose
and Pasadena
, along with being a former New York City Schools Chancellor
. He was appointed to lead the New York City Schools
in September 1993 by the former New York City Board of Education, serving during the last months of the administration of Mayor David Dinkins
and during the first years of the administration of Mayor Rudy Giuliani
. Cortines and Giuliani feuded for much of their shared tenure, with Giuliani being critical of Cortines' running of the schools. Cortines stepped down from the chancellorship in October 1995, going into the private sector.
Following his tenure in New York, Cortines served as a Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Education during the tenure of former Education Secretary Richard Riley
. Before accepting the chancellorship, Cortines had been nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary of Education for Intergovernmental Affairs by President Bill Clinton
, but he withdrew his nomination before his was confirmed by the U.S. Senate
. Cortines served as LA's interim Superintendent for several months in 2000, before former Colorado Gov. Roy Romer assumed the position.
From 2006 to 2008, Cortines served as LA's Deputy Mayor for Education, Youth and Families
in the Cabinet of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
. As deputy mayor, Cortines oversaw education policy for the mayor, was his liaison to the school district, along with overseeing various agencies and policies impact children and families, including parks and recreation. Cortines left this position to become Senior Deputy Superintendent of Schools. Cortines has also worked, if not continues to work, as a consultant for Eli Broad Foundation, the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, and the Institute for Learning at the University of Pittsburgh.
A notable controversy occurred when Ramon Cortines, six months after becoming the Superintendent of LAUSD, proposed to reduce funding for the Office of Inspector General (OIG) by 75%. During this time, LAUSD was under a significant budget shortfall. The Inspector General of OIG, Jerry Thornton (retired FBI agent), came to a compromise with Ramon Cortines to reduce OIG budgeting by 25% instead. Subsequently, Cortines and the LAUSD Board members refused to extend Jerry Thornton’s contract. Jerry Thornton was known to produce many audit and investigative reports that showed misuse of funds, lack of financial controls and many conflict of interest charges against senior district management. Notable reports include excessive consultant costs at the districts construction program, over $20 billion, largest in the country, as well as millions in excessive and unwarranted consultant charges against the Office of Environmental Health and Safety. Cortines eventually suspended and replaced many of the senior staff mentioned in Jerry Thornton’s audits. Jerry Thorton left on June 30, 2010. Cortines selected, and the Board approved, Jess Womack, former deputy general counsel for the LAUSD construction program, as interim Inspector General. Interim Jess Womack continued OIG investigations of LAUSD senior management. A notable one was released four months after Jerry Thornton’s departure, which found “irregularities in $65 million worth of consultant contracts.” This includes costs that exceed pre-approved amounts by 50% and additional contracts worth $31 million without school board approval, specifically against James Sohn
, Chief of Facilities, whom Cortines had hired to replace the prior Chief, Guy Mehula. Cortines responded to this by canceling $3.7 million in consultant contracts cited in the report, but left open the possibility these consultants and contracts would return.
Ramon Cortines retired on April 16, 2011 from the Los Angeles Unified School District.
came to Los Angeles in order to start a food revolution by studying school lunches and introducing healthy and tasty food alternatives. Cortines denied Oliver permission to film on LAUSD schools. Jamie Oliver found a loophole against Cortines' ban by filming parts in West Adams Preparatory High School
, a partnership school run by MLA Partner Schools
, with orders from Cortines that he would not be allowed in the school kitchen but could be allowed everywhere else. After filming at West Adam Preparatory High School, Jamie Oliver moved to Manual Arts Senior High, another MLA Partner School, but was denied a filming permit by Ramon Cortines unless he could guarantee that LAUSD would look good on television.
In an April 2011 interview with the Associated Press
, Oliver contrasted Cortines's opposition with the support he had enjoyed from public officials during the show's original seasons in the UK, going all the way up to Prime Minister
Tony Blair
: "I'm really disappointed that I couldn't get in there at all. I'm disappointed that as public servants, they feel they have the right to not be transparent." Later in an appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he suggested a possible cause, saying "there’s elements of backhandedness or certain things that shouldn’t be going on as far as procurement is concerned", likely a reference to the cash rebates paid directly to the school district by large manufacturers of frozen, processed, and packaged foods. Cortines claimed that he denied Oliver due to possible disruption to students and reality television's need to create drama for ratings.
Jamie Oliver's second season's first episode aired on April 13, 2011.
Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
from January 1, 2009 to April 16, 2011.
Cortines was born in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. He briefly served as Superintendent of Schools in LA in 2000 and has headed a total of five school districts nationally. Cortines had also served in the U.S. Army from 1953-1955.
Cortines is a former Superintendent of Schools in the California cities of San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
and Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, along with being a former New York City Schools Chancellor
New York City School Chancellor
The New York City Schools Chancellor is the leader of the New York City Department of Education, the agency that handles New York City's public schools. The current Chancellor is Dennis M. Walcott, who began his tenure on April 18, 2011 after the resignation of Cathie Black on April 7, 2011...
. He was appointed to lead the New York City Schools
New York City Department of Education
The New York City Department of Education is the branch of municipal government in New York City that manages the city's public school system. It is the largest school system in the United States, with over 1.1 million students taught in more than 1,700 separate schools...
in September 1993 by the former New York City Board of Education, serving during the last months of the administration of Mayor David Dinkins
David Dinkins
David Norman Dinkins is a former politician from New York City. He was the Mayor of New York City from 1990 through 1993; he was the first and is, to date, the only African American to hold that office.-Early life:...
and during the first years of the administration of Mayor Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
. Cortines and Giuliani feuded for much of their shared tenure, with Giuliani being critical of Cortines' running of the schools. Cortines stepped down from the chancellorship in October 1995, going into the private sector.
Following his tenure in New York, Cortines served as a Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Education during the tenure of former Education Secretary Richard Riley
Richard Riley
Richard Wilson Riley , American politician, was United States Secretary of Education under President Bill Clinton and the 111th Governor of South Carolina. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
. Before accepting the chancellorship, Cortines had been nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary of Education for Intergovernmental Affairs by President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, but he withdrew his nomination before his was confirmed by the U.S. Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. Cortines served as LA's interim Superintendent for several months in 2000, before former Colorado Gov. Roy Romer assumed the position.
From 2006 to 2008, Cortines served as LA's Deputy Mayor for Education, Youth and Families
Deputy Mayor
Deputy mayor is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official in many local governments. Many elected deputy mayors are members of the city council who are given the title and serve as acting mayor in the mayor's absence...
in the Cabinet of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
. As deputy mayor, Cortines oversaw education policy for the mayor, was his liaison to the school district, along with overseeing various agencies and policies impact children and families, including parks and recreation. Cortines left this position to become Senior Deputy Superintendent of Schools. Cortines has also worked, if not continues to work, as a consultant for Eli Broad Foundation, the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, and the Institute for Learning at the University of Pittsburgh.
Tenure at Los Angeles Unified
While at LAUSD, Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines had dual jobs as a board member from the Scholastic board and as Superintendent of LAUSD. LA Times reported that he was paid $150,000 while serving at the Scholastic board in addition to $250,000 as Superintendent of LAUSD. Cortines defended his tenure at Scholastic and claimed he avoided any issue that involved the educational publishing company. Cortines resigned from the Scholastic board on February, 18, 2010.A notable controversy occurred when Ramon Cortines, six months after becoming the Superintendent of LAUSD, proposed to reduce funding for the Office of Inspector General (OIG) by 75%. During this time, LAUSD was under a significant budget shortfall. The Inspector General of OIG, Jerry Thornton (retired FBI agent), came to a compromise with Ramon Cortines to reduce OIG budgeting by 25% instead. Subsequently, Cortines and the LAUSD Board members refused to extend Jerry Thornton’s contract. Jerry Thornton was known to produce many audit and investigative reports that showed misuse of funds, lack of financial controls and many conflict of interest charges against senior district management. Notable reports include excessive consultant costs at the districts construction program, over $20 billion, largest in the country, as well as millions in excessive and unwarranted consultant charges against the Office of Environmental Health and Safety. Cortines eventually suspended and replaced many of the senior staff mentioned in Jerry Thornton’s audits. Jerry Thorton left on June 30, 2010. Cortines selected, and the Board approved, Jess Womack, former deputy general counsel for the LAUSD construction program, as interim Inspector General. Interim Jess Womack continued OIG investigations of LAUSD senior management. A notable one was released four months after Jerry Thornton’s departure, which found “irregularities in $65 million worth of consultant contracts.” This includes costs that exceed pre-approved amounts by 50% and additional contracts worth $31 million without school board approval, specifically against James Sohn
James Sohn
James D. Sohn is an Executive Vice President with Seville Construction Services. A boutique firm specializing in the construction industry.He is also the Ex-Chief of Facilities of the Los Angeles Unified School District Facilities Division , having been appointed by the Superintendent Ramon C....
, Chief of Facilities, whom Cortines had hired to replace the prior Chief, Guy Mehula. Cortines responded to this by canceling $3.7 million in consultant contracts cited in the report, but left open the possibility these consultants and contracts would return.
Ramon Cortines retired on April 16, 2011 from the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution
Television personality and British chef Jamie OliverJamie Oliver
James "Jamie" Trevor Oliver, MBE , sometimes known as The Naked Chef, is an English chef, restaurateur and media personality, known for his food-focused television shows, cookbooks and more recently his campaign against the use of processed foods in national schools...
came to Los Angeles in order to start a food revolution by studying school lunches and introducing healthy and tasty food alternatives. Cortines denied Oliver permission to film on LAUSD schools. Jamie Oliver found a loophole against Cortines' ban by filming parts in West Adams Preparatory High School
West Adams Preparatory High School
West Adams Preparatory High School is a secondary school in the South Los Angeles community of Los Angeles, California, United States.The school is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District and is operated by a nonprofit organization working in conjunction with LAUSD. The organization, MLA...
, a partnership school run by MLA Partner Schools
MLA Partner Schools
LA's Promise is a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, California. Its focus is on school reform and neighborhood revitalization...
, with orders from Cortines that he would not be allowed in the school kitchen but could be allowed everywhere else. After filming at West Adam Preparatory High School, Jamie Oliver moved to Manual Arts Senior High, another MLA Partner School, but was denied a filming permit by Ramon Cortines unless he could guarantee that LAUSD would look good on television.
In an April 2011 interview with the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, Oliver contrasted Cortines's opposition with the support he had enjoyed from public officials during the show's original seasons in the UK, going all the way up to Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
: "I'm really disappointed that I couldn't get in there at all. I'm disappointed that as public servants, they feel they have the right to not be transparent." Later in an appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he suggested a possible cause, saying "there’s elements of backhandedness or certain things that shouldn’t be going on as far as procurement is concerned", likely a reference to the cash rebates paid directly to the school district by large manufacturers of frozen, processed, and packaged foods. Cortines claimed that he denied Oliver due to possible disruption to students and reality television's need to create drama for ratings.
Jamie Oliver's second season's first episode aired on April 13, 2011.