By Erin Williams – Staff Writer
On February 2, 2019 the Los Angeles School District lost a family member: Michelle King. Ms. King was our superintendent for two years and had suffered from medical issues during some of her time of service. According to LA School Report, on September 15, 2017, she felt very sick during a board meeting and soon went on medical leave; in early January 2018, she announced her cancer diagnosis and that the last few months she had been receiving treatment. While on leave, she came to the conclusion that she would retire by June 30, 2018. Unfortunately, Ms. King passed away before she had a chance to retire. King was only 57 when she passed and did many things for the district including “forging a partnership with an organization that critics had seen as a potential threat to Lausd.” “She replicated some the of the districts most successful schools.” Lastly, “She settled a prominent squabble among board members over the school calendar” as reported in the article, “Michelle King, the first black women to lead LAUSD, dies at 57,” by Kyle Stokes. Additionally, she was the first African American woman to lead LAUSD, the second largest district in the nation. Ms. Harris from Carson High School said “I think everyone who becomes superintendent should go through the ranks Michelle did. She worked her way up [to her position] and I think that is what everyone appreciated from her. Her rankings shows that she truly cares about the students and teachers.” The next leader the board chose to replace King’s position, Austin Beutner, had big shoes to fill. Beutner is a former investment banker who has never been a teacher or a school administrator. Beutner may not have any experience in a school setting but he has expressed his determination to make sure students and teachers have the right resources they need to succeed.