Jose Lara is the recipient the National Education Association Social Justice Activist Award 2015, an organization of 3 million members. He is a teacher in Los Angeles and a parent in Pico Rivera, CA. He can be reached at jlara2012@gmail.com.

What do we need in the next superintendent in LAUSD?

1. We need someone who is willing to challenge the billionaire interests who are trying to profit off the backs of our students. Billionaires should not have more influence in our schools that parents and students.
2. We need a Superintendent that supports Ethnic Studies, Restorative Justice and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. In other words, we need someone who believes and has experience in social justice and that understands the humanizing value of education. They must have a clear understanding the education should empower, value and affirm our students existences and that our current curriculum and discipline policies are not doing enough.
3. The next Superintendent must be someone who FIGHTS for LAUSD to bring resources we need to fully fund our schools. They must believe in community schools that deserve to be fully staffed with a school librarian, nurse, PSW, PSA, and lower class sizes.
4. Most importantly, the next Superintendent MUST HAVE BIG EARS. They must listen to the voices of staff, including teachers, parents, students and community. It is the voices of the people with the least time to lobby and influence that should be MOST listened to.

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