Los Angeles Unified School District

OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
th
333 S. Beaudry Ave., 24 floor
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone: (213) 241-6766
FAX: (213) 241-8952
www.lausd.net

News Release
For Immediate Release

February 18, 2010

#09/10-158

SUPERINTENDENT CORTINES RESIGNS FROM SCHOLASTIC BOARD

CITES DESIRE TO REMOVE ANY PERCEIVED CONFLICT OF INTEREST

(LOS ANGELES) — To remove any perception of a conflict of interest, Los Angeles Unified
School District (LAUSD) Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines today announced that he has
submitted his resignation from the Board of Scholastic, Inc. The resignation is effective as of
February 19, 2010.

“Today I submitted my resignation from the Board of Scholastic, Inc. to Dr. Richard Robinson,
Scholastic President and CEO, in order to avoid any perception of a conflict of interest as I carry
out my duties as superintendent of the nation’s second largest school district and to reaffirm my
commitment to our students, parents, teachers and administrators,” said Cortines. “Although my
duties as a member of the Board of Scholastic, Inc. never conflicted with my role as LAUSD
superintendent, I am cognizant of public perception and the role it plays in supporting our
mission as professional educators to move this District forward in preparing our students to be
college prepared and career-ready.”

Superintendent Cortines has been a member of the Board of Scholastic, Inc. since 1995,
serving in a role that was very public, and the Los Angeles Board of Education was made aware
of, prior to the board offering him the position to lead the turnaround of the nation’s second
largest school district. Upon his acceptance of the board’s offer, Cortines filed his Statement of
Economic Interests (SEI), known more commonly as “Form 700,” with the District’s Ethics Office
as required by law as well as the “Proactive Disclosure Statement” for the specific purpose of
avoiding any potential conflict of interest when it came to any District transactions with
Scholastic.

“While I enjoyed my role as a member of the Scholastic Board and felt I made a significant
contribution to education in America, my role as the LAUSD Superintendent is far too important
to allow any misperceptions regarding my role with Scholastic to interfere with providing our
students with the best in public education,” continued Cortines.

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