The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools today announced Joan Sullivan will become its next Chief Executive Officer effective July 10. “Joan is one of the most talented leaders in education today,” said Melanie Lundquist, Partnership co-founder and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors. “We are fortunate to have Joan step into this role. The decision of the Board of Directors was unanimous.”
Ms. Sullivan will replace Marshall Tuck who has chosen to leave the Partnership in order to advocate for policies and practices that expand access to quality education for all children. Marshall and Joan will work side by side through the summer to ensure a smooth transition.
“We are extremely grateful to Marshall for the leadership he has provided over the last six and a half years,” continued Ms. Lundquist. “We wish him the very best, knowing his passion for helping students will continue to drive everything he does.”
Joan Sullivan joins the Partnership after having served as Mayor Villaraigosa’s Deputy Mayor of Education since January 2010, on the Partnership Board of Directors since May 2010, and as Board Chair since June 2010.
“Joan led my administration’s efforts to improve public education in Los Angeles and has been a central guide to the Partnership over the last three years. She is an instructional leader and policy expert, who is deeply familiar not only with Los Angeles, but also with the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. I cannot imagine a better candidate to lead this effort,” said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
“Joan has proven to be an extraordinary leader in education in Los Angeles,” said LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy. “I eagerly look forward to working with her in her new role as CEO at the Partnership for LA Schools.”
“I am excited and proud to join the Partnership team and help build upon the tremendous momentum this organization has achieved,” said Ms. Sullivan. “I look forward to working with our heroic teachers and principals, as well as LAUSD, City Hall, and the broader community, to ensure the students and families of the Partnership have access the educational opportunities they deserve.”
“It has been a tremendous privilege to serve the Partnership schools,” said Marshall Tuck. “I love what I do at the Partnership and the decision to leave has been extremely difficult, but I intend to continue to fight for the students of the Partnership, as well as students across the state by driving change in policies and practices that are impediments to providing all children with a quality education. I am utterly confident Joan and the Partnership team will lead our schools to ever higher levels of achievement.”
The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools strives to uplift children in the city’s poorest communities by transforming their local public school into a safe and secure place of opportunity, achievement and discovery. In its first four years, Partnership schools have outpaced both the Los Angeles Unified School District the state overall in terms of their overall improvement on standardized test scores, graduation and attendance rates. In terms of students served, the Partnership is one of the largest school turnaround organizations in the nation, providing a range of supports to its nearly 16,000 students. Founded in 2007 as the cornerstone of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s strategy to improve education in Los Angeles, the Partnership is a unique collaboration between the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Unified School District to turn around LA’s lowest performing schools and to create a model for doing so district-wide. The Partnership today manages 22 schools with approximately 1,300 school-site employees. The Partnership is a 501(c) 3 non-profit education management organization with nearly 40 full-time employees. For more information, go to www.PartnershipLA.org.
Click HERE to read Joan Sullivan’s biography.
Here is a link to Ms. Sullivan talking about creating a great school on the video series Makers: http://www.makers.com/joan-sullivan
Source publication: Partnership for LA Schools