Dr. Carl Cohn, former Superintendent LBUSD
Update On Dr. Carl Cohn
Dr. Carl Cohn, former Superintendent of Long Beach Unified School District, recently resigned as chief of San Diego schools. Some of you may have heard this, as his last day was December 31, eighteen months earlier than his $250,000 per year contract would have expired. Dr. Cohn was hired by San Diego in 2005, a move that brought him out of retirement after leaving Long Beach in 2002.
After offering his resignation to the board of the San Diego Unified School District, Dr. Cohn said, “I don’t have the energy, heart and passion that I did when I first took the job.” In his two years as Superintendent of San Diego schools, Dr. Cohn spent a considerable amount of time restoring peace to a district known for infighting and teacher unrest. It is widely accepted that a new, improved decorum now exists within the district, but whether Cohn had accomplished much else is a matter of debate.
Some fault Cohn for leaving as major initiatives to revitalize public education are still underway. In San Diego there are several elementary schools adding middles school grades as a strategy to slow declining enrollment, and some middle schools are working to implement a policy to hold back eighth grade students who fail two or more courses. There are also plans by district leaders to place a bond on the November 2008 ballot to provide funds for school renovations.
Despite all that’s going on in the nation’s second largest school district, and while some criticized Cohn’s departure as a preemptive move during a time of great change for San Diego schools, his decision to remain through December was predicated on seeing five new schools open within that time. Contrary to the belief of some detractors, this is a testament to Dr. Cohn’s leadership and desire to see the district improve and succeed.
After all, Dr. Cohn served Long Beach for ten years and is widely praised for his management style here in California’s third largest school district. His leadership was noted by the public school district in Washington, D.C., a prominent organization that unsuccessfully attempted to recruit Dr. Cohn several years ago.
During his tenure in Long Beach Dr. Cohn instituted school uniforms, ended social promotion, implemented a new behavior code with high standards, and increased academic expectations that were successful in closing achievement gaps among students. In fact, in 2001 Cohn was awarded the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize in Education for his successful efforts in improving student achievement.
So while some may fault Dr. Cohn for abandoning a school district in need, others praise him for improving that very district in just two years. Meanwhile, he’s certainly still respected in Long Beach, a city that greatly benefited from his noble leadership. For those adversaries out there, take a look at his record and the truth shall prevail.
Report Card
Long Beach plays host to a superior, nationally recognized K-12 public school system, two quality institutions of higher education and many private schools. Join Miles as he reports on educational updates and interprets policy affecting stakeholders in our vast educational structure.
