Judy Chu: “Today I want to honor a man, Ramon Cortines, for his many years serving students in our public school system. Ramon…”

“Today I want to honor a man, Ramon Cortines, for his many years serving students in our public school system. Ramon recently announced he was retiring as superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. During his distinguished 55-year career in education, he has served as superintendent of schools in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Pasadena, and New York City. I had the great privilege to work with Ramon last year when the Los Angeles Unified School District passed a resolution calling for immediate passage of the DREAM Act. But Ramon was not only a superintendent and advocate, he was a teacher in Aptos and Covina, which is in my district, and senior adviser to the U.S. Secretary of Education under President Clinton. A lifelong educator, Ramon has taught at every level in the public school system--elementary, middle, and senior high school--and has shaped education policy as a consultant to every entity from Stanford University to the University of California. Ramon came to the Los Angeles Unified School District at a time of great challenge; yet he was able to improve school safety, increase attendance, and reduce the dropout rate. Ramon Cortines has had an extraordinary record of service, and he changed the lives of thousands of children. Although he will be greatly missed, we must all continue the mission he strived for during his 55-year career, and that is to ensure that every child receives a quality education. ____________________”