Opinion: searching for the next leader

I heard our superintendent is leaving soon. I am a senior at Los Angeles River High School and to be honest, I didn’t even know who he was and that should change. I have a few ideas on what qualities our next leader should have and a couple of suggestions about what he or she should do to improve our district.

At the moment I have to be thankful for the summer school program that LAUSD offers because without it, I wouldn’t be caught up on all my credits and on track to graduate. The next superintendent should be aware that he/she has the power to help students like myself that have fallen behind as well as those who excelled in school.

Social media is a big part of my life, and probably most teenagers’ lives as well. The LAUSD website has its own tab for the superintendent but no real information about him. I believe that the next superintendent should have that tab up to date. Maybe he should have a Twitter hashtag or blog to stay connected with students and families or even his own Instagram account. I also believe that he should engage with the schools more frequently and make his presence a little more known (by visiting as many campuses as possible).

I care about this topic because I have a sister and niece that are part of LAUSD and I want them to get the best education possible. I am their older brother and uncle, so my goal is to watch them top me one day and be the positive change that will be the spark that ignites the flame of success.

LAUSD should be that spark.