At the Feb. 14 Culver City Unified School Board of Education meeting CCUSD Superintendent Patricia Jaffe announced that .
Jaffe told the board members of her decision minutes before they walked into the meeting. Shortly after the meeting, Patch managed to speak with fellow board member Laura Chardiet. .
A week later, with the news finally sinking in, Patch caught up with President Karlo Silbiger and Board Member Patricia Siever.
“It’s very sad for our district,” Silbiger said. “Patti has had a 40 plus year career [in the district].”
It’s Jaffe's longevity that will make her retirement so tough, Silbiger added.
“She knows every teacher at every school. She knows every Classified employee and that’s such an advantage for a superintendent.”
“I am surprised, but not shocked about Patti's resignation,” Siever wrote in an email to Patch. “I know that she has considered all of the pertinent issues that have led to this decision: family, retirement compensation, etc. Patti has been a good superintendent and an administrator who has the support of faculty, staff, parents and the Board.”
Silbiger said the board would start “immediately” to look for a replacement to begin on July 1.
“This is one of our main responsibilities [as a board], to hire, supervise and evaluate a replacement,” he added. “Patti gave us a lot of time to do that.”
Siever echoed Silbiger’s sentiments saying it was important that a new superintendent be in place by July 1.
“Our District and board are faced with budgetary and union issues that need our deliberative attention and informed action," Siever said. "The Governor's "May budget revise" will affect the maintenance of our educational programs and employees. I know that as a board, we will continue to provide sound leadership predicated upon the basic premise that the academic and educational welfare of our students come first.”
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