NEWS FLASH-NEWS FLASH-NEWS FLASH-NEWS FLASH
The following Message was provided by Arturo Delgado, Ed.D.; Superintendent, Los Angeles County Office of Education
I am delighted to announce that Mitzi Lizarraga has been selected as the new principal of the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts following a national recruitment campaign. We are eager to have Ms. Lizarraga join the LACHSA team as soon as possible. The exact date for her arrival will be announced once it is determined.
Ms. Lizarraga brings more than 20 years of experience as an arts education leader at some of the nation’s top public arts high schools. Most recently, she served as principal of the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts for seven years. She was also principal and CEO of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C. for five years and director of the Greater Hartford (Connecticut) Academy of the Arts for nearly a decade.
Ms. Lizarraga earned a master’s degree in Liberal Studies from Wesleyan University and holds a bachelor’s degree in Dance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
I wish to extend my personal thanks to those of you who provided valuable input on the principal selection process. I am confident Ms. Lizarraga brings the right combination of experience, skills and passion for the arts so necessary to effectively lead LACHSA.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Ms. Lisa Sherman-Colt, who has been serving as interim principal during a successful launch of the 2014-15 school year.
Sincerely,
Arturo Delgado, Ed.D.
Superintendent, Los Angeles County Office of Education
Link: http://www.lachsaalumni.com/#!about1/cwlj
Mitzi Lizarraga, the Principal that was “re-assigned in error” by Rookie Supermodel Superintendent Cindy Marten and Meddling Marne Foster was chosen, after a nationwide search, to serve as Principal of one of the most prestigious Arts High Schools in the nation – The Los Angeles County High School of the Arts (LACHSA). The outstanding, nationally recognized, credentials and experience of Principal Lizarraga obviously propelled her nomination to the top of the elite list of final candidates.
Here is a description of the High School from the LACHSA website (http://www.lachsa.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=237481&type=d):
“Recognized as one of the premier public arts high school in the U.S., LACHSA is the recipient of numerous awards, these include California Distinguished School for Academic Excellence, Golden Bell Award, Grammy Signature School, Bravo Award for excellence in arts education and the Exemplary School Designation by the Arts Schools Network. LACHSA is also routinely identified as one of “America’s Best High Schools” by Newsweek Magazine and one LA’s best high schools by Los Angeles Magazine.”
A few more interesting LACHSA facts:
- In 2012, Academy Award nominee Scott Hamilton Kennedy made an award-winning documentary about LACHSA called “Fame High”
- Jenna Elfmann and Josh Groban are Notable Ulumni
- LACHSA is located ON THE CAMPUS of California State University, Los Angeles
Obviously ALL of the SCPA and SDUSD Stakeholders that benefitted so greatly from the wisdom and guidance of Principal Lizzaraga wish her only the best of success in her future, both Personally and Professionally.
On the other hand…
WHAT IN THE H*** WERE MARTEN AND FOSTER THINKING TO FORCE THIS HIGH QUALITY, HIGHLY CREDENTIALED PRINCIPAL AND INDIVIDUAL TO LEAVE THE SDUSD???
The two “geniuses” in the San Diego Unified School District who prompted Lizarraga’s removal, the bungle twins – Marten and Foster, were proven, to be totally incompetent in leadership and personnel evaluation through her selection at LACHSA.
Marten and Foster – with their irrevocably flawed decision making and total lack of leadership ability has robbed thousands of SCPA and SDUSD Students of one of the top 3 Arts Principals in the nation.
Only two questions remain…
How much longer with the “Bungle Twins” – Marten and Foster – continue to harm the Students in the SDUSD?
And how much longer will the “Bungle Twins” Marten and Foster be allowed to keep their jobs?
I guess that is only one question.
District Deeds 
Wonderful for Mitzi Lizarraga.
I still don’t see a principal at SD School of Creative and Performing Arts.
I also wonder who is going to take that central office job that Ms. Marten said was the reason she was moving Mrs. Lizarraga from SD SCPA. Something about supervising the Arts programs, district wide.
Or was that just another fabrication…
LikeLike
The “central office job” that Marten invented was created out of thin air when all the inappropriate operational intereventions by Foster and the collusion of Marten were exposed.
All I have to say is: Follow the money on the funding of the so called “Arts Program” that was being used a a political, career and legal way out for Marten and Foster.
LikeLike
I’d like to think that high levels of corruption are only found in our govt seats, but I’d be so naive. In my opinion, the nepotism that existed in the elementary school I retired from, can be found in many many schools in at least this SDUSD. It’s really sad, that Marten has lost the integrity it takes to bring pride to our school district, because it will take a force to be dealt with to fix this kind of problem.
LikeLike