Ramon C. Cortines, who leads the nations second-largest school district, plans to retire next spring after serving less than two years amid layoffs and controversial reform efforts in the Los Angeles Unified School District. He made the announcement shortly after the district hired John Deasy, a former deputy director of education for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to be deputy superintendent. Mr. Cortines, 78, has already moved to a smaller office to give the deputy his larger office space, district spokesman Robert Alaniz said.
A version of this article appeared in the August 11, 2010 edition of Education Week as L.A. Superintendent Retiring
