Santa Monica Daily Press, August 15, 2016

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Candidates Equity emphasized in SMMUSD superintendent search file for office BY JEFFREY I. GOODMAN

Daily Press Staff Writer

BY MATTHEW HALL Daily Press Editor

Almost a dozen candidates will vie for City Council this year. Potential candidates had until 5 p.m. on Aug. 12 to file paperwork to run for local offices. In most cases, all the incumbents filed applications but the nomination period for school board will be extended to Aug. 17 because at least one incumbent did not file.

With the 2016-17 school year around the corner, the Santa Monica-Malibu school district continues its search for a superintendent who will help close longstanding academic achievement gaps. The emphasis on equity was made clear in the job description for Sandra Lyon’s long-term replacement, which was recently posted on the SMMUSD website. Applications are due next month. In addition to having successful

experience as an educational leader, the best candidates will have “a commitment to diversity and social justice” and be able to implement strategies and programs to improve outcomes for historically under-performing students, according to the job description. The search for Sandra Lyon’s long-term replacement comes as the district attempts to curb achievement gaps that have persisted along racial and socioeconomic lines. Education reformist Pedro Noguera was hired by the district last year to assess obstacles

and recommend new programs, and the future superintendent will play a key role in guiding SMMUSD through Noguera’s plan. The district is working with consultants from Leadership Associates to conduct the search for Lyon’s long-term replacement. The school board is expected to interview finalists in mid-October and approve the new superintendent’s contract at a November board meeting. The incoming leader will start Jan. 1. “Any contact with board members, in an attempt to influence the

selection process, will be considered a breach of professional ethics,” the description reads. The district is looking for a superintendent who will “always keep student success as the major focus of the District’s work,” reads the job description, which incorporated input from local education leaders and community groups. Lyon’s tenure was marked by several major non-classroom issues, including an ongoing legal battle over chemical cleanup in Malibu, the implementation of bondSEE SEARCH PAGE 5

CITY COUNCIL

Eleven residents have filed paperwork to compete for four seats on City Council. All four incumbents (Gleam Davis, Terry O’Day, Tony Vazquez and Ted Winterer) have filed their nomination papers. Challengers that filed by the 5 p.m. deadline are Oscar de la Torre, Ken Kokin, Terence Later, Jon Mann, Armen Melkonians, Mende Smith and James T. Watson. Planning Commissioner and longtime Santa Moncians for Renters’ Rights member Jennifer Kennedy had pulled papers and competed for the powerful SMRR endorsement. However, she withdrew from the race and sent a press release at about 5 p.m. on Friday stating she would rather focus on her family and responsibilities to the Planning Commission. “As one of the longest-serving Planning Commissioners, I feel a special obligation to complete the upcoming and crucial Downtown Community Plan,” she said in the statement. “My experience makes me intimately familiar with our zoning code and policy issues, and the DCP is the remaining piece of a challenging planning puzzle. I have demonstrated my firm grasp of the

Wilshire complex sold for $16 million Transaction will force longtime business to relocate BY JEFFREY I. GOODMAN Daily Press Staff Writer

For more than 20 years, Grant Woods has run a classic car dealership on Wilshire Boulevard near 11th Street. And he’s enjoyed deepening a decades-long tradition in the space, which has been home to automotive businesses since the 1930s. But there’s a red light ahead. The recent sale of the property

at Wilshire and 11th means forthcoming changes for the complex, including the likely departure of Cars With Class. “It’s disappointing,” Woods said. “We don’t want to be closing down or leaving, but we won’t be able to afford the rents they’re going to want to demand.” Woods was addressing the news that 11th and Wilshire LLC had purchased the approximately 23,500-

square-foot retail and residential complex from Paragon Properties for $16 million. Cars With Class is one of several current business tenants. The transaction, announced earlier this month, was handled by Beverly Hills-based firm Kennedy Wilson. The sale underscores the heightened demand for land in Santa Monica, which has seen ample construction in recent years as developers bank on the desirability of the

Westside to locals and tourists alike. “Given the uptick in the investment market, Santa Monica remains a prime investment area of choice,” Ed Sachse, the executive managing director of brokerage for SEE SALE PAGE 9

Courtesy photos

SEE CANDIDATES PAGE 5

REAL ESTATE: The cluster businesses along the 1100 block of Wilshire will have to move after their building was recently sold for about $16 million.

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