Harold Kwalwasser

I have been a lawyer, a political consultant, a staffer in United States and California State Senates, the President of the Los Angeles Fire Commission, Deputy General Counsel/Legal Counsel of the US Department of Defense, and General Counsel of the Los Angeles Unified School District. In each job, there was real value in doing great things for the community or the nation, but nowhere was that more important than while I served the school district and its 700,000+ students.

I did not see my role then as simply dealing with narrow legal questions. Good lawyers never do. I saw my job as helping to educate those children. That meant understanding how schools and districts are organized, managed, and governed by the states and the federal government. For me that was easy. I had once taught school, albeit briefly, but I brought other skills to the table that many people in education do not have. I have a deep background in management theory from my years of practice as an antitrust lawyer and a thorough understanding of the intricacies (and pitfalls) of legislation and regulation from my service at every level of government.

What I saw was how steep a challenge it was going to be do things right. To educate every child, we need to overhaul how we teach. That, in turn, requires we stand the system of education on its head. And that, in turn, requires that the laws that govern education support the right kind of systemic change. It is a gargantuan task.

It is why I now consult and write about education issues. Building and sustaining a high performing education system is one of those truly great challenges, not only for parents, but for anyone concerned about where we are headed as a nation. The issues are complex, even for those in the middle of the maelstrom. To those on the outside, like parents and even school board members, it may seem hopelessly confusing. But we have no choice. We have to understand what is right, and we have to act on it.

No one can avoid their obligation. Schools are public entities. Every time voters step to the polls, they are exercising their judgment about what the schools need to do to fulfill their role in the community. My goal is to make people wiser and clearer about the process. Whether or not people agree with everything I write, I want them to come away feeling as if they have been empowered to make better decisions that will support our children's future.