Politics & Government

What Grade Would You Give Mt. Diablo Unified's Superintendent?

Steven Lawrence gets an 'A' or an 'F' depending on whom you ask. What mark do you think the supe deserves on his report card?

There's not much doubt what grade school board member Cheryl Hansen would give Steven Lawrence. This week, Hansen told the Contra Costa Times that Mount Diablo Unified needs a superintendent who has "vision, one who can inspire others ... somebody who's transparent and proactive." Sounds like an "F."

But not everyone has such dim regard for the supe. The school board voted 3-2 Monday to approve Lawrence's contract for another year. CoCo Times columnist Tom Barnidge illustrated the conflicting opinions of the man running the 34,000-student district. 

"Some see Lawrence engaged in the community, interacting with parents and teachers. Others remember him fanning the flames of division during Clayton Valley High's charter petition, pitting school against school by recklessly railing about budget impacts that by law could not be considered in the approval process," Barnidge wrote this week. 

Find out what's happening in Concordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

As Barnidge noted, it's Lawrence's reputation for being secretive that really rankles his critics. Another Times columnist has been badgering the district to produce public documents

Of course, if the district were performing well many people would probably tolerate a certain degree of secrecy at the district office. This month, the California Department of Education reported that MDUSD is one of a dwindling number of school districts with shaky finances. 

Find out what's happening in Concordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

How would you rate Lawrence's performance thus far


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here