Brewer's own hiring, amid the battle between Villaraigosa and the former school board, set the stage for a challenging first few months. The political bickering ended in July, when the new board majority, closely aligned with the mayor, took office.
The relative calm, observers say, gave Brewer a fresh opportunity. But it was the board that commandeered the agenda, forcing issues that could potentially conflict with Brewer's efforts.
Garcia, the new board president, pushed through several unusually detailed directives -- on dropouts, English learners, staff training and more -- that require Brewer to meet numerous tight deadlines.
"My reaction was, initially, 'What the hell is this all about?' " Brewer said. "And then when we got into them . . . [I] realized that many are in line with my vision and goals. So I wasn't offended by them."
There's precedent, however, for Brewer to be concerned. The last time a "reform board" backed by an L.A. mayor took over was in 1999, during Richard Riordan's tenure. It wasn't long before Riordan's majority removed incumbent Supt. Ruben Zacarias.
Brewer could well be wondering what the board majority will judge as success. Will it want independent, assertive leadership or fealty to the priorities and prerogatives of the mayor and his allied board?
Garcia's praise of Brewer suggests some of both.
"He has brought energy around leadership, around accountability," she said. "And he has brought community engagement we did not have."
Looking forward, she added, the expectations will be demanding: "I definitely expect to see a year of action."
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joel.rubin@latimes.com
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Begin text of infobox
Supt. David L. Brewer
Age - 61
Hired - October 2006
Terms - Four-year contract; $300,000 a year
Background - Retired Navy admiral
Major initiatives - His "innovation division" to promote reform; targeting low-performing schools; and a program to be announced today to reduce dropouts
Status of initiatives - In the early stages or not yet begun
Politics - Dealing with a new school board majority backed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa after being hired by a board that was at odds with the mayor
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Sources: Times reporting, Los Angeles Unifed School District
