Los Angeles superintendent gets contract extension through 2016

Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent schools chief John Deasy will stay on the job through June 2016. The Los Angeles Times reports that the district's announcement ends days of speculation about Deasy's future. Last week, he told some high-level district officials he would resign amid reports that he was frustrated by a new school board majority that challenged his policies and philosophy. But Deasy, 52, received a satisfactory evaluation from the school board during a five-hour meeting, and that means his contract was automatically extended. The outcome drew contrasting reactions; some see Deasy as a crusader willing to take on special interests, and other view him as an autocrat wedded to an education agenda pushed by business interests.