After 10 years, OPUSD honors, says farewell to Lippiatt

By Lori Porter Acorn Staff Writer

OPUSD Superintendent Marilyn Lippiatt

At last week’s Oak Park Unified School District’s board meeting, Brookside Elementary third graders gave a sample of their performance "Let’s Hear it For America," singing songs that celebrate the heroes in our country’s history. As the meeting proceeded, a contemporary person was honored as each boardmember praised Marilyn Lippiatt, who has served as superintendent for the last 10 years.

Lippiatt will leave OPUSD on March 3 to take a position with the Pullman Group, a private company with a mission to improve strategies for under-performing public schools through analysis and training of teachers and principals.

Lippiatt was presented with a framed proclamation of honor by Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks who said, "It’s just an expression of our appreciation. You have done a lot of good work."

With each boardmember taking turns honoring Lippiatt through words of appreciation, admiration and gratitude, some tears began to fall, as would be expected when a school district loses an administrator who’s contributed both professionally and personally.

"Marilyn is really good at keeping the focus on the kids," said boardmember Jim Kalember. "She makes others do better and has handled delicate issues solidly."

Lippiatt addressed the board, staff, students and parents with a speech that began by thanking her husband, Tom Lippiatt, for supporting, advising and consoling her over the last 10 years. "This is his first and last board meeting," she said.

Lippiatt said that when she came here 10 years ago, she had a vision of what an ideal school district should and could be, and that—in her eyes—OPUSD was already pretty close to it. She was occasionally accused of being a Pollyanna and cheerleader because others felt she only saw the positive. So she began, she said, to make a good district even better.

"During the past 10 years … we had all six schools identified as California distinguished or model schools," Lippiatt said. "We are on the fifth National Blue Ribbon nomination," she said, referring to Brookside Elementary School.

It was the culture of the district, she said, that makes it special. Oak Park teachers, like others, work hard because they love their work and care about their students, Lippiatt said. She also warned the boardmembers, "If you disregard this and fail to recognize the profound contributions of teachers, the quality education we value will slowly but surely disappear."

Students are the essence of the district, Lippiatt told the boardmembers and staff, advising them to keep children at the center of the process and to keep a child’s face in front of them because "They are the reason we are all here."

Tearfully declaring that the past 10 years have been her best, she ended her speech by concluding, "I leave the best Oak Park has to the best Oak Park has—all of you."