On February 8th, Thursday Evening, Dr. Ben Drati was voted out of the position of Superintendent after a majority vote at the Bellflower Unified School Board meeting.
Dr. Drati has been working under the Bellflower Unified School District for the past year after previously working in several other districts. His career began in 1997 as a chemistry teacher and football coach. Soon after, serving as assistant principal, learning director, deputy principal, and principal at Clovis West High School in central California. He then became the assistant superintendent of secondary education for the Santa Barbara Unified School District in 2012. Then he decided to join the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District where he has served as superintendent of schools since January 2017.
This change has evoked statements from some board members. Our current President of the BUSD School Board, Brad Crihfield, said this in an email pushed out to all BUSD teachers, administrators, and staff;
“We understand the importance of continuity, particularly during times of change. Therefore, we are committed to swiftly filling the vacant superintendent position with an experienced and skilled individual who will provide the stability and leadership necessary to bring our school district to a brighter future… As we move forward into this new chapter for our District, I want to assure you that our primary focus remains on providing a stable and nurturing learning environment for our students. Together, we will navigate this transition with strength and resilience, always keeping their best interests at heart.”
Based on what I have found, other members of the board have not publicly commented on the removal of Dr. Drati. A plethora of people have their own explanations in mind and hope that the next person in power positively takes advantage of the opportunity. The reactions have been very mixed from parents to students. The MHS Windjammer will continue to update readers as our board figures out their replacement.