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Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is likely to be remembered for his efforts on behalf of public education in Los Angeles. But will he be considered effective and successful or not?

The initial verdicts are starting to come in, and they are predictably mixed.

On Tuesday, KPCC’s Adolfo Guzman-Lopez produced a generally negative view of the Mayor’s accomplishments, saying that Villaraigosa “fell short” as LA’s education mayor. Key criticisms in the story include Villaraigosa’s failed takeover of the LAUSD Board, the less-than-miraculous improvements at his Partnership for LA Schools, and the credit he takes for actions outside of his direct control.

A more balanced assessment of the Mayor’s legacy can be heard on this March 5 “Which Way, LA?” segment that includes both the Mayor’s own views of his record, as well as those of UCLA’s Franklin Gilliam and LA News Group’s Mariel Garza.  (A Patt Morrison interview with Mayor Villaraigosa mentioned in the KPCC legacy story isn’t going to be posted until Thursday, according to the station.)

When LA School Report reached out to the Mayor’s office for comment, they said they were not interested in debating the KPCC article, but they did stand by the list of education accomplishments it referenced. Passage of school construction bonds is included as one of Villaraigosa’s successes because of the active role he played in supporting the bond measures when he was the speaker of the California State Assembly, according to the Mayor’s office.

See the mayor’s office’s full list of Villaraigosa’s education accomplishments here:

Mayor Villaraigosa’s List of LAUSD Education Accomplishments, 2005 – 2012