Parents Petition to Retain Korean Liaison : Schools: In an attempt to save money, ABC district officials plan to reassign the popular administrator.

CERRITOS —  More than 100 Korean parents filled the ABC Unified School District board room this week to protest the district’s plans to reassign its only Korean administrator, whom they say provides a crucial link between them, their children and the school system.

The parents Tuesday presented school officials with petitions urging that Howard Kwon be retained as coordinator of special programs rather than be assigned to a classroom to teach. The petitions contained 350 signatures.

Kwon, 53, has been the special programs coordinator for 10 years. He is a liaison between immigrant parents who speak limited English, the district’s 1,600 Korean students and the school system.

“Many of the parents do not speak English,” Kwon said. They do not understand the culture, which causes a lot of conflicts between them and their children. They come to me for help.” Kwon said he also helps resolve conflicts between the Korean youths and those of other cultures in the 20,000-student district, which serves the cities of Cerritos, Artesia, Lakewood, Hawaiian Gardens and part of Norwalk.

Kwon said that he will quit rather than return to the classroom to teach English or social studies. The reassignment also would result in a pay cut of about $15,000 a year, he said.

ABC school officials said Kwon’s reassignment, which would take effect in the fall, is part of an effort to trim about $5.7 million from the ABC district budget over the next three years.

Kwon’s position is among nine that are scheduled to be eliminated or left vacant in 1990-91. “No one is being fired or laid off,” Supt. Larry Lucas said. Everyone has employment.”

Officials acknowledge that Kwon provides a valuable service. “He has done an invaluable job,” said Deputy Supt. Michele Lawrence. “This has nothing to do with his job performance.”

She said the district will rely on four community liaisons, one of whom is Korean, to help with cross-cultural communication. The district also has about 20 Korean employees, including 11 teachers, who speak Korean, Lawrence said.

A number of factors make the cutbacks necessary, Lawrence said. State funds have not kept up with inflation, enrollment has declined, and health care costs have increased.

But parents and students said they will continue to demand that officials retain Kwon as an administrator.

“When we have problems we tell Howard. He tells us what to do. He is very important to us,” Artesia High School student Peter Rhee said recently during a meeting of the Korean Students Club.

Parent Jong Kim told school board members Tuesday: “We wish to solve this issue internally. But if necessary, we will take legal action to prevent the elimination of the postion of Korean special education coordinator.”