"God made the Idiot for practice, and then He made the School Board."
-- - Mark Twain
The LAUSD School Board is going to look a lot different next year. After serving the students of Los Angeles for a decade as the BD1 School Board Member, Dr. George McKenna decided not to run for reelection. He will be joined in retirement by BD 5 representative Jackie Goldberg who is ending her second stint on the Board after serving five years. Since none of the candidates secured over 50% of the vote in either of these board districts during the March primary, voters will decide on November 5th who will replace these two veteran public servants.
The only incumbent running in next month's School Board elections is Scott Schmerelson. Schmerelson is asking voters in BD3 for one more term before being forced into retirement by term limits.
In these three races, I am endorsing Sherlett Hendy Newbill (BD1), Scott Schmerelson (BD3), and Karla Griego (BD5):
Sherlett Hendy Newbill, Scott Schmerelson, and Karla Griego
(Image by Sherlett Hendy Newbill, Scott Schmerelson, and Karla Griego) Details DMCA
- BD1: Sherlett Hendy Newbill
This is the only one of the three races that will not affect the balance of power on the School Board as the two candidates, Sherlett Hendy Newbill and Kahllid Al-Alim, are strong supporters of Public Education. Both have agreed to sponsor and work for the passage of the proposed "Improving Special Education Within the LAUSD" resolution. There is no doubt that they are capable of fighting for students in a way that is not happening now.
While I would have liked to have endorsed a fellow parent advocate for the seat, the social media trail left behind by Al-Alim cannot be ignored. All students deserve to feel that they are represented by the District's leaders and his endorsement of a book widely viewed as anti-Semitic would cause some to question his ability to advocate for their needs. To me, this is disqualifying.
Newbill has had a long career in education as a teacher, coach, and policy advisor for McKenna. I join McKenna, Diane Ravitch, the Los Angeles Times, Parents Supporting Teachers, and the Los Angeles Sentinel in endorsing Newbill.
In the LAUSD Candidate Forum series, Al-Alim responded to questions about PROP-39 Co-Locations, Special Education, and Governance. Newbill provided her views about Special Education.
- BD3: Scott Schmerelson
How bad of an example does Schmerelson's opponent, Dan Chang, set for the students of Los Angeles? Let me count the ways:
- Chang has continuously lied about his record. Not only has he misstated the number of schools he opened while employed by the Green Dot charter school chain, but he falsely claimed that the privatization of Locke High School improved its performance. Six of the schools he opened were so "successful" that they are no longer operating.
- Chang has repeatedly campaigned like a schoolyard bully. He attacked the incumbent for comforting a distressed dog. At the NENC Candidate Forum, he badgered Schmerelson for having been registered as a Republican before Trump took control of the party. This charge was especially ironic because Chang has received a huge chunk of his campaign support from Bill Bloomfield, who previously "supported George W. Bush, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain" in their presidential campaigns.
- Chang enables anti-Semitism, ableism, and misogyny. Many of the flyers in your mailbox are funded by The California Charter Schools Association Advocates, a group that has previously run ads mocking Bennett Kaiser's diagnosis with Parkinson's Disease and used tropes to paint Schmerelson as a money-grubbing Jew. He is also receiving campaign support from Michael Trujillo who has described a lawsuit where the plaintiff was victimized in a violent sexual assault as "play[ing] politics with the court system to influence an election."
It is no secret that I have not been satisfied with Schmerelson's performance during the current term, particularly for his refusal to put forth a resolution to protect children with Special Education needs. However, I would rather keep the status quo of Schmerelson's inaction than go backward by allowing Chang and the Charter School Industry retake control of the LAUSD Board.
For a warrior like Dr. Rocio Rivas to improve the District, she will need Schmerelson's vote to keep her in the majority. When compared to Chang, the choice is easy; I will vote for Scott Schmerelson.
Dan Chang did not answer any of the questions sent to him for my LAUSD Candidate Forum series. Schmerelson answered questions about PROP-39 Co-Locations, Student Safety, and Governance.
- BD5: Karla Griego
Having served on the LAUSD School Board, the LA City Council, and the California State Assembly, Jackie Goldberg is a legend of the Los Angeles political world who will leave some massive shoes to fill when she retires. The Charter School Industry's preferred candidate, Graciela Ortiz, is already at a disadvantage as she will be distracted by an ongoing lawsuit by a former student who accuses her of not doing enough to prevent a violent sexual assault while working on one of the candidate's previous campaigns. Ortiz describes the assault as an "unfortunate occurrence."
If the fall of Ref Rodriguez provides a lesson, there may be a lot of courtrooms in Ortiz's future. There are donations reported by Ortiz that appear very similar to the ones that landed Rodriguez in jail. That is unless you want to believe that it is probable that three donors were able to each donate $1,300, using the wages they earned as dishwashers at a restaurant.
Karla Griego does not carry the same baggage as her opponent and is highly qualified for the job. She has experience as a fighter with the teachers' union, UTLA, and would be a perfect partner for Rivas and, hopefully, Newbill, to bring real change that is desperately needed in this District. Her background as a Special Education teacher would bring experience to a board that too often neglects the needs of the District's most vulnerable students. By endorsing Karla Griego, I am joining the Los Angeles Times, Parents Supporting Teachers, and the Eastside Padres Contra La Privatizacion.
Graciela Ortiz ignored all the questions sent to her for the LAUSD Candidate Forum series. Griego replied to the questions about Special Education, PROP-39 Co-Locations, Student Safety, The Budget, Inclusion and Diversity, Charter School Accountability, and the first part of the Final Set of Questions.
Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for public education, particularly for students with special education needs, who serves as the Education Chair for the Northridge East Neighborhood Council. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him "a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles." For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.
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