Robert Skeels is a pro-public school candidate in Los Angeles. He has raised $15,000. He will not get anything from Eli Broad or Michael Bloomberg.
He comments:
The LA Times asked me for a quote on Bloomberg’s $1 Million CSR donation. Here’s my response: “As a community candidate who has raised over $15,000 through myriad small contributions from local parents, community members, and classroom teachers, I find it dismaying that a single out-of-state billionaire has a greater voice in our school board election than all the working families of District 2. Where were these millions of dollars when the incumbent callously cut early childhood education, adult education, and K-12 arts last year?”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
It’s bad enough we have our own mayor working against the interests of public education. Now we have to put up with Bloomberg too?
Yes, where were they when funds were needed to educate the children of LA? Where were they when the parents needed jobs and a stable community? I honestly don’t understand a person who arrogantly interferes with a local election. Bizarre.
Award-winning documentary film-maker Chris Hume captured footage and interviews from the Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board campaign’s third weekend of precinct walking. Filmed on 1st Street in Boyle Heights at Purgatory Pizza just prior to the group going out to talk to voters.
Robert Skeels is running against the current LAUSD Board President Monica Garcia. While Garcia and her minions have called themselves the “Reform Board” they have destroyed LAUSD. In 2002 LAUSD had 156,000 more students than in 2010-11. Also in that period of time students who did not come to school everyday went from 14,500 to over 102,000. 102,000 students equals lost revenue of over $1.15 billion for that year alone. Monica Garcia and Mayor Villaraigosa’s PLAS have ruined Roosevelt High School over the last 5 years. PLAS just admitted that they did not do the right thing over the last 5 years and LAUSD being the authorizing agency with oversight had no oversight at all as is apparent.
There are many good candidates running against current Board President Monica Garcia. I have known Robert Skeels for many years. He is a dedicated person with intense knowledge in many areas of public concern with education being one of his most informed. He has been there for the students and public for a long time. Of all the candidates running for this seat I support Mr. Skeels. Let us hope that he or one of the other candidates running against Garcia win.
Just imagine what a difference all that money being donated to the Coalition for School Reform and the LA Fund for Public Education would make if it was instead donated directly to bring back laid off teachers, nurses, arts programs and lower class size. Instead, all this money will just get wasted. What a pity!!!! In the last election, Monica Garcia’s chief of staff lost to Bennett Kayser, an educator, despite all the money spent. Also, in the San Fernando Valley, the CEO of Larchmont Charter School lost in the assembly race. All you have to do is look at who is providing the funding for these races, then the real agenda becomes obvious.
Los Angeles is the last frontier from the big 3 school districts to be taken over by the corporations that push for privatization and the de-professionalizing of teaching. There is a move around the country to eliminate the democratic process of voting in school board members. After all, if the Monica Garcia types lose, the board majority will be able to undo many of the damaging policies already put in place and fire the superintendent at the same time. Put educators back in charge of education, not corporations whose only concern is how much money they can siphon off from education budgets to put in their own pockets.
I am a public school teacher, and a candidate for School Board in Hillsborough (Tampa) County Florida. Our District is currently under attack by the Gates Foundation. Every School District in Florida is under attack by the Florida Legislature; currently poised to try again for a Parent Trigger. The charter school industry is watering at the mouth. At least four Florida legislators are owners of Charter Schools.
Our local Board is at most two votes shy of telling Mr. Gates to keep his money. It will be very interesting to watch the flow of money this next election cycle. Like Mr. Skeels, I will be relying on small donations from the community. The presumed incumbent, a raving “reformer”, has access to all the funding sources that come with 20 years on the Board. She however, will not be willing to walk every street in the District; I will. This person actual said from the dais, that teachers “who don’t like what we are doing are welcome to move to another county”.
I will be sending Mr Skeels a donation and my best wishes. The donation might be small, but the wishes are huge!
Mr. Skeels needs all the help he can get as Monica Garcia is one of those to receive a large amount of the $1 million that only Blumburg is putting into these races. We are in the buy and sell world not the democracy world anymore especially with all the bond money on the line, $27 billion, but the about 260 charter schools also who are totally unaccountable according to the latest DOE OIG audit of the total lack of accountability of charter schools in Florida, Arizona and California at any oversight level. We also have the latest California Senate investigation into illegal use of cafeteria funds for at least 10 years and of the $178 million in the state LAUSD was $150 million.
This is why Mr. Skells is needed to replace Monica Garcia. She is one of the big reasons LAUSD is having trouble and dramatically privatizing instead of improving..
The corporate world has control of our Country, and they do not stop taken over our back yards with political representatives that are not accountable to the people, only to their contributions. I am hoping that the people put their vote forward for Mr. Skeels, is the olny hope we have for better education for our youth.
I’m not expecting to out fund raise the billionaire boys club, but every donation counts. If you believe in public education, and have followed my work on schoolsmatter.info and other sites, then you know what I stand for. If you’re in Los Angeles, we can use your physical help with precinct walking, phone banking, and letters to the editor. If you aren’t in town, consider a donation. http://www.robertdskeelsforschoolboard.org/donate