The election yesterday produced mixed results for supporters of public education. We won some, we lost some. This is big progress. A few years ago, it appeared that the corporate reform crowd would have a free hand and would be able to buy school board seats wherever they chose.

As usual, a number of contests were showered with big money from corporate reformers. The Network for Public Education endorsed candidates who support public education. Of course, NPE was unable to match the spending of the corporate reformers; we don’t have any money, just the ability to give moral support and to help voters recognize which candidates really are trying to improve public education and which are flying under a false banner of “reform.”

Not all the results are definitive, but here are some updates.

All three of the candidates we endorsed for the Bridgeport Board of Education were elected. That means that the board will no longer be controlled by Mayor Finch and Governor Malloy. The people of Bridgeport have spoken, and they want something better for their children than the corporate reform agenda. Presumably, Paul Vallas will collect a sizable severance and move on to another district.

Bill de Blasio won a sweeping mandate in New York City, running in opposition to the Bloomberg legacy of closing schools and opening charters. NPE was not involved in this race, but I personally endorsed de Blasio the day after the city’s newspapers endorsed the candidate likeliest to carry on the Bloomberg policies. At the time, he was running in third or fourth place, so I am especially pleased that he won, because he promises to reverse some of Bloomberg’s most anti-public school policies.

Sue Peters, running for school board in Seattle against a heavily funded opponent, was holding a three-point lead in the early returns. Her opponent raised about $100,000 and was supported by a PAC that gave her about $100,000. Sue raised a bit more than $30,000. If she ultimately wins, it will encourage all of us who believe that democracy beats plutocracy, that ordinary citizens can overcome the power of big money.

The Denver slate endorsed by NPE–outspent 5-1–lost. This was a shame, because it keeps in place the corporatist group that has controlled Denver public schools for nine years with no evidence of any improvement. In Denver, the failed status quo won, buoyed by big money.

Perhaps most disappointing was the victory of the corporatists in Douglas County, Colorado. Again, they had the power of money, but the policies they espouse are toxic for public education and children. They brought in all the big guns on the rightwing side, including Jeb Bush, Bill Bennett, and Koch brothers funding, and that was enough to carry them to victory in the school board race. So Douglas County will once again have a public school board dedicated to the dissolution of public schools.

Marty Walsh was elected mayor of Boston. NPE took no position, since both Walsh and his opponent John Connolly support charter schools. But Walsh had labor support, and Connolly was supported by hedge fund guys at Democrats for Education Reform and the notorious Stand for Children, which can be counted on to support the candidate who is most hostile to public schools. At least DFER and Stand didn’t win.

The wonderful and valiant Marie Corfield, a teacher, was defeated in her effort to win a seat in the New Jersey Assembly. NPE endorsed her, and we were especially sorry to see her lose, because New Jersey needs someone to speak up for its great public education system, someone who will stand up to the big bully Chris Christie. The national Democratic party abandoned Christie’s opponent, the well-qualified Barbara Buono, thus elevating Christie as a candidate for President in 2016. Can you imagine this man, who revels in insulting people and wagging his finger at their face, negotiating with world leaders?

In Atlanta, we endorsed four candidates. Two of our candidates–Mary Palmer and Cynthia Brown–will be in runoffs. The mayor, Kasim Reed, endorsed his own slate and raised big money for them. Once again, our candidates were outspent, and we are proud of them for supporting public education.

Given the enormous financial advantage held by the corporatists, it is startling and exciting when supporters of public education win elections these days. I have no doubt that as the public becomes better informed about the privatization agenda of the corporatists, their money advantage will matter less and less, except to the extent that they use their money to befuddle the public about their true intentions.