Steve Zimmer is a member of the Los Angeles Unified School Board. He began his career in education with Teach for America, then stayed as a classroom teacher in Los Angeles for 17 years. When he ran for re-election, corporate reformers amassed a huge campaign chest to defeat him. He was outspent 4-1, but he won.
Zimmer is known as a thoughtful board member who cares about children, class size, and the quality of education for all children.
He posted the following on his Facebook page:
Friends,
It is less than 24 hours until Election Day.
I never imagined the right wing billionaires that tried to take me out of my school board seat in 2013 could donate more and distort the truth greater than they did against me. But that time has come. In tomorrow’s election for California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the billionaires have outdone themselves, pouring over 11 million dollars into Charter School Operator Marshall Tuck’s campaign to unseat former teacher Tom Torlakson. This incredible cast of characters represents a who’s who of the corporate school privatization movement. Just take a look at who is on Marshall Tuck’s 500,000+ donor list. Each and every one of these donors has supported Republican campaigns, efforts to deregulate almost every major industry, gut workers rights and fight every sensible Obama initiative. And now several of them are among the largest donors to the Republican effort to take the U.S. Senate. Here are just a few:
Julian Robertson 1,000,000
Eli Broad $1,000,000
Michael Bloomberg $1,000,000
Bill Bloomfield $1,000,000
AliceWalton $1,000,000
Carrie Penner Walton $500,000
John Douglas Arnold $500,000
The billionaires have distorted Tom Torlakson’s moderate, successful record during his first term. They ignore the substantial improvements in all measurable areas throughout the state that have culminated in our first ever 80% statewide graduation rate. Because they mostly opposed Proposition 30, they want us forget that Tom Torlakson led they way towards rescuing our and fighting for all forms of local control. And in Marshall Tuck they have found the perfect private sector candidate. I’ve worked directly with Marshall. He is not a bad person and he is not trying to ruin our schools. But he fundamentally believes schools should be run as a business. He slashed classified jobs and promoted cut throat competition between schools as a charter school leader. As a candidate he has raised the ugly flag of demonizing teachers and has promised to drop the appeal of the Vergara lawsuit. He has also promised to force all California districts to have teacher evaluation systems directly linked to student’s standardized test scores.
We can’t let this happen. Tomorrow we have to show that public education in California is not for sale. Tomorrow we have to show that we can transform outcomes for students by working together not blaming those who have dedicated their lives to our schools. We can’t let these modern day robber barons steal this crucial election.
I ask you to do everything you can in the next 24 hours to turn out every progressive, every democrat, every person who cares about our schools and every person who cares about democracy to vote for Tom Torlakson. The ultra rich controlling our democracy is not a new story. But the consequences if they are successful tomorrow will be unprecedented. I still believe we are more powerful than money. Let us all, in California and throughout our nation, show the power of the people. Thank you for doing all you can.
Steve
Diane Ravitch's blog 
“He is not a bad person and he is not trying to ruin our schools.” Thank you for this comment about Tuck. I am looking for Tuck to support the schools that Parent Trigger took over already, one in a district in California that badly needed taking over. Our state is 45th in reading and math in the nation. In my opinion, Torlakson will help take it to number 50.
Not a bad person, just a bigot that violates the civil rights of students and families https://www.scribd.com/doc/243731079/smoking-gun-marshall-tuck-violated-student-and-parent-civil-rights Well, maybe a bad person.
California has great teachers and high standards. It also has a student enrollment with a huge proportion of kids who don’t speak English and kids in poverty.
Tuck was a failure at Green Dot and a failure at the mayor’s takeover schools.
Torlakson is an educator. Vote for experience and wisdom.ccvt
I just moments ago got a robocall from our former adulterer- mayor , the money and woman chasing, Villaraigosa, telling me to vote for Marshall Tuck. Any one who sells themselves for the billionaires approbation is not a person who should be making robocalls, nor a person who should be taken seriously.
This Zimmer list of privatizer donors leaves out Mrs. Steve Jobs of iPad fame who also donated a fortune to Tuck. Don’t forget the LAUSD $1.3 Billion iPad scandal.
Steve Zimmer is too kind in saying Tuck is not a “bad person”.
Tuck’s career as a Wall Street banker/broker/investor and then a profiteering pseudo educator (through running and owning ‘non profit’ charter schools which are financed on the money of the taxpayers), is seen as not an honorable vocation by many who believe in democracy and public education…and who may find him a very bad person, indeed.
Changemaker, I have asked you before to identify yourself. Your pro charter, pro Broad, pro Deasy, pro Ben Austin, pro parent trigger stances are too suspect. You are far from a friend of public education.
“I am looking for Tuck to support the schools that Parent Trigger took over already, one in a district in California that badly needed taking over.”
Help the leaders of the self-styled “education reform” movement treat themselves to more $tudent $uccess, mission accomplished. Help schools that have had the trigger of “education reform” pulled on them, well, the amount of time we need to wait to see that happen…
is, quite literally speaking, “when hell freezes over.”
Do I feel the temperature rising?
😎
If you’re a Californian who wants to protect
and preserve public education and public
schools, get out the word to
*** Vote for for Tom Torlakson!!!!***
———-for———-
*** State Superintendent of ***
***** Public Instruction *****
This is urgent.
Contact everybody you know in your various circles of influence
— co-workers and/or former co-workers
— neighbors, and/or former neighbors
— friends,
— family,
— extended family…
— people with whom you went to grade school
— people with whom you went to high school
— people with whom you went to college
— people you were/are in a club with
— groomsman/bridesmaids in your wedding party… or a wedding party of which you were a part.
The list goes on and on…
CONTACT THEM—via phone, email, text, etc.—
AND TELL THEM THAT THEY MUST…
VOTE FOR TOM TORLAKSON
for
STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION…
… ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4.
If you’re out state, and you know people in California whom you an influence, do likewise and call them, and urge them to
…vote for Tom Torlakson for State Superintendent for Public Instruction.
Tuck was not successful at running schools in L.A. I understand rhetoric but I also understand lying. And saying he successfully turned around schools in LA is out and out lying.
Torlakson gets my vote.
While he’s in the mood to explain things, maybe he can answer these questions:
Why does the BoE sign off on dismissals without even reading the charges? You have voted for ever single dismissal without so much as opening a file, in direct conflict with CA Ed Code.
Don’t you and the other members believe in due process ?
Why have you consistantly approved cuts that hurt schools ( teachers , arts,, custodians, nurses, libraries) while indulging in all sorts of costly projects that are not necessary for operations ( 3 apartment complexes that will house TFA, $16million air conditioner, Luxury suits at ROYBAL, more police + 9% raise to LASP, clinics, museum. New schools in areas not considered desperate,,top heavy administration, raise for Deady that is more than a sr. Teachers’ salery , teacher jails w//93% inmates over4! displaced sr, faculty, RIFS of Vets ) ?
There are many instances where you should have thwarted Deasy, particularly in october of 2013, when he ASTRO turfed the evaluation meeting and used despicable tactics to silence his critics . Why didn’t you?
Have you tried to teach recently?
Maybe you and the BOE ought a show the teachers you have so much contempt for what it is they’re doing wrong .
Mr. Zimmer , I really do not believe youre a good person. You clearly believe you are but good people do not confine much less facilitate the injustice you have.
Rene…I find this diatribe which I assume is against Zimmer to be inappropriate and self defeating here, when we are working hard to gain voters for Torlakson and to defeat Tuck.
Wish you would direct your own, generally justifiable, anger to the BoE under other circumstances. Many of us are working our butts off in this important election, and deflecting the conversation is a detriment to our goal of electing Tom Torlakson.
Dear Ms. Ravitch:I want to thank you for your tireless battle against the corporate reformers. But, I would like you to know that Steve Zimmer is not as thoughtful as you suggest. While he has voted with the teachers on some issues,he voted yes on the iPad contract and for the renewal of John Deasy’s contract. Much of what is coming to light regarding the iPads was know at the time Zimmer voted in favor of renewing the contract. He is the board member for my area. I knew him when he was a social studies teacher. During the course of the last two years, I have e-mailed him and left messages for him regarding the wisdom of the purchase of iPads.I NEVER received a response. Keep up the good work,Mark Elinson
Sorry for my lack of enthusiasm from the source of the endorser.
Coming out for Tom Torlakson is about as brave as coming out for gay rights or women’s access for contraceptives. Sure, we all appreciate the support, but it might have helped if Steve Zimmer showed more courage over the last four years when it really could have counted for something.
Yay. John Deasy is gone now. Maybe people can come up for air and say what they were too afraid to say earlier. There’s an old joke that circulated around Paris after it was liberated that went: During the war EVERYONE says they were in the French Resistance.
Steve Zimmer is hardly a profile in courage. He was no friend of LAUSD educators or the kids who endured Deasy’s blitzkrieg. Try to find some public utterance (followed by action) where Zimmer showed any mettle during the Dark Years.
Politics is a complicated thing and I don’t want to get sidetracked on who is a friend and who isn’t when we are working on the same agenda here and that is to get Tolarkson re-elected.
But we owe it to history to be honest about what happened during Deasy’s reign.
Zimmer aided and abetted.
Now, Onward Torlakson.
And we don’t need to remind anyone that in these very DARK days, coming out for a woman’s access to contraceptives and her right to choose is about as dicey as it gets in countless Texas communities, thanks to the monied forces that Zimmer identifies. We need allies and we need them NOW.
It simply had to be said. While many of us fought for the very survival of our neighborhood schools, Steve sat by and said there just wasn’t the political support to help. Sometimes, rather than taking a principled stand, or even abstaining, he’d actually vote with the privatizers so as not to rock the boat.
And I have to add that while Zimmer rightly attacks Tuck for accepting millions from right wing, Students First-supporting billionaire, Bill Bloomfield, Zimmer has no problem cheering on Ben Allen, the state assembly candidate who received a cool mil from the same guy. Voters are always trying to figure out where Steve stands. It’s more confusing than ever.
Agree Karen…when is Zimmer next up for reelection? Ben Allen made a major mistake in taking Bloomfield’s money. What will Ben be indebted for should he win? This convinced many WLA voters to cast their ballots for Sandra Fluke. Even Deasy learned that one must be careful of the company you keep.
Agree with all you say Geronimo…but let’s get past tomorrow and accept all the allies we can muster to elect Tom Torlakson.
You wouldn’t believe the adds for his opponent. Every channel all the time. A beautiful Hispanic white haired mother is crying and sobbing because Tuck took her failing child into her school and taught him to read. Next you see Tuck surrounded by shiny faces all excited about his teaching and their learning. Pan in to mother wiping her eyes He saved my childs life sob sob I would vote for him blah blah blah. So completely false and it’s everywhere. Paid for by the excessive millions form the billionaire’s endless supply of money. I can hardly get to my remote fast enough to turn it off. Thank God after tomorrow I”ll never have to see it again. My greatest fear though is it will sway the vote to Tuck.
Julie…a day ago or so, one of the commenters here showed that phony mother who is a long time worker for Parent Rev. Tuck and Austin are pals and I guess Ben lent Marshall has Latina “mom” player to deliver more lies to the voters. It was great info that you can find on a recent Ravitch post.
Vote Torlakson. Eradicate Tuck.
Julie,
Regarding those ads of the “beautiful Hispanic white-haired mother.” I wrote a detailed post on how fraudulent that ad is.
Here it is:
————————–
Check out this commercial for Marshall Tuck:
Mary Najera
This woman, Mary Najera, was a paid staffer with Parent Revolution for years, making a six-figure, or high five-figure salary, paid to privatize schools… not some poor minority parent telling a tear-jerker story about her impoverished son…
Ms, Najera has since moved on to staff at the Extera Charter School Corporation—allied with Parent Revolution—where she’s still a paid corporate shill making a six-figure (or high five-figure) salary to, again, promote privatization of our schools, where schools will no longer be accountable or transparent to the public via democratically-elected school boards, and will not educate all the public.
Parent Revolution is an astroturf front group—a school privatization super-PAC, if you will—funded by billionaires who want to privatize our schools, and thus, they’re backing Marshall Tuck. If you got to its website, it looks like a grassroots assemblage of poor minorities pulling together, when, in its inception, Parent Revolutions was started by the Green Dot Charter Corporation to give the appearance of parent demand for privatization WHEN THERE IS NONE. Over the years, Parent Revolution has gotten over $100 million dollars from the usual suspects—Eli Broad, Bil Gates, the Walton Family, Michael Bloomberg… the same out-of-state moneyed forces now backing Marshall Tuck.
Education activist Robert D. Skeels accurately portrays Ms. Najera as “a hostile takeover specialist” in privatizing schools.
http://rdsathene.blogspot.com/2011/04/readers-speak-out-on-ben-austin-parent.html
I just spoke to a teacher at the traditional public school, Lorena Street School, where one of the Extera Charter Schools (allied with Parent Revolution) was forcibly co-located on their campus. Despite a directive from the LAUSD board barring Exteran and her from doing so, Ms. Najera has actively attempted, with limited success, to poach students from Lorena Street, and move to Extera. The teacher I just spoke to claims that when the Extera and Lorena St. students both walk through the same entrance, Ms. Najera hands out candy ONLY to the Extera kids, and tell the Lorena St. kids, that they’ll get candy, too…. if they leave Lorena St, and move to Extera.
Sweet Jesus!
Like everything else about Marshall Tuck and his campaign, this above video featuring Ms. Najera is phonier than a Chinese redhead.
Oh, you want proof that this woman is a phony? Check out Mary Najera—in her capacity as a high-paid Parent Revolution staffer—engage in double talk outside a phony, public “community forum” meeting staged by Parent Revolution a few years ago with an appearance by then-Mayor Villaraigosa, a privatization ally. She makes the contradictory claim that the meeting is open to the public, followed by the claim that attendance is RSVP-only, then backtracking again, insisting that “it’s not private.”
Can’t you get your lies straight, Mary?
starting at 00:37
——————–
NAJERA: “It’s open to the public.”
PARENT: (off-screen) “This is NOT open to the public.”
NAJERA: “It’s not open to the public.”
PARENT: (off-screen) “It’s not open to the public?”
NAJERA: “NO… it’s RSVP.”
PARENT: (off-screen) “So it’s private?”
NAJERA: “No, it’s not private.”
————————————-
Watch the whole thing, and you see how inclusive Parent Revolution—and by extension, Marshall Tuck—actually is towards minority parents wanting a voice.
Check out creep-a-zoid Gabe Rose, a high-level staffer at Parent Revolution, making an appearance…
… at 02:50
When the parent cameraman sarcastically tells him, “Say ‘Hello’ to Steve Barr”—Barr was a Green Dot leader and privatizer… one of the ACTUAL Parent Revolution founders).
Not expecting this kind of resistance. Rose is visibly shaken. Indeed, Rose is not used to actual parents, not the stage-managed charter parents who have to appear as part of a charter school’s requirement of “volunteer hours.” Faced with the “real thing”—actual parents not being paid by Parent Revolutin— Rose makes some lame remark to the request to say “Hello” to Steve Barr,
GABE ROSE: “I will. Get over your weird obsession.”
“Weird obsession”? WTF, Gabe? The guy with the camera is a parent and he’s not “obsessed”; he’s outraged that Rose’s plastic-vinyl phony astroturf group Parent Revolution—falsely claiming to represent parents—is shutting out actual parents from the their fake “community forum” hosted by their ally Mayor Villaraigosa.
While Ms. Najera’s son attended a Green Dot high school, HE NEVER MET OR INTERACTED WITH TUCK THROUGHOUT HIS TIME THERE. Tuck was a high-up executive who made rare and cursory visits to these schools. The video makes it seem like Tuck personally mentored and tutored her son.
Lie, lie, lie…
Ms. Najera was hired out of central casting to provide a phony facade of the poor, minority parent leading Parent Revolution, when behind this group are billionaires out to privatize the schools, and profit from that privatization. She plays this role in the media, and the Florida state Parent Trigger hearings, and at countless other events.
She’s currently doing this at the Lorena Street School on behalf of the Extera Charter Chain—her current employer… lying, tricking, and manipulating unsuspecting parents into leaving Lorena Street for the co-located Extera Charter school… in spite of an LAUSD directive not to recruit parents from the pre-existing Lorena Street School.
This is not the first time she has had to portray the poor Latina mom for the school privatization industry’s phony theatrics.
During the Parent Revolution’s failed attempt to takeover McKinley Elementary school in Compton in 2010—via that disgusting Parent Trigger law—I spoke personally to one of the high profile parent community leaders opposing this Hostile takeover… Reverend Lee Finnie.
Reverend Finnie told me that Ms. Najera—and he pointed her out to me at an event—had told both him and his wife on separate occasions that Ms. Najera was both a “McKinley parent” and a resident of Compton… TOTAL LIES… she’s from Los Angeles. She was doing this in order to trick them and the other McKinley parents into signing the Parent Trigger petition that, had in not failed, would have turned over a multi-million dollar school site, and a multi-million dollar annual school budget in perpetuity to a private charter chain.
Thankfully, this failed.
The two of us went over and confronted her. I asked, “Did you tell Reverend Finnie and his wife that you were both a Compton resident and a McKinley parent?”
She looked away nervous and said, “No.”
Reverend Finnie said, “You are a liar. You most certainly did tell us this.”
At this, she ran out of the room.
From her vantage point across the continent in Washington D.C., WASHINGTON POST columnist Valerie Strauss asks the right questions regarding Tuck and his backers:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/11/04/wouldnt-spending-30-million-on-kids-be-better-than-this/
——————-
VALERIE STRAUSS:
“But why are Silicon Valley, hedge fund and real estate billionaires supplying Tuck with millions of dollars to make up the other half of the donations? Why, especially, would the fabulously wealthy who don’t live in California — including former Enron trader John Arnold, who lives in California, and Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton, who lives in Arkansas, and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg — donate to Tuck? What is their agenda?
“I asked both campaigns, and here’s what Tuck’s campaign manager, Cynara Lilly, said:
” ‘One out of eight kids in public schools in America attends California public schools. There’s no denying that with California’s schools ranking 45th in the nation, (therefore) what happens here can have a huge effect on how prepared the next generation is to compete in an increasingly global economy. What’s good for kids anywhere, is good for all of us, everywhere.’
“(Her comment doesn’t note that California’s school rankings has been dropping like a stone as K-12 funding in the state has been plummeting. In Education Week’s 2013 Quality Counts survey, the state was 49th in per-pupil spending. But never mind.)
“Torlakson spokesman Paul Hefner said:
” ‘As for those supporting Tom’s opponent, they’ve made their education agenda very clear – supporting school privatization, ending pensions for public employees and treating schools like a business.’
“Tuck has won the endorsements of many newspapers in the state, including the Los Angeles Times whose editorial actually accused the teachers unions of being a ‘big-money special interest’ when they donate to a particular candidate, but made a point of saying that billionaire businessmen and women are not when they pour money into a campaign. Actors Kristen Bell, Dax Shepherd and Nathan McHale made what they consider an amusing video supporting him.
“Torlakson, on the other hand, has been endorsed by more than 100 education leaders statewide, including almost every county superintendent.
“What makes all of this in some ways unfathomable is that the California state school superintendent’s job has very little power. California’s Education Department doesn’t actually run the state’s public schools and has little involvement in policymaking. The governor-appointed state Board of Education does.
“Wouldn’t spending $30 million on kids be better than this?”