Early returns show Scott Schmerelson defeating Tamar Galatzan, and Ref Rodriguez defeating Bennett Kayser. Galatzan and Rodriguez are the preferred candidates of the California Charter School Association. Big money came from CCSA and another PAC to defeat Bennett Kayser. It appears that big money won, unless there is a last-minute surge in a low voter turnout.
The big money didn’t pour so much into the Schmerelson-Galatzan race.
We always hope that David can defeat Goliath, and sometimes he does. But not always.
So, the election–if current trends continue–is a wash. Not a victory for the charter industry, not a loss for public education. A wash.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Hate to disagree with you Diane…but it is a big loss for LAUSD and the LA community who values public schools if Rodriguez wins, and he is so far ahead of Kayser in a race that had a small turnout, that the results right now seem to be a done deal.
Must be all the bribery worked.
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A proven, documented crook—one who couldn’t balance the budget of a school of just 100 students 9 years in a row—just got elected to the board… over a man with unimpeachable integrity, and who successfully balanced a $7 billion budget three years in a row
This was for several reasons… the most prominent being he spent millions more than the good guy.
LESSON: Evil people sometimes win.
That’ said, here’s some words of wisdom from The Walrus:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNtQlgIidxE
John Lennon: “Apathy isn’t it. So Flower Power didn’t work. We start again.”
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I don’t know if I’d call it a wash. Rodriguez is scum, possibly criminal. Schmerelson is a veteran principal. But don’t forget STeve Zimmer might have found his spine. Lord knows he found his voice. And we now have lots of speeches for other people’s campaigns to hold Steve accountable. We might be up by two.
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“. . . possibly criminal.”
Well if that’s the case and someone can prove that fact quickly then perhaps he will have to resign and/or be pushed out.
Then it could be a win.
By “exposing” himself as a public figure he will hopefully come under a lot more scrutiny.
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That is my hope, Duane. But who will stay on the stories of his mismanagement and questionable ethics? The LA Times? Weekly? Even KPCC seemed to push for this dude.
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Final results are in. Here are the three candidates who were NOT backed by the Charter organization and billionaires:
Kayser: 46.44%
Schmerelson: 54.61%
Lydia Gutierrez: 44.08%
While I’m happy for Schmerelson, I feel deeply sad for Kayser. But, more importantly, sad for our students, sad for public education, and sad for the political process.
Diane, you say “a wash”, meaning we won one and lost one? That makes it kind of sound like we broke even and didn’t really lose anything. But, we lost one of our absolute best. Bennett Kayser has always been one of the few on the LAUSD Board who actually stood up to Deasy (when it wasn’t PC to do so) and who has consistently asked the tough questions. A huge loss!!! Why didn’t the union, UTLA, focus more resources on Kayser’s campaign? Why did they invest in Vladovic’s campaign when he was already supported by the charter orgs and the billionaires? Those resources should have been spent on Kayser!
And, what about the third race, Vladovic vs. Gutierrez? That was the real David vs. Goliath story.
I live in that Board District, and I had to put up with horrible and shameful vitriol toward the underdog, Lydia Gutierrez, from the same billionaires who backed Ref Rodriguez’ and Tamar Galatzan’s campaigns. But, the worst attacks against Lydia Gutierrez were initiated from Vladovic himself and the two unions that also supported him, UTLA and SEIU. Gutierrez’ campaign spent very little money and she did not resort to mud slinging. But, the lies and attacks foisted upon Gutierrez were just as bad as those leveled upon Kayser. Vladovic was one of the biggest supporters of Deasy and all of his misdeeds. I understand, then, why the Charter folks and billionaires supported him. But, why did the unions also support him? He only began to stand up for the rights of educators once the primary was over and he realized that he had viable opposition from someone who might be able to oust him off of the Board of Ed. And, then, the vicious attacks on Gutierrez began!!!
LYDIA GUTIERREZ is a PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER, who wants to serve the public. She wants to bring greater transparency to LAUSD’s budget and she OPPOSES the DEVELOPMENTALLY INAPPROPRIATE Common Core State Standards and accompanying high-stakes tests. As a First Grade Teacher, she knows first hand the damage the CCSS has caused to her students. Yes, she is a registered Republican, but she is definitely NOT a member of the Tea Party (even though she agrees with them — and with Diane Ravitch — on the Common Core). And she most certainly did not deserve to be portrayed by FELLOW UNION MEMBERS as an extremist and sunk into a cup of boiling hot water (that’s the despicable image portrayed of her on the attack flyers sent to my neighborhood!!!). LYDIA GUTIERREZ has dedicated much of her life to serving children. She would have made a terrific addition to the Board.
I give her huge props for standing up to the “good ‘ole boys” club and coming away with 44% of the vote while spending very, very, little money compared to all of the rest.
Unfortunately, we lost Kayser, and we gained absolutely nothing in this third race, and I assume now Dr. V. will go back to his do nothingness, and his consistency in claiming that the District has no money, while supporting iPads and outside consultants, and tests, tests, and more tests!
I’m sad, sad, sad!!!
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Yes.
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This travesty demonstrates what a flop our election system has become. If the union leadership doesn’t wake up and use their leverage with politicians today, any efforts the unions attempt to recover will be futile in 5 years. Will we see a Hillary endorsement MONTHS early and give away ALL leverage in 2016 presidential election?
There doesn’t appear to be any coherent national strategy coming from AFT or NEA leadership to counter the privatization narrative of both Democrats & Republicans. The leadership wants to show they can collaborate with them men (yes, it’s mostly men) who want to crush them. Wall St works like the military in war- all options are on the table including lies, smears, & ruined lives.
As the great Karen Lewis said: “How can you have a seat at the table when you are on the menu? “
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“There doesn’t appear to be any coherent national strategy coming from AFT or NEA leadership . . .”
Sure there is “coherent national strategy”, it’s being dictated by the monies of the Gatestar!
See M. Schneider’s recent blog about NEA’s “Lily” GE, backing out of a commitment to the NPE at the conference: https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2015/05/18/neas-lily-eskelsen-garcia-remains-faithful-to-gates-funding/
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Duane Swacker: a most excellent reminder.
I urge everyone to access the link provided in your comments.
jcgrim: shades of the Twilight Zone episode about seemingly benevolent aliens—
“To Serve Man.” The three words that humans are initially able to translate from the alien playbook. Except, at the end, we find out that it is a cookbook.
😎
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Gutierrez lost because she is a right wing zealot. Her anti-CCSS position is born out of a Tea Party stance that does not have the support of most of us fighting to save public education. It’s too bad that UTLA’s endorsement cost Vladovic nothing. It does not move our cause further at all.
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Exactly!
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Gutierrez lost because she is a right wing zealot. Her anti-CCSS position is born out of a Tea Party stance that does not have the support of most of us fighting to save public education. It’s too bad that UTLA’s endorsement cost Vladovic nothing. It does not move our cause further at all.
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I had the experience of watching Bennett Kayser at Board meetings where he carefully listened and then weighed the evidence, and often voted against every other member there, especially with regard to charters. He expressed his admiration for the late Marguerite La Motte and I believe he was voting in the way that was best for children, as Mrs. La Motte had done. While I don’t know how Scott Schmerelson will turn out, I am very glad he defeated Galatzan who was nothing but a negative for students and public schools. I can’t agree about Lydia Gutierrez, although I do agree that we must get rid of high-stakes testing and the nonsense of Common Core. It wasn’t a wash — it was a devastation.
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I think it’s great that the school board members who lost tried to work with Deasy but the truth is in a fight between “agnostics” and zealous charter supporters, “agnostics” will lose every time.
“The agnostics” will all eventually be knocked out and it’ll be 100% zealous charter supporters in that scenario.
Walton, Bloomberg. Broad aren’t going to stop. They’re not going to say “well, now that we have this nice, balanced mix of charter promoters and agnostics on the board we’re satisfied”
They have billions of dollars. Why should they settle for that? They want 100% charter promoters. The Agnostics are only useful until they can get their candidates on there.
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I feel sorry for taxpayers in LA if Eli Broad is picking their next superintendent.
Blowing a billion dollars on devices is not a small error. It should completely and utterly discredit both Mr. Deasy and his supporters.
It’s so bad it raises the question of whether they were TRYING to harm those schools.
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Once again the LAUSD spent only $114 million on the iPads not a billion dollars. Go, check it out.
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I’d be happy to check it out. Do you have a link?
Do you think Mr. Deasy did a good and responsible job with public money and the device program? If not, why did the entire ed reform “movement” back him even after his mismanagement and recklessness were revealed?
Does merit matter? Talk about “Dance of the Lemons”. Nothing discredits an ed reformer. They’re bulletproof. They go from job to job in the “movement”, from government to private sector ed reform ventures to the foundations.
The new school board member mismanaged his own charter schools, did he not? Why did you just give him a promotion?
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There are many smart folks among us in LA who think that these billionaires want to bankrupt LAUSD, then buy up the school sites for pennies on the dollar, embedd charters for profit, and it is all over for public ed. Education then becomes a free market business venture. It would be total ‘creative destruction,’ the economist, Shumpeter’s, approach to changing our society.
Read Shock Doctrine about this kind of steam roller of the oligarchs.
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Yes, when looked at from a real estate value perspective, in Chicago and LA, I’m sure the school property is worth a lot. Anyone who can get at it cheap by some angle is working on it.
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Yep, MiSIS is a great example.
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Chiara: you of all people know the importance of paying attention to language, e.g., as you so aptly pointed out in your translation of the rheephorm use of the term “choice” as being more accurately rendered as “choice but no voice.”
So if I may…
Since when did a vast world of lost opportunities represented by $114 million become an “only”?
And I can assure everyone that, judging by so many comments online and some personal conversations, the general public thinks that over $1 billion in bond money has already been paid out and uselessly wasted for venal and self-serving ends by—and I wish I were joking, even if it were a joke in very bad taste—
Public School Advocates and Supporters!
😱
Which only goes to “prove” that charters are better and do more with less and put students first and serve just the same kinds of students as big gubmint monopoly schools. Rheeally!
😳
In other words, it was a classic rheephorm twofer: smash-and-grab AND let the blame for your immoral words and deeds rest on the shoulders of your victims. Really!
😏
And what drives the heavyweights and trendsetters in the self-styled “education reform” movement?
It’s déjà vu all over again:
“For greed all nature is too little.”
Lucius Annaeus Seneca. A very dead and very old and very Roman guy will do when a Greek isn’t handy.
😎
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Chiara and Raj…you obviously have not been reading the hundreds of comments and articles we educators, activists, and parents in LA (Karen Wolfe, Robert Skeels, Paula McHurdle, Rene Diedrich, Cynthia Liu, Geronimo, redqueen, educator, my self, and many others can be googled and/or found in these Archives) have written here for the last two years clearly spelling this out with facts. I find this most discouraging. You can find our articles on this site giving complete detail about the IPad and Pearson, MiSiS, etc. contracts and actual costs.
You two sound like the folks who never check on Snopes but send out endless misinformation.
Chiara, I know how smart you are and appreciate your insights, but are in Ohio. Raj, I know your perspective, but other than that, do not know what you do for a living nor where you reside so take your comments with a big grain of salt. They are often incorrect.
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Did the Obama Administration back the charter school head in the CA race?
Here’s one of their former employees (now working for Gates) promoting the guy:
https://twitter.com/pcunningham57
Is there any distance at all between the Obama Administration and ed reform “movement” members? I think President Obama probably should have told voters his entire ed dept was captured by this “movement”.
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BREAKING NEWS:
Broad Alumni, Alex Johnson did NOT win an LA School Board seat last year though hackers have found links to SuperPac money for that campaign tied to Michael Lynton to get support from L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas for the LACMA expansion approval.
Stephen Kaufman, an attorney for the PAC, claims SONY gave the PAC money after the 2014 election – and if that’s true, the $25K contribution (illegal or not) was likely used to help fund the Ref Rodriguez campaign.
LACMA expansion, Ridley-Thomas, ‘super PAC’ intersect in email trail
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0520-mrt-sony-20150520-story.html
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Good posts Clarity and Chiara…and speaking of bribery, here are two comments posted on today’s other LAUSD issues. Bribery is the oligarchic way of doing business it would seem. On all levels, one hand washes the other.
paula
May 20, 2015 at 10:56 am
Obviously it had to be the money, the charter people wanted this seat bad… When I went to vote there was no one there. For the whole day, only 32 votes. I guess that 25,000 incentive to vote appealed to some. Very sad day for the district to let this deformer access millions of our tax dollars. If he had to bribe residents of this Latino district to vote for him, expect more bribery.
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Ellen Lubic
May 20, 2015 at 12:15 pm
Now that the bribery has worked, and some of us knew it would, for these same puppets of the ultra rich Rheeformers who worked this scam, have bribed this inner city community before (see all the past orchestrated street theater paid for by them to be held at the BoE building on Beaudry, with ‘bussed in’ inner city folks used as actors, when an important issue is to be decided…not much different than Eve Moskowitz in NY dragging her students to Albany on the taxpayers dime) and you will know how susceptible these residents are to ‘following the money,’
Of course the profiteers will use bribes again. Various inner city legislators representing these districts have been indicted and convicted in California on charges of bribery. It now appears to be an endemic unholy alliance they have with the billionaires, with no holds barred.
When you walk the streets of the local inner city communities, you see signs saying “revolucion” and flags flying of residents countries of birth. The bribers and the bribed have no loyalty to the American process of free universal education through ‘public’ schools paid for by the taxpayers.
The twitter comment by an Obama stooge someone posted above which says the old public education system “did not work for all children” is the hue and cry of the Billionaires Movement to privatize everything and kill all unions….it is all based on “civil rights” which has become their mantra as with Vergara and other court cases they are instituting nationwide.
It appears that “civil rights” only apply to the profiteers however.
The use of bribery is not monolithic, but it is very apparent. In many of these communities, bribery, pay off, is a common way of doing business and has always been used in their countries of origin.
People who are not boots on the ground do not have a clue about any of this, which has been building for decades. It truly is revolution and with the help of the Billionaires who donate the bribe money and direct traffic to creative destruction through their PR and law firms, but who stay locked into their lavish enclaves, it is working.
I do not mean to paint all residents with the same brush. The lawless actors who accept bribes are not representative of all inner city voters, but we see in this election that they can do great damage to our entire society.
As a student of cultural anthropology who has worked on these issues since the 1960s, I fear it is the endgame for America as we knew it. The marriage of the low level bribed with those 1/2 % controlling most of the nation’s wealth, spells the end of democracy. When legislators and citizens can be bought, it becomes a true totalitarian state.
LAUSD is not the only district where this happened. It is now an epidemic in America.
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Utla abandoned Kayser to get rid of Tamar. The charter people really were out to get Kayser for his opposition to more charters. Utla is trying to get in with the charter schools to unionize its members. Utla knew they couldn’t outspend the charters and their fixation on getting Kayser so they abandoned him when he needed them the most.
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