The critical runoff election for school board in Los Angeles is Tuesday May 16.
There are two crucial races. One is Steve Zimmer Vs. Nick Melvoin. Melvoin has received millions from leaders of the charter industry, such as Eli Broad, Alice Walton, Michael Bloomberg, and Reed Hastings. He is the beneficiary of millions from people who do not live in Los Angeles.
The other is Imelda Padilla vs. Kelly Fitzpatrick Nonez. Nonez is a charter school teacher.
Steve Zimmer has been endorsed by Eric Garcetti, the Mayor of Los Angeles, and other current city officials.
He has also received the endorsement of Senator Bernie Sanders.
If you live in one of their districts in Los Angeles, please vote on Tuesday. The future of public education in Los Angeles depends on your vote.
Vote for Steve Zimmer.
Vote for Imelda Padilla.
Save public education!
Diane Ravitch's blog 
We can’t be bought.
You and I can’t be bought, dear pal…but Melvoin has been bought with over $4.5 Million in donations to his campaign alone and over $10 M donated over all to buy this election for charterizers Melvoin and Gonez.
Today the LA Times spells it all out, and their editorial shows how much they too are bought, but the fold over ad is even more egregious and damning, enfolded over the entire Front Section of the paper, actually a three full page ad which had to cost close to $100K, shows the world that the phony ‘made up’ 501c3 group comprised of the billionaires Parent Teacher Alliance greed meisters, and their corporate shills, CCSA, did indeed not only buy Melvoin, but now is painting him as some sort of famous and major educator at 30 (much as Broad did with Michelle Rhee after her very brief stint as a TFA kid) but further tarnished Zimmer with their allegations and the worst photo of him ever taken.
Melvoin went to Harvard Westlake School, the most prestigious prep school on the West Coast which costs $40K a year…doubt he ever had to ‘suffer’ being with real kids in a real public school. No wonder he got fired from his year in an inner city school, when he grew up in WLA which is one of the richest communities in the US,.
This is now the MOST expensive school board race in American history. How can any good candidate ever run against these corporate devils who believe only in oligarchic control of our lives and our education system?
We must get this kind of money out of politics.
LIKE: “We must get this kind of money out of politics.” It’s a race to the trough of $$$$$$. The deformers have NO SHAME whatsoever.
Many thanks to Bernie for lending his “brand” of credibility to deserving candidates. Progressives need all the help they can get since big money is on the side of school takeovers.
Go Bernie!
If the big money from the charter school push is giving money to a person running for the school board, vote the other way. Haven’t people seen enough of the fraud in the southern part of the state on charter fraud? Education should not be for profit. You don’t take money from the public school system to give to private education.
*** IMPORTANT ****
Could you please add … “and Imelda Padilla” to the title of this article? Her election is just as important.
Jack,
I updated the post.
Thanks so much!
Sent from my iPad
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Thanks Diane, was trying to figure this out and I have now!!
Given that Bernie is the most popular politician in the country at this time–& by far & away–I’d imagine that this will help them tremendously.
Go Bernie, Steve & Imelda!