This post is an unabashed appeal for your contribution to a vital political race in Los Angeles. The billionaires (Broad, Walton, Hastings, etc.) have poured millions into buying control of the LAUSD board. That board hired a clueless hedge fund manager, Austin Beutner, who is bringing in every Reform retread to help him figure out how to do maximum disruption to the district.
I am asking you here and now to send Jackie Goldberg whatever you can afford.
The race for the empty seat on the LAUSD board is important for Los Angeles, but it is also important for California and for the nation. If Jackie wins this seat, her voice and her experience and knowledge will command a Quisling board.
Jackie Goldberg is a dynamo. She taught for many years, then won a seat on the Los Angeles school board. She then ran for the State Assembly and eventually became chair of the Education Committee. She retired from public service, but she was called back to active duty by her many admirers because of the crisis in Los Angeles.
The LAUSD board has seven seats. The billionaires bought four of them, the last time with the most expensive school board race in American history, when they spent upwards of $15 million to oust Steve Zimmer, the board president, and replace him with a TFA person. For a brief while, the Reformer Billionaires held five seats, but one of their board members was indicted and convicted of money laundering. Now that empty seat, representing District 5, will be decided in a special election on March 5. Jackie Goldberg used to represent District 5, and she is well known as a progressive firebrand in her district.
I attended a fundraiser for Jackie in her district, where she was surrounded by teachers and community members who love her. I spoke briefly and said that Jackie and I were sisters “with different mothers.” Which is to say, we had an hour-long conversation when I was in L.A. in December, and I found we saw eye-to-eye on the issues.
There are 10 candidates in the race. If Jackie wins 51% of the vote, there will be no runoff. The billionaires are waiting to see if there is a runoff, and if one is needed, and they will throw their millions against Jackie.
Jackie frightens them. She knows the legislature. She knows the district. She is knowledgable and articulate. She could stop their nefarious effort to destroy public education in Los Angeles. Even though she would be part of a three-vote minority (Scott Schmerelson and George McKenna, both experienced educators), their experience and expertise would shame the billionaire’s threadbare and vacuous four votes.
Jackie needs and deserves our help. Send $5, $10, $25, $100, whatever you can.
Greetings, Thanks for great article election date correction please.
12/12/2018 2:25 pm Candidate Name CITY OF LOS ANGELES OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK – ELECTION DIVISION 2019 LAUSD DISTRICT 5 CANDIDATES CERTIFIED LIST OF CANDIDATES Tuesday, March 05, 2019
Occupational Designation MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, DISTRICT NO. 5 Page 1 of 1 CYNTHIA GONZALEZ NESTOR ENRIQUE VALENCIA GRACIELA “GRACE” ORTIZ SALVADOR “CHAMBA” SANCHEZ HEATHER REPENNING ALLISON GREENWOOD BAJRACHARYA DAVID VALDEZ ROCÍO RIVAS JACKIE GOLDBERG ANA CUBAS Principal/Parent Councilmember/Parent Educator/City Councilmember Professor/Community Activist Parent/City Commissioner Educator/Parent Los Angeles County Arts Commissioner Mother/Educational Researcher Teacher Professor/Non-Profit Executive
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Don’t expect any help from charter-loving, DFER, Calf. Rep. Susan Davis (in spite of the fact that AFT was her 2nd largest campaign contributor). On Sept. 27, Davis was a panelist for a higher ed event at the BiPartisan Policy Center (“…changing landscape…”). Not one student, not one professor and not one member of the community at-large (you know the people who pay state taxes for public universities) was listed as a program panelist. The only “university” panelist was the former Kaplan, now Purdue Global. The event was sponsored by Bill Gates and John Arnold. It was part of BPC’s launch of a new task force by George Miller and current lobbyist, former, Rep. BUCK McKEON. Wikipedia lists the ways Buck enriched himself while in government service. In April 2018, Mother Jones published, “How a mysterious overseas shell company used a former GOP Congressman to lobby Trump and Congress.”
If we allow American oligarchs to carve up the schools, a national asset, repeating what was done by Russian oligarchs who took national assets then we haven’t fought hard enough for democracy.
The absentee ballots drop in just a few days. Please hurry! Electing Jackie Goldberg is just as important as the strike — maybe more so. All those great people who brought us teachers food and water and and hot coffee while we marched rain or shine, people honking their horns and cheering us on, the majority of Angelenos, are hopefully not done supporting teachers and public schools. We’re not done rallying! We need to elect Jackie Goldberg!
Reblogged this on Crazy Normal – the Classroom Exposé and commented:
If you live in Los Angeles and vote, VOTE for Jackie Goldberg. Do NOT let the billionaire Boys Club, that wants to privatize (for profit) all of public education, win another seat on the LAUSD School Board.
If Goldberg could get AOC to come west and stump with her even for one day, that would generate a lot of free-media attention.
If it’s legal, the AFT should pay for AOC’s trip west. You can bet a hedge fund or tech industry would provide a private jet for someone on the east coast to fly in and work on a campaign to defeat Goldberg.
BTW, the Coloradan reported Reed Hastings and the widow Steve Jobs donated the max allowed by law to the campaign of California’s current Governor. His education advisor is former CAP and, the appointee advised the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.