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In a conversation with LA School Report, City Council member and mayoral candidate Jan Perry praised Mayor Villaraigosa’s efforts in the field of education and “pursuing better outcomes for students.”

Perry said she would support the Mayor’s Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, and she hopes Villaraigosa will continue to play a role in the organization. “When his term ends, I hope he would be President Emeritus, so his institutional knowledge would not be lost,” she said.

Perry is the only African-American candidate running for Mayor, and if elected, would be the first female Mayor of Los Angeles. Recent polls have her in third place, behind Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel, and just ahead of Kevin James and Emanuel Pleitez. As a City Council member, Perry made a name for herself as pro-business and pro-downtown growth politician.

Perry also praised LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy: “His level of attention to detail, his continual enthusiasm for his job amazes me. And he seems open to new ideas constintanly. He’s one of a kind.”

However, Perry differs from the outgoing Mayor on one issue: raising money for “school reform” candidates. “What I haven’t liked is, he doesn’t meet someone, dumps a bunch of money, and says, ‘You’re gonna win.'” Picking reform candidates “has to be organic process from the ground up. It should be more independent,” said Perry.  “And they should care about students first.”