Morning Read: Proposition Détente

Munger Pulls TV Ad Critical of Governor’s Prop 30The wealthy activist behind Proposition 38 says her campaign is taking down its television ad that sought to portray Gov. Jerry Brown’s Proposition 30 as a bad choice for voters interested in protecting K-12 education. News10

New Lottery Forecast Adds Badly Needed Dollars to Schools State lottery sales could reach close to $5 billion during the 2012-13 fiscal year, according to an updated forecast from the California Department of Education. As a result, the CDE is increasing its projection for what schools can expect to receive in lottery support in the coming year from $150 per unit of average daily attendance to $154 per ADA. SI&A Cabinet Report

Education and the 2012 Election: A Strategist’s AnalysisTami Abdollah interviews Democratic strategist Darry Sragow about education’s role in the 2012 election. KPCC

Prop. 30′s Big Donors Include Big CompaniesThe lion’s share of campaign donations for Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax-raising Proposition 30 has come from public employee unions, but the effort also has the backing of many businesses, some of which do not appear to have a direct connection to the initiative.SF Gate
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Board Member Martinez Touts Union Support & Public Choice

Board member Nury Martinez, with Supt. Deasy
Photo: USC Annenberg

The announcement hasn’t made the four-year board member any less busy.  Like District 3 Board Member Tamar Galatzan (with whom she is often allied), Martinez is also a mother who has opted to be a part-time school board member and work another job. Last week, Martinez authored a resolution to beef up arts education in the district (see Nonprofit Funds Big Arts Education Push).

In a recent interview in her office on the 24th floor of LAUSD headquarters, Martinez described how she won UTLA’s endorsement (and presumes she still has its support), why the initiative known as Public School Choice is an important vehicle for teacher empowerment, and why she hopes a woman will run to replace her.

Democratic Education Advocates Split Over Prop. 32

“I think it’s a huge blow to the [Democrats for Education] brand,” says Green Dot Public Charter Schools founder Steve Barr in this new Huffington Post story about the controversial endorsement of Prop. 32 by Gloria Romero, former state legislator and current head of Democrats For Education Reform California.  “I don’t want to have much to do with an organization with ‘Democrat’ in its name that’s in bed with the Koch brothers and Karl Rove.”

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Memo to Voters: Attack Ads on the Horizon

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Samantha Oltman

The rise of outside money in LAUSD board elections has coincided with a spate of negative campaign advertising in recent elections.

It’s a tactic that nobody claims to enjoy, but it seems to work. So it’s likely the upcoming campaigns leading to the March LAUSD election will continue the trend.

“Welcome to the brave new world of American politics post-Citizens United,” says political consultant Parke Skelton. “Candidates are becoming afterthoughts. These are battles between gigantic groups, and candidates are just chess pieces.”

Independent expenditure committees can accept unlimited donations and spend unlimited funds on behalf of a candidate as long as there is no direct contact with the campaign. This outside money has created an opportunity for more mudslinging because candidates can let IEs do the dirty work without any accountability for authorizing the negative messages.
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