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Zimmer Volunteers Focus on Reaching District 4 Voters
An energetic crowd gathered early on a Saturday morning to listen to a pep talk from District 4 incumbent Steve Zimmer before hitting the pavement to walk the precinct. Standing on a chair to address the crowd, Zimmer spoke of his appreciation for their efforts and pride in the commitment of those who showed up,...
By Karen Jordan | February 25, 2013
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Morning Read: Daily News Endorses Two Reform Candidates
Three for LAUSD Board – and for Education Reform The result could either confirm the slow move toward innovation and reform in the nation’s second-largest school district. Or it could reverse the course, destroying the few steps the district has taken in recent years to shake up the old, failing education structure. LA Daily News Editorial...
By Samantha Oltman | February 25, 2013
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Reform Coalition Attacks Sanchez Opponents in District 6
District 6, which covers the East San Fernando Valley, is the one School Board race where the big special interest groups — the Coalition for School Reform, SEIU and UTLA — have all endorsed the same candidate: Antonio Sanchez. But that hasn’t stopped the Coalition from going negative with a new, double-sided glossy mailer attacking Sanchez’s opponents, Maria Cano and Monica...
By Hillel Aron | February 22, 2013
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Reformers Try to Match Union “Ground Game”
The Coalition for School Reform has been running TV ads and hitting voters with a blizzard of glossy flyers. But — having closely lost 2011’s big-money campaign between Bennett Kayser and Luis Sanchez — the reform-oriented campaign committee is also taking its field organization very seriously. Field organizing — also sometimes called a campaign “ground game”...
By Hillel Aron | February 22, 2013
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Analysis: Endorsements & Funding No Guarantee
Gloria Romero, the former Democratic state legislator who is now heading the California chapter of Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), announced her support for School Board President Monica Garcia last Wednesday, urging supporters to contribute to Garcia’s campaign. The pro-charter, pro-accountability group issued a report card on Garcia and incumbent Steve Zimmer on Thursday morning. However, DFER-California isn’t providing...
By Alexander Russo | February 20, 2013
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Update: Outside Spending Tops $2 Million, Grows Negative
The latest independent expenditure (IE) committee numbers posted on the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission website show an eye-popping $2.2 million in spending by outside groups thus far. That number is sure to grow in the next two weeks before the March 5 primary election date. The messaging has already gone negative in the more contentious...
By Samantha Oltman | February 19, 2013
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UTLA-PACE Attacks District 4 Challenger Anderson
An election mailer sent out this week by UTLA-PACE is just the latest negative entry in the high-stakes LAUSD election. UTLA-PACE’s new mailer targets candidate Kate Anderson, who is running against LAUSD Board incumbent Steve Zimmer for a seat representing the Westside and Hollywood’s District 4. Among other things, the mailer accuses Anderson of wanting...
By Samantha Oltman | February 15, 2013
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Morning Read: Times Endorses Garcia, Anderson, & Ratliff
LA Times Announces Endorsements for L.A. School Board We would prefer to see more candidates who fall between the two ideological poles, but the realities of L.A. Unified politics sometimes make this impossible. LA Times School Board Candidates Debate Bloomberg’s $1-Million Donation A record-setting donation to Los Angeles school board contests quickly became a topic...
By Samantha Oltman | February 15, 2013
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District 4: Zimmer Responds to Bloomberg, Gets Mixed Grades
A pro-charter, pro-accountability group called Democrats for Education Reform has issued a report card on District 2 incumbent Monica Garcia and District 4 incumbent Steve Zimmer, based on “parent choice and quality schools; school district transparency; district leadership; and teacher effectiveness and quality.” Meantime, Zimmer has followed UTLA’s lead and issued a response to the news that...
By LA School Report | February 14, 2013
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Attack on Zimmer Wasn’t from Anderson Campaign
LA School Report has learned a little of the backstory behind a recent election-focused post that was published on former Assistant Secretary of Education Diane Ravitch’s blog. As you may know, Ravitch urged her readers to support District 4 (Hollywood and Westside) incumbent Steve Zimmer and oppose his challenger Kate Anderson, based in large part on an email from a Zimmer supporter...
By Samantha Oltman | February 13, 2013