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Kayser, Rodriguez, Thomas make closing arguments for themselves
Together for the final time before Tuesday’s elections, the three candidates for LA Unified’s Board District 5 seat were determined last night to set themselves apart from each other. In a small church in a residential neighborhood in South Gate, incumbent Bennett Kayser, and his opponents, Andrew Thomas and Ref Rodriguez, spoke only to the...
By Vanessa Romo | February 27, 2015
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District 5: LAUSD school board race snapshot
LA Unified’s school board District 5, runs a tortured, ear-muff-shaped path from Los Feliz in the north, following a narrow band south, and expanding in the south to Lynwood. Along the way it reaches parts of Echo Park, Vernon, Maywood, Huntington Park, Bell and South Gate. With an Hispanic population of 74 percent, District 5...
By LA School Report | February 24, 2015
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Challenging Kayser, Rodriguez led all candidates in recent fundraising
Ref Rodriguez, the charter school administrator who is challenging incumbent Bennett Kayser for LA Unified’s District 5 board seat, raised the most money of any board candidate since the last reporting period, $51,772, according to the latest figures posted by the City Ethics Commission. Carl Petersen, one of five candidates challenging incumbent Tamar Galatzan in...
By LA School Report | February 20, 2015
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Friction starts to show in latest LA Unified district 5 board debate
No more Mr. Nice Guys. Last night’s forum for the three candidates in the LA Unified District 5 board race included lots of head shaking, some eye rolling, silently mouthing words (“That’s not true”) and at least one tiff. Perhaps some of the frustration was due to changing rules. Initially there was no time set...
By Vanessa Romo | February 19, 2015
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In debate, Kayser and his District 5 challengers agree on very little
Incumbent Bennett Kayser appeared spoiling for a fight last night, sharing the stage with his two challengers for the LA Unified District 5 board seat at a candidate forum in El Sereno. Right out of the gate, he goaded PUC charter school founder Ref Rodriguez and education researcher Andrew Thomas to state their positions on Prop 39, a...
By Vanessa Romo | February 12, 2015
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PAC attack: New mailer hits Kayser challenger for missing paperwork
The battle of the political action committees is heating up. A new mailer sent to voters in LA Unified District 5 accuses one of Bennett Kayser’s opponents in the March 3 board election, Ref Rodriguez, of failing to disclose personal financial information as required by law. The mailer, paid for by the PAC for the...
By Michael Janofsky | February 11, 2015
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Kayser, his 2 challengers keep it civil in first forum together
* UPDATED After days of tension leading to the first debate with all three candidates running for LA Unified’s board District 5 on March 3, a forum last night at Eagle Rock High School played out with a relatively civil tone and a focus more on policy than politics. Surprisingly, incumbent Bennett Kayser, who is...
By Vanessa Romo | February 6, 2015
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LAUSD gets C- in school choice, district remains measles free
Even with more charter schools than any district in the country, LA Unified still only received a “C-” grade in school choice in a new report from the Brown Center on Education Policy. The grade is a slight fall from the C grade it earned last year from the Brown Center, which is part of the Brookings...
By Craig Clough | February 5, 2015
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In forum tonight, Kayser facing board rivals for first time
Bennett Kayser, who represents District 5 on the LA Unified school board, is front and center tonight, facing his two rivals for the first time in a much anticipated candidate forum at Eagle Rock High School. After suddenly pulling out of two forums last week, Kayser is appearing in the wake of a recent attack mailer...
By LA School Report | February 5, 2015
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Charter group drawing more fire for ‘racist’ flyer on Kayser
A campaign flyer implying that LA Unified board member Bennett Kayser is racist is drawing more fire, as two more would-be beneficiaries renounced its message, and an LA Times editorial accused the sponsoring organization of engaging in “slimy tactics on behalf of children.” Produced by an arm of the California Charter Schools Association, the flyer...
By Michael Janofsky | February 2, 2015