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LAUSD board elections tomorrow a referendum on the status quo
The fate of three LA Unified board incumbents — and the influence of charter schools and teachers — is on the line tomorrow when voters cast ballots to decide how satisfied they are with the seven-member board that runs the nation’s second-largest school district. Any candidate winning a majority is in. Without a majority winner,...
By Michael Janofsky | March 2, 2015
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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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A snapshot look at Kayser’s positions on major LAUSD issues
While the LA Unified’s District 5 board incumbent, Bennett Kayser, did not make himself available for an interview with LA School Report as part of our candidate profile series, he has nonetheless played a high profile role on issues before the school board during his term in office. With strong support from the teachers union, UTLA,...
By Vanessa Romo | February 26, 2015
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Gonzalez files complaint with City Ethics against Galatzan campaign
One of Tamar Galatzan’s challengers in the LA Unified District 3 board race said today he has filed a complaint against her with the City Ethics Commission, charging that she improperly used her board office as part of her campaign. Filiberto Gonzalez, a former Los Angeles City planning commissioner, cited two specific instances: the use of...
By LA School Report | February 24, 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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Foshay student wins national award; LAUSD kids drinking lead?
NBC Los Angeles last night came out with a story that should disturb any LA Unified student, parent or staff member: it found that thousands of school children could be drinking from fountains tainted with dangerous levels of lead. The report is a followup to a story first examined by NBC seven years ago, when...
By Craig Clough | February 19, 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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Challengers take center stage at Galatzan-less forum
* UPDATED With incumbent Tamar Galatzan opting out of the second and final LA Unified District 3 board forum last night, her five challengers took full advantage, criticizing her as they made their cases for why they should be elected on March 3 instead of her. Galatzan, who said she had a scheduling conflict, mingled...
By Craig Clough | February 18, 2015
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Galatzan a fearless vote on the LA Unified board despite her critics
This is the next in a series of profiles on candidates running in the March 3 primary for the LA Unified school board. Today’s focus is Tamar Galatzan, who is seeking reelection for the District 3 seat. Incumbent Tamar Galatzan is at the center of the most crowded race for an LA Unified school board...
By Vanessa Romo | February 18, 2015
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Vladovic on 4 more years: ‘Now it’s time to dream’
This is the next in a series of profiles on candidates running in the March 3 primary for the LA Unified school board. Today’s focus is board President Richard Vladovic, who is seeking reelection for the District 7 seat. In many ways, LA Unified school board President Richard Vladovic sees himself as captain of a...
By Craig Clough | February 17, 2015