Please Vote for Public School Advocates on LAUSD's School Board!
Everyone in California should have received a vote-by-mail ballot for this election, which started Oct. 7 and ends on Nov. 5, 2024. And by now everyone has probably heard a million reasons why you should vote for Kamala Harris for President.
But what about School Board elections? If you don’t have kids, or you’re being asked to choose between two Democrats, how do you make the right choice?
JUMP AHEAD TO MY VOTING RECOMMENDATIONS
When deciding between candidates for the School Board, I recommend checking to see who is endorsed by public school advocates, such as your local teacher’s union, California Federation of Teachers, State Superintendent of Schools, etc.
In Los Angeles, look for the endorsements of progressive organizations such Parents Supporting Teachers and East Area Progressive Democrats.
For my recommendations for Los Angeles Unified School Board (LAUSD), keep scrolling. (I also have separate posts with my recommendations for California’s Propositions and Congressional races.)
HOW TO CAST YOUR BALLOT
First, make sure you’re registered to vote! For more information on how to do this, and where and how to vote, go here: “How Do I Make a Voting Plan?”
MY BACKGROUND / QUALIFICATIONS
As I’ve said elsewhere (“WTF Should You Listen To Me?”), I’m a concerned mother / voter who started doing this research years ago, to fill out my own ballots. Then I started sharing it with others, who said they found it useful. I’m a lifelong Democrat, feminist, pro-choice, pro-universal health care, pro-environment, pro-public education, and anti-racist. I believe in VOTING BLUE. Please feel free to fact check my work and let me know if you disagree!
MY VOTING RECOMMENDATIONS
I start by providing a quick cheat sheet. For more detailed explanations of why I recommend voting this way, keep scrolling.
LAUSD SCHOOL BOARD
L.A. SCHOOL BOARD, DISTRICT 1: SHERLETT HENDY NEWBILL
L.A. SCHOOL BOARD, DISTRICT 3: SCOTT SCHMERELSON
L.A. SCHOOL BOARD, DISTRICT 5: KARLA GRIEGO
L.A. SCHOOL BOARD, DISTRICT 7: TANYA ORTIZ FRANKLIN
LAUSD SCHOOL BOARD (DISTRICTS 1, 3, 5 & 7)
L.A. SCHOOL BOARD, DISTRICT 1: SHERLETT HENDY NEWBILL
After a contentious primary in March, everyone on the left is now in agreement that Sherlett Hendy Newbill is the best candidate running in LAUSD Board District 1.
The LA Times has endorsed Newbill, saying:
“Voters in Los Angeles Unified District 1, which includes much of South L.A., Mid-City and Koreatown, need an experienced and responsive person to fill the open seat of retiring school board member George J. McKenna III. The best choice is Sherlett Hendy Newbill, who spent decades at Susan Miller Dorsey High School in Baldwin Hills as a basketball coach, teacher and dean of students, among other jobs, before McKenna hired her last year as his education policy advisor. She offers a pragmatic, independent-minded approach to solving complex problems and will use her experience on campus, and as a parent of two boys in District 1 schools, to make decisions that put the needs of students first, even if it means standing up to… powerful interests. That is needed on a board that in recent years has given Supt. Alberto Carvalho more room to carry out new policies, but has too often failed to ask tough questions.”
She is endorsed by Supervisor Holly Mitchell, three active LAUSD Board Members (Jackie Goldberg, Dr. George McKenna, and Scott Schmerelson), United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), Education Journalist Diane Ravitch, Parents Supporting Teachers, Stonewall Democratic Club, East Area Progressive Democrats, LA County Democratic Party, and the LA Times.
L.A. SCHOOL BOARD, DISTRICT 3: SCOTT SCHMERELSON
Everyone on the left is in agreement that Scott Schmerelson is the best candidate running in LAUSD Board District 3.
The LA Times has endorsed Schmerelson, saying:
“We recommend that voters reelect school board member and retired principal Scott Schmerelson for a final four-year term in District 3… [He] has worked with the board on reaching reasonable solutions rather than taking ideological sides. At least two of the board’s seven seats will change hands this year because Dr. George McKenna and Jackie Goldberg are retiring, making it all the more important that Schmerelson remain on the board to avoid disruption. Asked about his goals for a final term, Schmerelson said he wanted to keep working on current initiatives, such as community schools… Schmerelson is clearly the strongest… candidate, and his experience and balanced leadership are what the board needs right now.”
He is endorsed by three active LAUSD Board Members (Jackie Goldberg, Dr. George McKenna, and Dr. Rocío Rivas), United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Education Journalist Diane Ravitch, Parents Supporting Teachers, East Area Progressive Democrats, and the LA Times.
L.A. SCHOOL BOARD, DISTRICT 5: KARLA GRIEGO
Almost everyone on the left is in agreement that Karla Griego is the best candidate running in LAUSD Board District 5.
I think Karla Griego is amazing, even though I originally supported a different candidate in the primary. I am pleased that we have someone as conscientious and experienced as her running against Graciela Ortiz, a terrible, charter-funded candidate who has been embroiled in some horrifying scandals, including a lawsuit involving the abuse of a minor, for which she is still a defendant. After the lawsuit was filed, CSEA rescinded its endorsement of her, but for some inexplicable reason, several other prominent organizations have not.
The LA Times has endorsed Karla Griego, saying:
“Veteran board member Jackie Goldberg is retiring, leaving an open seat in this sprawling district… The best candidate to [replace her] on the school board is Griego. She has devoted her career to serving some of the district’s highest-need students and brings nearly two decades of experience as a teacher, parent and union activist who has battled district bureaucracy to get students the resources they deserve. Griego is community school coordinator at McAlister High School for students under 18 that are pregnant or parents. She has taught at Sonia Sotomayor Arts and Sciences Magnet, Buchanan Street Elementary and Benjamin Franklin High in Highland Park. Her priorities include increasing district accountability and transparency over budgeting, contracts and charter schools, expanding the services schools provide to children and their families and continuing to invest in the Black Student Achievement Plan the school board adopted three years ago to address the educational inequities Black students face.”
She is endorsed by four active LAUSD Board Members (Jackie Goldberg, Dr. Rocio Rivas, Dr. George McKenna, and Scott Schmerelson), United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), Fidencio Gallardo, Parents Supporting Teachers, East Area Progressive Democrats, and the LA Times.
L.A. SCHOOL BOARD, DISTRICT 7: TANYA ORTIZ FRANKLIN
Almost everyone on the left is in agreement that Tanya Ortiz Franklin is the only viable candidate running in LAUSD Board District 7, despite the fact that she continues to accept corporate charter lobby donations.
I am re-sharing the same information here, that I posted during the March primary:
“It is unlikely that we can stop Tanya Ortiz Franklin from winning a second term, and it is a red flag for us that she will do so without the support of United Teachers Los Angeles or her colleagues Jackie Goldberg, Rocío Rivas, and Scott Schmerelson. But voters should spend the next four years holding her accountable, pushing her left, and elevating potential challengers who are already there.” (Source: https://knock-la.com/knock-la-voter-guide-march-2024-primary/#lausd)
She is endorsed by Planned Parenthhood, SEIU, and the LA Times.
ABSTAINING: Ground Game LA.
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Make sure to vote! Remember, you can vote in person, or mail your ballot, or put it in a ballot drop box by Nov. 5th.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
For more information, as well as additional endorsements, here are some excellent resources:
NATIONAL
Ballotpedia
A non-partisan site that tracks every single election in the U.S., as well as who is funding or endorsing every single candidate and measure on the ballot.
Blue Voter Guide
A blue guide that lets you enter your address anywhere in the U.S. and find the candidates/measures on your ballot, as well as who has endorsed them.
CALIFORNIA
Cal Matters
A blue guide that tracks every single election in California and explains who is funding what, whom and why.
Courage California
A blue guide that provides progressive endorsements for elections in California and tracks who else has endorsed these candidates/measures as well.
Supreme Court of CA
A non-partisan site that provides bios and information about every single justice on the Supreme Court of California.
Vote 411
A non-partisan site that lets you enter your address anywhere in California and find the candidates/measures on your ballot, as well as who has endorsed them, their personal statements, links to their websites, and more.
LOS ANGELES
Action Cali
A progressive voting guide for Los Angeles that is really well designed and easy to navigate, but does not provide any explanations beyond endorsements.
East Area Progressive Democrats
A progressive voting guide created by an organization in Los Angeles that allows its members to vote on who/what they want to endorse, but does not provide any other explanations for these endorsements.
Knock LA
A progressive news site that provides detailed information and endorsements for everything on the ballot in Los Angeles; it is a journalistic project of Ground Game LA. I rely on them a lot when it comes to local candidates, where they really excel at providing relevant, current insights, and less so when it comes to federal or statewide ones, where I sometimes find their stances a little too hardline.
LA Forward
A progressive voting guide that provides information and endorsements for most of the candidates/measures in Los Angeles.
LAist: “Everything you need as you prep for the Nov. 5 Election”
A news site called LAist that provides non-partisan information for everyone in Los Angeles about how and where to vote, what is on the ballot, and who is funding what, whom and why.
LA Times
The paper of record for Los Angeles. I don't always agree with their endorsements because even though they skew blue, they tend to favor corporate interests more than I’d like. However, I love that they provide enough information for me to make an informed choice.
Los Angeles County Bar Association
A non-partisan organization that evaluates the qualifications of judges, and ranks them as “Exceptionally Well Qualified,” “Well Qualified,” “Qualified,” and “Not Qualified.”
Parents Supporting Teachers
An amazing organization in Los Angeles that advocates for public education and teachers. Their voting guide is really easy to navigate, but does not provide any explanations beyond endorsements.