POV: School Board Elections

Los Angeles - FOX 11 Vice President & General Manager Kevin Hale addresses the upcoming school board elections in Los Angeles.

You can watch the full video of the editorial in the media player... and share your comments on the topic below the editorial transcript.

Full Editorial Text:

School Board elections usually don’t send voters out in droves, but we’ve got one coming up on Tuesday that warrants your attention.

Currently, LAUSD’s board tends to weigh in 4-to-3, with pro-reformers having the edge. But if reformers lose this election, they’ll become the minority and the reform movement will be in jeopardy.

Two candidates are vying for the eastside position of District 5, vacated by education reformer Yolie Flores.

They are: the UTLA-endorsed candidate Bennett Kayser, a veteran teacher; and Luis Sanchez, a city commissioner and a top aide to school board President Monica Garcia.

At risk in this election is the forward-thinking momentum of Public School Choice, which gives outside operators a chance to run some of L.A.’s lowest performing schools.

If reformers have the majority, then the new superintendent will have the support he needs. As John Deasy pushes for a data-driven assessment of teachers and school performance, he’s going to need that backing to be effective.

The UTLA-backed candidate, Kayser, has openly said he’d like to stop the “proliferation” of charter schools, because he doesn’t think they’re effective. Although he’s for teacher evaluations, he’s against the controversial value-added assessment, which measures teachers’ effectiveness by tracking student test scores.

Here’s what distinguishes the other candidate Sanchez: he’s a charter school advocate; he believes in implementing value-added teacher evaluations and he backs Public School Choice. He’s solidly on the side of reform and change.

The stakes are huge. The District 5 election is playing out as a battle between the union and reform, with millions being spent.

If you live in this district, be sure to cast your vote.

It’s up to you to determine what kind of future you want for your kids: more of the same, or one of change.

Thanks for listening.

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The views expressed are not necessarily those of the station or its employees.