Outside spending pours into L.A. school board race
Outside groups are mounting campaigns to influence the outcome of three races for seats on the Los Angeles Board of Education.
The outside donations are helping more than one candidate in District 4, which stretches from the Westside to portions of the west San Fernando Valley. That race pits one-term incumbent Steve Zimmer against lawyer and parent Kate Anderson.
The Coalition for School Reform has spent $144,249 on behalf of Anderson — compared with $129,600 raised by her own campaign. The Coalition, which includes L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, has backed candidates who are expected to strongly support the policies of L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy. The superintendent has pushed for teacher and principal evaluations that incorporate the use of student test scores. He’s also limited the use of
Just Like Michelle Rhee's Students first only BETTER
Astroturf lobbying refers to political organizations or campaigns that appear to be made up of grassroots activists but are actually organized and run by corporate interests seeking to further their own agendas. Such groups are often typified by innocent-sounding names that have been chosen specifically to disguise the group's true backers
Just Like Michelle Rhee's
Students first Astroturf lobbying (only Better)
Other Astroturf lobbying groups