Monica Ratliff: The Woman Who May Change L.A.
John Deasy is the most admired school superintendent in city history. But this fifth-grade teacher isn't impressed
With Wendy Greuel soon out as controller and just one woman left on the 15-person L.A. City Council, unknown fifth-grade teacher Monica Ratliff suddenly may be the most powerful woman in Los Angeles.
The political class had chattered for weeks over whether Ratliff, who had no cash and no name recognition, presented any threat toAntonio Sanchez, the man picked by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to run for a crucial swing seat on the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education.
Now, Ratliff is the unexpected winner — and whether voters know it or not, her election may mean trouble for Superintendent John Deasy, the most activist and, in the eyes of many, the most admired school reformer in