Lessons from L.A.
What can school boards learn from the election upsets in the City of Angels?
By Alexander Russo | Winter 2013
Education has always been political, and bipartisanship has often been superficial. But education has become more explicitly political in recent years. Battles that were once limited to partisan debates between liberals and conservatives (Democrats versus Republicans) now sometimes include conflicts between unions and reform advocates.
Nowhere was education's new hyper-political environment more evident recently than in Los Angeles, where three of the district's seven elected school board spots were up for grabs. Despite being outspent by millions of dollars, candidates endorsed by the teachers union won two of the three seats.
Neither policy positions on education issues nor personalities played as large a role in L.A. as they might have in another situation.But similar elections will take place this fall and spring around the U.S., and while few will be as expensive or elaborate as L.A.'s, it's worth understanding the nuts-and-bolts campaign decisions that shaped the race.
Candidate credibility matters to voters. Two of the three candidates endorsed by reform allies in L.A. lacked extensive experience in education. After the campaign was over, former
