Fortunately LAUSD District 1 voters can choose educators instead of the opportunists and ethically challenged candidates
My comments on KPCC's "LA school board candidate responds to questions about credentials"
Fortunately District One voters will have a range of professional educators to choose from instead of Alex Johnson — a political opportunist who views LAUSD as a career stepping stone, or Genethia Hudley — whose claims that myriad errors in her CV are mere oversights. Those educators include: Hattie McFrazer, Sherlett Hendy Newbill, Rachel Johnson, and George McKenna. LAUSD needs professionals on the board that understand the nuances of policy and the impact their decisions make on pedagogy.
While it is entirely legitimate to vet a candidate's CV for accuracy, and Ms. Hudley-Hayes certainly suffers from the same dishonesty issues as John "nine-credit-hour-PhD" Deasy does in this regard, it is more of interest that Alex Johnson's camp initiated these allegations. Why would the billionaire backed Johnson need to launch such attacks? Perhaps it is because he is infinitely unqualified to hold the seat himself. Having no substantial background or knowledge regarding education, his only recourse is to deflect attention from his own record. There isn't a single policy position on his website, and his campaign has dodged questions about policy and stances on pedagogy. Johnson offers a bevy of vapid platitudes, but those won't address the crucial issues faced by LAUSD.
Cheryl Ortega of UTLA: SB 1174 and Civil Rights
Tonight's UTLA House of Reps meeting will take up the question of whether to endorse SB 1174 (Lara). Senator Lara's bill proposes to put on the ballot in 2016 a repeal of Prop 227. This is seen by bilingual supporters and researchers statewide as a first step in returning full language rights to the students of California. These are the words of Dr. Patricia Gandara, Director of the Civil Rights
