Sen. Bernie Sanders Endorses Steve Zimmer and Imelda Padilla for LAUSD School Board
LOS ANGELES — Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed UTLA-backed candidates Steve Zimmer and Imelda Padilla.
It is unprecedented for a front-running presidential candidate to support a school board candidate, but shows the high stakes nature of the Los Angeles Unified School Board election.
“Billionaires should not make a profit off of public school children. That's why I'm supporting Steve Zimmer and Imelda Padilla for the Los Angeles School Board. They will fight against the Trump/DeVos agenda to destabilize and undermine public schools," said Sen. Bernie Sanders in a statement.
On Friday, UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl was canvassing in support of Steve when he heard the news.
“Bernie’s support underscores the consequences of this election,” Caputo-Pearl said. “Voters have a choice to make: Will our students have two pro-public education advocates in Steve and Imelda or two adversaries, bought and paid for by outside billionaires?”
Some of the key billionaire donors to Nick Melvoin and Kelly Fitzpatrick-Gonez include the usual suspects in the pro-privatizing world: Real estate mogul Eli Broad, Republican Richard Riordan, Gap founder Doris Fisher and the Waltons of WalMart. According to a new report, titled “Out of Town Billionaires and Trump Backers Attempt to Hijack School Board Elections” in addition to donations to elect Nick and Kelly, the Walton family has donated to conservatives such as Ted Cruz, Mike Pence and Jeff Sessions.
“Our elections should be determined by our communities, not outside money from billionaires with a sordid history of failed privatization schemes like Betsy DeVos, the Walton family and Eli Broad,” Caputo-Pearl said. “This election is about our students, parents and communities and deciding the best direction forward. That’s by voting for Imelda and Steve.”Sen. Bernie Sanders Endorses Steve Zimmer and Imelda Padilla for LAUSD School Board | UTLA:
NPE Action endorses Steve Zimmer for LAUSD
Even though Mr. Zimmer has served on the Board since 2009, he is facing tough opposition from a candidate backed by the California Charter School Association and by the billionaires who have tried for over a decade to take control of the Los Angeles School system, with the goal of school privatization and charter expansion.
Zimmer told NPE Action that “I’m running for re-election to keep working together with our LAUSD family to improve our schools. We’ve made real and substantial change since I was elected, raising graduation rates from 56% to 75%, increasing arts programs, science education, expanding magnet and language programs. But we are far from done. We must redouble our efforts and focus our energy. We need to invest in expanding early childhood education so all students are ready for school. We need to make sure all students are reading by 9. And we cannot rest until all our programs are rich in the social emotional learning that every student needs to excel. “
Steve has the strong support of the teachers of the LAUSD.
Steve also has the support of Network for Public Education Action President, Diane Ravitch who had the following to say about Steve. “Steve Zimmer has worked hard as a teacher and a board member for the children and families of Los Angeles. Now the billionaires have targeted him. Stop the billionaires. Stop those who are pushing the Trump-DeVos agenda. Re-elect Zimmer!”
The stakes are high for students and public education in Los Angeles. Please spread the word and vote for Steve Zimmer on May 16th! NPE Action endorses Steve Zimmer for LAUSD
The Network for Public Education Action is endorsing Imelda Padilla for The Los Angeles School District’s District 6 School Board seat. Voting will take place on May 16.
Imelda describes herself as “the proud daughter of a landscape-gardener and a warehouse worker who was born and raised in Sun Valley.” She is a graduate of the local public schools and she wants to work to preserve them and make them better.
Imelda told us, “Today, too many outside interests burden our neighborhood schools with bureaucratic red tape making it challenging for quality teaching to reach the desks of students. Rather than encouraging kids to pursue post-secondary opportunities, the Los Angeles Unified School District has put forward an adult agenda disconnected from classrooms. I intend to focus on the needs of all students and educators by being solutions oriented to ensure every child reaches their fullest potential.”
Imelda is strongly opposed to vouchers and believes that it is important to keep class size small. Although she is not an educator, she believes she has the skill set needed for success.
“ As a youth and labor organizer, I have a winning record in fighting for the needs of all students; demanding resources be redirected to our students and parents. I’ve devoted my life to advocating for our most vulnerable and will not stop until we reach 100% graduation. “
The stakes are high for students and public education in Los Angeles. Please spread the word and vote for Imelda Padilla on May 16th! You can share a link to this email here.NPE Action endorses Imelda Padilla for LAUSD District 6 Board seat