Tanya Ortiz Franklin’s Election Tips Balance of Power Toward a Kids-First School Board

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Tanya Ortiz Franklin’s Election Tips Balance of Power Toward a Kids-First School Board

Speak UP’s endorsed school board candidate Tanya Ortiz Franklin won the race to replace retiring Board President Richard Vladovic in District 7, a result that means the United Teachers Los Angeles union no longer controls the school board, and the interests of high-needs students may finally be put first at LAUSD.

Teacher and attorney Ortiz Franklin led Patricia Castellanos by 58%-42% in District 7, which runs from South L.A. to San Pedro, prompting her UTLA-backed opponent Castellanos to concede. In District 3 in the San Fernando Valley, parent and Granada Hills Charter High School employee Marilyn Koziatek was trailing incumbent Board Member Scott Schmerelson 54%-46%, which she said in a statement were not “the results we were hoping for.”

That means the board is likely to remain without a single parent of LAUSD kids having a seat at the table. Nevertheless, with only three out of seven board members elected with financial support from UTLA, control of the school board will now shift, and the voices of parents and students are expected to carry more weight, which could be significant in coming months as LAUSD schools plan for a possible hybrid reopening.

“I’m excited and optimistic and hopeful about the great things we’ll be able to do for kids, but also I feel very heavy,” Ortiz Franklin told Speak UP. “It’s weighty. The pandemic and racial justice and kids struggling with learning and all of these big issues, I now get to do something about it. I have to do something about it.”

Speak UP parents and students campaigned for Ortiz Franklin, texting and calling hundreds of thousands of voters, sending daily tweets and launching a Facebook ad campaign to support her election.

"We are thrilled that Tanya Ortiz Franklin is the new school board member in District 7 and that the balance of power on the school board is shifting,” said Speak UP Founder and CEO Katie Braude. "We believe the interests of our highest-needs kids will now be prioritized by this school board to a much greater degree. Tanya will have a laser-like focus on making sure that all students are learning. Equity won today."

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Why Aren’t L.A. Public Schools Opening for High-Needs Kids, When the County Health Department Allows it?

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Why Aren’t L.A. Public Schools Opening for High-Needs Kids, When the County Health Department Allows it?

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said Los Angeles public schools could reopen for 10% of its highest-needs kids back in mid-September, a figure that was expanded to 25% last week after Speak UP released a survey showing that two-thirds of kids with disabilities are regressing during distance learning.

The Health Department is also accepting waivers for K-2 elementary schools to open, with priority given to low-income kids who have experienced severe learning loss during distance learning.

So why hasn’t Los Angeles Unified opened its doors to these high-needs kids, including English Learners, kids with disabilities and the youngest learners for whom distance learning not only isn’t working but is causing, in many cases, tremendous suffering?

As The New York Times reported Thursday, it all goes back to a clause that LAUSD agreed to in the deal it struck with the United Teachers Los Angeles union right before the start of the school year. A little-noticed clause in that deal (see No. 1 under Compensation, Evaluation, Benefits and Leaves) specified that no employees could be required to return to campus until it was deemed safe for all employees to return or unless a new bargaining agreement was reached.

LAUSD Board members are now saying campuses will not reopen before January in large part because that agreement with the teachers extends until the end of the calendar year.

Much could hinge on the outcome of Tuesday’s school board elections. UTLA is now bargaining with LAUSD on the terms of reopening and is claiming that it’s unsafe to reopen for small groups of high-needs kids, despite the Los Angeles County Health Department saying otherwise.

UTLA funded the campaigns of the current four-member school board majority, including current Board President Richard Vladovic (BD7), but Vladovic is retiring, and Scott Schmerelson (BD3), another of the four, is running to keep his seat.

If teacher/attorney Tanya Ortiz Franklin wins Vladovic’s open seat, or if parent and Granada Hills High employee Marilyn Koziatek unseats Schmerelson in the San Fernando Valley, then the balance of power on the school board could shift.

A new board, without a majority of members whose campaigns were funded by UTLA, would be more likely to have arms-length negotiations with the union and, perhaps, more willing to balance employee interests with those of students and parents.

Both Ortiz Franklin and Koziatek, who are endorsed by Speak UP, have voiced support for allowing the highest-needs kids to return to campus.

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Props 15 and 16 Are Good for Kids

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Props 15 and 16 Are Good for Kids

By voting yes on Propositions 15 and 16, Californians have the opportunity to improve K-12 public education, particularly for the state’s lowest-performing students. This is critically important, especially now with all the learning loss resulting from campus closures during Covid-19, which has had an outsized effect on students of color.

Study after study has shown that educational inequity impacts every aspect of our public education system. Prop 16 helps to fix this.

Even while California’s population grew more diverse, eventually becoming the most diverse state in the nation, equal opportunity to access a quality public education was cut off by Prop 209. The proposition was touted as an anti-discriminatory protection when it passed nearly a quarter century ago. In reality, it had the exact opposite effect, banning any consideration of race, ethnicity or gender in programs closing achievement gaps. As a result, students and student groups who consistently fall below grade level do not receive the support they need.

It’s a particularly perverse result of Prop 209 that we are able to see data on student performance -- year after year we are still failing Black and Latinx kids -- but we aren’t able to meaningfully respond.

“The state’s hands have really been tied around our back in terms of being able to target some of the lowest-performing student groups,” said Dr. Elisha SmitArillaga, Director of Ed Trust West, on a recent This Week in California Education podcast. “Having Prop 16 is going to be a really important tool to be able to target funds to the students who need it most, which now, without Prop 16, we’re really unable to do.”

Of course, the state budget determines to a large extent what districts and individual schools have the resources to do. That’s where Prop 15 comes into play, which goes hand in hand with Prop 16.

As a result of Covid, California is facing one of the worst economic crises since the Great Depression. We have already seen significant cuts to public education and social services. Given the state’s projected $8.7 billion deficit, more cuts are likely on the way. Those discussions, in fact, have already begun in Sacramento.

Prop 15, the Schools and Communities First Initiative, will counter some of these negative effects and help California once again become an education leader. It will do this without impacting homeowners or renters. It also maintains full Prop 13 protections for small businesses and businesses owning $3 million or less of nonresidential commercial property. What it does do is close corporate tax loopholes.

Currently, billions of dollars in property taxes are lost because the wealthiest corporations and industries aren’t paying their fair share. Since Prop 13 passed in 1978, the residential share of property taxes has skyrocketed from 55% to 72%. Prop 15 is a balanced reform that closes these tax loopholes by requiring nonresidential commercial properties to be assessed based on their actual fair market value.

The passage of Prop 15 would bring in an estimated $8 to $12.5 billion in additional funds annually. Sixty percent of that would go to cities, counties, and special districts for community improvements. Forty percent would go to schools and community colleges, with the exact allocation determined by enrollment figures. These funds, in conjunction with the passage of Prop 16, will positively impact thousands of K-12 California students.

The California Teachers Association estimates that LAUSD will receive roughly $360 million a year if Prop 15 passes. Prop 15 brings more funding to all public schools, including independent charter schools.

Voting yes on Prop 16 will reverse the ban on equal opportunity policies so that every Californian, regardless of race, ethnicity or gender, has access to great schools and a great education. Voting yes on Prop 15 will close the loopholes wealthy corporations and industries use to avoid paying their fair share of property taxes that help fund our public schools. Voting yes on both Props 15 and 16 is good for our kids today, and for a brighter, more equitable future for all Californians.

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Schmerelson’s Campaign Rep Calls Opponent Marilyn Koziatek a 'Dumb Blond,' a Pattern of Sexism from Board Member Schmerelson That Damages Girls Like My Daughter

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Schmerelson’s Campaign Rep Calls Opponent Marilyn Koziatek a 'Dumb Blond,' a Pattern of Sexism from Board Member Schmerelson That Damages Girls Like My Daughter

As the mother of a daughter in middle school, I know first-hand that the messages our girls receive from education leaders make a critical difference in their lives. Those messages can either build up or tear down their confidence, signaling to them what place girls and women hold in our society. It’s one reason we chose a single-sex STEM school, LAUSD’s Dr. Michelle King’s Girls Academic Leadership Academy, for our daughter -- to empower her and shield her from the harmful messages about gender roles that society still sends to women in 2020.

So imagine my dismay to see that Scott Schmerelson, a current member of the Board of Education who is up for reelection in the San Fernando Valley on Nov. 3, and his campaign representatives, have been sending appallingly sexist and retrograde messages to girls like my daughter and women leaders everywhere.

Last week, a campaign representative for Schmerelson, someone who appeared in one of his recent online campaign ads, posted a message on Schmerelson’s Facebook page calling his opponent in the race a “dumb blond.” Schmerelson has allowed the message to remain posted publicly on his page for more than a week.

A dumb blond? Really? Let’s put aside Marilyn Koziatek’s obvious qualifications as someone with a business degree from USC, the chair of the Education Committee for the Valley Industry Commerce Association and a member of the 38th Assembly Education Advisory Committee. Not to mention the fact that she’s on the leadership team of one of the most successful high schools in the state of California and the only candidate in the race who currently works at a school during this pandemic.

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Speak UP Endorses Change Candidates Marilyn Koziatek and Tanya Ortiz Franklin

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Speak UP Endorses Change Candidates Marilyn Koziatek and Tanya Ortiz Franklin

The Los Angeles Unified school board elections in Districts 3 and 7 present a clear choice between change and the status quo. The current four-member board majority, captive to adult employee special interest groups, enacted distance learning plans without any parent input that resulted in massive and discriminatory inequities against our most vulnerable Black and Latino students, low-income kids, English Learners and kids with disabilities.

The current board majority allowed Los Angeles Unified to violate federal law and stop serving the majority of kids with disabilities after campuses closed in the spring. It also made live teaching optional, which led to schools falling entirely out of touch with thousands of high-needs kids during the pandemic, creating potentially irreparable learning loss.

Six months later, LAUSD and the board are simply ignoring the Los Angeles County Board of Public Health’s recent order allowing schools to safely reopen for small cohorts of kids with disabilities and English Learners, because United Teachers Los Angeles opposes it. UTLA is even actively discouraging its members from volunteering to help high-needs kids 1:1 after school.

Despite persistent calls from parents, the current board also failed to hold a single public meeting to discuss the terms of distance learning this fall until a week before school started and after an agreement with UTLA was already reached. Instead, the board spent hours and hours on divisive politicking and devising new rules intended to scapegoat and harm the minority of students who attend public nonprofit charter schools in order to distract the public from its failures to properly serve the 80% of kids attending district schools.

Parents currently hold no power within LAUSD, and the only way to change this dynamic and get students the education they deserve is to vote in a kids-first board majority that is not beholden to and controlled by adult employee special interest groups. We have a chance to tip the balance of power this fall and create change by electing qualified candidates who are independent and able to have arms-length negotiations with the employee groups they are charged with overseeing.

We need candidates who are responsive to parent concerns and who support giving parents a seat at the table in the decision-making process. Those two candidates are parent and school leader Marilyn Koziatek in District 3 in the West San Fernando Valley, and educator and attorney Tanya Ortiz Franklin in District 7, which runs from South L.A. to San Pedro. Speak UP enthusiastically endorses Koziatek and Ortiz Franklin in the Nov. 3 election.

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L.A. School Board Candidate Tanya Ortiz Franklin: Highest-Need Kids ‘Get the Short End of the Stick. We Can Do Better By Them.’

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L.A. School Board Candidate Tanya Ortiz Franklin: Highest-Need Kids ‘Get the Short End of the Stick. We Can Do Better By Them.’

Tanya Ortiz Franklin is an educator and attorney who works for the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, serving 18 of L.A. Unified’s highest-need schools. She taught English and history for five years at Stephen White middle school and now focuses on restorative justice, social emotional learning and teacher and principal coaching. She grew up in District 7, which runs from South L.A. to San Pedro, and graduated from Narbonne High, Columbia University and UCLA School of Law. She is running for the open seat to replace retiring Board President Richard Vladovic.

Speak UP: The entire education landscape has shifted since we interviewed you in February. Can you talk about the significance of the period we’re in right now?

Tanya: In crisis, there are opportunities. And that is both for the physical health pandemic and the racial justice uprising. In crises, people's deepest values come out, and you find what matters most to you and center it in your decision-making. So, as hard as it is for lots of families, this educational moment is a real opportunity to home in on what we care most about and figure out a way to make it happen for kids and families. For example, when the physical schools closed back in March, L.A. Unified was really clear that we are feeding everyone and we are going to try to get devices to everyone, and that for me was like, yes.

We’re now a few months in, and we’ve learned some lessons, and some things we haven’t. In some ways, there is still a desire to "go back to the way things were." I don’t think that is the right way to look at it. We evolve and change, and transformation is a good thing. We should be thinking about how to address not just the health issues, but also the racial injustice issues. That can happen through distance learning. As much as we might not think that this is the way that it happens best, it’s the way that it is happening now. So in a nutshell, it is an opportunity.

Speak UP: Are families at the Partnership schools where you worked all connected now and able to access their learning?

Tanya: No, absolutely not. Families that had struggled already financially, they are still unable to access. It’s a beast of a project, honestly, to make sure that every kid has a working device. But connectivity is a whole other issue. Are all the kids learning or at least connecting to learning in the way that I would hope? We are not there yet.

Speak UP: There is also the issue of childcare for families juggling work, especially work outside the home, with young children. They can’t be there to help their kids. How are those families managing?

Tanya: Well at the Partnership, the Parent College outreach team spent time this summer calling about 1,000 families asking what got in the way of students’ learning. Devices and connectivity were upwards of 30%. The other thing parents revealed to us is [that] even more than parents, students were relying on their siblings to help them access learning. You can imagine the additional burden on older students, even upper elementary students helping their younger siblings at home.

Speak UP: It is really unfair. We did a survey that uncovered huge inequities in distance learning in the spring in terms of the amount of live instruction and the amount of teacher contact based on race, socioeconomics, English Learner and disability status. To what extent do you believe that inequity was a result of the agreement with UTLA that made live teaching optional?

Tanya: I think there was an intention that had some unintended consequences. The intention was, "Let us take care of our staff and make sure they are healthy and well and can meet all of the demands of this moment." And yet, months later into spring, we lost kids. We just straight [up] had no communication with [some] kids and families. Even now, you would assume that six months in we would have figured this out and had a clear plan. But classroom-to-classroom, things are really different. The agreement had some intentions of taking care of the adults, but had some hard consequences for kids.

Speak UP: In both the spring and fall agreements, parents didn’t have a seat at the table or any input. Should parents have a role in this process?

Tanya: Absolutely, and we have given lip service to it for a very long time. I definitely think that is an area of growth for our district. We have a culture in L.A. Unified of talking at or to parents or the public, not a real two-way communication where we are listening and incorporating feedback. We have a long way to go before it feels like a reciprocal relationship between families and district decision-makers.

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LAUSD Board Candidate and Mom Marilyn Koziatek Discusses Challenges of Distance Learning and the Politics of Reopening Schools

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LAUSD Board Candidate and Mom Marilyn Koziatek Discusses Challenges of Distance Learning and the Politics of Reopening Schools

Marilyn Koziatek is the mother of two kids who attend their LAUSD neighborhood elementary school, and she’s part of the leadership team at Granada Hills Charter High School. She’s running for the school Board seat in District 3, which includes the West San Fernando Valley, Van Nuys, Studio City and North Hollywood. Our first interview, which took place prior to the pandemic, can be found here.

Speak UP: The education landscape has shifted completely since we spoke in January. How is distance learning working for your kids this fall? Marilyn Koziatek: I have a second grader and a fourth grader, and my local school has wonderful leadership. Our principal is a visionary, and she has a really dedicated group of teachers. They have done a phenomenal job. One of the unique things they did was they kept my second grader’s first-grade class intact. They just moved them all up into second grade. That was great because of that sense of isolation our children are experiencing right now. So when they log on, it is people they already know because they went to school with them last year when we were in person. With that, they went above and beyond, and I have seen a level of organization and curriculum development for my fourth grader that has astounded me. It is almost like a college-level type of organization, which I really appreciate because as parents, we are in charge of keeping them on pace. We are so integral to this process.

Speak UP: How are you juggling your job on campus at Granada Hills High with your kids’ distance learning?

Marilyn: My husband is home two days a week working remotely, but we have to put them in daycare the other three days. To be clear, my daycare is one I am paying for. My school I work for is not providing employee daycare, and I don’t have access to the district childcare because I am not a district employee. I have the ability to pay for it, but that is not the case for the majority of our students in LAUSD. So it’s very difficult. I’ve even heard stories where some essential workers have sent their children to other states to be with grandparents because there was no daycare option. But they are still LAUSD students. It’s a crisis.

Speak UP: Parents are confused why it’s safe to have employees’ kids on campus and parks and recreation centers open for supervised distance learning but not to have others kids on campus for childcare or teachers teaching kids.

Marilyn: I agree with the confusion.

Speak UP: What do you think about the L.A. County Health Department’s decision to allow schools to reopen for kids with disabilities and English Learners and UTLA's contention that it’s not safe.

Marilyn: I believe that science needs to lead this discussion, and we have to rely on our epidemiologists and our public health officials. So when they say that it is safe, with risk mitigations in place, we have to believe them.

Speak UP: Recently, a recording came out of Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer saying schools will not reopen before the November elections. There is a concern that some decisions are more political than scientific.

Marilyn: The concern about politicizing this crisis is a real one. That is one of the reasons why I am running, because I don’t think politicizing this process for our kids is healthy for anyone. As a board member, the lens I am always going to be looking at is, instead of some sort of political agenda, how this is impacting our children and our students, which is our North Star, and make our decisions from there.

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Speak UP to Co-Host LAUSD School Board Candidate Forum

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Speak UP to Co-Host LAUSD School Board Candidate Forum

LAUSD parent and Granada Hills Charter High School leader Marilyn Koziatek will face off against incumbent LAUSD Board Member Scott Schmerelson Wednesday, Sept. 23 in the first joint appearance at a candidate forum for the general election in District 3, the West San Fernando Valley.

Telemundo anchor and reporter Sandra O’Neill will moderate the forum, co-hosted by Speak UP, the League of Women Voters Los Angeles, NALEO Education Fund, Our Turn, Our Voice: Communities for Quality Education, and the L.A. Coalition for Excellent Public Schools. Parents are invited to RSVP to the 6 p.m. online forum here: http://bit.ly/BD3FORUM2020.

The school board elections in District 3 and District 7, which runs from Watts down through Gardena to San Pedro, are expected to be a referendum on the current state of education during the pandemic, which has exposed vast inequities in terms of access to quality Wi-Fi, technology and teaching time depending on race, income and disability status.

The League of Women Voters, Speak UP and other partners had hoped to hold a similar candidate forum for the open board seat in District 7 to replace Board President Richard Vladovic. However, only one candidate -- educator and attorney Tanya Ortiz Franklin – was available to attend. Patricia Castellanos, a workforce deputy, had a scheduling conflict.

As a result, Speak UP, Alliance for a Better Community, Innovate Public Schools, NALEO Education Fund, Our Turn, Our Voice: Communities for Quality Education, and the L.A. Coalition for Excellent Public School will host a virtual meet and greet with Ortiz Franklin on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. RSVP to that meet and greet here

The campaign season kicked off on Thursday night with a student-led candidate forum hosted by the ACLU and Loyola Marymount University. Only Koziatek and Ortiz Franklin attended and addressed questions about education equity, special education services during the pandemic, school police funding and mental health services.

Responding to a question about services for kids with disabilities, Ortiz Franklin said “It’s frustrating, it’s disappointing and it’s unfair” that LAUSD is not yet assessing students for disabilities. Where public health officials have said it’s safe, she said schools should be trying to get kids with disabilities back on campus in small groups to receive services.

Likewise, Koziatek called it an “injustice” and said there is “no longer an excuse” for students with disabilities to not be receiving federally mandated services.

UTLA, which has endorsed their opponents, has said it is unwilling to allow special education teachers back on campus to help high-needs kids until it’s safe for all students to return for classes.

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With Runoffs Expected in School Board District 3 and 7 Races, Schmerelson Likely to Face Koziatek in November

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With Runoffs Expected in School Board District 3 and 7 Races, Schmerelson Likely to Face Koziatek in November

Votes are still being counted in the Los Angeles Unified school board races, but results as of Friday suggest incumbent District 3 Board Member Scott Schmerelson will likely head to a November runoff against parent and school leader Marilyn Koziatek in the San Fernando Valley, while workforce deputy Patricia Castellanos will face teacher and attorney Tanya Ortiz Franklin for the open seat in BD7.

Meanwhile, District 5 Board member Jackie Goldberg is expected to win reelection in Southeast and Northeast L.A, and District 1 incumbent George McKenna won reelection with no opponent on the ballot.

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Fielding Parent Questions Solo at BD5 Forum, Goldberg Prioritizes Special Ed, But Cautions Parents Not To Expect Achievement Gap to Close in Coming Years

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Fielding Parent Questions Solo at BD5 Forum, Goldberg Prioritizes Special Ed, But Cautions Parents Not To Expect Achievement Gap to Close in Coming Years

More than 100 parents packed the L.A. Unified Board District 5 candidate forum in Cudahy Tuesday night to hear how the two candidates running in the March 3 primary would represent schools in Southeast Los Angeles and parts of the Northeast, including Silver Lake, Echo Park and Los Feliz.

Only one candidate, the incumbent Board member Jackie Goldberg, showed up to answer questions from parents, and she did not have encouraging words about the prospects of raising the achievement of the vast majority of students who live in the Southeast part of her district, more than 90 percent of whom are Latino, and 85 percent of whom live in poverty.

“We cannot make promises that we cannot keep,” she said when asked whether LAUSD will close the achievement gap for low-income and Latino students by 2023, the goal of a resolution passed by the board in 2018, before she joined the board.

“We just don’t have the resources to do it,” she added. “When you don’t have a 15-20 student class size in the elementary schools, you’re not closing the gap. We have not been closing the achievement gap in the last two years, and we just don’t have resources to close the gap in 2023.”

Goldberg answered questions from a panel that included Speak UP parent leader Laura Gutierrez, on a variety of topics such as special education training for teachers, giving undocumented parents the right to vote in school board elections and the Student Equity Needs Index used to directs more funding to high-needs schools.

Goldberg’s opponent, Dr. Christina Martinez Duran, did not attend the community forum hosted by Speak UP, Families in Schools, Parent Revolution, Innovate Public Schools - Los Angeles, Alliance for a Better Community, SELA Collaborative, United Way of Greater Los Angeles and Los Angeles Coalition for Excellent Public Schools.

Duran’s representative, Isaac Escobar, read a statement on her behalf, excusing Duran for not attending the forum explaining that she was available for the forum’s original date, Feb. 12. The date was changed to accommodate Goldberg’s schedule, and both candidates had originally agreed to the new date.

“My promise was to be here with you on Feb. 12, and as promised, I was here with my campaign’s staff to receive those community members that had not been notified of the new date,” said Duran’s statement. “As a Latina educator and administrator, I want to serve our 90 percent Latino student population here in District 5, as I support their education, parents and the community.”

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School Board Candidate Tanya Ortiz Franklin's Mission: Get More Kids to College

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School Board Candidate Tanya Ortiz Franklin's Mission: Get More Kids to College

Tanya Ortiz Franklin is an educator and attorney who works for the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. She taught English and history for five years at Stephen White middle school, and she now focuses on restorative justice, social emotional learning and teacher and principal coaching at 18 high-needs LAUSD schools. She grew up in District 7, which runs from South L.A. to San Pedro, and she graduated from Narbonne High, Columbia University and UCLA School of Law. 

Speak UP: Tell us about yourself and why you’re running for school board.

Tanya: My story, as with lots of folks, starts with my mom. She immigrated to this country as a kid from Ciudad Juarez in Mexico. I'm grateful she immigrated nearly 60 years ago because had it been today, she likely would've been caged and separated from her family. Like so many others, my grandfather moved my mom and her siblings to the U.S. for educational and economic opportunity. My mom came to California, raised me by herself in Lomita.

My parents separated when I was really young, so I would go to my Dad's house, and I have step-brothers who grew up in Redondo and Palos Verdes. So even as a kid, I was already seeing differences in different communities based on resources. I went to L.A. Unified,  [graduated from] Narbonne High School in Harbor City. So District 7 is home for me. When I went to L.A. Unified, I was tested for gifted and [was] therefore tracked.

It was hugely important because it set me up for a path really different from the majority of my peers. In middle school, I was in honors classes. In high school, I was in AP classes, and I went to a magnet high school within my local school. So the conversation about college definitely happened in my classes, but it didn't happen everywhere. I asked our assistant principal how many freshmen we had, compared to how many are graduating? And he said, we were about 1,000 when we came in and about 420 when we graduated. At 17, I knew that wasn't right. That wasn't fair.

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School Board Candidate Silke Bradford: 'I Have a Natural Tenacity and Desire for Justice That Fuels Me'

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School Board Candidate Silke Bradford: 'I Have a Natural Tenacity and Desire for Justice That Fuels Me'

Silke Bradford has worked as a teacher, assistant principal and principal in South L.A. and Compton. She currently works as a charter school authorizer in the Compton Unified School District, a position she previously held at the Los Angeles County Office of Education and Oakland Unified. She has a doctorate of education in leadership and policy, and she successfully advocated for the state assembly to mandate that charter schools serve free and reduced lunch to low-income students. She’s running for school board in District 7, which runs from South L.A. down to San Pedro.

Speak UP: Tell us who you are and why you’re running for school board.

Silke Bradford: I'm a lifelong educator. I started in education while in college, working with the [California] Special Education Hearing office, which was personal because my brother had Down Syndrome. Teaching became my focus because one of my professors was a principal [who] created a position for me. In Stockton, I was an in-school suspension teacher, in response to the Office of Civil Rights rulings about over-suspension.

What I found, at 21, arriving at a middle school in South Stockton, was that the kids were being made to copy dictionary pages. I get into Ed code about in-school suspension, make copies, go to the next faculty meeting. I was like, “I just wanted to let you guys know that Ed code says that when students are in suspension, they can not only make up the work that they're missing, but also the assessments.”  

They were not getting an education, and it almost became a reward. “Oh, you don't want to be held accountable and be in class? Go to in-school suspension, where you can hang out with your other friends.” My Dad was in the military. He was never rigid, but for some reason as a teacher, I was like, “OK, everyone has to sit separately. We're going to walk single-file from the cafeteria to the library. You cannot talk to your friends, the most you can do is a head nod.” I was going overboard, as a 21-year-old teacher, but interestingly, it was a success. I also did home visits. That really had an impact. Except two kids who kept coming. I'm like, “Why are you here again? ” They said, “Miss, I get more work done at in-school suspension than I do in my classroom.” 

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District 7 Candidate Mike Lansing Promises to Bring 'Voice of Reason’ to 'Dysfunctional’ L.A. School Board

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District 7 Candidate Mike Lansing Promises to Bring 'Voice of Reason’ to 'Dysfunctional’ L.A. School Board

Mike Lansing, CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor, worked as an educator for more than 17 years and represented District 7 on the LAUSD school board from 1999-2007. He is running for the open seat to replace retiring School Board president Richard Vladovic, representing San Pedro, Wilmington, Harbor City, Lomita, Gardena, Carson, Florence and Watts.

Speak UP: Can you tell us about yourself and why are you running for school board again? 

Mike: Sure. I was born and raised in San Pedro, graduated from San Pedro High School, business finance undergraduate degree, and then earned my teaching credential and Masters in School Administration here at Cal State Dominguez Hills while working full-time. Seventeen plus years as an educator. Middle School Math teacher, athletic director, assistant principal. The last 25 years, I've been the CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor. 

We've grown from one site when I started to 20 sites now. We focus on the kids that need us the most. My nonprofit experience has been around academic support for mainly students of color and poverty-level students: 95% of my members are children of color, and 85% of them are free and reduced lunch eligible. We built programs, the main one being our College Bound program, which is a college pathway support program. We focus on high school kids because I truly believe we're not putting enough effort and resources to help them finish that first leg of their race, which is high school graduation, and then, what's the plan beyond?

My whole life has been working for children. I'm running because the school district is facing some serious challenges both fiscally and in terms of the amount of resources we're prioritizing for our students, especially students in some of our most disenfranchised communities.  

Either we make some really tough and correct decisions over the next three to five years, or the district could find itself bankrupt. We need people on the school board that are willing to stand up for students first and make tough decisions. This is not a stepping stone for another position. I think I was a voice of reason when I was on the school board previously, and I hope to bring that back to what is probably one of the most dysfunctional boards I've seen in a long time. We're talking about charter schools when we have so many other issues that are real issues. We have to change that voice and that dynamic.  

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Christina Martinez Duran, LAUSD Board District 5 Candidate: 'Parents Have Been Ignored and Dismissed'

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Christina Martinez Duran, LAUSD Board District 5 Candidate: 'Parents Have Been Ignored and Dismissed'

Dr. Christina Martinez Duran has an extensive resume as an educator, administrator, auditor and educational consultant for both traditional and charter public schools. She’s running in the March 3 LAUSD school board primary election against incumbent Jackie Goldberg to represent Board District 5, which includes Southeast and Northeast Los Angeles. She holds an undergraduate degree in accounting, a doctorate in educational leadership and administration, and she’s credentialed as a reading specialist, administrator and bilingual multiple subject educator. She has also worked as a special projects director for Compton Unified School District, which included parent advocacy projects. She volunteers her time evaluating schools seeking WASC [Western Association of Schools and Colleges] accreditation. 

Speak UP: Tell us a little bit about yourself, and why you are running for school board. 

Christina: I'm running because after seeing how our children and parents are being treated at a recent board meeting, I realize that we need our voices to be heard. Children have put their voices out there with pleas and concerns, and they've been ignored. Parents have been ignored and dismissed when they speak. And today, I feel that same urgency to step forward and be at the table on behalf of our children and families. I believe I will be the strongest leader for our students in District 5. I have lived in the district for 20 years. I have over 30 years of educational experience as a teacher and educator. 

I feel that this is my calling. I grew up in a time when we were not allowed to speak Spanish in our school. We were sent home if we spoke Spanish. And sometimes I find myself feeling that challenge: “Can I speak Spanish? Is it okay to speak Spanish in this environment?” I totally believe that second languages should be encouraged. They are absolutely what our students need to expand on. It should not be a penalty or, “Oh my goodness, they're Long Term English learners or whatever.” We have to find another way to address our students who are learning English.

Speak UP: Do you think it's important that BD5 has a Latino representative or someone who speaks Spanish?

Christina: I believe that it's critical. As I went out picking up signatures [to qualify for the ballot], going from family to family, I have been able to hear their voices, hear them say, “Please represent us on this, we are asking you.” And then saying, "When you get there, don't forget us because we don't have a voice here in this area." 

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Everything You Need to Know About L.A.'s New Voting System

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Everything You Need to Know About L.A.'s New Voting System

Busy parents should have a much easier time than usual voting in the upcoming March 3 presidential primary and school board elections. 

Gone are the days of having to find your polling place or rushing to vote before work, while juggling school drop-off on election day. 

Voters will now have 11 consecutive days starting Feb. 22 to cast their ballots in person at any of the nearly 1000 new vote centers across Los Angeles County.

Instead of marking bubbles on paper, you’ll now be casting votes on state-of-the art digital touchscreen tablets, which then print out paper ballots that are submitted and counted. 

The devices are equipped to serve voters in 13 languages and are fully accessible for those with disabilities. For those worried about security, the devices are not connected to the Internet so there’s no danger of hacking or identity theft. 

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LAUSD BD3 Candidate Marilyn Koziatek: Parents ‘want a voice and a seat at the table’

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LAUSD BD3 Candidate Marilyn Koziatek: Parents ‘want a voice and a seat at the table’

Marilyn Koziatek is the mother of two young boys who attend their neighborhood elementary school in Chatsworth, and she’s part of the leadership team at Granada Hills Charter High School. She also chairs the Education Committee for the Valley Industry Commerce Association and sits on the 38th Assembly Education Advisory Committee. She’s running for the LAUSD Board seat for District 3, which includes most of the West San Fernando Valley as well as Van Nuys, Studio City and North Hollywood.

Speak UP: Tell us about yourself and why you're running for school board.

Marilyn Koziatek: Professionally, I lead the community outreach department for Granada Hills Charter High School. I've been doing that for many years. I'm in charge of the staff that works on parent engagement, parent empowerment. I build relationships in the community with our civic groups and corporate groups, to be a link between the students and the community for internships and volunteer opportunities. I also do grant writing to bring resources to the classroom, and I manage our digital assets like our mobile app.

I'm also the mom of two little boys, 6 and 8 years old, who go to our neighborhood LAUSD public school in Chatsworth. We love it. My kids have really been able to thrive there.

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LAUSD Board District 3 Candidate Elizabeth Badger: 'It’s time we have someone who cares about our children’

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LAUSD Board District 3 Candidate Elizabeth Badger: 'It’s time we have someone who cares about our children’

Elizabeth Badger is a candidate for the LAUSD Board of Education in District 3, which includes much of the San Fernando Valley. She is the mother of six children, a small business owner in Canoga Park and the founder of the nonprofit Minority Outreach Committee. She serves on the board of the North Los Angeles County Regional Center and has been elected to seven terms on the Los Angeles County Democratic Party Central Committee. She ran for the same office in 2015 and placed fourth.

Speak UP: Tell us about yourself and why are you running for school board?

Elizabeth Badger: I am running because I know I can do good work and make a difference in the lives of our children. As you know, in L.A. Unified, our children are continuing to fail, and we need new leadership. Not only do I think that, parents think that. It's really time that we have someone who cares about our children. It's also important that we have a qualified LAUSD parent on that board, and we don't. There's nothing wrong with old men. There’s a lot of old men up there in our district who never had children. Not that that's a criteria, but it's important to know what children are about.

Speak UP: The District 3 incumbent, Scott Schmerelson, is not a parent.

Elizabeth: I know that he's been a school teacher, but you know, that's a job. That is not the same thing as day-in, day-out parenting. I have a supporter, he has children with special needs and he was like, "I would never vote for somebody who hasn't walked the hallways in the middle of the night with their children, people who don't understand what it feels like, even as they get older, to pace the floor, to wait for them to come home and worry about their safety.” And I'm like, "You are so right." It is so true. Being a parent is really important.  

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Meet the Candidates Running in the 2020 School Board Elections

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Meet the Candidates Running in the 2020 School Board Elections

Voters will decide on four LAUSD school board seats, including the seat in District 1, where Board Member George McKenna will appear alone on the ballot but will face a write-in candidate, Michael Batie, president of the Los Angeles Council of Black Engineers. Batie filed as a write-in candidate after parent challenger Tunette Powell determined there was no legal path to getting on the ballot and declined to launch a write-in campaign herself.

Five candidates are running for an open seat in District 7 currently held by Board President Richard Vladovic, who is retiring. Incumbents Scott Schmerelson (BD3) and Jackie Goldberg (BD5) are also running for reelection.

Like McKenna, Goldberg has only one challenger, educator Christina Martinez Duran, so the races in BD1 and BD5 will be decided in March. If no one gets 50% of the vote in board districts 3 or 7, though, then runoffs will be held on Nov. 3, the same day as the presidential general election.

Previous school board races have not aligned with presidential elections, and turnout typically has been low. In a huge Blue Wave presidential election year, turnout is expected to surge in 2020, and the outcome could shape the direction of the school board for years to come.

In fact, we’ve seen that a change in just one board seat can dramatically alter the course of the board. The addition of Goldberg this year, for instance, led to the board dismantling a new system to let parents know how well all schools are serving kids on the eve of its launch, which the board had supported in a 6-1 vote just last year.  

Here’s a look at the new candidates who have qualified for the ballot:

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Parents Powell and Ragsdale Plan to Challenge City Clerk’s Decision Not to Qualify Them For LAUSD School Board Ballot

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Parents Powell and Ragsdale Plan to Challenge City Clerk’s Decision Not to Qualify Them For LAUSD School Board Ballot

Parents Tunette Powell and Kenchy Ragsdale plan to challenge the Los Angeles City Clerk’s decision this week that their signatures were insufficient to qualify for the ballot in their LAUSD school Board races.

If Powell’s challenge falls short, the incumbent District 1 Board Member George McKenna will run unopposed in 2020.

“We are planning to fight the City Clerk’s insufficient decision today,” Powell posted on Facebook. “We sincerely believe that the District 1 incumbent should not run unopposed. We owe it to our Village to fight. And we will.”

Powell turned in 663 signatures last Monday, two days before the filing deadline, but did not hear back from the City Clerk for an entire week that just 378 them were valid. She needed 500 to qualify. Had the City Clerk reviewed her petitions sooner, she may have had time to gather more signatures before the Dec. 4 filing deadline.

In fact, one City Council candidate, Bill Haller, filed his signatures the same day as Powell, learned the next day that they were insufficient and had time to gather enough additional signatures to get on the ballot.

Ragsdale learned Wednesday evening that he had fallen just eight signatures short of qualifying in his race against incumbent Scott Schmerelson in District 3. "I'm just stunned," Ragsdale told Speak UP. "We worked so hard, and to fall eight signatures short seems unfathomable. We’re going to examine every possible legal option to challenge this decision. The stakes are just too high to give up when the needs of L.A.’s kids are so great.”

He pointed out that congressional candidates need just 40 signatures to get on the ballot if they pay a fee of $1,700, he said. “How is getting on the ballot to give the kids of Los Angeles a better chance at an education more difficult than qualifying to run for Congress?” Ragsdale asked.

Two other candidates in District 3, Marilyn Koziatek and Elizabeth Bartels-Badger, did qualify for the ballot in the race against Schmerelson.

The City Clerk will release a final candidate list on Monday, Dec. 16. The only way a candidate can contest the ballot qualification decision is through legal action, said a spokeswoman for the City Clerk’s office.

“We won’t let this stop us,” Powell told Speak UP in an interview. “Whatever we have to do, we are committed to doing. Our village deserves more, deserves a candidate who really is here for the people. That hope for something better is where the fight in me lies.”

Powell, whose kids attend LAUSD’s Baldwin Hills elementary, is a doctoral candidate at UCLA in Urban Schooling and program director of the UCLA Parent Project, focused on building parent engagement among historically marginalized parents of color.

Ragsdale is the father of a child with special needs and the founder of the Kids Not Politics education advocacy organization. He serves as treasurer of the board of iLead California and president of the board of the foundation supporting his child’s school, Santa Clarita Valley International Charter.

Teacher Maria Del Pilar Avalos learned on Tuesday that her signatures were also insufficient to qualify for the ballot in District 5. However, Christina Martinez Duran has qualified to run against incumbent Jackie Goldberg.

 All five candidates who filed petitions to run for the open seat in District 7 have qualified for the ballot: Mike Lansing, Silke Bradford, Tanya Ortiz Franklin, Patricia Castellanos and Lydia Gutierrez.

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