UTLA and SEIU Backed Candidates Get Ready To Battle in LAUSD Board Runoff Race

12Mar
by Leticia Chavez-Garcia

Heather Repenning, a former public works commissioner, has taken the lead for 2nd place in the LAUSD School Board Race.  Although ballots still remain to be counted, the majority of the ballots have already been counted and place Repenning in 2nd place behind top vote-getter and UTLA sponsored candidate, Jackie Goldberg.  

The fact that UTLA went all in for Jackie Goldberg is interesting because Local 99 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) went all in on Repenning.  That means that a runoff between these two would be a face-off between these two powerful Los Angeles unions.

Repenning has characterized herself as a centrist without close ties either to charter school supporters or the teachers union. That said, SEIU spent well over $1 million dollars in support of Repenning. Local 99 represents non-teaching employees — about 30,000 workers including bus drivers, cafeteria workers, building and grounds workers, teaching assistants and unarmed campus security aides.  Local 99 is also being criticized by the teachers union for accepting a $100,000.00 donation from billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad. (I really just want to insert a SMH emoji here.) Because, hey, it’s only ok for UTLA to buy candidates for school board!

Soon we will see if Repenning’s lead really does hold up, and she will go toe to toe with Jackie Goldberg, the recycled school board member from circa 1983.

What do you think?

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Leticia Chavez-Garcia

Leticia Chavez-Garcia is a Mother, Grandmother, former Middle School Teacher, former Member of a School Board of Education and an Education Advocate for hundreds of parents and students in the Inland Empire. Having become a mother at 15, Leticia knows what it’s like to be a single mother trying to navigate the education system. Leticia received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science and Public Administration from California Baptist University and a Masters’ Degree in Education Technology from Cal State Fullerton in her 30’s. Leticia has used her knowledge and experience to help hundreds of families as an Education Advocate in the Inland Empire and currently works as an Education Specialist.

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