February 28, 2013
Local News & Culture Marina del Rey
Westchester
Free S a n ta M o n i c a
P l aya d e l R e y
P l aya V i s t a
M a r V i s ta
Del Rey
VenicE
LAUSD Election:
Making the case for choice
KATE ANDERSON, who has lived in Mar Vista since 2004 and has twin daughters in elementary school, says she has the background to challenge the status quo on the LAUSD Board of Education.
LAUSD Board Member Steve Zimmer says wealthy supporters of his opponent are “trying to buy complete and total control of the school board.”
Role as parent, ex-political staffer seen as advantage for Anderson in District 4
Zimmer seeks another four years in what some call a ‘choice’ election
By Vince Echavaria Kate Anderson envisions a Los Angeles Unified School District where every parent is given the choice to send their child to the school that best fits their needs. As a parent of twin daughters, she believes she has the perspective currently lacking on the LAUSD Board of Education to help ensure that parents can be pleased with the local school their child attends. Noting that providing those educational opportunities requires working with groups on different sides, Anderson points to her political experience as a former staff member in the offices of Rep. Henry Waxman and Rep. Jane Harman, saying she learned how to bring people together in the political world. The Mar Vista resident addition-
By Gary Walker When Steven Zimmer ran for the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education in 2009, he was aware of, but could not predict how the demands for “choice” by parents involved in the charter school movement would occupy his time in managing the nuances between respecting their educational decisions as well as honoring those who were rebuilding their neighborhood schools. When he decided to seek reelection last year in District 4, the school board member did not anticipate that he would be doing so against a well-funded opponent and the backdrop of an election that has drawn national attention. District 4 includes Venice, Mar Vista, (Continued on page 9) Del Rey and Westchester schools.
ally credits her collaborative skills to her time as a member of the Mar Vista Community Council, an experience she feels has been invaluable in learning how to address issues that may arise in the school district. Hoping to combine that political knowledge with her perspective as a parent to help improve Los Angeles schools, Anderson is seeking to represent District 4 on the Board of Education. The district includes schools in Westchester, Venice, Del Rey, and Mar Vista. She is vying for the seat against incumbent LAUSD Board Member Steve Zimmer in the March 5 primary. “I want to take the motivation and per-
In a recent interview, Zimmer, who is running in the March 5 election against Kate Anderson, a Mar Vista resident and parent advocate, talked about the influx of outside money into the District 4 race as well as some of the accomplishments that he has been a part of during his first four years in elected office. “It’s unprecedented,” the school board member began, referring to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s $1 million contribution to the Coalition for School Reform, an organization that is supportive of LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy. Its contributors, like Deasy, are unabashed advocates of creating more charter schools and include billionaire developer Eli Broad. (Continued on page 8)