Despite disappointing national outcome, education was winner in state elections

Dale Martin

While the attention of the nation was focused on the presidential race this fall, thousands of CTA members around the state were also devoting their political energy to getting legislative candidates elected, initiatives approved, local school measures passed and teacher-friendly candidates named to school boards.

Once again proving that local elections are where the rubber meets the road, CTA activists were busy walking precincts, passing out campaign literature and staffing phone banks in an effort to muster votes for their candidates and issues.

"Teachers are among the most active of citizens in politics. They know just how important it is to our schools and our students to get good people on our local school boards as well as in higher office," says CTA President Barbara E. Kerr.

Although the CTA-recommended presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry was unsuccessful in his bid for office, Californians were able to deliver the state for him and handily return Sen. Barbara Boxer for a third term in Washington.

"We're delighted that Senator Boxer will retain her office," says Kerr. "She has served the cause of public education well in California."

While Prop. 72, the proposition that would have required large companies to provide health insurance for their employees, was narrowly defeated, another CTA-supported initiative, Prop. 63, which will provide new funds for mental health programs, was easily approved.

"It's unfortunate that Prop. 72 didn't pass, because it would have kept private health care within the reach of California's families and given kids a greater chance to succeed at school," says Kerr. "Still, we are pleased with the passage of Prop. 63. This will mean greater access to mental health programs by California's families, and that will make for healthier kids coming into our classrooms."

Of the 103 candidates CTA recommended for seats in the state Legislature and Congress, 86 percent won their races — 11 of the 12 recommended for the state Senate, 46 of the 56 recommended for the state Assembly, and 32 of the 35 recommended for Congress.

Teachers were also active in winning passage of 47 local school bond measures, making the districts eligible for matching funds from the state to build new schools and modernize older facilities. Ninety-two percent of the 50 local general obligation school bond measures, which required a 55 percent approval rate from the voters, passed. One of three school bonds requiring a two-thirds voter approval rate passed.

The Teachers Association of Long Beach (TALB), for example, campaigned for state Sen. Betty Karnette, who, after being termed out in the Senate, made a run for Assembly District 54. TALB leaders cited Karnette's advocacy for smaller class size, her legislation to provide textbooks for every student and her votes to increase education funding as reasons for their support of her candidacy.

"We phone banked, walked precincts and even did a television ad that featured five Long Beach teachers for her," says TALB president Tony Diaz. "We really got involved in this one. In fact, we reached almost 23,000 homes in our precinct walking."

As a result of TALB's campaigning, Karnette, who's a teacher, beat Steve Kuykendall, a former mayor and council member in Rancho Palos Verdes who once held the Assembly seat.

The Long Beach effort was one of three independent expenditure campaigns coordinated by CTA this year. Using local teachers, CTA produced television and radio commercials in support of Karnette, Pedro Nava in Assembly District 35 and Gloria Negrette McLeod in Assembly District 61. All three of these races were very close and very important to the future of California public schools.

Chapters statewide were also involved in local school board contests that generated heat of their own.

United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) successfully elected all four of its endorsed candidates to the school board, including three incumbents — Jill Wynns, Eric Mar and teacher Mark Sanchez — and newcomer Norman Yee, a child advocate.

"This is a balanced slate which puts the interests of SFUSD students first," says UESF President Dennis Kelly.

Near Sacramento, the three candidates backed by the San Juan Teachers Association won their race for the San Juan Unified School District's school board. Lucinda E. Luttgen, Richard Launey (husband of Sacramento City Teachers Association President Marcie Launey) and Larry Miles came out on top in the nine-candidate race.

The association worked on the campaign for several months, interviewing likely candidates, walking precincts every weekend, and using their secret weapon — retired teachers — to monitor the polls and hand out "Teachers' Choice" campaign literature to voters at a legal distance.

"Having the retired teachers made a difference. They wore 'Teachers' Choice' buttons and talked to the voters. People really, really believe in teachers and feel that teachers should have a say as to who is on the board," explains San Juan Teachers Association President Nancy Waltz.

Like many other chapters, the association was assisted by a financial contribution from CTA's political action committee, the Association for Better Citizenship.

SJTA is hoping the newly elected board members will bring about some needed changes in the district, which has been contending with budget problems and at least four school closures.

"These are people who really know education," says Waltz. "They are not in our back pockets. We know we will have disagreements along the way and that they will have some hard decisions to make, but closing a school should be the last option."

Nearby, the Sacramento City Teachers Association was able to elect three out of five of its endorsed school board candidates, and defeat its longtime adversary, Jay Schenirer. SCTA had clashed with Schenirer on a number of issues, including his ardent support for turning Sacramento City High School into a faith-based charter school. The association also disagreed with Schenirer and other trustees over their support for lucrative pensions for former Superintendent Jim Sweeney and other administrators.

"We're very excited about the results of the election," says SCTA President Launey. "This will significantly change the makeup of the school board."

Thanks to an organized campaign by the Westminster Teachers Association, an extremist on the Westminster school board who refused to support antidiscrimination laws for all students was ousted. The association was able to get one of its endorsed candidates elected and will work with the other.

"We're happy we have the board majority broken up," says WTA President Janet Brubaker. "We're hoping the board will get back to the business of educating children instead of pushing its own agenda."

Near San Diego, a concerted effort by the Vista Teachers Association helped two of three endorsed candidates — Stephen Guffanti and Steve Lilly — win election to the school board. In waging its campaign, VTA came up against a housing developer who made significant contributions to the incumbents in the hope of obtaining a piece of property that had been designated for a high school.

"The developer was suing our district and giving money to school board members running for office at the same time. It was a very ugly and bizarre campaign," says VTA President Susie Bristow.

"It was real important for us to get a majority on the board," she adds, noting that teachers in the district have gone without raises for four years.

The Paso Robles Public Educators (PRPE) also became energized around the local school board race. Chapter members pounded the pavement for four candidates for the seven-member board, none of whom were incumbents, and were able to get two of them elected.

"We have a school board that we feel is out of touch with the community," says PRPE President Robert Skinner. "The incumbents were just a rubber stamp for the superintendent. This tells the board they have to shape up or ship out."

After many hours of hard work on the part of the Fresno Teachers Association, two FTA-supported candidates — Valerie Davis and Carol Mills — were elected to the Fresno Unified School District School Board.

"The members of FTA are grateful to the citizens of Fresno for choosing to select individuals who have the best interest of the students as their first priority," says FTA President Larry Moore.

The chapter, which chose its candidates from a group of 17 citizens who expressed interest in running, is greatly concerned about the direction the district has been taking in the past months and years. "FTA anticipates discussing innovative ideas to fix many of these areas of concerns and looks forward to those discussions with informed decision-makers."

In Santa Clara County, the Campbell High School Teachers Association waged a successful campaign for the election of Diane Gordon to the school board.

"Although we have recently signed a multiyear labor contract with the district, we feel very strongly that change is needed if relations between the union, the district and the community are going to improve further," says CHSTA Co-President Rachelle Burnside.

In addition, members got out the vote for Measure M, an $85 parcel tax that will restore funds needed to reduce class sizes, retain teachers and expand course offerings. The district made an agreement with the chapter that guarantees a portion of the funds will be dedicated to compensation in an effort to attract and retain quality personnel.

"Without the passage of Measure M and a school board dedicated to putting the parcel tax funds where they are most needed, the improvements we have seen in the last year will disappear," says Burnside.

Although parcel taxes are more difficult to pass than bond measures because they require a two-thirds majority, the Mill Valley Teachers Association lent its support to the passage of Measure H, which will continue a parcel tax there for eight more years.

The Livermore Education Association helped pass Measure D, a $120 parcel tax that will raise more than $3 million a year for five years, restoring staff and programs that were cut over the past four years.