The polls are closed, ballots cast, and votes tabulated, and I am proud to say California Public Education won two major victories on Election Day both statewide and locally.
At the state level, Tom Torlakson was successful in his reelection bid as State Superintendent of Public Instruction. On a personal note, the portion of Tom’s message that resonated most with me was, “Every single public school in California is worth investing in, but none are for sale!”
CTA President Dean Vogel characterized the outcome very precisely:
“Voters clearly saw through the smoke, mirrors and millions of dollars poured into this race for Marshall Tuck by a group of billionaires and millionaires, many of whom don’t live in California, who were hoping to buy the Superintendent’s office and push their agenda on our local schools. Despite spending $12 million dollars in the final weeks of the race, voters rejected their corporate agenda of privatizing our schools, more standardized testing and eliminating professional rights for educators. In the end, it wasn’t the money that mattered; it was the voice of teachers, support staff and parents that prevailed. We can now stay on track, and continue to work together to give all students the quality education they deserve.”
Here in Santa Clara County, the similarities were remarkable including the result. Morgan Hill Trustee Claudia Rossi was successful in her bid to represent Area 7 on the County Board of Education. She defeated incumbent Julia Hover-Smoot by a wide margin despite the California Charter Schools Association spending $180,000 on her behalf.
As you may be aware, SCCOE has developed quite a reputation as a pro corporate charter board. Besides the fact their decisions have repeatedly undermined school districts, there is a huge concern local tax dollars are being spent on corporate expansion in other cities, counties and even states. The technical term is cross subsidization, but what it really amounts to is turning those dollars, meant to support each community’s children, into corporate venture capital.
Our south county campaign was ultimately successful because it was a grassroots effort of parents, teachers and community members working together on behalf of neighborhood classrooms and their students. As a school board member, Claudia has a clear record of engaging the community to meet the needs of every child and supporting a local education agency’s right to self-determination with regards to charter school applications.
As I stated in an email to Evergreen teachers on Election Day morning, “I want to thank everyone who participated in ETA’s 2014 political campaign. Whether you displayed a car sign, passed out flyers, wrote an editorial, chatted with friends and neighbors, joined the farmers market, made phone calls, or walked precincts, your interaction with the community has made a positive difference for students now and in the future.”
The next phase takes us to November 19 and the county board’s upcoming votes. Two charter schools, in this case Navigator and Voices, presented applications and were denied by Morgan Hill Unified School District for very specific and well-documented reasons. The explanation set forth very adeptly by Superintendent Betando and his staff boiled down to something very simple, “We got this!” Morgan Hill does not need these charter schools to help their students achieve, and they want to keep local tax dollars in the hands of decision-makers elected by their community.
In an article in the Mercury News, Trustee Hover-Smoot stated she believes all the money spent by the California Charter Schools Association supporting her reelection bid unfairly characterized her as overly influenced by that organization. November 19th is her chance, along with other county board members, to demonstrate their independence from corporate influence and do what is best for all the students of Morgan Hill. I, for one, will be there to watch events unfold and lay the groundwork for 2016.
Brian Wheatley is President of the Evergreen Teachers Association
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