Bloomberg Gives Big in L.A. Schools Election
New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has donated $1 million to the Coalition for School Reform in a bid to buttress three candidates vying for spots on the Los Angeles Board of Education.
The group supports the election of Kate Anderson and Antonio Sanchez, along with the re-election of school board President Monica Garcia, in the March 5 election.
The sizable donation - which Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was instrumental in arranging - will help secure a majority on the school board that aligns with the education reform policies of Villaraigosa and schools Superintendent John Deasy.
The donation by the billionaire mayor also serves to counter the influence of the teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles.
Dan Schnur, director of the Unruh Institute of Politics, told the Los Angeles Times that the $1 million is a "game-changer."
"Michael Bloomberg threw down the gauntlet today," said Schnur. "He's obviously very serious about changing education in America, and Los Angeles is now ground zero for that effort."
Controversial issues in the upcoming election include the stature of charter schools, standardized testing, and teacher evaluations within a larger education policy framework.
