Charter School Advocate Among New Faces on LAUSD Board

Ref Rodriguez and Scott Mark Schmerelson will join the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education July 1, replacing Bennett Kayser and Tamar Galatzan, while Richard Vladovic will begin his third term.

Rodriguez, the founder of a chain of charter schools known as Partnership to Uplift Communities, defeated Kayser, 53.55 percent-46.44 percent in Tuesday’s election in District 5, according to unofficial results released by the City Clerk’s Office.

Kayser, who has generally opposed charter schools, drew fire from the California Charter School Association, which put its financial might behind Rodriguez.

A former teacher and technology coordinator for the district’s Independent Studies program, Kayser had the backing of the powerful United Teachers Los Angeles union. According to the Los Angeles Times, UTLA spent about $800,000 in support of Kayser, but the Charter School Association invested about $1.8 million against him and in support of Rodriguez.

Rodriguez finished first in the March primary election but fell short of the 50 percent of the vote needed to unseat Kayser.

District 5 includes Eagle Rock, Boyle Heights, Bell, Cudahy, Los Feliz and Huntington Park

Schmerelson, a retired LAUSD teacher and principal, defeated incumbent Tamar Galatzan, a deputy Los Angeles city attorney, 54.61 percent-45.38 percent in the San Fernando Valley’s District 3.

Galatzan also had the support of the California Charter Association. Schmerelson had the backing of UTLA, which spent more than $440,000 on his behalf, The Times reported.

Vladovic defeated teacher Lydia Gutierrez, 55.91 percent-44.08 percent in District 7, which includes the Harbor area and reaches into South Los Angeles.

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City News Service

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