LAUSD District 1 school board primary election voter guide

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Seven candidates are vying for the District 1 seat on the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education. The new school board member will replace George McKenna, who is retiring after a long career as an educator and as a school board member since 2014.

The seven-member school board sets policy for the nation’s second-largest school district, which educates about 420,000 students and employs some 74,000 teachers, administrators and other staff. The school board is accountable for the district’s annual general fund budget of about $10 billion. Members also hire and evaluate the superintendent.

The contest was shaken up when candidate Kahllid Al-Alim came under fire for social media activity in which he liked or reposted content that was antisemitic, glamorized guns and celebrated pornographic images, actions that appear to have taken place over a time span of eight years ago to last October.

He apologized, but the teachers union suspended its big-money independent campaign on his behalf.

The school board races are nonpartisan. If no one wins more than 50% of votes on March 5, the top two candidates will compete in a November runoff election. District 1 takes in an area that runs west from Koreatown to Mid-City, with one leg stretching to the Westside as far as Palms and another into Baldwin Hills and South L.A.

The Times asked each candidate a series of questions about their priorities, their opinion of L.A. Supt. Alberto Carvalho, McKenna’s work in District 1, charter schools and school police.

All candidates were asked to comment on the district’s new, more restrictive policies on sharing campuses with charter schools. All also were asked to comment on whether they favor eliminating school police or restricting the presence of officers. Some candidates did not answer either question directly.

Their answers are summarized or lightly edited for length or clarity below.

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Kahllid A. Al-Alim

A man pictured from the chest up next to a tree

Age: 56

Occupation: Janitorial worker for the city of Los Angeles

Political party: Democratic Party

Experience: A founding member of Reclaim Our Schools L.A., a coalition of parents, students, educators, labor and community organizations that is closely allied with the L.A. teachers union. Also a longtime member of LAUSD’s task force on African American achievement and Advanced Placement and a leader on the Hyde Park Neighborhood Council. Al-Alim says his work as an Army medic from 1985 until 2001 led him “to be deeply critical of war and military recruitment in schools.”

Priorities: To “expand student wellness and support,” including through the district’s special program for Black students, mental health services, class size reduction and special support for “unhoused youth, immigrant students and communities, LGBTQIA students and staff.” Al-Alim also wants to “protect and expand recent victories” such as establishing expanded family services and community input at schools through the community schools effort.

The superintendent: “Supt. Carvalho has made a number of unilateral decisions on matters that should have been made with input from students, families and educators,” Al-Alim said, adding: “Too often, the board sits on its hands and lets the superintendent determine the direction for the district. We need to be visionary.”

The incumbent: Board District 1 “needs a board member that doesn’t talk down to children and families. ... a board member that is visionary around issues facing Black education,” someone willing to get their “hands dirty by working with educators and families and communities to make our schools the best schools in the district,” Al-Alim said. “The incumbent has not done that.”

Charter schools: “I plan to fight any form of privatization of public education,” Al-Alim said, including challenging the sharing of district-operated campuses with charter schools. “LAUSD faces a decrease in enrollment. This means decreased funding and resources for students,” he said. “We need to invest more into the schools that currently exist rather than further drain their resources by expanding the number of charter schools.”

School police: “I believe in reimagining policing,” Al-Alim said, adding that school safety, as a top priority, can be achieved through such efforts as safe passages to and from school, the Black Student Achievement Plan, mental health supports, schools with family supports and specialists who work to improve the school climate. “I have been disappointed that the district has been slow to fully implement programs like these,” he said.

Quote: “We need to support the whole student and their families: This includes investing in mental health, the Black Student Achievement Plan, green technology and environmental justice, and supporting LGBTQIA+ and immigrant students.”

Website: kahllidforschoolboard.com

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Rina Tambor

Tambor did not respond to The Times’ survey or attempts to contact her until Feb. 21. The Times assembled her entry with information contained in her candidate filing papers with the city. It has been expanded with information from her campaign website.

Occupation: Real estate management

Experience: A parent of three and grandparent of three who has volunteered as a tutor. A former New York City teacher who worked as a senior staffer at sleep-away camps in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New York.

Priorities: She favor a back-to-basics approach focusing on core skills such as reading, writing and math. She also wants “strategic fund reallocation” to better support students with special needs. Also would work for smaller class size and improved parental involvement.

Website: Rina4schoolboard.net

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John Aaron Brasfield

A man posing in a jacket and bowtie, pictured from the chest up

Age: 41

Occupation: Security staff member for L.A. Unified events

Political party: Green Party

Experience: Special education assistant for L.A. Unified from 2007 to 2023. Worked on the coaching staff of local high school teams and as a personal trainer. Organized sports activities for elementary students.

Priorities: Safety, with “zero tolerance for bullying”; and increasing reading proficiency and language development. In math, he said, “the goal is to make mathematics accessible, emphasizing its role as a universal language.”

The superintendent: “Supt. Carvalho is commendable in advocating for education, but enrollment challenges persist,” he said. “Room for improvement exists, acknowledging the time required for effective transitions in LAUSD.”

The incumbent: “I recognize his extensive impact within the district spanning over 40 years,” Brasfield said of McKenna. “His notable career in the ’80s garnered him significant respect in Hollywood, establishing him as a pioneer in education. His decision to come out of retirement to contribute to improving executive function within the district reflects his ongoing dedication.”

Charter schools: “I advocate for a merit-based approval process for charter schools,” he said, with factors included in a charter’s evaluation that include “community engagement, parent and student feedback and overall customer service.”

School police: “Eliminating the school district’s Police Department may lead to negative consequences, and school environments should remain safe spaces,” Brasfield said, but he added that “school police play a crucial role in fostering a positive relationship between students and law enforcement,” so he would “emphasize the necessity for officers who understand community dynamics, especially its youth.”

Quote: “One specific example highlighting the funding disparity is the challenge of addressing maintenance problems on certain campuses. I’ve experienced situations where heaters and air conditioning systems weren’t promptly repaired, creating uncomfortable learning environments for students and teachers. Outdated buildings with plumbing and electrical issues also pose challenges that need attention.”

Website: johnaaronbrasfieldforthecommunity.com

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Christian Flagg

Age: 34

Occupation: Director of training for advocacy work at Community Coalition, a South L.A. nonprofit.

Political party: Democratic Party

Experience: His nonprofit work has focused on programs for Black students, eliminating school police and developing non-police solutions for school and community safety. The father of five children, ages 2 to 12, is married to his “middle school sweetheart” from LAUSD’s Audubon Middle School.

Priorities: Expanding equitable allocation of resources to better support students at schools with higher needs. Ensuring that the district’s Black Student Achievement Plan is fully carried out, and that there is a continued commitment to comprehensive support for Black students.

The superintendent: ”I appreciate the methodical research and data-driven process Supt. Carvalho seems to employ,” Flagg said. “On the other hand, he has not operated with a high level of transparency and collaboration in his decision-making. Also, he has not given the proper attention to urgent issues impacting Black students and high- and highest-need school communities.”

The incumbent: “I applaud Dr. George McKenna for his tremendous leadership and success improving the conditions of schools in South L.A.,” he said. “On the other hand, in recent years, I believe Dr. McKenna has become extremely dismissive of student voices, disconnected from the school communities he served, and overly dependent on his own past experiences.”

Charter schools: “Charter schools currently don’t have enough mechanisms of accountability, and compromise LAUSD’s ability to most effectively serve its students,” he said. “Charter schools should not be forced onto existing school campuses in ways that disrupt the local school community, and there should be greater mechanisms of evaluation, assessment and accountability before new charters can be approved.”

School police: “LAUSD should completely replace school police with a comprehensive, community-based safety-service model that includes safe-passage programs, violence intervention programs and community building and youth development programming. Armed police services should only be used in response to extreme violent incidents involving danger of imminent death.”

Quote: “Students need caring and nurturing environments that not only provide rigorous academic curriculum but also support their social, emotional and cultural needs,” he said, with “schools full of loving adults, resources and programs with rigorous project-based teaching, that provides opportunities to learn through exploration and generation of solutions that address conditions in their communities and beyond.”

Website: flaggwiththepeople.poliengine.com

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Sherlett Hendy Newbill

A woman looking into the camera, pictured from the chest up

Age: 51

Occupation: Senior aide to George McKenna, the retiring District 1 school board member

Political party: Democratic Party

Experience: Until recently joining McKenna’s staff, served variously at Dorsey High since 1998 as a P.E. and psychology teacher, head coach for girls basketball, athletic director and dean of students. Also active in the teachers union, and the mother of fifth- and third-graders attending L.A. Unified schools.

Priorities: Supporting policies and programs that improve academic achievement for marginalized students, especially Black students and students with disabilities. Expanding apprenticeship programs, with an eye toward improving student achievement and attendance as well as graduating qualified workers.

The superintendent: “It is a great pleasure to have someone with prior experience as a superintendent,” Newbill said. However, she said she would be watchful that he follows through with the commitments of his strategic plan.

The incumbent: Newbill pledged to continue McKenna’s work supporting schools that provide family services, and academic and social support for Black students. She said she also wants to continue her boss’ push for free public transportation for students and for starting additional sports analytics clubs at schools to cultivate data science skills. She praised him for empathizing with parents, teachers, coaches, administrators and alumni.

Charter schools: The district needs to evaluate how sharing campuses has helped or hurt traditional public schools, Newbill said, adding that new restrictions on when charters can share district-run campuses are “a start of accountability that is far overdue for our public/charter partnership.” She also supports a moratorium on approving new charters.

School police: “School police should be an option to any school’s comprehensive safety plan, if the stakeholders of that school so desire,” she said, calling for keeping “the funding necessary for school police to function at an optimal level” and putting “safety first.”

Quote: “Consistency among staff and administrators would result in a stable community, creating a sense of security and confidence. This confidence and community can translate into improved academic performance.”

Website: www.sherlett.com

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Didi L. Watts

A photo of a woman, seen from the chest up, with a grassy area in the background

Age: 52

Occupation: Chief of staff to Tanya Ortiz Franklin, District 7 school board member

Political party: Democratic Party

Experience: Taught elementary school in L.A. Unified, served as a district school psychologist, and then supervised services for students with disabilities before working as a principal for a charter school organization. Also worked as a senior administrator and principal for a school serving students with disabilities at Vista Del Mar, a family-services nonprofit. Wattts currently helps direct a nonprofit to develop Black male teachers. Watts has three adult children and a 2-year-old granddaughter.

Priorities: “Ensuring we have equitable funding going to each of our classrooms to support the needs of our African American students,” she said, adding: “It’s critical we improve the services our students with special needs receive. We should also improve parent engagement through mandated districtwide family advisory councils.”

The superintendent: “The staff vacancy rate was high, and it has been encouraging to see the superintendent take on staffing and reduce the vacancy rate,” she said of Carvalho. “He is taking on challenging issues and making progress.”

The incumbent: “Dr. McKenna has left an indelible mark on the field of education,” she said. “I believe that his retirement provides opportunities for the voice of the community to better inform policy decisions by bringing an advisory council to the district for students and families.”

Charter schools: The recent school board resolution to limit the sharing of campuses with charter schools “was divisive and missed the mark on ensuring that district and charter partners collaborated to create a policy that would support the needs of all public school students in the district.”

School police: “I agree with the current policy that allows the patrolling of the perimeter of the schools because it helps to support the safe passage of students from home to school,” she said. “The community has concerns regarding student safety outside of the school campus.”

Quote: “I believe that authentic parent engagement creates a space for families to partner in the educational decisions and to have a voice to share their opinions and thoughts,” and districtwide family advisory councils would “provide an opportunity for representation across the board district from the various communities of schools ... allowing families to be involved in decision-making.”

Website: didiwatts4schoolboard.com

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DeWayne Davis

A man pictured from the chest up against a hilly background

Age: 54

Occupation: Education consultant and adjunct professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York.

Political party: Democratic Party

Experience: Longtime school district administrator, including more than a decade as a principal in L.A. Unified and senior administrative positions in other school systems.

Priorities: A comprehensive safety plan, “true preparation” for parents as partners, and improved fiscal oversight. Davis said that would most improve academic performance is a “true focus on teaching and learning, coupled with monitoring student progress and identifying students’ instruction needs as necessary” through a “cycle of continuous improvement.”

Superintendent: “What we currently get are adult issues, pet programs that distract and social services that appease the masses,” Davis said of Carvalho’s performance.

The incumbent: “Dr. McKenna was the perfect anchor that our community needed,” Davis said, adding: “His patriarchal position and familiarity provided emotional stability and direction for our community, during a time that felt rudderless for many. He has done more than his share of the heavy lifting over his career.”

Charter schools: “I am pro-student success whether that be traditional, charter, affiliated, private, home schooling, or pods, and space sharing can be done effectively” when campus configurations and grade spans are considered, Davis said. But he added that “new charters opening doesn’t seem responsible unless the academic program and offerings serve a specialty.”

School police: “Safety should have never been ‘negotiable,’ and I find the district irresponsible,” he said, for treating it as such. “Safety is our No. 1 priority. No learning can take place without it. The school Police Department funding should be restored to meet the needs of the district and schools — it is not optional or at the discretion of school sites.”

Quote: “Nearly 60% of our students do not meet performance standards in language arts and over 70% of our students do not meet performance standards in mathematics. And for District 1 schools the performance is far worse. We must do better than that.”

Website: drdavis4lausdkids.com

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