For Immediate Release: March 8, 2017
Robert Fulton, 858-342-4532

STATEMENT FROM THE CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS:

“Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education President Steve Zimmer came only a few percentage points shy of winning his reelection bid outright on Tuesday. With a large plurality vote, Zimmer heads into the runoff with strong support from the community, parents, teachers, support staff, and pro-public school and community school advocates. This near-victory and across-the-board backing is a reaffirmation that voters in Steve Zimmer’s district have confidence in his leadership and the positive direction our schools are pursuing. It is also a rejection of the flood of money from pro-charter school interests and the negative ads they ran against Steve Zimmer.

Steve Zimmer and the unions backing him are not anti-charter despite the rhetoric from the charter school community. But parents, students and education workers deserve full transparency and accountability whether the school is a charter school or not. When wealthy charter school backers spend millions to unseat an effective and well-regarded school board member the entire education community suffers.”

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The California Federation of Teachers represents 25,000 community college faculty and several thousand community college classified employees in thirty colleges around the state, including at Compton College. In all the CFT represents 120,000 faculty and school employees in public and private schools and colleges, from early childhood through higher education. It is the statewide affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers. More info: www.cft.org.