November 5, 2024 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Brentwood’s Nick Melvoin Wins District 4 LAUSD Board Seat

By Kelly Hartog and Jeff Hall

In a stunning upset, and a major blow to the teachers union, reform candidate Nick Melvoin, unseated incumbent Steve Zimmer, who was running for a third term as the Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) board president. It was also the first time Zimmer had been forced into a runoff election.

When the final tally was counted, Melvoin took 57.4 percent of the vote to Zimmer’s 42.58 percent.

It was a major victory for Melvoin (and also for Kelly Gonez, who won the LAUSD District 6 race). Both made history by becoming the first reform-backed candidates to win seats on the school board without the backing of the mayor.

Melvoin was born and raised in Brentwood. He grew up playing soccer at Paul Revere, had his bar mitzvah at University Synagogue, and went to summer camp at what is now Brentwood Lower School. His parents still live in the house Melvoin grew up in, and Melvoin also serves on the Brentwood Community Council.

The LAUSD campaign was bitter, hard fought and expensive. Supporters for both Melvoin and Zimmer spent $14.5 million in advertising, mailers, and negative campaign materials. In the race four years prior, only $7.4 million was spent.

The teachers union – United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) – spent close to $500,000 campaigning against Melvoin, trying to paint him as a candidate aligned with President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, despite the fact that Melvoin is a registered Democrat.

However, Melvoin’s reform and charter school supporters fought back, spending close to $2.5 million in an effort to get him elected.

During the hard fought race, Zimmer and Melvoin held very different positions. Melvoin spoke of a district that no longer worked and that change was necessary. In an interview with Brentwood News prior to the election, Melvoin said, “I want to give more control to local schools and parents as well as increase the amount of financial transparency.”

Melvoin, who started his career as a LAUSD teacher, teaching English at Markham Middle School in Watts, added, “the needs of students in Brentwood are different than those of students in Watts. I want to empower principals and parents to tailor neighborhood schools to meet the needs of the students.”

During his concession speech, Zimmer – who along with UTLA was pushing more spending and smaller class sizes – said, “Teachers are not failing. Students are not failing. Schools are not failing.”

However Melvoin told Brentwood News, “Unfortunately, today, too many kids in LAUSD are not reaching their potential because of a district that puts bureaucrats ahead of kids. Many parents don’t believe that the district is meeting the needs of their children, so they opt for private school or school in a different community. I’d like to invest more in local schools so that families throughout the city feel confident in their public school options.”

Following his acceptance speech, Melvoin told LA Schools Report, “I would like the first thing we try to tackle to be moving beyond this, what we call the school, who governs the school, and respect parents’ choices and respect educators’ choices.”

 

Related Posts

The Willows: 30 Years Going Strong

November 5, 2024

November 5, 2024

Founded in 1994, The Willows Community School, located in Culver City, California, is a Developmental Kindergarten through 8th grade non-profit, co-educational...

Election Day Freebies and Discounts: Where to Eat, Drink, and Watch Election Results

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

From Free Doughnuts To Watch Parties, How To Unwind With Election Night Deals With this election day being one of...

Early Morning Call From Community Leads to Burglary Arrest in Culver City

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Police Respond To Suspicious Activity Call, Arrest Suspect With Pickaxe Culver City police arrested a man early Friday morning in...

Culver City Police Department is Prepared to Ensure Community Safety During Election Week

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Enhanced Patrols, Activated Emergency Center Ready, Culver City Voting Center is Open The Culver City Police Department has announced an...

Legendary Music Icon Quincy Jones Dies at 91 in Bel Air

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Celebrated Musician, Producer Leaves an Indelible Legacy By Dolores Quintana Legendary musician, music producer, film and television producer, composer of...

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Lays Off Longtime Archive and Library Staff

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Downsizing and Restructuring Continue, Affecting Employees with Decades of Service By Dolores Quintana Last week, the Academy of Motion Picture...

LA County Opens 526 New Vote Centers for Early Voting, Announces Conditional Voting for Unregistered Residents

November 3, 2024

November 3, 2024

Metro LA Offers Free Rides on Election Day to Help Residents Get to the Polls Los Angeles County opened an...

New Aviation/Century Station Opens, Linking Metro’s C and K Lines

November 3, 2024

November 3, 2024

Metro’s Newest Station Paves the Way for Future LAX Transit Center The new Aviation/Century Station officially opened this week, marking...

H5N1 Detected in LA County Wastewater, Health Officials Urge Precautions for Residents

November 3, 2024

November 3, 2024

Los Angeles County Investigates Low-Level H5 Avian Flu Detected in Wastewater The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is...

Two Events in Culver City This Weekend: Bike Registration and Dance Performance

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

Put the Brakes on Bicycle Theft and Enjoy an Evening of Dance and Interactive Art The Culver City Police Department...

All You Need to Know to Attend the Dodgers Victory Parade Tomorrow in DTLA

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

World Champions and LA’s Team to Greet Angelenos After Win of NY Yankees The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that their...

Beverly Hills City Government Agrees to a Stipulated Judgment After Blocking Abortion Clinic Opening

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

City to Implement Training, Oversight on Reproductive Rights Following Legal Settlement  California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a legal agreement...

Dia De Los Muertos 2024: Here’s Where To Celebrate The Holiday Tradition This Weekend

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

Los Angeles Has a Variety of Ways to Explore Latino Culture and Honor Ancestors Starting just after Halloween, Dia de...

(Video) Downtown L.A. Reacts to World Series Victory

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

The Dodgers Are World Series Champs For The Eighth Time https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTFtyDDKn/

Halloween Pre-Game Party Brings Chills and Spooky Thrills to The Rose Venice

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

Enjoy Halloween With Festive Cocktails, Appetizers, and a Costume Contest The Rose Venice in Venice is set to host a...