BY
DIANA LAMBErt, The Sacramento Bee
Charter
school advocates have spent nearly $300,000 backing candidates for three seats
on the board of the Sacramento County Office of Education, positions that once
were considered sleepy political outposts.
Besides
providing oversight for Sacramento County school districts, the education board
reviews the charters of countywide charter school systems and hears appeals
from charter schools whose applications have been rejected by local school
districts.
In
recent years, the California Charter Schools Association has emerged as a major
player in supporting candidates for the board. This year, the advocacy group
has focused its donations on three candidates: Joanne Ahola, who works for the
association; Heather Davis, who is married to Elk Grove Mayor Gary Davis, an
employee of the charter schools group; and Roy Grimes, a former county
education board member challenging an incumbent who has voted against
reauthorizing charter schools.
Carlos
Marquez, senior political director for the Charter Schools Association, said it
views the Sacramento County Office of Education as “a really strong safeguard, a
strong backstop for (preventing) politically motivated denials (of charter
schools) at the local level.”
“We
are happy with the board,” he added. “It’s really important right now that we
maintain continuity.”
The
county Office of Education has so far chartered five schools – all part of a
network operated by Margaret Fortune that focuses on closing the achievement
gap between African American and other students. Fortune recently finished
serving as a California State University trustee and was an adviser for former
Govs. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gray Davis.
“I
think it’s unfortunate that they are throwing so much money into this race,”
said Orlando Fuentes, 65, who is running for the Area 6 seat to represent the
south county, including Elk Grove. “It’s clear to me that the California
Charter Schools Association is eager and willing to put up this kind of money
to get charter school advocates on public school boards.”
Unlike
the expensive 2012 races for three SCOE board seats, teachers unions haven’t
spent heavily so far, though the charter school spending hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“I’m
not surprised to see the Charter Schools Association spending money on
candidates of their choice,” said Claudia Briggs, spokeswoman for the
California Teachers Association. “They are an organization that has an agenda.
They .... support candidates that push their agenda.”
Read more here:
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/education/article79172162.html#emlnl=Todays_Top_Stories#storylink=cpy
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