SNIPING MARS LAUSD BOARD RACE.Byline: Joseph Giordono Staff Writer As the increasingly bitter and expensive District 4 school board race enters its final week, incumbent Valerie Fields and challenger Marlene Canter said they hope voters will look past the rancor and focus on the issues. While neither side has shied away from aggressive campaign tactics, both said they hope their broader messages will find voters in time for the Tuesday runoff. The District 4 seat represents the Westside and the west San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. in the Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. . Canter, a former teacher and businesswoman who bills herself as a reformer, said schools must have basic supplies and equipment before they can improve student achievement. ``There hasn't been a forum that I have been to where some kid hasn't said, 'What are you going to do to get us supplies?' '' Canter said. ``Something's wrong. They know their teachers are having to buy supplies. I didn't have to buy paper for my classes when I was teaching.'' Canter pledges to help promote 40 new charter schools, develop a contingency breakup plan if the minidistrict system fails and cut district administrative costs administrative costs, n.pl the overhead expenses incurred in the operation of a dental benefits program, excluding costs of dental services provided. by 15 percent. Fields, who has served four years on the board, touts her record as a former Van Nuys elementary teacher and education adviser to former Mayor Tom Bradley Noun 1. Tom Bradley - United States politician who was elected the first black mayor of Los Angeles (1917-1998) Bradley, Thomas Bradley . She points to a string of successes on the board that include launching a phonics-based reading program and pushing for a 15.3 percent pay and benefit increase for teachers. Fields cast the deciding vote for the teachers-pay increase. But Mike Shimpock, a campaign consultant for Fields, said Tuesday that negative campaign ads by the opponent have made it hard to convey those accomplishments to voters. ``It has been difficult to get our message out over the negative and constant barrage from the other campaign,'' Shimpock said. ``Truth has been a scarce commodity in this campaign, and our message has been difficult to convey.'' Canter defended her ``aggressive'' campaign message that portrays Fields as an entrenched en·trench also in·trench v. en·trenched, en·trench·ing, en·trench·es v.tr. 1. To provide with a trench, especially for the purpose of fortifying or defending. 2. part of a failed school system. ``Voters feel very uncomfortable with negative campaigning Negative campaigning is trying to win an advantage by referring to negative aspects of an opponent or of a policy rather than emphasizing one's own positive attributes or preferred policies. ,'' Canter said Tuesday. ``But when they read the literature we send out, they saw that any time the word 'failure' was used it was in the context of how the school district was failing the kids.'' Canter, who has loaned her campaign more than $1 million, has the backing of Mayor Richard Riordan. If she wins, it would bring to five the number of Riordan-backed candidates on the seven-member board. During the previous school board race in April 1999, four Riordan-backed candidates were elected, including incumbent David Tokofsky who represents part of the Valley. Fields' campaign assailed Canter for creating the most expensive school board race in Los Angeles history. Shimpock said the challenger has outspent out·spent adj. Completely exhausted. Fields by a margin of ``five to one.'' But Fields has been a prolific campaigner as well, and has been the beneficiary of more than $500,000 in funds raised by United Teachers Los Angeles. LAUSD LAUSD Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA) DISTRICT 4 Valerie Fields Age: 74 Occupation: Los Angeles Unified board member since 1997 Residence: Beverly Glen Education: Graduate of Kean University, Union, N.J. Marlene Canter Age: 52 Occupation: Educator, businesswoman Residence: Westwood Education: Teaching credential from Pacific Oaks College Pacific Oaks College is a learning institution that is training students not only to be professionals but advocates. Its anti-bias curriculum has created strong efforts to challenge social injustice and point out issues related to social changes, human development, and child development. , Pasadena; bachelor's degree from California State University Enrollment  , Long Beach
CAPTION(S): box Box: LAUSD DISTRICT 4 (See text) |
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