Charter School Supporters Win Majority On Los Angeles Unified School District Board

Two pro-charter school candidates declared victory in what was the most expensive school board election in American history, granting the Los Angeles Unified School District Board its first-ever pro-charter school majority. The $14 million campaign was held in the nation’s largest school system with an elected—and highly visible—board. The campaign set charter school advocates against public employee unions and attracted millions of dollars from outside groups, writes the Los Angeles Times.

Despite accounting for approximately 16% of student enrollment, L.A. Unified has more charter schools than any other school system in the state of California. Kelly Gonez and Nick Melvoin, the newly elected board members, are likely to support greater funding for charter schools, encouraging their preponderance in Los Angeles.

Capital Research Center has written on this growing school reform movement, and the threat it poses to the interests of established labor unions, such as the American Federation of Teachers. CRC’s analysis reveals how teachers’ unions have altered their strategies from blocking charter school expansion to unionizing charter school teachers.

For more on public employee unions, see Labor Watch.