The LAUSD School Board Ballot Gets Its First Candidate

"An aware and informed public will not abandon or give away their public schools to private entrepreneurs or hobbyists."

"--- Diane Ravitch

Last week, Kelly Gonez became the first candidate in the 2026 Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) board race. The incumbent from Board District 6 (BD6) paid the $300 fee, meaning she gathered at least 500 signatures verified by the Los Angeles City Clerk.

When Gonez first ran for the BD6 seat in 2017, she participated in the endorsement process for the North Valley Democratic Club (NVDC). The club's members are highly supportive of public schools, and their questions were meant to gauge her willingness to hold the line against further privatization. After hearing her responses, a majority of members present felt she aligned with their values and voted to endorse her.

By the time the club met again, however, some members had second thoughts. Most concerning to them was that the political arm of the California Charter Schools Association had also endorsed Gonez. Because this organization's mission is to expand publicly funded private schools and reduce public oversight, its support was in clear conflict with the NVDC's goals. A majority of the club's members present at the next meeting voted to rescind the endorsement.

Gonez went on to receive the most votes in the primary and then defeated Imelda Padilla in the runoff, helping to secure a charter industry supporting majority on the school board . Her allies eventually elected her as president of the school board.

As president, Gonez kept the board's subcommittees suspended and did not allow the Parent Engagement and Special Education committees to meet, even virtually, during the COVID shutdown. This left families, especially those raising children with special needs, facing unprecedented challenges with no way to provide the district with feedback through an official channel. Gonez also limited community members' ability to provide public comment during board meetings by eliminating general public comment periods and having speakers interrupted whenever she determined their remarks were unrelated to agenda items.

These decisions may have alienated some parents and contributed to Gonez's difficulties during her first attempt at reelection. Despite outspending her opponent by a margin of 925 to 1, she barely won the general election against parent Marvin Rodriguez. The $554,998 spent by Gonez and supporters of the charter school industry resulted in a margin of 2,556 votes-- about 2.5 percent of the electorate.

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The deciding factor in the race may have been the teachers' union, UTLA, which overlooked Gonez's support for the charter school industry when it chose to endorse her over a teacher who was also a union member. The union provided this support even though Gonez was part of the Board majority whose prolonged standoff over contract negotiations resulted in the 2019 strike that shut down the district's schools.

The union's support for Gonez provided no tangible benefits for the District's workers. She refused to hold the KIPP chain of charter schools accountable for the academic failures of KIPP Sol Academy, voting with Nick Melvoin and Tanya Ortiz Franklin to ignore the Charter School Division's recommendation against renewing its charter. She also voted behind closed doors to extend the contract of Alberto Carvalho, a Superintendent many consider hostile toward the union. UTLA's contract with the district expired on June 30, 2025, and 94% of members voted to authorize a strike.

With the stakes so high, it is surprising that the union has given Gonez its endorsement again in this year's election. This is especially true because her opponent, John 'J.P.' Perron, is a strong supporter of the union and has extensive experience working with the district as the Chair of the Community Advisory Committee (CAC), a state-mandated body that advises the district on its implementation of Special Education services.

Perron's history of advocating for students with Special Education needs and their families is notable in a school district where approximately 15% of the students receive these services. In contrast, the words "special education" do not appear on Gonez's campaign website.

Perron and the candidates from the other board districts have until March 4 to obtain the required valid signatures, 500 if they pay the $300 filing fee, or 1,000 verified signatures if they want the fee waived. Once the petitioning process is completed, I will begin sending questions to the candidates about issues facing the district. Their answers will help voters make informed decisions on June 2, 2026.

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Carl Petersen is a former Green Party candidate for the LAUSD School Board and a longtime advocate for public education and special needs families. Now based in Washington State, he writes about politics, culture, and their intersections at TheDifrntDrmr.