In a clear case of projection, Dan Chang and his supporters from the Charter School Industry accuse their opponent of falsely attacking him.

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"It's truly sad to see how low the dark special interest forces that have destroyed LAUSD have stooped in their negative attacks--

- Sam Yebri, USC Law Professor

I am in the crowd somewhere with my year and half old daughter on my shoulders. I was not throwing mud.

After Scott Schmerelson won his election for the LAUSD School Board in 2015, he was seated on the dais next to long-term Board Member Monica Garcia. Disdain for his neighbor was often visible as the BD 2 representative was everything Scott was not. As a principal, Scott had learned how to lead groups with disparate interests and approached his new job with a friendly demeanor that encouraged respectful dialog and compromise. Garcia was bombastic and willing to push any group aside, even children with Special Education needs, to advance her agenda.

When I launched my long-shot attempt at displacing Garcia in 2017, Scott supported me by being one of the two sitting Board Members who donated to my campaign. However, to make their support public would have been a breach of etiquette; by tradition, Board Members are not supposed to campaign against their peers. Therefore, both donated below the threshold so their names did not have to be revealed, keeping their support anonymous.

As a gentleman, Scott would have never dreamed of breaking protocol, but the board members supported by the Charter School Industry have no such qualms. Nick Melvoin and Tanya Franklin have endorsed Scott's competitor, Dan Chang, in the race. Franklin even provided a quote for use by billionaire Bill Bloomfield as part of a $4.48 million campaign to unseat the incumbent:

Beyond being a breach of etiquette, Franklin's statement is blatantly false. First, it suggests Dan received the "endorsement of teachers and LAUSD parents" when United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) endorsed his opponent. Dan is not even backed by his co-workers at James Madison Middle School as they endorsed Scott. The incumbent was also endorsed by Parents Supporting Teachers, which claims to be the largest parent-led education advocacy group in Los Angeles, having over 29,000 members on its Facebook page.

The second falsehood in Franklin's statement is that Scott and his supporters are hurling "distorted smears against Dan Chang". This fits with the flyer's theme: "Why is Scott Schmerelson throwing mud at Dan Chang?"

As a voter in LAUSD BD3, this accusation seemed strange to me. My mailbox has been flooded with flyers and I have been frustrated by the lack of attacks from Scott against Dan and his history of trying to privatize our public schools. To confirm, I checked the records on the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission's website and found that most of Scott's communications focused on his decades-long career as an educator, including being a teacher, counselor, and principal in the LAUSD.

The negativity that is contained in Scott's campaign literature is not focused on Dan, but on those who are supporting him. Sure enough, the flyer making the mud-throwing accusation received major funding from Bill Bloomfield, an out-of-state billionaire who gave at least $30,400 to the National Republican Congressional Committee (when white supremacist Steve King was a member) and supported the presidential campaign of Rudy Giuliani.

Also funding this campaign is the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) Advocates. In the 2020 campaign cycle, the CCSA supported Scott's challenger, Marilyn Koziatek, using a flyer that was widely condemned for its use of Anti-Semitic tropes. The Charter School Industry continued their support of this candidate even after her ties to anti-gay and anti-abortion groups were uncovered.
Contrary to Scott, Dan and his supporters are flinging plenty of mud towards the incumbent. Some of their questionable accusations include:

• His opponent "advocates for defunding the police." It was actually the block of Board Members supported by the Charter School Industry (Chang endorser Nick Melvoin, Kelly Gonez, and Monica Garcia) who joined the retiring Jackie Goldberg to pass the resolution decreasing the size of the Los Angeles School Police. Scott voted against it and has been endorsed by the union for the LA School Police, the Peace Officers Research Association, and the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs.
• Scott "hasn't been in the classroom since 1983." As a Board Member, Scott takes great pride in regularly visiting all of the schools he represents, including spending time with students in the classroom. If the accusation is that Scott has not taught since 1983, it is because he became a school principal. Dan equates this with being a bureaucrat, but any parent will tell you that the key to a successful school is having a successful principal.
• "Dan's running against a lifelong Republican who has supported Trump." This is a blatant lie as Scott left the Republican party in the wake of Trump's takeover of the party. Since he did not die before changing his registration, he is not, by definition, a "lifelong" Republican. He is currently a registered Democrat whose endorsements include the Los Angeles County Democratic Party and the North Valley Democratic Club.

With all this mud being thrown by Dan Chang and his supporters, why would they make this accusation against Scott? Is it a case of Trump-like projection? Do they think that the voters are too stupid to notice? Do they just not have anything else to run on?

Fortunately, voters have the last word in any election. If my fellow parents in the San Fernando Valley look past the mud they will clearly see that Scott is the better candidate.

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Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for public education, particularly for students with special education needs, who serves as the Education Chair for the Northridge East Neighborhood Council. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him "a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles." For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.

(Article changed on Nov 02, 2024 at 4:20 PM EDT)

Authors Website: http://www.changethelausd.com/

Authors Bio:

Carl Petersen is a proud father of five adult children, including two daughters on the severe end of the Autism spectrum. A passionate advocate for special education, he ran as a Green Party candidate for the LAUSD School Board. Renowned education advocate Dr. Diane Ravitch has praised him as a valiant fighter for public schools. Recently, Carl relocated to the State of Washington, where he is embracing his role as Poppy to two grandsons. You can explore his insights and perspectives through his blogs at www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com.