Winning the Future in a United Los Angeles

By Octavio Pescador

The new cohort of Trustees will have to guarantee an excellent education, negotiate a labor contract with the American Federation of Teachers and administer a $6 billion Sustainable Building Program (funded via the voter approved Propositions A & AA and Measure J).

The new cohort of Trustees will have to guarantee an excellent education, negotiate a labor contract with the American Federation of Teachers and administer a $6 billion Sustainable Building Program (funded via the voter approved Propositions A & AA and Measure J). My priority is education and, unlike other candidates, I have no ties to special interests and I have not received campaign contributions from unions or developers. I believe in honest government and, like most voters, I am disillusioned with the pervasive "pay-to-play" practices fomented by political consultants and electoral operatives.

Our campaign seeks to engage people in a local election that is critical to the future of California. Our objective is to bring the voice of the community to guide the course of a strategic Angeleno institution. Currently, special interests control decision making in LACCD. Trustees have no staff, thus, they rely on what the "system" suggests--which is not the best decision-making procedure for individuals with supervisory and fiduciary responsibilities. It is important that qualified professionals hold such offices so that they oversee rather than rubberstamp LACCD policy.

Our team is made up of students and engaged scholars. By March 8, 2011 we will have offered 100 talks in educational settings (primarily high schools and colleges). We have held community forums throughout the district from Agoura to Wilmington and from Mar Vista to San Gabriel. Our presentations cover high school graduation requirements, the college experience, social/cultural capital development, civic engagement, transfer and degree completion rates of disadvantaged students, the impact of California's fiscal crisis on educational budgets and the responsibilities of the LACCD Trustees.

We are collaborating with educators, community leaders and the people who uphold our principles: integrity, excellence, accountability and respect. The endorsement of mothers, students and average voters gives our candidacy a legitimacy and power that cannot be bought. Special interest contributions compromise the neutrality of a candidate. We know you will make the right choice on March 8 and will not allow that behind the scene deals continue hijacking our public institutions.

Together we can win the future in a united Los Angeles. Please visit our website if you want to find out more about our efforts to improve education in Los Angeles: http://www.octaviopescador.org