With two longtime board members retiring, two incumbents seeking reelection, and a total of 18 candidates running, the 2024 race for four seats on the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Board of education is shaping up to be an interesting one.
Races for the seats in Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 will be on the March primary ballot. Whoever wins next November will wield influence over the education of more than 500,000 students living in every corner of Los Angeles — from San Pedro to Sylmar and Venice to Highland Park.
Incumbents Scott Schmerelson and Tanya Ortiz Franklin will defend seats in Districts 3 and 7, respectively. Meanwhile, the departures next December of longtime boardmembers Jackie Goldberg in District 5 and George McKenna in District 1 create two wide-open contests.
On Wednesday, Dec. 13, the Los Angeles City Clerk released an final list of candidates in the March 5 Primary Election who met the requirements for submitting nominating petitions and collecting the requisite number of valid signatures. Here is who they are:
LAUSD Board District 1: Representing South Los Angeles
Sherlett Newbill: A former teacher, basketball coach and mentor at Dorsey High School.
Dewayne Davis: Educational strategist and adjunct professor at Columbia University Teachers College. Former classroom teacher and principal.
Didi Watts: Chief of staff for LAUSD Board District 7. Former classroom teacher, school psychologist and assistant director of special education.
Kahllid Al-Alim: Community activist and parent of two former LAUSD students.
Christian Flagg: Director of training at Community Coalition, a nonprofit organization founded by Mayor Karen Bass to help more candidates of color run for election in Los Angeles.
Rina Tambor: Parent and tutor, according to information filed with the city clerk’s office.
John Brasfield: Educator and coach, according to information filed with the city clerk’s office.
LAUSD Board District 3: Representing the western San…
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