Last year, the power of the local teachers union seemed to be on the wane while charter schools’ prospects were rising. Los Angeles Board of Education members backed by charter supporters were in control, and they’d pushed through a new superintendent whose background had nothing to do with education.
On Tuesday, voters showed how quickly things can change.
Jackie Goldberg, the union-backed candidate, easily outpaced eight other candidates in a special election that could shift the balance on the school board — thanks in large part to public support cultivated during a six-day teachers’ strike in January.
The 74-year-old veteran public official didn’t quite get the majority needed to win the District 5 seat outright, but she claimed 48% of the vote, making her the strong favorite in a May 14 runoff against a second-place finisher who trailed her by 35 percentage points.
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