Update: Network For Public Education & STAND Claim November Victories

The Network for Public Education has put out a list of electoral victories from earlier this month, including Helen Gym (Philadelphia, Suzie Abijian (South Pasadena), and several others.

The email acknowledges losses in Louisiana, blaming the defeat on lack of money. (There's no mention of labor or progressive backing of their candidates.) Click the link above for the full email. 

Meanwhile, there's an email from Stand for Children's Jonah Edelman touting recent election victories. As you can see, the focus is on Louisiana and Denver, where Stand and its allies generally prevailed.

There's no mention of races where things didn't work out so well -- I've asked for some additional information and will let you know what I get back. The full email is below. 

I'm still looking for a DFER brag sheet, and haven't seen a roundup from NEA or AFT now that I think of it. Tell them I'm looking, will you?

Related posts: States Where StudentsFirst Claims Victories - & What Comes Next; Where's Michelle Rhee (& What's StudentsFirst Up To Now)?; Effective Advocacy Doesn't Stop With Policy Wins.

Stand Allies and Supporters:

I want to share news of two important recent election results in Louisiana and Denver.

Louisiana:  I’m thrilled to let you know that all six candidates for Louisiana’s eleven member Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) that Stand Louisiana backed in the October 24^th primary won their elections.  Based on polling from a few months ago, which had several of our candidates well behind, a six for six result was an incredible longshot. Electing these six aligned candidates provides the majority necessary to maintain accountability and consequences for failing schools, strong academic standards, a rigorous assessment, and a definition of proficiency on assessments that means students are on track to college and career.  It also will make possible significant teacher preparation reforms and a continuation of the state’s teacher effectiveness policies and transparency regarding school performance. 

Here is a PowerPoint deck on the work done in each of the BESE districts for the October 24^th primary.  Many of the slides include links to radio and TV ads, and the presentation will give you a thorough sense of the independent expenditure campaign tactics used by Stand and our valued campaign partners Democrats for Education Reform (DFER)-LA, Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), Empower Louisiana Super PAC, Louisiana Association of Business and Industries, and the LA Federation for Children (you may need to be in slide show mode to view the videos).               

Additionally, there are two aligned candidates in upcoming runoffs for districts 4 and 6 where selected candidates were backed by the Super PAC (the remaining three members are appointed by the Governor). Because it takes eight votes to terminate Louisiana’s excellent State Superintendent John White, winning six makes it likely that White will stay on but it would be much better to have eight aligned votes by winning the two runoffs so Stand and our partners will do everything possible on the coordinated and independent side respectively to win both races.

Louisiana BESE Election Overview
District	Candidate	Votes	%
1	Garvey	84150	71.1%
	Barrios	34255	28.9%
2	Orange Jones	76702	68.6%
	Washington	35140	31.4%
3	Holloway	74078	61.4%
	Beebe	46605	38.6%
4	Davis	40895	36.9%	Runoff
	Harris	47834	43.2%	Runoff
	Johnston	22107	19.9%
5	Jones	77301	62.3%
	Fatheree	46863	37.7%
6	Taylor	24032	17.6%
	Engen	25967	19.0%	Runoff
	Edmonston	64142	47.0%	Runoff
	France	15424	11.3%
	Licciardi	6906	5.1%
7	Boffy	72245	53.4%
	Kreamer	62986	46.6%
8	Lewis	64692	52.3%
	Hill	58974	47.7%

Denver Public School Board: I’m equally excited to share that in the recent school board races in Denver, Stand for Children Colorado and our independent expenditure committee Better Schools for a Stronger Colorado (BSSC) worked with key partners (DFER Colorado and its independent expenditure committee Raising Colorado, and Students for Education Reform’s Colorado Chapter) to helpre-elect two incumbents and elect one strong new member to the Denver Public Schools (DPS) Board of Education.  All seven members of the DPS Board are now aligned in support of the strategies that have lifted DPS’ on-time graduation rates by 22 points and cut dropout rates in half over the last decade. 

The two incumbents, Happy Haynes (At-Large) (pictured here second from left with Stand Organizer Sal Garcia and Stand parent leaders Yunuen Ciscneros and Rosie Costillo) and Anne Rowe (District 1), faced unexpectedly stiff challenges from opponents who attacked DPS reforms and argued they were a “rubber stamp” for district administrators.  In a closely contested race, Lisa Flores (District 5) won an open seat that had previously been held by a reform opponent.  Our significant last minute push for Happy Haynes, which we made based on alarming tracking poll data, is credited with helping her get across the finish line (see The Denver Post blog post).  Support for Happy Haynes included:

• 4 citywide mailings and 61,000 live calls to “get out the vote,” in partnership with DFER/Raising Colorado;
• A 60-second radio ad comparing Haynes and her opponent (listen here) that ran a total of 6 times during a highly rated Denver Broncos’ football game on the Sunday night before the election;
• A 30 second positive radio ad for Haynes (listen here) that ran a total of 56 times on top-rated AM and FM radio stations during drive time on the day before Election Day and on Election Day.

We are grateful for the excellent leadership and partnership of DFER-Colorado on the independent side and for SFER’s orchestration of the independent side field effort.  We also greatly appreciate all of the hard work on the coordinated campaign side.  The full results are listed in the following chart.

Denver Public School Board
District	Candidate	Votes	%
1	Rowe	12,507	63%
	Butkovich	7,481	37%
5	Flores	8,052	54%
	Kiley	6,813	46%
At Large	Haynes	40,325	50.4%
	Speth	39,694	49.6%

Thank you for all you do for children and for your support and partnership!

Have a terrific weekend,

Comments

[CarolineSF]

Didn't reformies get pulverized in Colorado when the Tea Party school board was recalled? Jefferson County?