LAUSD Board Member Zimmer Sends Open Letter to NY Mayor Bloomberg

Dear Mayor Bloomberg:

I read today about your $1 million contribution to the campaign to defeat me.

Before this unprecedented contribution you made no attempt to speak with me, or, to my knowledge review my record or that of my opponent.

Perhaps I haven’t pleased everyone in my pursuit to make our student’s education a priority, and by eschewing politics to pursue education reform I’ve offended the extremes of the education debate. I would have assumed that to be something you of all people would respect rather than seek to punish.

Just so you know:

• I am a seventeen year teacher and counselor. I entered teaching as a volunteer with Teach for America and have been an outspoken advocate and agent for change in our educational system ever since.
• As a teacher and as a school board member I’ve led reforms to improve student performance, increase parent involvement and choice, and help students graduate.
• I’ve worked from the grassroots to transform how our schools serve our children. As a teacher, I established the first teacher Multilingual Teacher Career Academy, which served as a national model for teacher Career Ladder Academies.
• Also as a teacher, I co-founded the Comprehensive Student Support Center, which provides health care services for students and their families. It has since been replicated across the district with great success.
• I led the effort to establish the Parent and Family Service Centers, helping directly involve parents in their children’s education and giving them access to other resources they need to create a positive environment for their child.

I’ve fought for parent choice, expanded charters, baccalaureate curriculums, language immersion schools and reforms for students learning English (LAUSD has the largest number of English Learners of any district in the country). At the same time, I’ve demanded accountability to ensure we are prioritizing students’ needs instead of ideological agendas.

That’s where I’ve angered some of the interest groups. From what I’ve heard of your record, placing accountability and performance above ideological agendas should appeal to you – not invite your significant opposition.

You can read for yourself about how I’ve put the educational experience above all else in this article from the Jewish Journal.

I’d like to invite you to walk my district with me so I can show you what we’ve accomplished. Since you have made such a large be against me, I think it is only fair you give me the opportunity to make my case.

You can reach me on my cell phone at [number edited for privacy].

Sincerely,

Steve Zimmer
Zimmer for School Board 2013
http://stevezimmer2013.nationbuilder.com/