Armor Joins School Board, but Not Vote for Busing Advocate

David Armor, the conservative opponent of busing elected in June to represent the west San Fernando Valley on the Los Angeles Board of Education, reported for work Monday in an ebullient mood and quickly went on the offensive.

Moments after he was sworn in at a 9 a.m. ceremony, Armor turned his first formal act as a board member into a symbolic gesture of political willpower and cast the only vote against the election of liberal busing advocate Rita Walters as president of the board.

In the name of unity, all the other board members were ready to vote for Walters, who had campaigned for two years to sew up the election.

But Armor, the second member called during a voice vote, said “no.”

‘No Personal Message’

Looking surprised, the rest of the board hastily adopted a face-saving motion declaring Walters the unanimous choice as president. Armor voted against that, too.

Later he said his vote “contains no personal message whatsoever and reflects only disagreement with some policy issues.”

Asked to elaborate on his disagreements with Walters, Armor cited her votes against mandatory expulsion for students caught with guns or drugs and her opposition to the board’s efforts to head off another desegregation trial for the school district.

The dissent suggested Armor intends to continue, and perhaps escalate, the conservative tradition of his predecessor, Tom Bartman, once the attorney for BusStop, the Valley-based organization that successfully battled mandatory busing for integration.

Bartman, saying he did not want to become a professional politician, chose not to run for the board again after six tumultuous years in office. During much his tenure, the issue of busing formed the heart of a conservative-liberal split.

Bartman departed two weeks ago on an upbeat note, playing his guitar and singing “Passing Through.” By Monday he had moved out of his office. But he left a farewell message, a rose for each of the seven board members and about 15 staff members who sit together at board meetings.

“Thank you, Tom, wherever you are,” Walters said.

Except for his momentary preview of rugged times to come, Armor came in on a similarly upbeat note.

Embraces Family

At his swearing-in, Armor, 46, formerly an analyst for the Rand Corp. was flanked by his wife, mother, son and daughter and her fiance.

When he finished the oath of office, Armor embraced each member of his family.

Stepping into the patio outside the board’s meeting room, Armor was greeted by dozens of supporters who shook his hand, patted him on the back and smiled widely.

“Hooray for our side!” one woman said.

As other board members lingered in small groups, Armor moved through the crowd energetically, shaking hundreds of hands.

“We’re going to solve some problems,” he told one of them.

Perhaps another preview of rugged times to come.