Teachers’ Unions Target Their Foes on School Boards

Teacher union efforts to oust incumbent school board members will dominate an otherwise low-key off-year election in Orange County on Nov. 5.

Unions in the Tustin Unified School District, Huntington Beach Union High School District, Saddleback Community College District and Coast Community College District want to unseat board members they disagree with and elect members they believe will be more sympathetic to the teachers and their salary needs.

While those four elections are the most heated, there will also be school board and community college district races in all 28 school districts in Orange County in which more than one candidate filed. There are 197 candidates vying for 83 trustee positions to be filled in contested races.

Other Unrelated Issues

Though the school board contests are the most numerous, the Nov. 5 election also will address some issues unrelated to education. Among them are:

- A proposed charter amendment in Placentia that would switch the city’s regular elections to coincide with state and federal election dates.

- A referendum in Cypress on whether the city should build or purchase for use housing for up to 150 senior citizens.

- Three city council seats to be filled in Buena Park and a referendum on making Mission Viejo a “community services district”--a step toward possible cityhood for that unincorporated part of the county.

- An advisory referendum in Brea asking whether the city should ban the sale and use of fireworks.

In addition to the focal union-versus-incumbents races, there are also several school board races in Orange County with unusual aspects. These include:

- School board elections in south Orange County in which fundamentalist groups want to replace incumbents with candidates who favor allowing religious organizations to use classrooms during school days. Such a practice has been voted down by the incumbent boards in both Saddleback Valley Unified and Capistrano Unified, and fundamentalist leaders have said that the incumbents seeking reelection should be defeated.

- An election in the Fountain Valley (Elementary) School District in which Robert J. Mohan is seeking to join his wife, incumbent Carol Mohan, on the five-member school board. No laws prohibit such husband-wife combinations, but some critics have charged that it is unwise for a single household to have two-fifths of the vote for an entire school district.

- A school board race in Santa Ana Unified in which two Latinos are among seven candidates seeking two seats up for election. Santa Ana Unified, which has a 69% Latino student enrollment, has not had a Latino school board member since March, 1979.

But if history is a guide, relatively few Orange County residents will take part in this year’s electoral process. Even though the school-related elections involve important local issues and can influence the spending of millions of taxpayers’ dollars, most Orange County registered voters do not go to the polls in off-year races. The county registrar of voters’ office has predicted that only 12% of the county’s 1,059,915 registered voters will cast ballots a week from Tuesday.

The most visible of the Orange County campaigns are those in which the teachers’ unions have announced all-out efforts to defeat board incumbents.

Hot Tustin Campaign

The hottest such campaign is in the Tustin Unified School District, where teachers earlier this month staged a six-day strike. Teachers suspended their job action only after vowing to oust the five-member school board. Sandy Banis, president of the Tustin Educators Assn., said the union hopes to defeat incumbents Edward H. Boseker and Dorothy T. Ralston and replace them with schoolteacher Gloria Tuchman and attorney Jane Bauer. A fifth candidate is Jim McBride, a project manager.

Banis said the union plans to seek the recall of the other three Tustin Unified board members. A new board, Banis vowed, will fire Supt. Maurice Ross, who has been the target of much of the union’s wrath during the past two years.

The District Educators Assn., the teachers’ union at Huntington Beach Union High School District, also said it will try to oust school board members it dislikes and replace them with union-endorsed candidates in the Nov. 5 election in Huntington Beach, Westminster and Fountain Valley. The high school district has three of its five seats--a voting majority--up for election.

The District Educators Assn. is backing businessman David K. Warfield, businesswoman Bonnie P. Castrey and university Prof. Jerry L. Sullivan. Only one incumbent, Stephen H. Smith, is seeking reelection; incumbent Ronald Marcus chose not to run again, and incumbent Sherry L. Baum is a resident of Seal Beach, which is no longer part of the district. Baum instead is running for the Board of Trustees in Coast Community College District.

No New Contracts

In addition to the union-endorsed candidates and the incumbent, three other candidates are running in Huntington Beach Union High School District: Robert Ernest Gerard, who lists himself as a graduate student/teacher, George A. Hanna, a tool die maker, and Maxwell N. Sudakow, a businessman.

The incumbent school boards at both Tustin Unified and Huntington Beach Union High School District have not succeeded in negotiating new teacher contracts with their unions. At Tustin, the 18-month contract impasse resulted in the teachers’ strike on Oct. 2.

At the six high schools in the Westminster-Fountain Valley-Huntington Beach area, the contract struggle last spring resulted in teacher “sickouts,” student walkouts and bitter exchanges between administration and union representatives.

Saddleback Community College District in south Orange County--one of four such districts--has a heated election for three of the seven seats on the Board of Trustees. Saddleback College, in Mission Viejo, and Irvine Valley College, in Irvine, are governed by the district.

Chancellor Criticized

The Saddleback and Irvine Valley teachers’ union for the last two years has been demanding that the incumbent board fire Chancellor Larry Stevens. The union has claimed that Stevens “wastes money,” is bad in communicating with them and is dictatorial.

The incumbent community college district trustees have repeatedly voiced confidence in Stevens. As a result, the union earlier this year said that it was joining what it called a “communitywide effort” to oust two incumbents, William Watts of Santa Ana and Robert L. Price of Laguna Hills. In the third race, incumbent Eugene C. McKnight is not seeking reelection.

One candidate seeking McKnight’s seat is Mike Eggers of Dana Point, the district representative for U.S. Rep. Ron Packard (R-Carlsbad). Eggers has attacked the teachers’ union head-on, accusing it of “one-sided emotionalism.”

The Saddleback Faculty Assn., the teachers’ union, is backing Joan J. Hueter, an athletic director, against incumbent Watts, and is supporting Marcia Milchiker, a research biologist, against incumbent Price. McKnight endorsed Cal State Fullerton sociology professor Perry E. Jacobson to succeed him; the teachers’ union is backing Iris Swanson, a retired executive assistant, for McKnight’s seat.

Other candidates in the Saddleback Community College District election are Gerald A. Wolf, who lists himself as an attorney/educator/businessperson, Ian Doyer, who is retired, and Burl Hobson, a computer consultant.

‘Interest Is Quality Education’

In a recent interview, Tom Evans, president of the Saddleback Faculty Assn., denied that the union’s overall goal is to oust Chancellor Stevens. “I know some people aren’t going to believe that,” Evans said. “But our main interest is quality education. The faculty association is afraid that the current administration is growing too large and wasting money.”

Saddleback administrators, however, dispute Evans’ claim, saying they are convinced that the union’s central goal is to fire the chancellor. “For them to say otherwise is the worst kind of hypocrisy,” said one official, who asked not to be identified.

Two years ago, the most heated school board race was in Coast Community College District, which governs Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, Golden West College in Huntington Beach and Coastline Community College, headquartered in Fountain Valley.

The district teachers’ union, after failing in an attempt to recall all five board members, succeeded in November, 1983, in electing three new board members endorsed by the union.

The new members, Nancy Pollard, Armando Ruiz and Conrad Nordquist, had criticized Coast Chancellor Norman Watson during the campaign. Watson announced his retirement plans a week after the new union-endorsed majority won.

Several Early Clashes

The new union-endorsed members had several clashes in their first few months with the two incumbent carry-over trustees, George Rodda Jr. and Richard E. Olson. Although the conflicts simmered down after the first year, Rodda, who had been critical of some of the hirings and procedures of the new board majority, announced that he would not seek reelection.

The union, the Coast Federation of Employees, American Federation of Teachers, Local 1911, announced more than a year ago that it would be raising up to $10,000 to support two candidates for this year’s election.

In September, the union endorsed Baum, who is retiring from the Huntington Beach Union High School District board, against incumbent Olson. The union picked Walter Howald, a Corona del Mar attorney, as its choice for the seat being vacated by Rodda.

Two other candidates in the Coast Community College District are David A. Post, a commercial pilot, and John Spencer Crump, a UC Irvine student and business consultant in his father’s company.

‘Complete Its Coup’

Critics of the Coast District teachers’ union claim that it is now seeking to “complete its coup” of two years ago by winning the two remaining seats on the five-member board.

Judith Ackley, president of the faculty portion of the Coast union, denied the charge. “I don’t think the union wants to be in control of the board at all,” she said. “What we want to do is have elected officials who are responsive, both to students and faculty.”

There has been less political attention given to the trustee races in the other two community college districts in Orange County. In Rancho Santiago Community College District, which governs Rancho Santiago College in Santa Ana, two incumbents are being challenged by three candidates. In North Orange County Community College District, which governs Fullerton College and Cypress College, four candidates are vying for two seats being vacated by incumbents not seeking reelection.

COAST COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT Trustee Area 1 Elect one Richard E. Olson Incumbent Sherry L. Baum School District Trustee Trustee Area 5 Elect one Walter Howald Attorney at Law David A. Post Commercial Pilot John Spencer Crump Business Consultant HUNTINGTON BEACH UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect three Robert Ernest Gerard Graduate Student/Teacher George A. Hanna Tool and Die Maker Maxwell N. Sudakow Businessman Jerry L. Sullivan University Professor/Parent Stephen H. Smith Incumbent Bonnie P. Castrey Businesswoman David K. Warfield Businessman Incumbent HUNTINGTON BEACH CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect three Neal G. Gruber Property Tax Accountant Spencer Hatch Preschool Director/Manager Merle Moshiri Parent Richard M. (Dick) Boucher Employee/Community Relations Sarah Ann (Sherry) Barlow Incumbent Pat Cohen Incumbent James Forbes Appraiser/Parent IRVINE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect two Clairbourne I. Dungy Parent/Pediatrician/Educator Chris King Management Analyst Greg Smith Corporate Executive/Parent Jim Palmer Communications Vice-President Roger M. Cervantes Labor Relations Adminstrator Ken Royal Businessman Margie Wakeham Community Volunteer Robert E. Zintgraff General Manager Rita A. Zintgraff Travel Agent NEWPORT-MESA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Trustee Area 2 Elect one Patricia A. Tobin Housewife Forrest K. Werner Incumbent Trustee Area 4 Elect one Sherry Loofbourrow Incumbent Larry Mormann Director-Electronic Automation OCEAN VIEW SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect three Janet Garrick Incumbent Carolyn Hunt Commissioner/Volunteer Administrator Charles (Chuck) Osterlund Incumbent Arnold Alvarez Teacher/Instructor/Businessman MIDWAY SANITATION DISTRICT ADVISORY VOTE Vote is advisory only

Shall the Board of Directors of the Midway Sanitation District call an advisory election if there is any change in the present established ordinance relating to user fees that would affect a taxpayer’s Property Tax Statement? Vote yes or no RANCHO SANTIAGO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT Trustee Area 3 Elect two Art Hoffmann Technical Writer Carol Enos Incumbent Craig H. Miller Farmer/Teacher Shirley A. Ralston Incumbent Bea Foster Teacher/Community Volunteer FOUNTAIN VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect three Stephen J. Einstein Incumbent Robert J. Mohan Sales Manager/Parent Roger W. Belgen Incumbent Mary Lou Crossett Businesswoman/Homemaker GARDEN GROVE SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect two Maureen G. DiMarco Incumbent Dick Hain Incumbent Patricia Sanders Newspaper District Manager Stuart D. Ogilvie College English Instructor Watson Lewis Warren Engineer/Veteran J. Tilman Williams Businessman/Financial Adviser ORANGE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Trustee Area 1 Elect one Harriet Hermann Parent/Teacher/Housewife Milton D. (Milt) Jensen Incumbent Sandy Gilbert Englander Educator/Businesswoman John R. MacLean International Production Manager Jan Marie Blee Parent Trustee Area 4 Elect one Susan Scollick Property Management Executive Robert J. Elliott Incumbent Lila J. Beavans Community Service Volunteer Trustee Area 5 Elect one Nicholas A. Konovalov Senior Manager E. Larry Powers Insurance Marketing Manager Joe Cherry Incumbent K. Richard (Dick) Chapman Businessman SANTA ANA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect two Emilio (Dick) DeLa Cruz Retired Military/Educator Louisa Pedroza Solis Secretary/Instructor Robert B. Palmer Retired Police Lieutenant Mary J. Pryer Incumbent Patsy Campbell Computer Analyst James A. Richards Incumbent Sam Nodarse Social Security Representative TUSTIN UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect two Jim McBride Project Manager Edward H. Boseker Incumbent Jane Bauer Attorney/Parent Gloria Tuchman School Teacher Dorothy T. Ralston Appointed Incumbent WESTMINSTER SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect three Mary P. Goodlad Parent Joseph R. Donahue Retired Professor Karolyn L. Diller Production Specialist Curtis Jones Incumbent Eleanor F. Parsons School Nurse Practitioner Harold V. Lorton Incumbent Cindi Arthur Parent/Community Volunteer Margie L. Rice Incumbent Albert J. Ingallinera Marketing Director/Homeowner LOS ALAMITOS COUNTY WATER DISTRICT Elect two Paul J. Erskine Community Newspaper Owner Edwyna (Korky) Moyer Incumbent Marjorie Travers Incumbent MIDWAY CITY SANITARY DISTRICT Elect three Richard E. Olson Incumbent James V. (Jim) Evans Incumbent Anthony Nelson Jr. Political Science Major Dewey L. Wiles California Peace Officer Allegra Fieldman Businesswoman Bruce D. Finlayson Incumbent STANTON CTY. WATER DISTRICT Elect one Paul T. Harrison Appointed Incumbent Paul G. Verellen Human Resources Administrator CITY OF BREA ADVISORY BAN ON FIREWORKS Vote is advisory only

Shall the voters of the City of Brea advise the City Council of the City of Brea to adopt an ordinance prohibiting the sale, use or discharge of fireworks within the City of Brea? Vote yes or no CITY OF CYPRESS VOTE ON SENIOR HOUSING

Shall the City of Cypress develop, construct, or aquire with local, state, or federal assistance, low-rent housing units limited to use by seniors not to exceed a total of 150 dwelling units within the city? Vote yes or no NORTH ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT Trustee Area 2 Elect one Charles Hilfenhaus Administrative Assistant Otto J. Lacayo Business Executive/Councilmember Trustee Area 3 Elect one Alan E. Wheatland Chairman/Construction Group Barry J. Wishart Attorney at Law ANAHEIM UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect three Kurt A. Haunfelner Incumbent William R. (Bill) Small Retired School Administrator Joanne L. Stanton Incumbent Don E. McCormack Union Rep./Coach Judy McCormack Real Estate Broker Ernie Martinez Teacher Jo Ann Barnett Incumbent Gray Farley Business Executive FULLERTON JOINT UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect three William (Yale) Goodman Businessman/Marketing Manager Robert N. (Bob) Hathaway Attorney at Law Robert A. (Bob) Singer Incumbent Gene M. Lung Educator/Businessman John J. Marcinko High School Counseler Marilyn Buchi Incumbent Karin M. Freeman Community Volunteer ANAHEIM CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect three Celia Dougherty Educational Administrator Albert R. (Al) Peraza Incumbent Betty Patterson Incumbent Meinhart Edsen Retired Tool Maker Betty Vion School Volunteer Virginia Boyer Miller Certified Public Accountant David R. Cook Educator/Businessman Peter I. Wase Security Officer BREA-OLINDA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect four Lynn Daucher Incumbent Frank Davies Senior Scientist Sondra Schuessler Domestic Engineer Sharon Y. Chase Incumbent Richard A. Collender Attorney John Rosell BUENA PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect three Frank M. Stewart Merchant Elizabeth (Beth) Swift Incumbent B. Buck Levine Incumbent Chuck Menzies Incumbent CENTRALIA SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect three Kit Dameron Educational Program Specialist Gloria Scanlon Incumbent Jerry S. Buchanan Incumbent Gelsomina (Gel) Barton Retired Teacher Irene Wohlgenant Retired Engineering Secretary CYPRESS SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect three Edward K. Southfield Incumbent Morris (Morey) Spatz Retired College Instructor Stephen T. (Steve) Blount Fixed Asset Accountant Ventura Cornejo Jr. Incumbent Max M. Wagoner Labor Consultant Ellen Friedmann Appointed Incumbent FULLERTON SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect three Bill Dickenson Owner,Retail Lumberyard Richard M. Stafford Human Resource Management Fredrick T. Mason Incumbent Irene Armstrong Incumbent Bob Fisler Incumbent LA HABRA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect three William A. (Bill) Hinz Appointed Incumbent Alfred A. Stapinski Clinical Psychologist/Educator David Jose Verdugo School Administrator/Educator Antonio Valle Jr. Incumbent Nancy S. Zinberg Incumbent LOWELL JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect three Herb Griffith Veterinarian Joyce E. Canfield Incumbent Janet B. (Jan) Averill Incumbent I.A. (Augie) Ryanen Personnel Administrator LOS ALAMITOS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect two Jim Duncan Businessman Mary Holzgang Incumbent Luella D. (Lu) Sprague Housewife/Volunteer David Madore Parent/Electronic Engineer Joyce Bloom Attorney Danny Wood Parent/Diesel Mechanic Helen Wood Division Administrative Aide Jeanne Flint Homemaker/Community Volunteer MAGNOLIA SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect three Edmond C. Heraux Parent/Educator Richard K. Shimeall Incumbent Harold Spires Retired Military RaMona C. Oakland Educator Ray Morales Incumbent Esther Wallace Incumbent PLACENTIA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect two Pete Dimopoulos Student of Finance Isabelle Jambon Hlavac Community Volunteer/Homemaker Guy R. Ehrich Incumbent Mary Liston Incumbent Chris Trosin Sales Manager Arden G. Anderson Consultant MBA SAVANNA SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect three Joan Hayes Incumbent Pat Ochoa Incumbent Edward A. Erdtsieck Businessman Linda (Turek) McGoldrick Housewife BUENA PARK CITY COUNCIL Elect three Steve A. Grasha Business Owner Amie Dutile Retired Art Kerschbaum Licensed Civil Engineer Max R. Schulman Consultant, Government Services Kenneth B. (Ken) Jones Incumbent Douglas John Jarrell Security Officer Rhonda J. McCune Account Executive/Appraiser D.L. (Don) Bone Businessman Gustave (Gus) Benson Night Shop Foreman Donna Lee Chessen Businesswoman John L. Taliaferro Businessman W. James Woodin Business Executive Larry T. Wieck Businessman Adrian C. Witt Jr. Sales Manager ORANGE COUNTY WATER DISTRICT Elect one Donn Hall Appointed Incumbent Patricia Aynes Attorney at Law SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS COUNTY WATER DISTRICT Elect three Leonard Schwendeman Incumbent Sam S. Porter Rancher Gilbert Leach Incumbent Kermit D. Lang Appointed Incumbent Craig J. Baker Computer Technician YORBA LINDA COUNTY WATER DISTRICT Elect three William H. Dieterle Engineer/Broker Norman P. Kamin Consultant Donald E. Peters Insurance Broker Whit Cromwell Incumbent Paul R. Armstrong Incumbent Richard L. Armstrong Contractor Sterling L. Fox Retired School Administrator MISSION VIEJO INITIATIVE Measure submitted to voters for formation of Mission Viejo Community Services District

Shall the order adopted on Aug. 6, 1985, by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Orange ordering a reorganization affecting the formation of the Mission Viejo Community Services District and the dissolution of the Oso Valley County Service Area No. 9 under the provisions of the District Reorganization Act of 1965 be confirmed subject to the terms and conditions specified in said order and shall a maximum appropriations limit of $7 million be approved?

The terms and conditions included in the above order include the formation of the Mission Viejo Community Services District and the concurrent dissolution to the Oso Valley County Service Area No.9, and the boundaries of the county service area to be dissolved, and the Mission Viejo Community Service District shall be the successor agency to the Oso Vaslley County Service District No.9 and take over the assets and assume all liabilities and obligations of the county service area and the election of a five-member Board of Directors, as more particularly described and set forth in said order. Vote yes or no SANTA MARGARITA WATER DISTRICT Elect three John F. Van Dam Incumbent Robert A. Moore Incumbent Richard F. Boultinghouse Incumbent Charles C. (Chuck) Zimmerman Urban Planning Consultant SADDLEBACK COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT Trustee Area 2 Elect one Joan J. Hueter Athletic Director/Homemaker Gerald A. Wolf Attorney/Educator/Businessperson William (Bill) Watts Education Management Trustee Area 4 Elect one Ian Doyer Retired Iris Swanson Retired Executive Assistant Perry E. Jacobson Professor/Sociologist/Author Mike Eggers Congressional Aide/Journalist Trustee Area 5 Elect one Burl Hobson Computer Consultant Robert L. Price Incumbent Marcia Milchiker Research Biologist/Homemeaker CAPISTRANO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Trustee Area 4 Elect one Jan Overton Incumbent James C. Long Engineer David M. Colville Teacher/Athletic Director Cindi Waters Homemaker Winston Lyle Frost Educator/Attorney Trustee Area 6 Elect one Victor R. Domines Mortgage Banker Paul Haseman Incumbent Trustee Area 7 One seat Annette B. Gude Incumbent Carol E. Cox Real Estate Investor SADDLEBACK VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Elect two Dore John Gilbert Incumbent William C. (Bill) Kohler Retired Marine/Insurance Kristine A. Kister Incumbent Bill Harris President/Manufacturing Company H.A. (Al) Beaubier Medical Administrator George W. Carter Senior Editor/Instructor Richard Neuland Attorney at Law Richard Welte Stock Broker CAPISTRANO BAY COMMUNITY SERVICE DISTRICT Elect three June Weber Hampton Businesswoman Jane Pryke Businesswoman/Accountant Jack Tarr Businessman Basil D. Rose Retired Management Executive CAPISTRANO BEACH COUNTY WATER DISTRICT Elect two Henry A. Halminski Incumbent Al Ortega Fire Fighter/Contractor Ken Lawrence Incumbent Georges Narbel Property Management CAPISTRANO BEACH SANITARY DISTRICT Elect two Gary B. Kamm Police Officer Larry Montoya Incumbent Jim Forrester Appointed Incumbent DANA POINT SANITARY DISTRICT Elect three Ann K. Kelly Incumbent James Hyde Water Quality Administrator Fred M. Roberts Incumbent Richard D. Runge Incumbent EL TORO WATER DISTRICT Elect one for short-term director Lewis E. Minkel Appointed Incumbent Bill Bledsoe Investor MISSION VIEJO COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT Elect five Robert David Breton Deputy Attorney General William (Bill) Bringham Retired Military Officer Nellie Buomberger Executive Secretary William Craycraft Businessman Denis Horn Airport Executive Victoria Jaffe Planning/ Business Administrator Fred L. McGuire Business Administrator Norman P. (Norm) Murray Member, Mission Viejo Municipal Advisory Council Timothy E. (Tim) Watson Savings Institution Executive Craig S. Galbraith Management Professor Christian (Chris) Keena Member, Mission Viejo Municipal Advisory Council SOUTH COAST COUNTY WATER DISTRICT Elect three Ingrid McGuire Homemaker/Volunteer Thomas H. Brooks Incumbent P. Norman Anderson Incumbent Susan Crowl Russell Incumbent