Candidate Pledges to Pursue Goldberg’s Goals for Schools

Jeff Horton, the longtime friend whom Jackie Goldberg is hoping will succeed her on the Los Angeles Board of Education, said Monday he wants to carry on with the goals set by the close-knit community group that persuaded Goldberg to bear its standard eight years ago.

Goldberg, the board’s president, called a press conference to announce that she plans to trade the boardroom for the classroom when her term ends June 30 and to throw her support to her former field representative. Horton, attending the conference, listed his top priorities as raising achievement levels for students, continuing the shift of authority and resources from the Los Angeles Unified School District’s downtown headquarters to the schools, enlarging the roles of parents and community leaders, and securing better funding from Washington and Sacramento.

Horton, 43, a cum laude graduate of Yale University and a veteran high school teacher for the district, said he hopes to raise about $100,000 for his campaign for the board’s 3rd District seat in the April primary.

If no other major candidates surface, Horton said, he would probably spend less but would still need funds to concentrate on “raising interest” in the schools throughout the 3rd District. The area includes neighborhoods in and around downtown, Hollywood, Mid-Wilshire and the Olympic corridor. The diverse district, home to many groups of recent immigrants, includes some of the oldest and most-crowded schools in Los Angeles.

Horton said he is seeking the backing of the teachers union, in which he has been active, although he expects “we will disagree” on some issues.

Flanked by friends and family in the courtyard at district headquarters, Goldberg, 45, said her decision to return to her teaching career--preferably in one of the district’s inner-city high schools--”is not a way of retiring from the struggle to make it possible for all students to be successful.”

“I was in that battle before I ran for the school board, and I do not believe I will ever leave the struggle until it is accomplished,” said Goldberg, a longtime liberal activist who for nearly 18 months has presided over the board during one of its most important periods.

In the midst of budget crunches, overcrowding and rapid changes in its student population, the board has embarked on plans to reorganize the way schools are run, to teach new methods to students who are poor achievers or who are not fluent in English, and to relieve crowding by operating all schools year-round.

Goldberg upset an incumbent in 1983 with the help of a coalition of teachers, gay activists and Echo Park community leaders.

Board member Leticia Quezada praised Goldberg as a “strong, tenacious board member . . . someone you would want to keep on the board.” She added that since Goldberg has decided to step down, the seat ought to go to a Latino instead of to another Anglo.

“Given the demographics of that district, given the fact that many of the students or their parents are immigrants from Central America, I think it would be highly appropriate to have a Latino or a Latina elected, and I certainly hope a situation develops where there is an opportunity to do that,” said Quezada, the board’s first Latina. She said Goldberg’s decision not to seek reelection “is a real loss . . . especially when we are facing such major issues.”

Another board member, Warren Furutani, said he will miss Goldberg’s “strong leadership,” but added that he does not blame her for leaving the low-paying, demanding position on the board after eight years.

Quezada’s and Furutani’s four-year terms will end on June 30. They both said they will seek second terms. The fourth seat up this spring is held by 11-year incumbent Rita Walters. She could not be reached for comment Monday.

Horton figures his election would represent about a 50% cut in pay because he would be required to resign his teaching job to become a $24,000-a-year board member.