Readers React: If the past is any guide, the LAUSD school board election could get ugly

To the editor: I live in the Los Angeles Board of Education’s District 4. The current holder of that seat is a man supported by the charter school movement.

The money spent to secure his election set records. The tactics used against the public schools advocate he replaced were downright nasty.

The voters of District 5 have my utmost sympathy as the deluge of mailers and phone calls begins in the runoff election. I hope old pro and public schools advocate Jackie Goldberg — a former school board member, L.A. City Council member and state legislator — wins.

Louise Bianco, Tarzana

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To the editor: On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to vote for a new school board member. This is great, since I love to vote. However, we should have used instant runoff voting.

With 10 candidates on the ballot, Goldberg garnered just shy of 50%, so there will be a runoff election on May 14. Officials, candidates and voters like me will have to make time for another election.

With ranked-choice voting, voters can list as many candidates as they want in order of first choice to last. Those rankings are used to select the winner.

Why not save the time and trouble of a runoff by having us rank the candidates? Many cities and one state, Maine, have already adopted this. Let’s join them.

Wendy Wendlandt, Los Angeles

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