'Miracle' L.A. school board triumph: She thought of her students
'Fifth-grade teacher' was underdog candidate Monica Ratliff's ballot designation. It resonated with voters, who propelled the 43-year-old to victory over heavily favored Antonio Sanchez.
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Victorious school board candidate Monica Ratliff. (Los Angeles Times / May 22, 2013) |
For a fleeting moment in her underdog campaign, Monica Ratliff faltered. The candidate for the Los Angeles school board stood outside her chief fundraiser's home and balked at the task of asking people for money.
Then, she said, she thought of three struggling students in her fifth-grade class at San Pedro Street Elementary, located in a gritty downtown Los Angeles neighborhood. She thought of the vocational programs, better training for teachers and other ideas she could push for as a board member to keep her students from falling off track.
Her hesitancy vanished.
"I am asking for them," she said after her electoral triumph last week. "After that, I was inspired."
