Veteran teacher Monica Ratliff scores upset win in lopsided race for LAUSD board
Attorney turned teacher Monica Ratliff won a seat on the LAUSD board on Tuesday, May 21, 2013. (David Crane/Staff Photographer)
Attorney-turned-teacher Monica Ratliff was elected to represent the East San Fernando Valley on the LAUSD board, upsetting a heavily favored rival with strong political ties and seemingly unlimited campaign resources.
According to unofficial results from Tuesday's runoff, Ratliff received 20,243 votes compared with 18,779 for self-described education advocate Antonio Sanchez, who finished well ahead of her in the March primary.
Sanchez, 31, had the endorsement of powerful labor unions and financial support from well-funded political action campaigns, while Ratliff ran a part-time campaign on a shoestring budget. That had been seen as a disadvantage heading into the runoff, but on Wednesday was viewed as a key to her success.
"At the end of the day, the teacher running against the establishment and outside money was the main thing driving her victory," said Raphael Sonenshein, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles. "Sometimes, getting all of the support is worse than getting some of the support."
Ratliff was at work Wednesday in her fifth-grade classroom at San Pedro Elementary, as she was every day during the campaign. She said she went to bed
