Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS) is proud to continue our work this election season by providing reliable information about candidates’ positions on education. As part of this effort, we asked City Council and SMMUSD Board of Education candidates to answer a series of education-related questions, and we encourage all voters to view candidates’ full answers at www.ExcellentPublicSchools.org. In addition, we held our first CEPS Candidates Forum in which members of the community could ask questions of candidates directly. And finally, we published endorsements for School Board candidates and evaluations for Santa Monica City Council candidates.
It was our objective, particularly among city council candidates, to identify those whose records and philosophies clearly indicated that they would be a reliable ally for our schools. We are indeed fortunate that among a pool of 14 city council candidates, eight are clearly reliable. These include Richard Bloom, Matt Dinolfo, Ken Genser, Patricia Hoffman, Herb Katz, Maria Loya, Kathryn Morea and Bobby Shriver.
CEPS rated four candidates, including Councilman Michael Feinstein, as “unreliable.” This rating came from a variety of factors, including Councilman Feinstein’s refusal in May to support the City-Schools Agreement, which increased the City of Santa Monica’s contribution to SMMUSD to $6 million per year with provisions for increased funding as city revenues increase.
In addition to the City Council candidates whom we have evaluated as reliable supporters of education, CEPS is also proud to endorse three excellent candidates for the Board of Education: Dr. Jose Escarce, Maria Leon-Vazquez, and Dr. Kathy Wisnicki.
Lastly, we also recommend “Yes” votes for Measure N, the Hotel Visitors Tax, and Yes on Measure S, the Santa Monica College Bond. CEPS is proud to be part of such vibrant and committed communities. Election after election, Santa Monica and Malibu voters have shown their commitment to education. We look forward to many more years of community support for our excellent public schools.
Shari Davis and Louise Jaffe Co-chairs, CEPS