SMRR Deeply Committed to Schools

By Patricia Hoffman

Is it possible that everyone is right?

I think that the controversy over the SMRR endorsements resembles the fable of the Blind Men and the Elephant. Each person touched a different part of the elephant and drew his own conclusions about the whole.

SMRR came into being 30 years ago to protect tenants from eviction and allow them to age in place and in peace. We remain vigilant today in our attempts to protect tenants from the constant threats like the recently defeated Proposition 98.

About 25 years ago an education advocacy group called Committee for a Responsive School Board arose within SMRR. CRSB elected Connie Jenkins and Mary Kay Kamath as our first School Board members in April of 1981. At the time the College and the Unified were under the governance of one board.

CRSB and SMRR were the earliest advocates for money from the City going to the Unified. Denny Zane, Judy Abdo, Connie Jenkins and Ralph Mechur helped create the rationale used to show that the well being of the City was dependent on the education of its children.

Education became the second plank of the SMRR platform. Since that time SMRR and its leadership have participated in every general obligation bond and parcel tax issue. Families politically identified with SMRR have been part of the every Santa Monica PTSA and PTA and on most if not all of the District Advisory Committees.

We, like most Santa Monicans, are deeply committed to our schools. We also are an organization with mass meetings, a steering committee and a set of by-laws. Our by-laws empower the steering committee to support candidates and issues that are not endorsed at the conventions. We have done it before and will, undoubtedly, do it again.

Often it is the case that a group of members organize to support or oppose one of the candidates seeking our endorsement. Sometimes they are successful and sometimes they are not. That is all part of our organization and how we do business. The addition of a candidate or ballot measure by the steering committee is also part of our organization and how we do business. I find it difficult to criticize one practice without criticizing the other.

That brings us up to the current endorsements. I agree with Craig Hamilton that the Special Education was within its rights to organize and show up and vote as a block at the SMRR convention. ("LETTERS -- That’s Not Democracy," July 18, 2008)

Special Education needs all of the advocacy that it can get since it has, over the years, often been treated poorly within the District. Kids with special needs require special resources. I know. I had a son who spent most of his education in Special Education.

There were some particularly bad practices in the District with the requirement of secrecy clauses. It is often difficult and painful to advocate for the needs of your child. It makes you feel exposed and vulnerable. I want to apologize to the Special Education parents if we made them feel marginalized or maligned in any way. It was certainly not the intention of the steering committee to diminish them in any way.

I do believe that our action in supporting Jose was correct. He has done an excellent job as a school board member, though committee members have disagreed with him on some issues. We acted within our by-laws by adding him to our list of supported candidates. In fact, a large majority of those voting at the convention agreed with us, he received 54.9% of the vote. He was 1/10th of a percent short.

What I most regret was that we couldn’t also move to support Judith Meister. Judith was an outstanding candidate and would make an excellent Board member. I hope that Judith considers running again.

I also would like to say that running against SMRR candidates does not doom one from ever getting SMRR support. Gleam Davis ran for School Board against the SMRR slate a number of years ago and she is now my SMRR co-chair. I like to think of SMRR as an organization that is big enough to include many points of view on many issues as long as our core values are upheld.

Patricia Hoffman is co-chair of Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights