Third in a series
Re “McKenna’s No. 1 Booster Says Runoff Is an Easy Call”
[img]2335|right|George McKenna||no_popup[/img]Whether or not George McKenna thinks his age, 73, should be an issue in the Aug 12 runoff against Alex Johnson for a vacant LAUSD seat, his friends, since Election Night a month ago, have seized on it as an asset.
Hardly any McKenna backer is more passionate than the journalist Larry Aubry.
“His age notwithstanding,” said Mr. Aubry, “his ideas are new in this district, as they relate to children of color, especially black children.”
“This is a major point. The newness will be his presence on that board.
“The new perspective that George brings is being more concerned with quality outcomes than with compliance.
[img]2606|right|Larry Aubry||no_popup[/img]“That,” said the worked-up Mr. Aubry, never slowing his steaming advocacy for a moment, “is what has been happening, unfortunately. We have stuff on the books, policies on the books, and we have to make the distinction between policy and practices. Sometimes the policy is there, but…
“I have been around a long time,” said the tall, eloquent 81-year-old, “and in 2005, it was the first time this district did something it had not done before. It passed the African American Learner Initiative, which is focused exclusively on black children.
“The problem was that often, out of the public’s eye, it evolved into something like ‘for black children and all others.’ When it did that, it basically killed it.”
Ever since Mr. McKenna, a deeply popular retired administrator, won 45 percent of the vote against a sprawling field last month, leading runnerup Alex Johnson, 33 by a broad gap, much of the runup chatter to Aug. 12 has centered on the importance of voting a fighter for black causes onto the LAUSD Board.
Unshakeably, the McKenna camp says he is the person to aim the arrow in the correct direction.
(To be continued)
