[img]2189|right|Scott Kecken||no_popup[/img]Stung by biting accusations hurled against United Parents of Culver City by a fuming LAUSD union leader, Scott Kecken said that Warren Fletcher and United Teachers Los Angeles “either have been misled or they are lying.”
The chair of UPCC’s political action committee told the newspaper that “everything is false” in a 300-word charges-loaded letter that Mr. Fletcher ordered sent to select Culver City voters ahead of the Nov. 5 School Board election.
“We support Kathy Paspalis, Sue Robins and Steve Levin because we think they are the best candidates,” said Mr. Kecken.
Where Do You Live? Paspalis Asks
At a meet ‘n greet yesterday afternoon, Ms. Paspalis said that “I don’t really know why the UTLA is sticking their nose into our business here in CCUSD.
“We are CCUSD because we are not LAUSD. We have LAUSD employees who live here in Culver City, and they don’t send their kids to LAUSD schools. They send them to Culver City schools. We have over 1,000 LAUSD kids who permit into Culver City schools.
“We have a fabulous little school district here,” Ms. Paspalis said. “We want to keep it that way.
“I don’t know what the UTLA letter was about. On Nov. 5, we will see what is happening.”
As the president of the School Board campaigning for re-election two weeks from tomorrow, Ms. Paspalis was asked what she would say if Warren Fletcher, UTLA president, were standing before her.
“I would say, ‘Where do you live, Warren? Do you live in Culver City? Are you a Culver City voter? No? Your opinion is nice, but have a nice day.’”
UPCC Is the Enemy
While ostensibly touting the three candidates endorsed in August by the Teachers Union and classified employees, Mr. Fletcher’s angry missive hammered the UPCC as the anti-union, anti-teacher enemy of the Teachers Union.
His letter provided a confirming megaphone for anti-UPCC whispers that friends and members of the Teachers Union have been making off-the-record since the parents union was organized last year.
“I find this letter incredible in several ways,” Mr. Kecken said.
“Here you have an outside organization, the Los Angeles teachers union, saying there is a ‘well-funded organization’ trying to influence the Culver City School Board election and beyond.
“Secondly, we have the people who are doing the moaning about a negative campaign from us…but not complicit in sourcing this letter.”
Motivation?
Mr. Kecken suggested that members of the Culver City Teachers Union “are telling this stuff (to the UTLA).
“But why?
“I don’t know why they are doing this, but honestly, there has to be another agenda.
“When you the (Teachers Union-) endorsed candidates in this letter, you have to ask, are they putting LAUSD interests over Culver City parents’ (interests)?
“Are they really going to let outside groups, like UTLA, which represents one of the state’s worst school districts, try to influence our schools?
“To what end?” Mr. Kecken wants to know.
“Is it a political goal? A personal goal? I don’t know.”
Mr. Kecken found their own words damning, and he said the identities of UPCC critics no longer could be masked.
“Obviously there are strong ties to the LAUSD and to the candidates they have endorsed. The letter said it was written on behalf of (the Culver City Teachers Union) and ACE (the Assn. of Classified Employees).
“You have the players (identified)…pretty clearly.”
(To be continued)
