In revealing one of the year’s worst kept secrets, Scott Zeidman announced today that he will be seeking reelection of his seat on the Culver City Unified School District Board of Education. Zeidman, the current Board President, indicated that he feels that his job is far from over. “CCUSD is a great district. We’ve made substantial progress in the past 3+ years. But, while we’ve made progress, there is still room for improvement, and I’d like to help finish what we’ve started.”
During Zeidman’s tenure, Measure EE, the parcel tax was passed, giving the district an anticipated $6,000,000 in added funding. The district instituted an award-winning anti-bullying task force, a cap on the overall population of the middle and high schools, higher academic requirements for inter-district permit students, and maintained an open and transparent budget process. Popular Superintendent Patricia Jaffe was a Zeidman-Board hire. The Board also successfully fought to retain counselors, aides and teachers.
While test scores have increased dramatically during Zeidman’s tenure, Zeidman give all credit to the teachers, staff and administrators. “I’m excited and thrilled with the tremendous progress our schools have realized in the past there years, but the credit has to go to the people who are working with the students. We have an extraordinary group of teachers, staff and administrators, and due to their collective hard work, our schools are excelling. We’ve had to make Draconian cuts over the past three years, and I’m heartened to see that despite the lack of funding (our ADA funding has dropped 16.4% over the past three years), our students are thriving.”
In the past three years, three CCUSD schools have earned California State Distinguished Schools Awards (El Marino 2008, La Ballona 2011; Culver City High School 2011); and the District has earned three Title 1 Academic Achievement Awards (La Ballona 2009, 2010, and Linwood E. Howe 2009). Culver Park was named as a California Model Continuation High School (2010), and Culver City Middle School has been recognized annually as a California Department of Education “School to Watch.”
Zeidman, who is active in the community, is endorsed by Culver City Mayor Mehaul O’Leary, former mayors and current councilmen Scott Malsin and Andy Weissman, councilman Jeff Cooper, Board of Education members Steve Gourley, Kathy Paspalis and Patricia Siever, former Mayors Alan Corlin, Paul Jacobs, Sandra Levin, David Hauptman and Richard Brundo, former School Board Presidents Bob Knopf, Madeline Ehrlich, Saundra Davis and Stephen Schwartz, former City Treasurer Crystal Alexander, more than thirty current and former Culver City appointed officials, and hundreds more.
The Zeidman campaign is planning a reelection party/meet & greet at the home of Mike “Mr. Culver City” Cohen at a date yet to be determined. More information can be found at Zeidman4CCUSD.com.
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