Los Angeles Unified school board candidates Alex Johnson and George McKenna have less than two weeks left to win the favor of Los Angeles voters before the runoff election.
So far, records show Johnson, an education policy advisor for L.A. county supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, attracted $314,000 in campaign contributions plus $518,000 in expenditures by independent groups - more than double the funds McKenna garnered.
Johnson is backed by leading education reform organizations, including an advocacy group associated with the California Charter School Association.
McKenna, a former school administrator, won the endorsement of the teachers union, which plans to rally its members to the polls on election day, August 12.
Both candidates said promise to turnaround South L.A. schools plagued by poverty, high dropout rates and low reading and math scores — but how?
KPCC wants you to take a turn at the mic and grill the candidates about their priorities. Take a couple minutes to ask the questions central to your vote.