In Long Beach, California, Jon Meyer Will Face Teacher Discontent in 2008

How many voters educate themselves on school-board issues? On the flipside, how many candidates rely on general voter apathy and sound-byte politicking to conduct business as usual and bet on being re-elected? When taking a look at the upcoming April 8, 2008, Long Beach, California, Board of Education race for the Long Beach Unified School District, it appears that two incumbents are banking on just this type of voter behavior! Incumbent School Board president Felton Williams, who represents the 4^th district, and his incumbent vice president Jon Meyer, representing the 2^nd district, will find their names on the ballot, but will they count on facing the voters?

Felton Williams's difficulties gaining and keeping teachers' support have already been documented, and thus now is the time to shine the spotlight on Mr. Williams' second in command: Jon Meyer. The LBReport showcases his history with the school board in a January, 2004 article which explains that Mr. Meyer originally joined the board in 2003 to replace Ed Eveland who died while in office. Instead of running for election in 2004, Mr. Meyer remained in office due the election being canceled for lack of challengers. Thus, in 2008 he faces his first opportunity to defend his seat.

At face value, one might think that Mr. Meyer will be a shoo-in for his seat. After all, he is quoted in the April, 2005 issue of the Grunion Gazette expressing his delight at the 2.56% raise teachers were to receive, all the while pointing out that budget cuts are imminent and continuous. Referring to teachers as the heart and soul of the school system, his understanding of issues affecting teaching professionals is guaranteed - or is it?

A LBUSD School Board report card published on or around November of 2006 begs to differ. At issue is his refusal to vote in favor of an open meeting requirement for the Bond Oversight Committee which would have led to active involvement of the public in the spending process of money generated by education bonds.

Another matter of discontent is his vote against a public forum that would have allowed a public discussion about the fact that an unprecedented number of Long Beach schools were placed on the Federal Intervention list, a program that seeks to bring help to failing schools. Mr. Meyer was also found voting against term limits for school board members, thus effectively guaranteeing himself a certain measure of job security in four year increments - or longer, if no opposing candidate is found.

It is noteworthy that Jon Meyer and Felton Williams are consistently shown to be voting unanimously on the issues at hand, a fact that has not escaped the notice of the Teachers Association of Long Beach (TALB). At a school board meeting a month later, Meyer and Williams once again voted in unison to reject the request of teachers who sought to exchange messy and outdated chalk boards for whiteboards which are part and parcel of many a modern daycare center today. This kind of open disregard to teachers' needs has earned both incumbent candidates the reputation of being obstructionist.

At the heart of this allegation is undoubtedly Meyer's complicity in thwarting fellow board members' Michael Ellis and David Barton who time and again are seeking to represent the teachers' interest. Perhaps the most incriminating bit of evidence in this regard is Mr. Meyer's own admission - televised during a Tuesday board meeting - that he utilized his influence to keep several of both Ellis' and Barton's topics off the meeting agenda.

Yet the most pause to any voter should be Mr. Meyer's rush to see LBUSD Superintended Chris Steinhauser kept in office for another year as is documented in the August 2007 edition of the Gazette. At this point in time the contract is scheduled to expire in June of 2010, and there is no obvious reason to extend it now, as board members Ellis and Barton pointed out, yet in what is almost a historic precedent, Williams and Meyer once again outvoted their concern and the new contract will now carry through to August of 2011.

Will a school board member who is accused by teaching professionals of being obstructionist, and who by his own admission has sought to keep undesired issues off the table during meetings, make a good candidate for re-election? Informed voters will have to think this one over - twice.