Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS) has announced the candidates it endorses and will   support in two local contests in the November 2nd election.

The decade-old “education-focused” Political Action Committee (PAC) will back Gleam Davis and Terry O’Day for Santa Monica City Council, two-year terms, Bob HolbrooK, Kevin McKeown, Pam O’Connor and Ted Winterer for four-year Council terms.

All of CEPs’ choices are incumbents, except Winterer, though Davis and O’Day were appointed to fill
vacancies, not elected.

Holbrook, who is seeking his sixth term, is the only candidate in the group who is not a member of Santa Monicans for Renters’ Righis and the only one who has not been endorsed by SMRR.

CEPS is endorsing Laurie Leiberman, Ralph Mechur, Barry Snell and Oscar de la Torre for seats on the
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education.

Finally, CEPS is backing Yes on Propositions Y and YY.

CEPS’s endorsements were made by its Steering Committee after a candidates forum. A primary requirerment for Council candidates was their support for Y. a half-percent transaction and use tax that is expected to generate $12 million a year for the City. Prop YY, a companion advisory measure that asks whether the City Council should assign half of increased revenue generated by Prop Y to SMMUSD schools. Last week, Santa Monica College trustees announced their intention to ask for some of the funds.

In making their endorsements, CEPS noted “the longtime service of Bob Holbrook, Pam O’Connor and Kevin McKeown to the City of Santa Monica and their proven commitment to education issues.” The group also felt that Ted Winterer, “an SMMUSD parent and Santa Monica Planning Commissioner, would be a valuable addition to the City Council.”

In the School Board election, CEPS wanted to support the three incumbents in the race, Oscar de la Torre, Ralph Mechur and School Board President, Barry Snell, “as a vote of confidence for the direction and positive moves currently underway within the District.  Each of these incumbents had a strong role to play in Special Education reform, guiding the district through its recent budget crises, and helping develop the focus and goals for the district, which has just seen a significant rise in student test scores.”

For the final endorsed seat, CEPS has supported “longtime education activist, Laurie Leiberman, who it feels will add a strong, new, and extremely knowledgeable voice to the SMMUSD Board of Education.”
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For more information access www.excellentpublicschools.org