Gregory Pitts
Gregory Pitts ran for election to the Compton Unified School District school board to represent Area D in California. Pitts lost in the general election on March 3, 2020.
Pitts ran for re-election for an at-large seat of the Compton Unified School District school board in California in 2019. On September 1, 2019, the Los Angeles County Superior Court released a judgment canceling the election and ordering new, by-district elections be held beginning in March 2020.[1]
Biography
Pitts earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from California State University at Northridge in 2002, a master's degree in education and special education from California State University at Dominguez Hills in 2006, and a second master's degree in education administration from California State University at Northridge in 2009. He began working as a teacher and education specialist at the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District in 2003. Pitts previously worked as a special education teacher and as a literacy instructor. He has served as the executive board president of the Compton Willow Walk Corporation, as vice-chair of the City of Compton Block Club Commission, as a member of the City of Compton My Brothers Keeper Advisory Council, and as the District 2 Commissioner for the City of Compton.[2][3]
Elections
2020
See also: Compton Unified School District, California, elections (2020)
General election
General election for Compton Unified School District Area D
Incumbent Charles Davis defeated Roberto Rodriguez Savedra and Gregory Pitts in the general election for Compton Unified School District Area D on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Charles Davis (Nonpartisan) | 39.7 | 963 |
 | Roberto Rodriguez Savedra (Nonpartisan)  | 33.7 | 817 | |
 | Gregory Pitts (Nonpartisan) | 26.7 | 647 | |
| Total votes: 2,427 | |||
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2019
The general election was canceled.
2017
Four of the seven seats on the Compton Unified School District Board of Education in California were up for at-large general election on November 7, 2017. In their bids for re-election, incumbents Margie N. Garrett, Alma Taylor-Pleasant, Mae Thomas, and Satra D. Zurita defeated former member Alita Godwin, former candidates Barbara Calhoun, Willie Dewitt Carson, Joseph L. Lewis, and Gregory Pitts, and newcomers Barbara Banks, Rodney Lonnell Curry, Jesse Harris, Ricky Hicks, Mary Jackson-Freeny, Luis Landeros, Anthony Lee Perry, Shawn Poole-Louis, Jonathan Taylor, and Tracy Shawn Wiggins.[4][5]
Results
| Compton Unified School District, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Mae Thomas Incumbent |
13.50% | 2,654 |
| Satra D. Zurita Incumbent |
12.36% | 2,430 |
| Margie N. Garrett Incumbent |
10.19% | 2,003 |
| Alma Taylor-Pleasant Incumbent |
7.72% | 1,517 |
| Gregory Pitts | 7.62% | 1,497 |
| Rodney Lonnell Curry | 6.35% | 1,248 |
| Barbara Calhoun | 6.20% | 1,218 |
| Jonathan Taylor | 5.95% | 1,169 |
| Alita Godwin | 5.08% | 998 |
| Mary Jackson-Freeny | 4.67% | 918 |
| Barbara Banks | 4.33% | 852 |
| Luis Landeros | 3.90% | 766 |
| Joseph L. Lewis | 2.54% | 500 |
| Shawn Poole-Louis | 2.52% | 496 |
| Willie Dewitt Carson | 2.08% | 408 |
| Tracy Shawn Wiggins | 1.88% | 369 |
| Jesse Harris | 1.27% | 249 |
| Ricky Hicks | 0.97% | 190 |
| Anthony Lee Perry | 0.88% | 172 |
| Total Votes | 19,654 | |
| Source: Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, "Local and Municipal Consolidated Elections November 7, 2017," accessed November 21, 2017 | ||
Funding
At the time of this election, the Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk did not publish school board candidate campaign finance reports online. Ballotpedia staffers requested this information, but the only free method of viewing the files was at their office.
The Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk targeted the end of 2018 to make school board candidate campaign finance reports available online for free. From that point forward, Ballotpedia began including campaign finance data for Los Angeles County school board candidates.[6][7][8]
Endorsements
Pitts was endorsed by the community organization Evolve.[9]
2015
Three of the seven seats on the Compton Unified School District Board of Education were up for general election on November 3, 2015.[10] Incumbents Micah Ali and Skyy Fisher sought re-election to their seats. Incumbent Emma Sharif did not file to run for re-election, leaving a seat open to a newcomer. In their bids for re-election, Ali and Fisher faced 18 challengers: Richard Alatorre, Lizette Arevalo, Barbara Calhoun, Charles Davis, Arturo Frazier, Maria Hechavarria, Carol Jordan, Justine Landeros, Jolena Lomax, Janette Mora, Sandra Moss, Francisco Orozco, Diana Padilla, Denzell Perry, Gregory Pitts, Jerry Randle, Kim Smith, and Omar Spry.[4][1] Arevalo and Orozco ran together as a slate.[11]
Ali, Davis, and Moss won the election. Davis was already a member of the Compton Unified Board of Education. His term was not supposed to be up for election again until 2017, but due to the at-large election process, he was able to run early. His election to a different term left a vacancy on the board.[12][13]
Marketta Martin initially filed as a candidate, but she withdrew from the election.[14]
Results
| Compton Unified School District, At-large, General Election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Micah Ali Incumbent |
15.7% | 2,282 |
| Charles Davis |
9.7% | 1,412 |
| Sandra Moss |
8.3% | 1,204 |
| Gregory Pitts | 7.2% | 1,049 |
| Carol Jordan | 7.0% | 1,021 |
| Barbara Calhoun | 6.6% | 960 |
| Richard Alatorre | 6.4% | 932 |
| Jerry Randle | 5.5% | 795 |
| Skyy Fisher Incumbent | 4.4% | 637 |
| Arturo Frazier | 4.2% | 612 |
| Francisco Orozco | 4.2% | 602 |
| Lizette Arevalo | 3.8% | 547 |
| Diana Padilla | 3.2% | 466 |
| Kim Smith | 3.2% | 457 |
| Omar Spry | 2.7% | 387 |
| Justine Landeros | 2.3% | 331 |
| Denzell Perry | 1.8% | 258 |
| Maria Hechavarria | 1.7% | 242 |
| Janette Mora | 1.1% | 161 |
| Jolena Lomax | 0.9% | 135 |
| Total Votes | 14,490 | |
| Source: Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, "NOVEMBER 03, 2015 - LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL CONSOLIDATED ELECTIONS: Final Official Election Returns," accessed November 24, 2015 | ||
Funding
At the time of this election, the Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk did not publish school board candidate campaign finance reports online. Ballotpedia staffers requested this information, but the only free method of viewing the files was at their office.
The Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk targeted the end of 2018 to make school board candidate campaign finance reports available online for free. From that point forward, Ballotpedia began including campaign finance data for Los Angeles County school board candidates.[15][16][17]
Endorsements
Pitts received endorsements from the Compton Teachers' Union, Compton Mayor Aja Brown, and the community organization Evolve.[18][19]
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Gregory Pitts did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2019
Gregory Pitts did not complete Ballotpedia's 2019 Candidate Connection survey.
2017
Ballotpedia survey responses
Gregory Pitts participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates.[20] In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on October 27, 2017:
| “ | As a board member I will focus on: High Standards for all students; Spanish Immersion Program; Whole Student Approach; Creating Programs to Increase Graduation Rates; Accountability at all levels of the district. I will seek the knowledge and expertise of our parents, district employees, and employee groups whose services are essential to CUSD. I will be able to use my understanding of schools as we evaluate the present and plan for the future of our schools. I look forward to working with our community to secure quality education for all students. I pledge my integrity and dedication to you and ask for your support.[21][22] | ” |
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues based on how they should be prioritized by the school board, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. Each ranking could only be used once.
| Education policy |
|---|
 |
Click here to learn more about education policy in California. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer eight questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are highlighted in blue and followed by the candidate's responses. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions. The candidate was also provided space to elaborate on their answers to the multiple choice questions.
| Should new charter schools be approved in your district? (Not all school boards are empowered to approve charter schools. In those cases, the candidate was directed to answer the question as if the school board were able to do so.) |
|---|
| No. |
| Which statement best describes the ideal relationship between the state government and the school board? The state should always defer to school board decisions, defer to school board decisions in most cases, be involved in the district routinely or only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| The state should only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| No. |
| How should the district handle underperforming teachers? Terminate their contract before any damage is done to students, offer additional training options, put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve or set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district? |
| Offer additional training options. Offer additional training options. Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| No. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| No. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| According to the education code. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Student-teacher ratio. Parent involvement as a close second. |
2015
Pitts shared the following political philosophy with the Compton Business Journal:
| “ | I am not satisfied with the status quo. I believe there is a need to improve the quality of education for ALL children, including children with special needs, English learners and especially those that aren’t proficient readers. We can’t give up on them. We must raise our academic achievement and address issues that prevent our kids from thriving.
I have been at the forefront of innovative education programs; such as general and special education, collaborative co-teaching to better support struggling students and reduce the number of D’s and F’s in the general education setting. I have also been involved in professional development presentations in the areas of differentiated instruction and micro-aggressions, where students and teachers present on strategies that will cause African-American and Latino students to feel more invested in the educational process. My philosophy is that all students can achieve and it’s the responsibility of every stakeholder involved in education to make sure that our children thrive. We all have a vested interest in the success of the young people. Whether you are business owner, parent, homeowner or renter, we all have a responsibility to assist our young people reach success.[22] |
” |
| —Gregory Pitts (2015)[3] | ||
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Compton Unified School District, "Establishment of Board-Districts (Trustee Areas) Pursuant to the CVRA," accessed November 11, 2019 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "board" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ LinkedIn, "Greg Pitts," accessed October 19, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Compton Business Journal, "Gregory Pitts Candidate For Compton School Board 2015," October 8, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, "Candidate List: Local And Municipal Consolidated Elections 11/7/2017," accessed August 12, 2017 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "candidates" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, "Local and Municipal Consolidated Elections," accessed November 8, 2017
- ↑ Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, "Campaign Finance Reports," accessed July 2, 2014
- ↑ Daniel Anderson, “Email communication with Brenda Duran, Los Angeles County Public Information Officer," October 7, 2016
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Brenda Duran, Los Angeles County Public Information Officer," January 2, 2018
- ↑ Evolve, "Endorsements: November 7, 2017 General Election," accessed October 25, 2017
- ↑ Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, “2015 Scheduled Elections,” accessed January 27, 2015
- ↑ A Better Compton, "Your Candidates for a Better Compton School District," accessed October 15, 2015
- ↑ Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, "NOVEMBER 03, 2015 - LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL CONSOLIDATED ELECTIONS: Semi-Final Official Election Returns," accessed November 4, 2015
- ↑ Abbey Smith, "Phone communication with Charles Davis," October 20, 2015
- ↑ Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, "Final List of Qualified Candidates," September 1, 2015
- ↑ Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, "Campaign Finance Reports," accessed July 2, 2014
- ↑ Daniel Anderson, “Email communication with Brenda Duran, Los Angeles County Public Information Officer," October 7, 2016
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Brenda Duran, Los Angeles County Public Information Officer," January 2, 2018
- ↑ Facebook, "Richard Alatorre for the City of Compton," accessed October 15, 2015
- ↑ Evolve, "2015 Endorsements: November 03, 2015 Election," accessed October 16, 2015
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2017, "Gregory Pitts's responses," October 27, 2017
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
