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Nick Melvoin

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Nick Melvoin
Member of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education
from the 4th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 6, 2017
Preceded bySteve Zimmer
Vice President of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education
In office
July 6, 2017 – January 17, 2023
PresidentKelly Gonez
Preceded byGeorge J. McKenna III
Succeeded byScott Schmerelson
Personal details
Born
Nicholas James Melvoin

1985 (age 38–39)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Parent
EducationHarvard University (BA)
Loyola Marymount University (MA)
New York University (JD)
WebsiteOfficial website
Campaign website

Nicholas James Melvoin (born 1985) is an American attorney, former teacher, and adjunct professor serving as member of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education for District 4 since May 16, 2017.[1] A member of the Democratic Party, Melvoin is the second youngest member of the board after Kelly Gonez.[2]

Early life and education

[edit]

Melvoin was born in Brentwood, Los Angeles to television writer Jeff Melvoin and photojournalist Martha Hartnett Melvoin, and is the older brother of Charles "Charlie" Melvoin. He graduated from Harvard-Westlake School in 2004 and from Harvard University in 2008, earning a Master's degree from Loyola Marymount University and a Juris Doctor from the New York University School of Law.[3]

Career

[edit]
Melvoin, behind U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (to the right), with other LAUSD officials in 2021.

Melvoin started teaching at Edwin Markham Middle School through the Teach For America program and had served as a legal clerk for the American Civil Liberties Union.[4] He was also the director of policy, communications and associate counsel for Great Public Schools Now and a consultant to Educators 4 Excellence and Teach Plus. After his first year at Markham Middle School, he was laid off along with 70% of teachers due to budget cuts.[5] Melvoin worked on the ACLU’s Reed v. California lawsuit, which challenged LAUSD’s seniority-based teacher layoff policies, as well as testifying in the Vergara v. California lawsuit.[6]

In 2016, Melvoin announced that he would be a candidate for the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education for District 4, held by member and Vice President of the Board Steve Zimmer.[7][8] Melvoin said he ran because he realized that there "was a lot outside my classroom that was affecting what was happening inside."[5] The race was joined by candidates Allison Holdorff Polhill and Greg Martayan. On February 23, 2017, all four candidates debated on the role of charter schools, undocumented students, and the budget for the District at a UCLA forum.[9]

Melvoin and Zimmer competed in a runoff after the general election where Polhill and Martayan were eliminated.[10] Melvoin was endorsed by the Daily Breeze,[11] the Los Angeles Daily News,[12] the Los Angeles Times,[13] and HuffPost.[14] Melvoin's campaign was criticized for receiving significant third-party spending support to defeat Zimmer, including the Walton family who spent more than $5 million for his campaign.[15][16] The election itself was also criticized for being what was believed to be the most expensive school board election in U.S. history.[17]

On May 17, 2017, Zimmer conceded to Melvoin in the race during a speech to his supporters, calling it devastating while saying that he would never run for office again.[18] Melvoin won against Zimmer by fourteen points, and with his win, Melvoin replaced Zimmer as a board member for District 4.[19][20][21] After the election, the charter-backed candidates, including Melvoin, had a majority on the Board of Education.[22][23]

During the 2019 Los Angeles Unified School District teachers' strike, Melvoin said that the District couldn't afford the teacher's demands.[24] In 2019, Melvoin announced that he would seek re-election,[25] and was endorsed by Teamsters Local 572 in his successful campaign.[26] He won re-election against two other candidates with nearly 60% of the vote.[27][28] With the Board election, the teachers' union candidates won back control of the Board, and in 2023, Melvoin was replaced by Scott Schmerelson as the vice president of the Board of Education.[29]

In 2023, Melvoin announced that he would run for California's 30th congressional district, an open seat vacated by incumbent Adam Schiff's run for Senate.[30] He stated that he believed that his young age would match the voters' "desire for new blood and new vision."[31] He lost the primary against Laura Friedman and Alex Balekian.

Electoral history

[edit]
Electoral history of Kevin Kiley
Year Office Party Primary General Result Swing Ref.
Total % P. Total % P.
2017 Board of Education Nonpartisan 31,771 32.90% 2nd 38,673 57.23% 1st Won N/A [32]
2022 Board of Education Nonpartisan 82,696 59.81% 1st Runoff cancelled Won N/A [a]
2024 U.S. House Democratic 2,218 2.4% 8th Did not advance Lost Hold [33]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ One candidate received a majority (over 50%) of the votes cast in the primary; therefore, no general election was held.
  1. ^ Berrin, Danielle (March 2, 2017). "Melvoin: 'New blood, new ideas' and charter schools". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles.
  2. ^ Szymanski, Mike (July 18, 2017). "'See me for who I really am': Inside Nick Melvoin's plan to win over L.A. parents and teachers". LA School Report.
  3. ^ Bayer, Halli (March 30, 2016). "Coffee Break: L.A. School Board Candidate on Downward Dogs, Underdogs and Finding His 'Happy Place'". Education Post.
  4. ^ Blume, Howard (March 5, 2017). "Could the L.A. school board's balance of power tip pro-charter?". Los Angeles Times.
  5. ^ a b "KPCC's LA school board candidate survey: Nick Melvoin, District 4". KPCC. February 17, 2017.
  6. ^ "Nicholas Melvoin '14 joins the legal battle against education inequality". NYU School of Law. April 21, 2014.
  7. ^ Clough, Craig (February 23, 2016). "Nick Melvoin declares candidacy for LA Unified school board District 4 seat in '17". LA School Report.
  8. ^ Handler, Sammi (March 9, 2016). "Alum declares candidacy for LAUSD board". The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle.
  9. ^ Pauker, Madeleine (February 23, 2017). "LAUSD Board of Education candidates dispute platforms at UCLA forum". Daily Bruin.
  10. ^ Schwartz, Noa (March 8, 2017). "Nick Melvoin '04 to compete in LAUSD runoff". The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle.
  11. ^ "Endorsement: Nick Melvoin for L.A. school board". Daily Breeze. May 3, 2017.
  12. ^ "Endorsement: Nick Melvoin for L.A. school board". Los Angeles Daily News. May 3, 2017.
  13. ^ "Endorsement: Voters should support independent thinkers Nick Melvoin and Kelly Gonez for the L.A. Unified school board". Los Angeles Times. May 9, 2017.
  14. ^ Johnson, Alex M. (May 4, 2017). "Endorsement: Nick Melvoin for LAUSD Board of Education". HuffPost.
  15. ^ Brantley, Max (May 14, 2017). "Waltons spending millions in Los Angeles School Board race". Arkansas Times.
  16. ^ Roos, Sara (May 11, 2017). "Nick Melvoin's School Board Candidacy Controlled By Wealthy, "Special" Interests". LA Progressive.
  17. ^ Blume, Howard (May 21, 2017). "How L.A.'s school board election became the most expensive in U.S. history". Los Angeles Times.
  18. ^ "Steve Zimmer Concedes to Nick Melvoin in Highly Contested Election for LAUSD Board President". KTLA. May 17, 2017.
  19. ^ Weinraub, Anthony (August 30, 2017). "Alumni make strides in government roles". The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle.
  20. ^ Rodriguez, Bryce (May 18, 2017). "Nick Melvoin the New LAUSD Board President". The Oarsman.
  21. ^ "Nick Melvoin sworn in to LAUSD school board". Beverly Press. 6 July 2017.
  22. ^ Zinshteyn, Mikhail (May 17, 2017). "Charter-backed candidates win majority on L.A. Unified school board". EdSource.
  23. ^ Blume, Howard (May 17, 2017). "Charter backers win their first L.A. school board majority". Los Angeles Times.
  24. ^ "LAUSD board VP Nick Melvoin: District can't afford to meet teachers' demands". KABC-TV. January 15, 2019.
  25. ^ Petersen, Carl J. (July 18, 2021). "LAUSD's Nick Melvoin To Seek Reelection". Patch.
  26. ^ "Teamsters endorse Melvoin for school board". Beverly Press. August 26, 2021.
  27. ^ "Melvoin cruises to LAUSD board reelection; Gonez needs runoff". Spectrum News 1. June 8, 2022.
  28. ^ Blume, Howard (June 7, 2022). "Melvoin poised to win L.A. school board seat; Gonez in runoff; Rivas, Brenes battle for open seat". Los Angeles Times.
  29. ^ Blume, Howard (January 17, 2023). "Goldberg elected L.A. school board president amid tense labor negotiations". Los Angeles Times.
  30. ^ Deutch, Gabby (January 31, 2023). "L.A. school board member Nick Melvoin to run for Adam Schiff's seat". Jewish Insider.
  31. ^ Mason, Melanie; Mehta, Seema (February 3, 2023). "As Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter launch Senate campaigns, the race to replace them begins". Los Angeles Times.
  32. ^ "CITY OF LOS ANGELES GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION OFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS MAY 16, 2017". Los Angeles City Clerk. May 26, 2017.
  33. ^ "California 30th Congressional District Primary Election Results". The New York Times. March 5, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
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