Middle school math teacher Kevin Beiser, who led the primary race for the San Diego Unified school board seat now occupied by Katherine Nakamura, just won the endorsement of the teachers union.
The union did not endorse any candidate in the June primary. It has frequently been at odds with Nakamura. Stephen Rosen, a third candidate, failed to fill out his questionnaire completely for the endorsement. And teachers were unsure if Beiser, who teaches in National City, knew their district well.
But union President Camille Zombro said Beiser has convinced them that he understands their issues and their district and was a clear supporter of teacher priorities such as small class sizes.
“He’s spent some real time listening to our members,” Zombro said.
The decision was not unanimous, Zombro said, but the union will nonetheless recommend him to its members as the best choice to represent the northeastern areas of the school district.
It is still unsure who Beiser will face off with in the November election: Rosen, a business owner, is now leading Nakamura for second place by less than 300 votes, but thousands more ballots remain to be counted across the county. The top two candidates go on to the November race.
— EMILY ALPERT