Say It Ain't So--Tamar Running for City Council

Several years back a mom with young kids ran for an LAUSD seat held by a former school teacher.  She ran under the guise that she would have kids in the district, and she would be the only one on the board who had kids of school age.  The fight was ugly, divisive, and many of us watched with concern as Tamar Galatzan unseated Jon Lauritzen.  Over the years, however, she's grown on me.  She's been a vocal advocate regarding non-Title I schools.  She voted for the Birmingham Charter.  And, most importantly, she distanced herself from Mayor Villaraigosa. 

Sadly, today, however, I read that the predictions of two years ago were true.  Tamar Galatzan has pulled papers to run for the Los Angeles City Council District 2 seat formerly held by Wendy Grueuel.  

All the meetings for Local District 1 she held on the far south and east side (of her district seem too obvious now.   Instead of Northridge, Chatsworth, or Canoga Park, they were being held in Sherman Oaks and Valley Glen.

Clearly, people are entitled to run for any office they feel qualified for.  I just feel a sense of let down that the one advocate that seemed to understand the middle class return to public schools really wasn't in it for us after all.  She has a long way to go, and quite a few people to beat, but it makes me worry for Local District 1 schools and families (School Board seat 3), because she's got a LOT on her plate--a job with the City Attorney, her "part-time" school board seat, and now a very political election cycle that will require quite a bit of her attention at the very time that the families in her district need her most.  In perhaps the biggest irony, *most* of the families in her School Board district will not be able to vote on the Council District seat.  So it's out of their hands if she gets elected and leaves the board.  Should she step down now to focus on the election or is just part of a part-time school board member enough?