Many commentators have described the alliance of Braun, Ottinger and board member Ed Lopez as the faction which supports School Superintendent Alan Bersin and that of Frances O'Neill Zimmerman and John DeBeck -- who abstained in the board elections -- as that which generally opposes Bersin's policies. But as in all political shorthand, such a description may conceal more than it reveals. Personality conflicts have marked the relationships of board members to each other, and apparently may continue to do so.

After being sworn in by Superior Court Judge Norbert Ehrenfreund, Zimmerman, who won reelection in a hard fight against challenger Julie Dubick, said bitterly "I won't dwell on the vast sums of money down the drain in this election. About where $545,000 might better have been spent to improve teaching and learning in the classroom. At one point, we figured out that money could have been used to establish six beginning bands and 15 choral music programs. Nor will I linger on the orchestrated personal attacks leveled against one Board member by three others -- one of whom then complains publicly about a 'divided Board' and a poisoned climate. Nor will I mention after today the superintendent's unprecedented open electioneering."

Lopez and Ottinger, who also were reelected on Nov. 7, were more conciliatory in their swearing-in comments, with Ottinger saying pointedly: "The election for school board is over. It is time to roll up our sleeves and go to work together int he best interest of our 145,000 students. They are counting on us."

Braun told HERITAGE that she will try to bridge the gap. "I will insist on the board doing some board training on how to be a board," she said. "Other boards do self-evaluations" to consider the proper roles of board members and superintendents and to learn "who does what, how to evaluate ourselves and how to set goals." 

She added: "A board is not a collection of five individual people, a board is a team. You have to work as a team. ...The superintendent has a tough job, and he has five board members that sometimes act as superintendents. We have to get this squared away.... We all have to keep looking at what our real goals are, which are to do the right things for kids. I will keep my goal of doing the best for kids first, rather than board relationships... We shouldn't vote or not vote for something because it is someone else's issue."--- Donald H. Harrison