Ankur Patel Secures Backing From Poet Laureate Luis Rodriguez

India-West News Desk

LOS ANGELES, CA – Educator and community advocate Ankur Patel has received the endorsement of former Los Angeles Poet Laureate Luis J. Rodriguez in the race for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board, District 4.

Patel, a longtime public-school educator, is running on a platform centered on classroom investment, teacher support, and strengthening trust between schools and local communities. His campaign emphasizes keeping resources within public schools rather than diverting funds to external vendors or corporate interests.

Announcing his endorsement, Rodriguez framed the election as a clear ideological choice. “I endorse Ankur Patel for LAUSD School Board, District 4,” Rodriguez said in a statement. “This is an election with two clear choices, a tired old vision of what education has become, like what Nick Melvoin represents, or a vision for an educational system that engages and elevates every student in the district, such as that held by Ankur Patel. We need real educators truly vested in our children, in our future, not business people who treat schools as businesses. Vote for Ankur Patel.”

Rodriguez, a prominent American author, poet, and activist, served as Los Angeles Poet Laureate in 2014 and is widely recognized for his contributions to contemporary Chicanx literature.

Like him, Patel has also articulated a broader vision for education rooted in early intervention and student support. He has argued that schools play a critical role in shaping life outcomes, particularly for vulnerable youth.

The endorsement adds to Patel’s campaign momentum in a closely watched LAUSD District 4 contest.